Page 64 of Hellfire & Tinsel
“Just hold still, squishy,” they whispered gently as they closed in on him. “This won’t hurt a bit.”
12
Beau
Dying was… strange.
He didn’t really remember what had happened. What the twins had done to him. All he remembered was making the deal, and then a warm, basking light that felt like it was guiding him away, offering out open arms.
It was cut off abruptly by a cloud of darkness, ripping him away from the light and pulling him down. The light brightened, pushed back against the darkness, tugged at him, and wrapped itself around him.
It tried.
But the darkness doubled, and soon, not a sliver of light could be seen. He was sinking.
And then he was waking up in blackness.
He’d panicked, confused and scared at first as the magnitude of what he’d done hit him. Worried that he’d been tricked or haddreamed the whole thing until he realized he was trussed up, with something covering his mouth, and there were some sort of walls closing him in.
He’d wiggled around, managing to get to his knees and then shake off the ribbon around his mouth. He oddly found that he didn’t need the deep breath he took in. He awkwardly made it to his feet and then straightened up, trying to maintain his balance when he hit the top of something and it popped off, light finally breaking through.
He blinked, trying to orient himself, looking down to realize he was in a box and tied up with red ribbon.
He blushed.
And then he heard his name and saw a shape moving and… there.
Lavender skin. Eyes of every jewel tone. Two horns and a tail.
“Kassel?” he asked, hoping, praying…
Kassel gathered him up in his arms and it felt so right. So safe. So perfect. He wanted to cry all over again.
Kassel lifted him out of the box and walked him over to the bed, where he sat with Beau on his lap, still completely wrapped up. Kassel’s many eyes checked him over, his hands following to skim every inch of him like he couldn’t believe he was real. Beau melted into it, loneliness and sadness chased away by his demon until he couldn’t even see their shapes anymore.
“Beau, you’re dead,” Kassel said, sounding shocked.
“I know,” Beau said shakily.
Deep down he’d known what was being offered to him. What the stakes were and what he was sacrificing. The living didn’t get to go to Hell.
He was giving up his life for a chance at really living.
“How?” Kassel asked. “The box was signed by the twins…”
“It’s a long story, but don’t be mad at them. They helped me and I knew what I was getting into.”
Kassel didn’t look mad, he looked astonished. “But why are you here? You should be in Heaven.”
He thought of the light reaching out for him.
“I didn’t want to go,” he mumbled. “Are you… happy that I’m here?” Beau finished softly.
“Yes,” Kassel answered, always honest and making Beau’s now unbeating heart pound. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too…” Beau whispered, fingers picking at the edge of the ribbon holding them stationary. “I cried every day.”
Kassel stroked a thumb under his eye and Beau could feel them filling up again just thinking about that dark storm, about how emotional he was right now, seeing Kassel again.
