Crown and Crucify
Chapter Seven
"Suguro, tomorrow night I'm going to have a party. You'll have to help me with decorations."
"What?" I glanced down from my spot on the ladder.
Amaimon was curled up comfortably in his oversized, plush, microfiber recliner, meticulously grooming the green tuft on his tail with a thin comb. "I want cake and Otouto only bakes when there's a party."
I frowned at him. "You're going to go through all that trouble just for some cake?" He flicked a finished lollipop stick at my forehead. I took in a deep breath, fighting my anger. "Why don't you just ask him to make you the damn thing?"
"Don't wanna," he mumbled, stretching and rolling on to his stomach.
"Amaimon. Amaimon!" I called out to him sternly, but he ignored me, fidgeting with his fringe. I sighed and returned to the bookshelf.
Three days.
Three fucking days.
That's how long it took me to clean and alphabetize his collection of books. Shelves reached the ceiling and were packed with mostly fictional novels in three different languages. He even had a small cabinet designated for poetry and Shakespeare. It was an annoying task and would have taken longer if the earth demon wasn't bored enough to help me. Despite this good-natured attempt, he still pissed me off; he wouldn't respond unless I called him master and forced me to do all the chores he was assigned, (like cleaning his fucking dayroom.), while he sat snuggled in his stupid chair with tea and a book all day.
Shit, it must be nice to have enough time to read hundreds of books. I wish I had that luxury. Instead, all my free time is spent worrying about my reputation.
Ever since the incident with Astaroth two days ago, everyone has avoided me except three people. Amaimon doesn't know, (and I don't plan on telling him), Rin allegedly doesn't care whether I'm human, and Vlad...well, I suppose he heard from the other servants; besides, he already knew, so I doubt he's concerned about it. I can't really decide how I feel about it. On one hand, I'm relieved that I'm being ignored, yet I'm constantly paranoid one of the demons will become wary and have me executed.
"Suguro." Amaimon startled me by taking a book out of my hand. He was held up to my level by a cluster of thick, leafy vines. "Is something bothering you?" He was so close I could smell the cherry candy from his lollipop lingering on his breath.
"No, master." I turned back to the half-empty shelf, hoping he would just leave me alone.
"Demons are very intuitive when it comes to bonded humans," he started, flipping through the delicate pages of his book. "If something is bothering you," he placed it on the shelf and tilted my chin so our eyes met, "know that it bothers me, too." And with that, he returned to his chair.
I wasn't sure what disturbed me more; Astaroth, Rin, the horsemen, or Amaimon's sudden and random display of compassion. Lost in my thoughts, I finished organizing the remaining books, unaware of my surroundings.
"Suguro~" Amaimon sung my name as I descended the ladder.
I flinched. Every time he called my name like that, I had to do something embarrassing. "Yes, master?"
"Give me a back massage." He flicked his tail playfully.
"No," I growled, fed up with his stupid requests.
"Suguro~ My back hurts."
"Get someone else to do it!"
"Suguro~"
"No!"
"Sugu-"
"Fine! Fine, I'll give you a back massage! Just shut the fuck up!"
"What's this?"
I shrugged as I fidgeted with the settings on the dishwasher. "List of the things Amaimon wants me to provide for the party tomorrow."
"Chocolate cupcakes, white cake with buttercream frosting, crepes, a big bag of jalapeno chips, barbeque takoyaki..." Rin threw the scrap of paper on the counter, scoffing. "Half of this isn't even available to us!" He shook his ladle at me, irritated. "This just proves how selfish he is – using a celebration to get food!" He huffed.
There's no doubt in my mind that Amaimon wasn't being selfish, but if Rin didn't agree to bake most of the items on his list, I would have to do it. The thought of the inevitable disaster that would surely follow made me shudder with fear. "Well, not everyone likes sweets."
He smiled with a small shrug. "That's true. But since when did Amaimon get to pick when we have a party and what we serve? He never does anything!"
"He takes care of our sacrifices." Vlad startled both of us with his sudden appearance. "You wouldn't have that lettuce if he didn't offer gifts to Assiah."
Rin's affability dropped like a shield; he pressed his lips together, staring with narrowed eyes, uncertain. "Yeah, yeah, okay. So he's not completely worthless." He crossed his arms.
Vlad's mouth quivered at the corners, like he was amused by the demon's response. "'Sides, a party will give you two an excuse to dance together." Vlad placed an arm around my shoulders. "Remember?"
"What?" Rin and I spoke together, confused by his suggestion.
"Geez," he sighed. "Skunk Head, remember you said you wanted to make up for the bathroom incident by sharing a private dance with Master Rin? Isn't that what this party is about?"
I felt my cheeks burn a bright red. "I-I never said that!" I growled, glaring at him, trying to hide my obvious embarrassment.
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Skunk Head. Now, let's go." Once again, I was dragged out of the kitchen and away from Rin. By the time we reached the foyer, I was fed up with being pulled around.
I snatched my arm out of his grasp and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "A dance? What the fuck were you thinking?" I hissed at him, anger growing as he laughed.
