Mammon (Devilry #2)

41. Belphegor

FORTY-ONE

BELPHEGOR

Everything is fine.

As the Pink Tuxedo Man and I watch television in the basement, I’m filled with a deep sense of contentment. Life is just absolutely wonderful. Sure, Mammon, Bel, and I haven’t been as close for some reason and everybody is keeping their distance, but besides that, I’m having the time of my life.

Pink Tuxedo Man looks over at me and smiles, pointing at the television. “Do you think he’s the killer?”

I shrug and toss some popcorn into my mouth. “I don’t know. He doesn’t really fit the profile.”

He snorts. “What profile is that?”

“Well, in all the movies like this, they generally make the killer a main character. It’s usually someone they know,” I point out. “Maybe it’s the sister?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t know, Gore. Monsters aren’t always people you know. Sometimes, they’re strangers who have no connection to you.”

My skin prickles at that, a jolt of something resembling awareness hitting me. Monsters aren’t always people you know. I start to feel…

“Let’s just watch the movie,” I say quickly, grabbing another handful of popcorn. “We can watch the newest one that just came out next. Do you know they wear masks?”

He stares at me for a beat before smiling, the rows of his sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light. “Sure. We can do whatever you want, for as long as you want.”

I wiggle in my seat, happy to hear that. I want to do this forever and ever and ever; just be peaceful like I should be. Maybe tonight, Mammon will finally make love to me again. I guess he’s just tired, or maybe he’s getting older? I don’t know, but I can only hope it’ll end tonight.

Why can’t they just be as happy as I am?

Two sets of footsteps echo from the stairs and I brighten when Bel and Mammon appear. “Hey!” I cheer, hopping to my feet and rushing to them. “Do you want to watch a movie with us?”

Mammon purses his lips, then looks at Bel for a brief second, before turning back to me. “Princess, we need to talk.”

“Okay,” I say, rubbing my hands together eagerly. “About what?”

“Do you know you’re alone right now?” Bel asks slowly as he glances over my shoulder. “There’s no one here with you.”

With a snort, I jut my thumb over my shoulder at Pink Tuxedo Man. “What do you mean? Is this a joke?”

“Whoever you’re seeing isn’t real, baby.” He reaches for me, taking my hand and rubbing his thumb against my palm.

The pain in his eyes is unbearable—the worry—and I don’t like it one bit. It makes my skin itch and my heart race. Shaking my head, I back away. “Stop that. I don’t like this game.”

“Gore…”

“We need you to come back to us,” Mammon says. Walking toward me, he herds me until the back of my knees hit the couch.

“I’m here,” I laugh, sitting as I stare at him in confusion. “Of course I’m here.”

“But you’re not!” Bel screams, clawing at his hair. “You’re deflecting! Gore, please!”

I tip my head to the side as my fingers twitch. “Deflecting what?”

“Don’t snap at him,” Mammon says to Bel. He sits beside me, placing his hand palm up, waiting for me to give him mine. When I do, he leans forward and brushes his lips against my forehead. “Belphegor. You need to remember.”

I pull back as my heart races out of nowhere. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Think, Gore.”

I look next to me at Pink Tuxedo Man after he speaks. He’s smiling widely, but there’s a comfort in his eyes that seems out of place.

Panic surfaces as the broken ringing of screams invades my ears. I cup my hands over them, biting down hard on my bottom lip. “No. No, no, no. Everything is fine.”

“Think carefully,” Mammon says, his eyes watering. “I’m sorry, but you have to think .”

“What are you trying to do?” I ask, flashes of…

NO!

Pink Tuxedo Man places his taloned hand on my shoulder, shaking me gently. “You need to listen to them.”

Bel’s been holding his tongue, but I know the tell-tale signs before he’s about to snap. He paces, muttering something under his breath before stopping short with determination. “We have to tell him, Mammon.”

Mammon shakes his head. “We said we wouldn’t. He needs to remember on his own.”

“That’s not going to work!” Bel argues, throwing his hands up in the air. “You have to trust me!”

“Tell me what?” My body trembles as I feel phantom but familiar pain. “You’re not making any sense.”

Mammon narrows his eyes at Bel. “Don’t?—”

“You were raped! Remember that!”

Bel’s scream makes me choke on my own spit. I blanch for a second, opening and closing my mouth, before laughing. “What? That never happened!”

“Yes, you were! I’m sorry it’s come to this, but you need to know!” he yells, this time with more force, stomping up to me, and kneeling before me. “They raped you, they made you bleed , they took something from you, Gore!”

Thrust, thrust, thrust.

“Don’t say such horrible things!” I cry. Shooting up and knocking him over, I back myself into the corner of the basement. “You’re lying!” I look at Pink Tuxedo Man. “Tell them! Tell them to stop!”

Bel and Mammon both stand, approaching me with caution. Mammon is more reserved, even though I can sense his anguish at my reaction to such a terrible lie, but Bel is pissed.

“It’s not fair what you’re doing! It’s not fair!” His shout cracks into a sob. “You’re running away and leaving me alone when I need you too! We need you!”

Suddenly, Pink Tuxedo Man is right beside me. He smiles when I look up at him and slowly raises his claw-tipped finger to my forehead. “Gore, it’s time to remember.”

And then the world erupts around me.

“No! Stop!”

Thrust, thrust, thrust.

“Gore! Gore! It’s okay, baby! Just look at me!”

Thrust, thrust, thrust.

“No! Get off me!”

Thrust, thrust, thrust.

“Bel! Help me!”

I collapse onto the floor, the vivid images assaulting me. I don’t just cry, I wail, pounding my fists against the sides of my head. “Oh God! No! No!”

They raped me.

“That’s it, princess,” Mammon says, shedding silent tears as he scoops me onto his lap. His touch is like fire, but I don’t pull away. “Let it all out.”

I claw at my skin, trying to rip away their hands, trying to bleed until the poison is out of my system. “They— How could they? I didn’t do anything to them!”

“We know,” Bel sobs as he falls beside us, taking my hand and pressing a single kiss on each one of my fingertips. “I’m sorry I yelled, baby, but we needed to get you back.”

“How could they?” I mumble it to myself over and over and over again.

“Hush, sweet princess,” Mammon whispers in my ear, rocking me tenderly as we all experience heartbreak and anguish. “We’ll work through it together.”

I look up for a brief second and see Pink Tuxedo Man. He’s still smiling, waving his fingertips at me, before dissolving into nothing but dust.

It’s only then that I allow myself to fully feel the pain.