Chapter Twenty-Seven
This is a mistake.
I did tell Madison I was bringing Zarmenus to the Gaymers meeting tonight, but given her response was just the sidewise laughing emoji, I’m pretty sure she thought I was joking. Only I wasn’t, and now Zarmenus and I are standing on the front porch of Madison’s house.
Did I seriously bring the prince of Hell to a game night?
“Do I look okay?” asks Zarmenus. He pulls down at his shirt, fidgeting like it’s uncomfortable.
“Come on.”
“What?”
“You know you look amazing.”
He really does. He’s wearing a long-sleeved button-down, black, of course, paired with nice slacks. He’s even combed his hair. If he’d stop acting like the clothes are itchy, he’d look like an academic, serious person. Under his shirt, I can just see the outline of his magical necklace.
“What?” he asks.
“Nothing,” I say.
“You were looking at my chest.”
“I was looking at your necklace.”
“No need to lie, I don’t mind. Stare away.”
I roll my eyes and jab my finger into the doorbell.
A few moments later, the door opens, revealing Madison. She turns to the side, notices Zarmenus, then turns back to me, her head moving so fast I’m worried she’ll get whiplash.
“You were serious?”
“He always is,” says Zarmenus. “I can leave if you want?”
“No, stay, the more the merrier.”
“Sweet.”
Zarmenus goes inside, sliding past Madison, who is still figuring out what’s going on.
“Sorry, I should’ve made sure you knew I was serious,” I say.
“It’s not that, I’m just wrapping my head around a demon being in my house. Anyway, come in.”
The meeting is almost as well attended as the first. I’d say there are about fifteen people inside already. Some are on the couch playing Mortal Kombat, while the others are sitting around the dining table, in the middle of a card game.
“Ooh, blood,” says Zarmenus as one of the characters on the screen pulls the spine out of their opponent. “Fun.”
It’s like a record scratch. The house is loud, from both the music and the conversation, but that all comes to a screeching halt when they notice the prince of Hell has arrived. Even the two people playing Mortal Kombat stop fighting, making their fighters go idle.
Zarmenus raises a hand and waves.
“Oh my God, hi,” says Avery, who I now see was the one playing the video game. He flips around and rests his head on his forearms. Wait, is he seriously flirting right now? “I’m Avery.”
“Zarmenus.”
Tyrell gets up from his spot on the side of the couch and makes his way over to me. I’m thankful for the escape from whatever is going on between those two right now. I assume it’s nothing; Avery flirts a lot.
“A word?” Tyrell asks, only giving a cursory glance to Zarmenus before he practically pulls me into the empty kitchen. “What’s going on?” he asks.
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean,” he says. “You invited him to game night?”
“He’s been better lately.”
His eyes drill into me, trying to uncover the truth.
“He’s a good person,” I say. “Good demon, whatever. He’s just been spoiled his whole life. It was maybe unfair of me to expect he’d know how to be a good roommate right away.”
“I don’t know. Zarmenus is important, sure, and I know a player when I see one. Trust me, I dated three of them in high school.”
He puts air quotes around the word “dated.” Tyrell steps closer.
“Is this because of your crush?”
“Oh, sorry!” says Madison, who just walked into the kitchen with Zarmenus on her arm.
Their presence ends our conversation. I feel a weird stab of jealousy at the two of them being so close.
I’m going to have to unpack that emotion later, because damn.
I am only his fake boyfriend, I shouldn’t be jealous about him getting close to anyone. “Hope we’re not interrupting.”
“You’re not,” says Tyrell, taking a step back from me.
“Ugh, just when I thought something dramatic was happening,” she says. “You two look cute together.”
“I have a boyfriend,” says Tyrell. “You know that, right?”
“I may have forgotten. Awkward. Anyway, would either of you like a drink? I’m making Zarmenus try Fireball. Can you believe he’s never tried it?”
We both decline, and Tyrell and I go back to the living room.
Madison’s girlfriend, whose name I can’t recall, is now sitting at the dining table by herself, packing up the card game.
What is her name? It’s E something? I know she lives with Madison and one other person, and that she and Madison first met during cheerleading tryouts their freshmen year. Her name is a complete blank, though.
“Join,” she offers, and I sit next to her. “Not drinking tonight?”
“Still deciding.”
Zarmenus and Madison join us next. Zarmenus sips his drink.
“What do you think?” I ask.
“It’s delicious,” he says. “Much better than the poisons I’m used to.”
He offers me his drink, and I take a sip. It is quite nice, as far as alcoholic drinks go.
“Do people play board games in Hell?” asks Madison.
