Evenstar (75 page)

“No, it’s not.”

“That is not your decision to make, Belial!”

Andrealphus and Whitney dropped to their side.
 
Andy looked between the twins.
 
“Are you two okay?”

“Yes.”
 
They lied in unison.
 
Belial smiled and took Andy’s hand.
 
“Come on, Andy.
 
Let’s dance again.”

Helion stood locked in spot.
 
Whitney wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.
 
He trembled beneath her touch.

***

Berith watched Apple and Lucifer dance, everyone danced but him.
 
He considered speaking to the princes, but most were out of their seats and dancing, even Grendel had a date.
 
He glanced over at Apple, wishing she would be done already.

Someone tapped his shoulder.
 
He looked up into the face of the Queen.
 
He stood up and ducked his head.
 
“Daphne.”

Daphne smiled.
 
“That you show
us
deference has never ceased to amaze me.”
 
She smiled at his spreading blush.
 
She linked her arm with his.
 
“Walk with me once around the Promenade?”

“Of course.”

They walked together until the music grew faint.
 
Daphne nudged him.
 
“I half expected this to be Apple’s wedding.”

Berith looked at her confused.
 
“She has another suitor?”

Daphne laughed.
 
“No, Berith, not at all.”
 
She stopped and turned to him.
 
“When are you going to marry my daughter?”

Berith rubbed his neck.
 
“I was not sure if you approved of me as a potential choice for her.”

Daphne shook her head.
 
“Berith, our family would be honored, truly.
 
How could there be anyone better?
 
You have been a devoted defender of this City and of the ones that came before.
 
You’ve led our troops in battle, you’ve saved countless Lilliam, and you have my daughter’s heart.
 
You have our blessing as well.”

“Morgan has also agreed?”

“We all have Berith.
 
Aita, Persephone, Dawn, Anansi, Draco, Odin and Triton and I’m sure Cyclops would as well were he to still be with us.”

“Why do you tell me this now?”

“We were waiting for your relationship to get to this point naturally.
 
Someone has yet to explain why it took as long as it did.”

Berith blushed.
 
“She is as stubborn as I am and as full of pride.
 
I’m afraid a game of who could outlast the other became the relationship.”

“And now?”

“Now I realize that I have wasted much time.
 
I should have professed my love the first time I saw her destroy a city.”
 
He recalled the memory and smiled.
 

Daphne shook her head and placed a small box in his hand.
 
“Please go do what you should have a long time ago.”
 
She turned and walked back to the party.
 

Berith opened his palm and stared at the box.
 
He lifted the lid and light shone up at him.
 
He ran back to the party.
 
As he returned, Apple broke off from Lucifer to collect him.
 
Lucifer looked around, saw Dahlia dancing with Helion, and headed towards the piano.

Apple glanced past Berith to her mother.
 
“What did she want?”

“Resolution.”

Apple frowned.
 
“What does that mean?”

Berith got to one knee and took her hand.
 
“Appleadris?”

Apple froze.
 
“Berith?”

Berith opened the box and took out a ring fashioned from gold and starlight.
 
“Will you marry me?”

***

Paimon and Furcas sat at a table, alone.
 
Paimon edged his chair towards Furcas.
 
He reached out to take his hand when cheers went up.
 
They looked over to see Apple and Berith kissing, her left arm glowed with the light from the ring on her finger.
 
Furcas and Paimon smiled.

Furcas shook his head.
 
“About damn time.”

“I know.”
 
Paimon reached out and snatched up Furcas’ hand.
 

Furcas looked from his hand to Paimon.
 
“What?”

“Can’t I hold your hand?”

Furcas looked him over.
 
“What are you planning?”

Paimon frowned.
 
“Why would I be planning anything?”

“Are you going to ruin my suit because I made you look nice?”

“No.”

“Well, what then?”

Paimon bit his tongue to keep from saying something mean on impulse.
 
He let the truth slip out instead.
 
“I just want to hold your hand, Furcas.”

“Why?”

“Because I enjoy touching you.”

Furcas pulled his hand back.
 
“I’m not falling for whatever it is you’re trying to pull.
 
I only have one good hand left.
 
I want it to remain intact.”

Paimon stared at his empty hand.
 
“As you wish.”

Furcas frowned.
 
“I thought I had you pegged, but you’ve just shown that even you can learn how to lie better.
 
I am going to have to relearn all your nuances.”

“I am not lying.”

 
“You’re good.
 
You’ve been practicing this haven’t you?”
 
Furcas stuffed his hand in his pocket.
 
Paimon’s expression made him pause.
 
“What is this?
 
Barachiel calls you out on a bunch of shit and now you feel like you have to make some kind of
effort
?
 
Did the Archangel wound your pride or are you worried that I am going to take some of what he said to heart?”

Furcas waited for Paimon’s retort, but nothing came.
 
He looked up.
 
Paimon stared at the floor.
 
So used to the banter, Furcas kept going.
 
