Second Chances [Sweet Pea x OC]

Chapter 25

"Never really thought about it, I guess," Jughead mumbled, starting towards the front door again.

I started to follow but was held back by Sweet Pea. "Are you sure you wanna go in there?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

"No, I don't want to, but I have to," I replied. "Now come on, let's get this over with."

Sweet Pea's hand tightened around mine as we stepped into the house. People sat scattered around the room, playing G&G by candlelight. They groaned and turned away as the flashlights we carried caught their eyes. We followed Jughead further into the house, stepping in dead leaves, empty Fizzle Rocks packets, and I didn't even want to think about what else. It was bad enough with all those creepy little voodoo-like dolls hanging over our heads.

"You've really been in places like this before?" Sweet Pea asked, following close behind me.

I nodded, remembering them all. "Visited them, lived in them, ran away from them. Take away all the G&G shit and replace the Fizzle Rocks with Jingle Jangle and it would be like nothing's changed."

Jughead looked back over his shoulder at us, calling our attention to the skull resting on a gargoyle statue across the room. That had to be where we'd find Kurtz. As we approached, the teen sitting under the statue was so focused on the book in front of him that he didn't react when our flashlight beams crossed his face. "Are you Kurtz?" Jughead asked. "I'm here to talk. One leader to another."

Without a word he nodded for Jughead to have a seat on the small camp stool by the wall. Those around us shifted further away while Sweet Pea pulled me closer to him. As Jughead talked, I moved my light slowly over the wall beside him, noting the lists with everything crossed out, some circled. I wasn't close enough to read them, and I doubted Jughead even noticed anything more than the fact that there was a wall there.

"I'm the Serpent King, and I'm here to make an offer," Jughead was saying. "You're all wanted for making and dealing Fizzle Rocks. But if you and your Gargoyles join my gang, I can promise you immunity from the sheriff's office, and the law."

I raised an eyebrow at that. FP had agreed to making that deal with the Ghoulies, not the Gargoyles. Gryphons and Gargoyles was a dangerous game, but Jughead was setting himself up for an even more dangerous one if we recruited even half the people in this room for the Serpents.

"Law? Immunity?" Kurtz repeated slowly. "I have looked into the eyes of the King," he said, pointing up at the skull and statue above him, "and his is the only law. The laws of Gargoyles, carved in stone."

"Right," Jughead said, glancing at me. "So you wanna play a game? I'm a Game Master. Let me be your Game Master."

"No, you're not going back to playing that stupid game again," I snapped. "Either of you," I added, looking at both Jughead and Sweet Pea.

"You think Gryphons and Gargoyles is a game? You are both mistaken," Kurtz said, slowly as he stood. Sweet Pea tensed as he took a step back, pulling me with him. "You come here as a king with his disbelieving subjects, but you're not a king. And you think we're a game. We are living a prophecy." Kurtz resumed his seat, keeping his eyes on me. "And you are all just sacrifices waiting to be made. The Gargoyle King lives. He will decide. And he will choose. And only the worthy will ascend." His gaze moving to the wall beside Jughead as he spoke.

Were those names? The way everyone spoke of ascending, it was something rare, something reserved for a select few. Which could only mean one thing. "I warned you everyone here would be too far gone," I said. "I'm done here." Pushing past Sweet Pea, I made my way towards the door, weaving around people as I went. No, not people, the shells of people. There were still Gargoyles out there who could still think beyond the game, but not here. I could hear footsteps behind me as I walked back to the bikes but I didn't stop, not wanting to be any nearer the house than I had to be.