The Other Detective - Book 3 (Riverdale Season 3)

Prom Night - Part 2

"Now, who's next?" Edgar asked the group in the Gargoyle King chamber as they stormed in.

"Me," Betty told him. "How about you admit that you are the Gargoyle King?"

"Edgar, I am so sorry."

"It's alright, Alice," he told her. "Clearly, whatever's on Betty's mind must be very important. Why don't you join us?" he invited as he stood. "And we can unpack this obsession you have with the Gargoyle King."

"I have a better idea. Why don't you take off your shirt?"

"Betty!"

"I want to see your tattoos," she ignored her mother.

"I do have a tattoo. On my wrist," he held it up. "It's an infinity symbol, just like many of us here."

"I'm talking about the runic symbols that would be on your back."

"This is sublimation, Betty, but I have nothing to hide." Edgar turned and started to walk back to his seat.

"Then prove it." Edgar waited a moment before unbuttoning his shit and pulling it off, revealing his untouched back. Jughead and Aminity glanced at each other as they each let out small breaths.

"There," Edgar turned back to Betty, walking closer. "Does that satisfy you, Betty?"

***

"Don't worry about it," Jughead said as they sat in the Blue and Gold office. "It should be a relief that your mom's not marrying a second serial killer." Aminity just looked at him with wide eyes and he shrugged.

Betty looked at him next before putting her hand down on the table. "If not Edgar, then who?"

"If we're gonna catch the Gargoyle King, it's going to be on his own terms."

"Who would agree to getting caught on their own terms?" Aminity asked her brother as Betty sighed.

"His Gospel?" she asked as she looked at the book in his hands.

"Yes. Now, I think that there's a ritual in here that will help invoke him. Just listen to this. 'After the false prophet is sacrificed, the shire will have a bacchanal to celebrate the coronation of the Gryphon Queen.' Does that sound like any imminent school event to you?"

"Junior prom," both girls let out.

"'Upon her crowning, the Gryphon Queen will ensure the King's arrival by subjugating herself and declaring that the one true monarch of Eldervair is the Gargoyle King.'"

"I'm assuming I'm the Gryphon Queen in this scenario?"

"Please tell Jughead's gonna be the queen," Aminity looked between them. Jughead gave her a look and she only shrugged with a smile.

He sighed and looked at Betty. "Right. Ergo, we just have to ensure that you're crowned prom queen."

"Cheryl'll love that."

"So, maybe we switch the prom theme to something G&G related."

"Yet another way to make Cheryl mad."

"Assuming that the Gospel is, well, gospel," Jughead ignored his sister, "he's going to show up. I mean, he's not going to ignore his own rules, right? And then we just need to ensure that you're elected prom queen."

"So what if we do all of that and the Gargoyle King still doesn't materialize?" Betty brought up.

"Then the junior prom is just another horrible mainstream school event that we'll have to endure." Betty sighed. "Speaking of which, who is the chair of the prom committee?"