“Regardless, why would we hold hands anyways, how saccharin would that be?
 
We’re not little kids.
 
I don’t need paper hearts or cuddling.
 
I do have
some
dignity left, despite how I might appear now.
 
I like to think of myself as an adult, Paimon.
 
Adults don’t need that sappy shit.”
 

Paimon stayed quiet.

Furcas’ eye lit up.
 
“You asshole, you
are
trying to get me back aren’t you?
 
So what were you going to do, drag me out there in front of everyone and tease me?
 
Or sing to me again?
 
Maybe tell them the stupid idea I had about kids.”
 
Furcas hissed.
 
“That’s it isn’t it!
 
Well, I’d rather you just punch me in the head a few times than make a fool—”

Paimon got up and walked away.

Furcas watched him go in shock.

Paimon reached the piano and kicked Lucifer off the piano bench.
 
Lucifer dusted himself off and shrugged.
 
Paimon sat down and the waltz changed to ragtime.
 
He pounded at the keys, ignoring everyone else.
 

Lucifer and Dahlia’s eight children coalesced into the forms of little kids.
 
They laughed at the music and jumped around.
 
Ouroboros grabbed Furcas’ hand and pulled him towards the fray.
 
Furcas smiled and changed to a young version of Faith, decked out in a party dress.
 

***

Lucifer came up behind Dahlia and wrapped his arms around her.
 
She smiled and looked up.
 
She turned in his arms and kissed him.
 
He pulled her towards the tables.
 
Dahlia stopped him.
 
“No more dancing?”

He shook his head.

Dahlia laughed.
 
“The Devil does not dance the jitterbug.”

He nodded.
 
“Quite.”
 
He pulled the pin out of her hair and let it tumble down her shoulders.
 
He hugged her.
 
Dahlia smiled.
 
He did not let her go.
 
“I could never tire of this.”

Dahlia kissed his neck.
 
“Good, me neither.”

He took a seat and pulled her onto his lap.
 
They watched the revelers and the Lilliam left the pair to themselves.
 
He pulled her into a long kiss and the lamps around them unhinged and turned into glowing doves.
 

She blushed.
 
“PDA.”

Lucifer smirked.
 
“Dahlia, the entire world knows when we are having sex, everything we do qualifies as that.”

***

Andy bumped Paimon from his spot at the piano.
 
Belial sat next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
 
The Lilliam with instruments followed along as Andy turned the music into a jig.
 

Paimon rubbed his neck, uncomfortable in his own skin.
 
He hurt in a way he had not in a long time.
 
Furcas had rejected him.
 
Furcas never rejected him, only Paimon did the rejecting.
 
He never let himself get into a position where Furcas could reject him.
 
The thought made him wince.
 
He’d done this to Furcas countless times and now he knew what it felt like.

Paimon stared at his hands.
 
“Why did I do that?”
 

He picked a direction and walked.
 
Paimon passed by the Lilliam children and glanced up briefly, meeting Furcas’ eyes.
 
Furcas blushed, and changed back to his regular self.
 
He fixed his suit.
 
Paimon kept walking.
 
He scuffed his shoes along the ground and headed towards Furcas’ house without thinking about it.

Furcas followed him silently.

Paimon did not enjoy being open and unshielded, it was painful.
 
Furcas had done what he’d feared and taken the chance to get a few shots in, but he completely deserved it.
 
That realization depressed him.
 
He
was
an asshole.
 
Furcas had no reason to trust him.
 

Paimon frowned.
 
He’d
done this to Furcas, made him hard and cynical.
 
Furcas’ guard was up, and it was his fault.
 

Paimon wanted a drink, his hands twitched.
 
He searched his suit and remembered he had no flask.
 
He sighed.
 
The exhale turned into a gasp then a shudder.
 
He closed his lips to keep the sound from escaping.
 

Furcas grabbed his arm.

Paimon looked up and the two stared at each other in the semi-darkness of the empty street.
 
Furcas searched his eyes and slipped his hand into Paimon’s, watching his expression as he did.
 
Paimon’s face softened, he squeezed Furcas’ hand.

Furcas looked thoughtful.
 
“So you do have a soft side in there.”

Paimon didn’t say anything, just nodded.
  

Furcas interlaced their fingers and gave him a tug.
 
“Come back to the party, it’s not the same without you.”

Paimon walked along with him.
 
He spoke softly, “If you want to act as a child—”

Furcas tore his hand out of Paimon’s grip.
 
He turned to stalk back.
 
“
Asshole
.”

Paimon stopped him.
 
“No, Furcas,
wait
!”
 

Furcas looked up and his response died on his tongue.
 
Paimon was serious, not a hint of sarcasm on his face.
 

Paimon held up his hands.
 
“Just listen.”

“Fine.”

Paimon took a deep breath.
 
“You are young, younger than the rest of us and I forget that sometimes, but I shouldn’t.”

“I’m
not
a
child
!”