The Builder's Throne

by J. A. Cipriano

  “I don’t even know anyone like that.” I sighed, rubbing my face as I shut my eyes and tried to think. I was suddenly so tired.

  “Yes, you do.” I opened my eyes to find Annabeth smiling at me.

  “I do?” I asked, confused. “Who?”

  “Takumi.” Annabeth nodded to me. “You promoted her to head chef, remember?”

  “Yeah, but that was because she won the cooking completion, and she’s um…”

  “She does lack a bit of confidence, but she also loves the crap out of you for giving her the shot to do it. And she’s skilled. If Hell were as it was before you showed up, she’d be running a high-end restaurant.”

  “No. She got kicked out of the cooking guild, remember?” I shook my head. Even still, I thought it might be a good idea after all. If I needed a great chef, Takumi, while meek, might fit the bill. That didn’t mean I trusted her though. After all, she wasn’t Annabeth or Maribelle…

  “It doesn’t matter.” Annabeth squeezed my hand. “I know you don’t know her as well, but I’ve worked with her a few times. You can trust her.”

  “I’m going to take your word on it.” I nodded to the sculptor. “Guess I’ll leave you to this, but try to take a nap.”

  “Why nap when you can drink coffee?” she asked, turning away from me. “Now go. I have important dragons to sculpt. You make it hard to get any work done.”

  “Is that on account of how sexy I am?” I asked, trying to crack a joke that sounded way funnier in my head.

  “Yes. Now go.”

  Summarily dismissed, I made my way toward the kitchens.

  13

  “Oh, hey, Arthur,” Takumi said, looking up from her place beside a stand with a giant hanging fish inside. “Just sit anywhere, and I’ll grab a menu.”

  Before I could say anything, let alone move, she began attacking the fish with her butcher’s knife. The silver blade flashed through the air in a flurry of cuts and movements as she seemed to dance around it, and then, in one smooth motion, she pulled the skin clean off of it.

  A moment later, all that was left behind on the hook was a carcass because all the rest of the meat had been deposited in a bowl beside the stand. When Takumi caught me watching her, she flushed and gripped her knife with both hands.

  “I’m making monkfish ramen,” she said as though that explained what she’d done. I’d never seen it before and found it pretty amazing.

  “I’ve never had that,” I said, looking from her to the slices of meat. It was strange because, at that moment, I realized how damned awesome she was. Sure, I’d had her cooking lots of times, and I’d always thought it good, but I’d never actually seen her cook anything before.

  “The secret is to have fresh monkfish, which means I have to butcher it here.” She gave me a small smile. “I used to do it in back, but people liked to watch me, so we moved it out here.”

  “I didn’t know you could even do that.” I felt a bit dumb. “It was amazing.”

  “Well, I have to do a few more.” She shifted uncomfortably. “Then I can start cooking.” As she spoke, a few angels I didn’t recognize came out and put a new fish on the hook in the center of the stand. “If you give me a moment, I’ll be happy to prepare you something though. I always love cooking for you.”

  “I can’t make all these people wait for me,” I said, gesturing at the crowd. I hadn’t realized it before, but there were a lot of people in here, and while a few had food in front of them, several seemed to just be watching Takumi do her thing.

  “Right, okay.” She nodded once at me. “I’ll do my best and hurry.”

  Then she set to work, and it was truly like watching a master. Sure, I’d seen Annabeth do her thing with sculpting, and I’d seen Maribelle make amazing structures, but I’d never seen such deft knife work before. The way she pivoted, using her whole body as she moved was incredible, and not just because I could see the outline of her muscle as she stepped and pivoted.

  In moments the second fish had been deboned, and this time, her assistants were waiting with another. They quickly swapped the fish over before taking the meat into the back room. That’s when I noticed the smell. The fatty smell of broth mixed with acidity came wafting out from the doors, making my mouth water and my stomach rumbled.

  As she began to fillet the third fish, I realized how damned hungry I was. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d eaten. Even since gaining so many marks, I hadn’t really felt the need to eat. I wasn’t sure if that was because I was somehow siphoning energy off the Archangels bonded to me or if it was another reason entirely, but I literally could not remember the last time I’d eaten.

  “Something smells amazing,” I said as she finished the fish, and the doors opened again to reveal her assistants with yet another fish. “Like truly.”