"I feel bad about interrupting your time alone with the young master," he lowered his voice so the surrounding servants wouldn't overhear. "So I asked Amaimon to set something up for you."
Vlad asked Amaimon? Strange, that's not what the earth demon had said when he told me about the 'party'. Obviously, it was a cover-up, a distraction for something beyond me murdering Rin. But what eluded me. He seemed to hear the skepticism in my silence.
"Don't worry too much about it, Suguro." He winked and nodded to a folded sheet nearby. "While you're here, do me a favor and spread that over the tables, okay?"
"Fine." I released him.
As I was reaching out for it, the white cloth began to take the shape of a person. It swayed back and forth and made strange sounds. Unamused, I ripped it away to reveal the Earth King. "Boo!"
"Stop playing around!" I yelled, frustrated with his childish behavior. "Where are the decorations?"
"I don't know." He spoke curtly and nibbled on the claw of his thumb. "That's supposed to be your responsibility."
My anger flared again. I felt hot and it took everything I had not to snap his annoying, little neck. "No! You were in charge of the decorations!"
"And now you are." He tilted his head, a playful look in his eyes.
I would have punched him if Vlad didn't grab my arm. "Easy peasy! Decorations are in a shed in the atrium."
I huffed and turned to walk away, but before I could reach the Inner Sanctum, Amaimon called out to me. "You're very entertaining when you're angry, Suguro."
Fucking asshole.
I threw open the doors to the atrium and was welcomed by the crisp, clean scent of the garden air. It's calming atmosphere gradually pulled me out of my sour mood. This was, by far, my favorite room in the entire palace. Trees and flowers and the relaxing sound of running water reminded me of Assiah...or what it was before Gehenna began to swallow it.
I waved in greeting to Moriyama, who was busy watering pansies, and tried to calm myself before approaching. She was so easily frightened and I didn't want to scare her off since I needed her help. "Hey."
"H-Hello, Suguro. C-Can I, um, h-help you with any-anything?" Her bright, mossy eyes met mine nervously.
"Vlad said you might have something we can use as decorations in a shed?"
"Of course!" She perked up and her apprehensive demeanor vanished. "I'll help you carry it." She placed the watering can down.
Tucked away in the back of the garden was a small room that connected to the palace. It was definitely a shed: shelves were lined with dirty tools and empty clay pots, rusted rakes and shovels hung on the wall, and bags of seeds, mulch, and dirt were neatly stacked by the door. Potted plants lined a large window, patiently waiting to join the others in the outside garden. Moriyama picked out a lavender plant and passed it to me. We chose a few more brightly colored plants and she followed me back to the main entrance.
"Amaimon likes these stupid things, doesn't he?" I asked, eyeing the plant's tiny, purple flowers. It had a sweet, soothing scent.
"Um, Suguro." She carefully placed a small rose bush on the cloth-covered table. Her fingers lingered on the petals as she hesitated with her thoughts. "Are you... How has..." Moriyama paused again, taking deep breaths. "Is everything okay?" She turned to me, brow scrunched with concern, tears threatening to fall from the corners of her eyes. "I-I heard about what happened from Rin. If there's anything I can do..."
Damnit, he just doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut, does he?
"What did he tell you?"
"Astaroth dumped trash on your head..." Her voice was light and trailed off to an awkward, uncomfortable silence.
"Yeah," I sighed. "I'm not sure why." That was a lie. I knew exactly why Astaroth did what he did, but I tried to play it off like I didn't know. It seemed like the subject would pop up again while she spoke to Rin and I didn't need her reinforcing the belief that I might be human, even if it was unintentional.
"I'm sorry," she shook her head and clenched her small fists. "He's just a...a big bully!"
I chuckled at her response. It was cute when she tried to act tough. "He'll get payback for it soon enough."
Moriyama gasped and covered her mouth with a hand, frightened by my threatening reply. "Are you going to hurt him?"
"Nah."
"Hey!" Vlad interrupted us, hands on his hips and an irritated expression on his face. "Is this it? It's boring! C'mon, get creative! This place is supposed to look foresty not empty! Sheesh, kids these days!"
"It looks great, Bon."
"Thanks."
And it did. Well, as far as demonic parties went, I guess.
We had to hurry, but managed to finish decorating the main hall just before the party began. The atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing, a representation of a forest at night. Vlad brought in a few of the copper fixtures to dimly light the room, leafy vines hung tastefully from the ceiling and were accompanied by large lightning bugs, various leaves and petals and tiny lavender flowers were scattered about on the tables and floor. The doors to the Inner Sanctum had been removed, allowing moonlight to poor into the room.
It was mainly a celebration held for the servants, low-level demons that wanted to thank the earth for allowing them to live in Assiah or something, but the demon kings were also present. Astaroth sat in a corner, grumbling to himself as usual. Amaimon wasn't here yet, which was strange considering how excited he was about the junk food. Still, it was nice to have some time away from him; he's grown clingy over the past few days and it's been giving me a headache.
I would have enjoyed the party much more if I wasn't forced to serve drinks with Vlad. We were working in shifts, though, and I should be switching with another servant in a few minutes so I can grab something for myself before the earth demon came and devoured everything. Rin was patiently waiting beside me.
