Night Fall | Sweet Pea (completed)

Chapter Forty-Nine.

"What are you doing down here? I thought you skipped town after you escaped the sisters." I asked Ethel, patience was short in my voice as I thought of the thousands of ways this could all be a trap.

"I'm hiding from the Gargoyle King. I'm terrified he's going to kill me for failing in my mission." 

My eyes rolled so far as I leant against the bunker wall knowing that the Gargoyle king was just some psycho playing dress up.

"Mission? What mission?" Jughead asked, I knew he didn't believe the extent of all this game but just like any good detective he wanted all sides of the story.

Ethel shuffled on the side of the bed, avoiding all eye contact with Jughead before he realised.

"Wait. You were the one that told Ricky to send that letter during prom?" Jughead scoffed and before he got the chance to speak I stepped in.

"You led Betty right to the Gargoyle King and the Black Hood didn't you? Bloody hell Ethel you know you couldn't get Jughead whilst Betty is in the picture so you tried to eliminate her. You truly are unhinged." I shook my head and laughed slightly in amusement at the whole situation. Ethel could have killed Betty and instead of facing the truth she's hiding in a bunker.

"I thought you quit G&G, after Betty saved you from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy." The tone in Jughead's voice had clearly changed as he became angrier at what Ethel had done. 

"She saved me from the Sisters' false King, yes, but... then I rejoined the true King in the woods after... When I came back to him, he put me in charge of his Lost Boys." Ethel stuttered out, almost afraid to speak another word.

"That Lord of the Flies gang that just chased us through the woods with spears? Ethel, you're playing G&--?" 

I cut Jughead off from his rambling as I stood in front of him and walked closer to Ethel. 

"You're gonna tell us now, right now, who the Gargoyle King is." My voice was stern and loud making some tears fall out of Ethel's eyes and I didn't care for the slightest.

"I can't." She spoke trying to put on a waterworks display. "I can't betray his trust." 

"Oh but you have no problem with betraying Betty's or Jughead's? Talk about having your priorities straight." I spoke as she started crying more. 

"Even when you just said he's trying to kill you?" Jughead cut me off and pushed me softly to the side so he was now in front of Ethel. The frustration in his voice was taking over his anger. He wanted this game done with as much as the next person did. 

"He's... he's beautiful. Despite it all, I love him." I couldn't hold in the laugh that escaped my mouth at this stage.

"Oh come off it Ethel and tell us who he is right now before I beat it out of you." I stepped forward again before being pushed aside by Jughead.

"It's okay. But you and the Lost Boys can't stay in these woods. You have to end this game. Will you?" Jughead's voice was now sympathetic, I knew he really didn't care but he also knew interrogation wasn't going to get Ethel to tell us who her 'love' was. 

Jughead held out his hand and reluctantly Ethel took ahold of it. I could tell she was broken but so were all of us at this stage. This game had turned my brother and my best friend against me. I was ready to end this just like Jughead. 

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"Stand down, Lost Boys. The Hellcaster is on our side. And he's come bearing good news. Our quest is complete." Ethel spoke softly to what she called her 'Lost Boys' and slowly they started putting down their handmade spears.