  “That’s just the broth simmering.” Takumi smirked at me. “This won’t be ready for a while. However …” her knife flashed out, and in a second, she’d sliced off part of the fish. Its pink flesh glistened in her hand as she held the bit out to me. “Try this. You can eat it raw.”

  “Okay,” I said, taking the hunk from her. It was delicate in my fingers, and as I put it in my mouth, I was surprised to find out how rich and buttery it tasted. I’d always kind of liked sushi, but this tasted fresh in a way I couldn’t quite explain.

  “Good?” she asked, cheeks slightly colored as she brushed her blue hair back behind her left ear.

  “Yes.” I nodded. “Amazing.” I smiled. “I’ve never had anything quite like it.”

  “Well, then.” She nodded to the fish. “This is my last one, so just give me a second.” She set to work again, and this time as she pulled the fish apart, she set aside a small portion of meat. When her assistants returned, she told them something, and they hurried off with the entire rack.

  They returned a few moments later with a plate and set it down before transferring the portion of fish over to the plate. It was crazy to watch because the dish seemed to transform upon plating to seem a lot more elegant than just a few hunks of raw fish.

  “Sit,” she said, patting one of the chairs as her assistants left, leaving the plate alone on the bar. “Eat.” She wiped her brow with the back of one hand.

  “Only if you join me.” I moved to the seat. “I actually came here to speak with you.”

  “Oh?” she asked, raising a blue eyebrow at me. “What about?”

  “It’s kind of a personal question,” I said, picking up the pair of chopsticks and spearing a piece of fish. I offered it to her. “So, please join me.”

  “Okay,” she said a bit hesitantly before biting the fish off my chopsticks and chewing thoughtfully. Then she sat down next to me at the bar. “What do you want to talk to me about?” she added after swallowing. Was it just me or was her voice a bit nervous?

  “I actually need your help specifically,” I said, beating around the bush. I didn’t know why, but I was suddenly a bit uncomfortable. How could I ask Takumi to do this? I barely knew her…

  “What?” she asked, leaning closer to me. “After all you’ve done for me, well, I’d be happy to do whatever you need.” She touched my arm with her hands. “Anything, really. Just ask.”

  “I need you to become the Archangel of Gluttony.” I dropped the crystal on the bar in front of her.

  “Wait, what?” she said, completely confused. “You need what?”

  “That contains the essence of the Archangel of Gluttony.” I pointed at the crystal. “I need someone to take it up. I need you.” I pointed at her. “To become Gluttony.”

  “I can’t possibly do that. I’m just a cook.” She shook her head. “This is too much.” She stood. “I thought you were gonna ask for something else.” She looked at the stone. “This is not what I thought.”

  “What did you think I wanted?” I asked, looking her up and down.

  “Seriously?” she said grabbing a piece of fish and shoving it in her mouth. Then she began chewing and talking at the same ti
me. “I thought you wanted me to make a special meal or something.” her voice dropped to almost a whisper. “Or maybe do more with me …”

  “More with you?” I asked, looking at her.

  “I … geez.” She blew a lock of hair out of her face. “I thought maybe you wanted to fuck me, okay. I had a whole conversation about it in my head, wondering what I’d do if you asked, and then here you are …” She waved it off. “How could I possibly have known you wanted me to be the new Gluttony? Like in what realm would that be possible?” She shook her head. “My mother was a commoner. We worked a fish market together on the eastern seas of Hell before it was taken by the Darkness. We had a tiny shop.” She took a huge gulp of air. “I am not the right type of person for this.”

  “I think you are.” I took her hands and pulled her back to the seated position. “I think you’re amazing, Takumi. I’ve never seen anyone as skilled as you in the kitchen.” I nodded to her. “Please consider it.”

  Her eyes moved to the gemstone. “Is this really what you need from me?”

  “Yes.” I nodded again. “I need someone to take up the mantle, someone who can fight the Darkness by making food so delicious, you can’t help but eat the whole thing.” I smiled at her. “I need you, Takumi, and no other.”

  “Okay,” she squeaked, meeting my eyes. “I’ll try. What do I need to do?”

  14

  Six hours later, I was holding Takumi’s hair back as she threw up into the toilet again. She’d thrown up so many times, I was surprised stuff was still coming out, but even still, I tried my best to comfort her.