“Sometimes,” he says. “They’re not as popular as they are here, though.”
“Oh, they’re not that popular,” says Madison. “We’re just huge nerds.”
To the side of the living room is a bookshelf filled with board games.
I know these hobby-type ones aren’t cheap, because I wanted to buy one for my family after seeing it recommended online.
They must’ve spent an absolute fortune on these games.
It’s hard to know for sure, but Madison gives off old-money vibes which could explain it.
“I know what you’re thinking,” says Madison. “It’s excessive. In my defense, I always ask my parents for games as gifts, and Evie had a big collection before we started dating, so when we put them together the result was this.”
Evie, that’s her name!
“Would you like to pick the first game, Zarmenus?” asks Madison. “Just not Monopoly, it causes too many fights.”
“It’s only fun for the people who win,” says Evie. “Like capitalism.”
Madison laughs and rubs her girlfriend’s arm.
“Is there a game where I can murder everyone?” asks Zarmenus.
“Is there?” she says, not missing a beat. She gets up, scans her shelves, and then slides out a game in a dark green box.
“Betrayal,” says Zarmenus, reading the title on the box. “Sounds promising.”
Madison beams. “Shall we?”
She sets up the game. Only six people can play, so there are only two free spots. Those are quickly taken by Avery and a guy who introduces himself as Rory.
“Who wants to go first?” asks Madison, once everyone has their game pieces. I’m playing as a priest, and Zarmenus is a schoolgirl.
The table is quiet.
“In that case,” says Madison, “who is the youngest?”
“I’m nineteen,” says Avery. “I had a gap year.”
“Nineteen also,” says Rory.
“Eighteen,” I say.
“When’s your birthday?” asks Zarmenus.
“February sixth.”
“Aquarius, that fits,” says Zarmenus. “Mine’s March tenth. Guess I’m going first.”
Zarmenus didn’t get the chance to murder everyone.
Betrayal always ends with someone turning against the other players, and that person was Madison. Her character was transformed into a werewolf and given the mission to kill all of us before the sun rose.
Murdering every other player is something she proceeded to do with a wicked glee.
Like, she gave us no chance. I took one shot at her monstrous form with the crossbow that I found while exploring the house, and she proceeded to rip me apart with her claws, then stole the crossbow off my lifeless body and used it to murder Zarmenus’s poor innocent schoolgirl.
Even though he didn’t get his wish, I can tell Zarmenus is having a good time.
He’s been laughing a lot, as well as cracking a lot of jokes.
A lot of the other partygoers have stopped to watch this game, most likely because Zarmenus is playing.
It seems like he’s the center of attention even at a game night.
“Good game,” says Zarmenus to Madison.
She shakes his hand. “I’d say it was close, but I’d be lying.”
Zarmenus grins. “I like you. You remind me of my aunt. She’s known for her ruthlessness.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should! Nobody is as bloodthirsty as her.”
“Cheers to that!”
Zarmenus finishes his drink.
“Refill?” I ask him.
“Yes, please.”
As I’m pouring some Coke into his cup, I hear someone come up behind me.
I finish pouring the drink, then turn around to find Zarmenus has followed me into the kitchen.
Even though I’ve been spending so much time with him lately, him being here is still slightly jarring.
Madison’s house is nice, but it’s ordinary.
It’s a little cluttered, there’s store-brand dish soap by the sink, and it’s next to a cheap air fryer that could use a clean.
It’s all so normal, so human, and yet standing before me is the prince of Hell.
“You should know something,” he says. “My birthday isn’t March tenth.”
His confession startles me. I’d already memorized the date. I was thinking about if I’d still be in his life next time it’s his birthday.
“It’s the equivalent of August eighteenth. And I’m nineteen in human years. I just wanted to go first.”
That means his birthday is close to Ashley’s, which is August eleventh. That would mean he’s a Leo, like her. She’s the one who taught me about star signs, after I noticed how many books she has on the subject in her room. A pang of missing her hits me right in the chest.
“You’re such a cheater,” I say.
“It’s in my nature.”
I lean against the one clean spot of bench I can see. I feel a little bad for Madison and Evie, as they’re clearly going to have a huge clean-up job tomorrow. Almost every inch of bench space is covered in empty bottles and cans.
There’s a moment of quiet, and I appreciate him coming here. I’m still not completely sold that this is his idea of fun, but he’s at least giving it a good shot. Then I remember he’s only doing this because of our deal. If it weren’t for that, there’s no way he’d be here.
“What’s wrong?” he says. “Did I say something?”
“No,” I say. “You’ve been great.”
“Then what is it?”