“How could I ever trust you?” Belial growled. “You’ve betrayed us more times than I can count.”
“Three times,” Murmur clarified. “First, when Mist wasn’t careful enough in his negotiations. Second, when we bargained, and I forced you to owe me a second favor in exchange for silence, despite the fact that I never had any intention of telling anyone where you were—”
“What!”
“I told you, I’m on your side. I never wanted Lucifer to find you—”
“Then why the fuck did you sell us out to Valefor? You sent him right here! He could have told anyone where we were!”
“Because it was Valefor!” Murmur snapped back. “Haveyou ever met a more incompetent halfwit? I knew he wouldn’t say anything because he was so desperate to get Mephistopheles back and would break any rule to make it happen. He told me I had to tell Lucifer your location because he’d sworn to Meph he wouldn’t in order to get him to shift. I agreed. I told him I would. Ilied. There was no way I wanted Lucifer to find you.”
“Sending Valefor here was a big fucking risk,” Bel growled.
“I knew you’d kill him. I knew he’d go too far in his obsession with Mephistopheles, and I was counting on you to take him out to eliminate the threat. I wanted him gone as much as you did.”
“And Paimon?” Belial asked. “Why help Mist escape her? Why take her lair for yourself?”
“She and I had a score to settle,” Murmur said, eyes narrowing. “I swore vengeance against her a long time ago, and it was overdue. And it doesn’t hurt to start the war by taking out Lucifer’s most powerful supporter before he was even aware it was coming, does it?”
Belial stared at him. The flames were gone from his eyes, and the fury had been replaced with disbelief. “You were really manipulating this shit from the very beginning?”
“Of course I was,” Murmur said haughtily. “I told you I had that vision ages ago. Every single thing I’ve ever done since that day has been toward this goal. One does not simply overthrow the High King of Hell without centuries of careful planning.”
Belial slowly shook his head.
“You should be grateful to me,” Murmur continued. “Because of my centuries of prep-work, the war has begun, Lucifer is at a serious disadvantage, and you didn’t have to lift a finger. You and your brothers got to go your merry way and enjoy your life. I took care of everything else.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Belial said, and then he droppedinto one of Suyin’s kitchen chairs. He hunched forward and dragged his fingers through his hair. “I came here ready to kill you. And now this shit. I can’t even … My head’s spinning.”
“I know you think I’m your enemy, but it’s not true, and it never has been. And I’m not lying when I say you’re going to need my help with what’s to come. I’m willing to offer it if we can put the past behind us. You have no idea the things I’ve done to make it as far as I have. If you’re going to survive this, you need me.”
Belial straightened, dropping his hands and pinning Murmur with a glare. “And how am I ever supposed to trust a word out of your mouth? And don’t tell me you’ll swear a vow. I know how good you are at finding loopholes in every single fucking vow you’ve ever sworn. Your word is shit, Necromancer.”
Murmur winced, thinking of the witch in the living room likely listening to the conversation. This was what happened when one spent their life as a liar. When the moment came that they needed to be believed, no one would do so.
But maybe there was a way to prove himself to Belial. He couldn’t fix things so easily with Suyin, but at least he had this chance.
“You still owe me one favor,” he told Belial, who growled at the reminder. “I could call in that favor right now. You might try to kill me, but I guarantee I could get the words out and tell you to protect me from all harm before you succeed.”
“You’re not making me any more inclined to trust you,” Belial bit out.
“But,” Murmur continued, “to prove that you can trust me, I now relinquish that favor.”
Bel sat up straight. “You what?”
“I free you of your debt to me. There is no second favor owed. The slate is clear.”
“What? Why?”
“I told you. To prove that you can trust me.”
Bel stared at him. His shock was understandable. Unspecified favors were the most valuable commodity in Hell, and a favor from a demon like Belial was unfathomably valuable. For Murmur to throw it away on a whim was unheard of.
“That’s it?” Belial asked. “We’re square? Just like that?”
“Yes.”
“So I could kill you right now, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
