𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, l. castellan

𝟎𝟎𝟐. cupid's arrow

DOOMSDAY

____________

VALERIA DRAWS THE string to her bow past her ear, balancing the arrow's shaft and aiming the bullet point at the red circle. She squints one eye to focus her vision, releasing the arrow a moment later as it pierces the center of the target. Bullseye.

She lowers her arms and the bow, breathing out with a slight smile. Camryn claps her palms together from beside Valeria as they stand in one of the camp's large fields, where many other groups occupy their own lanes for archery practice.

"Are you sure that you're Aphrodite's daughter?"

"Thanks, Cam," Valeria chuckles, taking another arrow out from the quiver slung across her collarbone.

"No, seriously. That was a perfect shot," Camryn shakes her head lightly. "Other than my siblings and me, you might be the best archer in camp— and we're children of Apollo."

Valeria squints at her with pursed lips, "That's an exaggeration."

"No, you're just being annoyingly humble."

The brunette rolls her eyes, raising the bow and pointing the arrow at the target once more. It soars through the air and lands a few centimeters from the previous arrow. "See?"

Camryn gives her a blank, unimpressed stare. "That was on purpose."

Valeria shrugs, turning away to hide the sly smile on her face. She continues to fire several more arrows, only pausing to rotate her shoulders. "So, where'd you go last night?"

"You mean after I left you and Romeo alone?" Camryn asks, earning another eye roll from Valeria. "If you must know, I went to talk to some of my other friends. Because, you know, I actually have those."

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Valeria laughs, twisting her neck to peer back at the girl. Camryn raises her hands innocently with a grin. "Uh—huh."

"You can't blame me, Val. It grosses me out," Camryn makes a dramatic gagging noise. "You guys are always touchy and everything."

Valeria blinks. "He's my best friend."

"Exactly." When the brunette tilts her head to the side in confusion, Camryn lets out a melodramatic groan. Then she starts, "You're really telling me that during these past... what, three years—?"

"Four years."

"—four years," she corrects. "You and Luke have never tried anything? Like anything at all, not even just a little kiss?"

"No?"

"Oh, my gods," Camryn drags her hands down her face in exasperation. "I am going to shoot both of you."

Valeria merely shakes her head dismissively in response.

For the next few hours, she and Camryn take turns practicing their archery skills, though the Apollo girl somehow manages to avoid as many turns as Valeria. When they eventually grow tired of the repeated exercise, the girls return their bows and quivers to the armory before heading back toward the cabins.