Mad God's Love [Dark, enemies-to-lovers BL]

19 V 2

"I've something pressing to talk to you about," all-important devil man said out of the blue, dismissing all my qualms as trivial. Since I had no power to influence monstrous mind, I just sighed and gestured him to go on. "Sit," he commanded and I rolled my eyes. The asshole was taking this too far.

"Just get on with it. I've no patience for dramatics." Correction - I had patience for the entire drama theatre, just not from this puppet master.

"I can bring some of your friends back," he said and I felt like I was falling. The homey living room spun or I wobbled. Knees weren't into standing so much anymore. Perhaps I did need to sit down. Carpet was cushy.

"What?" I stammered out dumbly. My thoughts raced underwater. So much tension left me that I felt part of my soul depart with it. I felt liberated. Free. Less guilty. "If you do that I..."

Imposing man raised a hand to cut me off and I braced for the bad news. Terms and conditions? Who cares!

"What I mean by that, I can definitely restore the bodies. If I find them. The minds won't be the same, even when I track all of the matter down. I didn't consume them with intent to preserve. Some are damaged because they contained memories of you. That's how..."

"Oh," I know I said that and afterwards didn't hear a thing anymore. High pitched tone overwhelmed my senses.

This was my fault. I ruined scraps of a chance to get them back. Not that I could have suspected this to be a possibility at all.

After initial wave of emotions subsided, my analytical mind took over - to begin with, the phrasing, the intention behind it was suspect. I would do anything for this and he knew. The memory wipe was my fault and this was no benevolent god bestowing me grace. He wasn't doing this out of goodness of his heart and I had no choice in the matter, whatever it was he wanted. This was just another way to pull my strings.

"And what would you desire for that?" I wondered sweetly and as diplomatically as humanely possible. Execution was flawless.

It didn't impress ancient horror. "There is nothing you can give which I can't take. Even now," monster's tone was stern and blood red gaze - intensive. Uncomfortable. "This is not an exchange."

Really, it never was with him, but nevertheless - everything was an exchange. Such was the way of the world. Favour? Those too bore hidden costs. However, if the crafty demon wanted to play that game, I would oblige. I will do anything for this.

"I apologise." With just a hint of consequences, all my manners made a grand return. Leverage does that to people. Monster remained inscrutable, at least to my inept eyes, but silence stretched. "Pease go on," I urged, instead of asking what was behind that fixed stare.

"So you want their remains back."

What? "Yes!" I nearly screamed. I also vaguely assumed they'd be moving?

"Very well. You shall see for yourself.

Not ominous at all. Before I could even have reservations, a shape took form on the couch next to him. It looked like a rapidly growing fruit and was just as eerily silent, at least to my ears. Bumps formed, shape took form. I recognised who this was even before completion.

One of Ruby's girls. She'd even taken name after him - Citrine. Long dirty blond hair, now reduced to a closely cropped halo. Sharp features, made harsher due to the circumstances. Those were improved now, fatty padding landing in all the right places. Face not marred by ingrained unhappiness or badly healed blemishes.

The difference in how she was then and what she would have been under normal circumstances made my gut clench.

"Is this not one of them?" monster asked watching me intently. I was sure he would have been blind to the facial cues even if I wasn't on top of my self-control, so that means he was spying on something else. I'd have to learn to control even invisible tells. Annoying.