Suyin laughed. Because yeah, she got why Iris was confused. It sounded ridiculous even to her. And what she was about to say was even more ridiculous.
“I’m not surprised because I kinda made friends with my own demon.”
“The one that took you to Hell?” Iris dragged her hands down her face. “Shit, how did we skip over that part? What happened? Who was it? How did you escape?”
“I didn’t escape. Like I said, we became friends.”Friends who fucked each other’s brains out.“He let me come back because …” She trailed off, the words sticking in her throat when she realized she’d reached the limit of what the blood vow allowed her to say.
“Heletyou? After he kidnapped you?”
Suyin winced. “He isn’t great at boundaries, and he doesn’t particularly give a shit either. But it’s hard not to like him anyway.” She rubbed her face. “Shit, I sound like you, making excuses for all your shitty exes.”
Iris snorted. “I used to hate myself, didn’t I?” She smacked a palm on the table. “Don’t change the subject! Who is this fabled demon with a complete lack of boundaries and respect who somehow still managed to worm his way into your cold, dead heart?”
Suyin snorted. “I can’t tell you. I swore a vow.”
“A demon took you for some nefarious purpose, and he made you swear a vow you wouldn’t tell anyone about him or why he wanted you?”
“Sounds about right.”
Iris narrowed her eyes for a moment. And then, slowly, they grew wide. And then she sat up straight and said, “Oh my god, it’s Murmur, isn’t it?”
Suyin didn’t even have to say anything. She stared at her friend in shock.
“Shit, it is!” Iris banged her hand on the table again. “That creepy, lying, backstabbing son of a bitch! No, no, you can’t be friends with him.”
Well, the cat was out of the bag. She hadn’t even tried to hint at his identity, and Iris had guessed it anyway. “Why not? How do you know him?”
“Did you know he made a bargain with Mist that he wouldn’t betray us, and then he went and did it anyway? He found some loophole in his promise and sold us out. It’s because of him that Meph and I were taken by Valefor and brought to Hell where I was nearly fucking killed.”
Suyin winced. Murmur had told her this story. From Iris’s perspective, however, it was pretty incriminating.Damn it, Murmur. Do you have to make it impossible to defend you every single time?
“Valefor was a sick fuck, and Murmur sold us out to him in five seconds, all so he could get his hands on your precious book—”
“Wait—You knew?” It was Suyin’s turn to get bug eyes. “You knew aboutThe Book of Gamiginand didn’t tell me?”
Iris looked sheepish. “Well, I knew Murmur took it. But I didn’t know why he wanted it or what it’s about. But everyone seems to be talking about that damn book lately. First Murmur, and then Sunshine wanted it, and apparently, she was on a mission for some big head honcho in Heaven—”
“Heaven? An angel?”
“Yeah, Raum’s girlfriend, Sunshine. She’s an angel.”
Suyin groaned. “This is so fucked up. Anangel? Jesus Christ.”
“Su, I’m serious. Murmur isn’t fun, sexy evil like Meph. He’s justevilevil. All he cares about is whatever diabolical master plan he’s cooking up. He’ll lie, cheat, steal, or kill anyone to get what he wants. I don’t know what he told you to convince you that you’re friends, but he was lying. You can’t trust him.”
“Damn it, Iris. Why couldn’t you have told me all this a month ago? I could have used this information when I ended up in a dungeon in Hell with no idea who he was. I had to figure everything out the hard way.”
“I’m sorry. I really am. But I’m glad to hear you agree. I’m serious when I tell you not to mess with him—”
“I agree that he’s diabolical and will do anything to achieve his goals. I don’t think he’s evil though.”
“Su …” Iris’s tone was pitying, and it made Suyin’s skin crawl.
But was she doing what Iris thought she was? Making excuses for someone who didn’t deserve them because she’d blinded herself to his true nature?
If so, it would be a first. She’d always been detached, even from the people closest to her, and usually, she preferred solitude over enduring an unworthy person’s company.
She knew Murmur was morally ambiguous. She knew he’d done and would continue to do questionable things to achieve his aims, and he was never going to be sorry about it. But she’d also seen him show empathy, and she knew he felt something for her, in whatever capacity he could. He had a soul—therefore, he had the potential to be good. And in her eyes, none of what he’d done was inexcusable.