"It's nice to see everyone getting along," he commented, fidgeting with the pair of buttons on the sleeve of his suit.
I hummed in agreement. "Everyone except Astaroth."
"Astaroth is...Astaroth..." I glanced at him. He had a solemn frown and stared down at his feet. "I kinda feel bad for him," he said softly. "Everyone is afraid of him and he has no one to talk to...no friends."
I scoffed and crossed my arms. "That's his fault. If he wasn't such a bully, maybe people would like him." I acknowledged my replacement for the night with a nod.
"It's not his fault, really."
I turned my attention back to him with a snort, a cruel laugh that made his frown deepen. "He's a piece of shit and it's no one's fault but his own." I rolled my eyes as I saw Rin shake his head. "You really think there's a legitimate reason he's so mean?"
He shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "Father is...not very nice to us."
His words instantly made me regret what I had said. I leaned against the wall behind us and shoved my hands in my pockets. Rin's face was pained, stressed as involuntary memories of Satan returned to him. He was lost in his thoughts and jumped back into reality when I gently called his name. "I'm sorry," I apologized softly. "I didn't mean to insult your family or bring up any bad memories."
The demon prince smiled at me and shook his head again, navy hair bouncing with his movements. "Father expects things from us and it's difficult to satisfy him. When he isn't happy with us, he'll..." his voice trailed off and he bit his bottom lip, fangs poking out. "It's not important. Hey," he finally faced me, bright smile on his face. "About that dance..." He wiggled his eyebrows playfully at me.
"Ugh, that." My shoulders drooped. Though it sounded fun, I really didn't want to dance with Rin right now. I just wanted to stuff my face and then go to sleep. "You sure you want people to see us dancing? Especially after what happened?"
Rin laughed once, winking at me. "Don't worry, I took care of that."
"What? How?" His expression was making me nervous.
"I simply told everyone Astaroth was jealous of you because you get more attention from me." He stood proudly with a smug grin. "It's my word against his, so eventually everyone will forget about it." We lapsed into silence, watching the servants mingle amongst each other. He spoke again after a moment, tone sheepish at first. "Let's go." He grabbed my arm and tepidly guided me to the Inner Sanctum. "I know the perfect spot!"
"W-Wait!"
He didn't respond and pulled me into an empty, open corner of the garden, under the shade of a large maple tree. Moonlight poked through its leaves, casting shadows on his face and giving his eyes a beautiful, delighted glint. My heart pounded as he forced my hands to his hips and we began to sway to an unheard beat. He closed his eyes and hummed softly.
Without thinking, I ran my fingers through his soft, navy hair. I just couldn't help myself; touching him was a compulsion, a staggering urge I finally gave in to. His hair had a subtle, calming scent to it, like the smell of a fireplace or a burning candle. He wrapped his arms around my neck as I fell into step with him. He leaned closer to me as we swayed, so close I could feel the heat of his body against mine, and the warmth of his breath on my skin.
I snatched my hand back once I realized what I was doing.
It was quiet back here, with only the muffled sound of conversation drifting over from the main party. If I didn't know any better, I would've lost myself in him, but reality is cruel and I couldn't let my emotions control me.
Hidden inside my left sleeve was a short dagger attached to a contraption that would extract if I flexed my wrist. Under the blade was a needle filled with twenty milliliters of holy water, enough to melt demonic flesh instantly. It was dark, we were alone, and I could leave the palace before dawn broke. Everything was set up just right, except for me. I continued to hesitate, desperately trying to muster the courage to step away from him.
As if he could read my thoughts, we separated. I was still holding on to him, mesmerized by what the moonlight was doing to his eyes. "Stop," he said softly, stepping out of my grasp. "I can't do this anymore, Bon."
His expression, lowered and guilty, made my chest tighten. "Do what?" I wanted to sound confident, but my voice betrayed me.
"I thought things would have changed if we were close, that maybe I would realize some hidden emotion I've suppressed," he paused, nervously running a hand through his hair to rid it of my touch. "I want to like you, Bon. I'm being completely honest when I say that...but, I just can't. Nothing is there." He brought his eyes up to mine, distraught and ashamed. "I'm sorry. I'll understand if you hate me."
My heart sank as I realized what he meant with his words. I stood there, quiet, dazed, my thoughts incoherent. My hands seemed frozen in place, slightly outstretched to welcome him back in. But the sensation of his warmth would never come again, and this, perhaps, was what destroyed me.
I wanted to say something, attempt to change his mind or at least convince him that he was wrong about how I felt, but couldn't find my voice.
"Suguro."
I flinched and whirled around. Rin's face took on a regretful frown and he turned away. Amaimon was perched on a low branch, eyes flicking between me and his younger brother.
How long had he been watching us?
His gaze finally settled on me, but his expression was unreadable. "I need your help."
"Right now?"
"It's urgent," he murmured, glancing over his shoulder anxiously. "Suguro," he hesitated and turned back to me. I saw an uncharacteristic look of desperation flash across his face. "Please."
