Second Chances [Sweet Pea x OC]

Chapter 46

"Did anyone in the Midnight Club ever mention getting a tattoo as part of the game?"

"I thought I told you there was nothing else to say about that night," FP said, not looking up.

"I'm not talking about Ascension Night specifically, I'm asking about the entire time your little group was playing G&G," I clarified.

FP sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Someone may have. A way to remember it before it all went to hell. Why?"

"Ben Button, Dilton Doiley, Baby Teeth, and Kurtz all had the same symbols carved or tattooed on their backs," I began. "And they were all trying to ascend. Well, except Baby Teeth, who was sacrificed. Did Warden Norton or any of the nuns have the marks on their backs?"

"I don't know, but I can reach out to Dr Curdle Jr to find out," FP replied. "Does this have something to do with that book Jughead has? The Gospel of the Gargoyle King?"

"You know about that?"

FP smiled. "Yeah, I do. You think my kids are that good at hiding things from me?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Remind me again, how long were Jughead and the Serpents running Gargoyles off street corners without your knowledge?"

Don't push it, girl," he warned. "Now, what's this about?"

The Gospel says those tattoos are necessary to get into the Kingdom," I explained. "Three of the bodies had the symbols carved into them after death, making it more symbolic than anything. Kurtz had them tattooed, like he knew there was a chance he wouldn't Ascend in the usual way."

"He was a Fizzle Rocks junkie, it's a miracle he didn't overdose," FP pointed out. "Babygirl, where are you going with all this?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I don't know. But I feel like we're missing something. Something connecting the runes, the Gospel, and the Gargoyle King then and now." FP waited patiently as my thoughts raced in several directions at once. "Either the Gospel was written after Ascension Night and the current Gargoyle King is following it, or whoever was the King back then decided to ignore that little line about the necessity of the symbols and just wanted to commit murder via suicide."

"Have you run any of this by Jug?"

"No, I had enough of Betty trying to pin it on the Farm and Edgar."

FP nodded in understanding. "That girl's like a dog with a bone. I'll let you know if anything comes up."

"Thanks, FP," I said, letting myself out of the office. I puzzled over the symbols, still making no sense of it as I drove to Riverdale High where Jughead had called a meeting in the Swords and Serpents room. He and Betty were hatching some new plan to catch the Gargoyle King and needed help with it. And for some reason that Jughead refused to tell me over the phone, the Pretty Poisons were needed as well.

Walking into the room, the division between the two gangs was clear. The Serpents were seated on the left side while the Pretty Poisons were on the right, both groups ignoring the other. "What did I miss?" I asked, sitting on the desk Sweet Pea was at.

"Don't know," Colton said. "Only said Jughead told them to be here." The other Serpents nodded in agreement while the Poisons pretended not to hear.

Sweet Pea pulled off the desk and onto his lap, whispering in my ear. "About last night..."

I looked around quickly to be sure no one was listening. "I told you, I'm not going to say a word to anyone." He nodded gratefully, resting his head on my shoulder while he played with my hand.

Last night I'd seen a side of Sweet Pea he never showed anyone. He'd broken down and told me what had happened to his family, how he'd ended up in Riverdale. It was something he'd never told anyone, not even Fangs, his closest friend.