There’s nothing, not even a ripple. I plop back down to the ground, feeling completely fucking sorry for myself as a green figure appears on the other side of the pond. The fog is heavy as she approaches and she sighs.
“Are you done?”
I swallow and stand, dusting off my legs and looking at the being who ruined my life, but somehow made it amazing at the same time. I don’t know whether to strangle her or get on my knees and beg.
“The shamrock was destroyed by my girlfriend’s—well, I’m hoping she’s still my girlfriend after all of this—cat from Hell. I need another one. I need my life to go back to the way it was before I lost the shamrock. Please, I’ll do anything.”
“It was just a shamrock.”
“Yeah, I know, I’m more than aware. I want another one, please.” I hope that my face reads how desperate I am. “I’ll do whatever you want, get you as many gold coins as you need, or if there’s any cupid powers that you could use, I’m your girl.”
“No, you misunderstand. It was just a shamrock.”
“Fuck’s sake,” I mumble under my breath. “You’re Lady Luck. Surely there’s something you want, anything. I’ll do anything to make my luck change.”
She rubs her temple, her mossy hair bouncing with each movement.
“Yeah, so about that. I’m really just an Earth nymph.”
“Pardon?” I say, my jaw going slack.
“It kinda caught on that the falls had some lucky qualities. People started giving me coins and maybe it went to my head a little.”
“You mean…”
“It was just a shamrock. I don’t hold any abilities to change your luck, you changed it for yourself. The mind is a powerful thing.”
“So Mors didn’t like me for any other reason than she likes me? I wasn’t being a good cupid ’cause I was so in my head about it? I guess Eros shooting me with that arrow was just a crazy circumstance. But what about some of the other stuff that doesn’t add up?”
The Earth Nymph shrugs her shoulders guiltily and swishes her shamrock dress like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
“It’s a part of life. Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re not.”
“I don’t know whether to drown you or kiss you,” I say.
“I’d prefer you didn’t drown me, but I think the menacing grim reaper behind you might have a thought or two about you kissing me.”
I spin around and watch as Mors appears from the fog. She’s wearing her robes, looking both menacing and gorgeous at the same time.
“Mors,” I whisper as I swallow.
“Are you okay? What did he do to your wings?” she asks. Her voice is calm, but there’s an underlying tone that says she wants to rip Eros’ wings off and feed them to Hades.
“They’re fine, just retracted.”
“You thought me liking you was because of a shamrock?” she asks, her face turning amused.
“Don’t act like it’s so funny.”
She sucks her lips into her mouth, trying not to laugh as she shakes her head. “It’s a little funny.”
“Isn’t it kind of sad that I thought a flower was dictating the trajectory of my whole existence?”
“Yeah, a little. But now you know the truth. Maybe you can see what I see. You’re beautiful inside and out, you’re a great cupid, and you make me the happiest I’ve felt in my very long existence. None of that is luck, Juliet. That’s all you.”
I blink at Mors, fully letting it soak in.
All the insecurity and inferiority I felt was in my own head. None of this was luck. This was all me; the way Mors feels, the matches I made, all of it.