  “It’s okay,” I said soothingly while rubbing her back with one hand. “Just let it all out.”

  “There’s nothing left to—”

  She hurled black gunk into the toilet, and the smell, like raw sewage and tires, hit my nose like a soccer kick. I pulled backward, trying to ignore the tears streaming down my cheeks.

  Part of me was surprised she still had stuff in her stomach since I’d expected most of it to go after the first few minutes, but as the minutes turned to hours, she still kept spewing rancid hell-vomit into the toilet.

  “It’s okay,” I repeated and tried to rub her shoulders again.

  “It’s not,” she whined, throwing my hand off. She looked at me, eyes red-rimmed from crying. “I’ve been throwing up for almost two hours.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Something is wrong.”

  “I … yeah …” I sighed, rubbing my neck. “I don’t know what to do.”

  I glanced over my shoulder at Raphael who just shrugged.

  “We completed the ritual as specified. There is no reason for her to reject the power.” She took a tentative step closer, dark eyes flicking to Takumi before meeting mine. “In fact, she actually is the Archangel of Gluttony.” She inhaled sharply. “I can tell by her scent.”

  “What she needs is food!” Gabriella, Archangel of Love, exclaimed, kicking the door in with one foot as she approached with a tray absolutely covered in donuts, pork rinds, cotton candy, and all manner of dentist-horrifying treats.

  The smell of grease and sugar hit me full on, and as my stomach threatened to revolt from the smell, like the back end of a food booth at the fair, Takumi’s face got noticeably paler.

  “I don’t think—” Her cheeks bulged, and she clapped her hand over her mouth as she whirled, black gunk flowing through her fingers right before she unleashed hell upon the toilet.

  “Gabriella, what the hell are you doing?” Raphael snapped, glaring at her sister. “Can’t you see that’s making her worse?”

  “Maybe I got the wrong thing?” Gabriella mused, tapping her cheek with one slender finger. “But my point stands. She needs something in her belly to counteract the power of Gluttony. That’s why sister was always eating.” She rubbed her belly with one slender hand. “Food keeps the demons away.”

  “Takumi can’t even keep anything down now. How do you expect her to eat?” Raphael asked, voice a mixture of annoyance and mockery.

  “That’s because of the cravings.” Gabriella nodded furiously as she pushed forward while Takumi kept dry heaving into the toilet. “Tell me what you want.” The Archangel of Love knelt down beside Takumi and pushed the plate toward her while slowly drawing her away from the toilet. “I’ll get whatever you want.”

  “The smell of that is making me sick,” Takumi said, trying to pull away, but unfortunately, Gabriella was way too strong.

  “So, nothing fried.” Gabriella threw the tray over her shoulder, and it hit the far wall with a clang, spilling food all across the floor. “What sounds good to you?” Gabriella’s eyes seemed to flare like sapphires as she stared at Takumi in earnest.

  “Pickles.” Takumi swallowed. “And strawberries.” She looked down at the floor. “But not fresh ones. The frozen kind.”

  “She wants pickles and frozen strawberries?” Raphael asked, confused.

  “It would seem so,” I said, getting to my feet. “Wait here.”

  Before they could say anything else, I rushed out the door. It was weird because I hadn’t realized how bad the room had smelled until I stepped outside. The fresh air was strangely calming, and as I hustled toward the kitchens, I found myself savoring each gulp of oxygen.

  “How is she?” Gwen asked, coming over to me as I made my way to the kitchens. The succubus was still as lovely as ever, and her dark hair cascaded over her breasts in a way that made me wish it would move to make me wish I could see more. It was strange because I also knew she was fully clothed beneath the hair, but it just didn’t seem so. Well, as fully clothed as her black string bikini could be considered, anyway.

  “Still vomiting, but Gabriella had an idea, and now I’m off to get pickles and frozen strawberries.” I looked at her. “Thanks for your help with the ritual, by the way.”

  “You’re welcome, Arthur.” She looked down at her feet as she followed along beside me. “It’s the least I could do since you haven’t, well, let me help you in other ways.”

  “It’s not you—”

  “I know that, but it upsets me all the same.” She met my eyes. “I want to make you happy, Arthur. That’s my nature, and it saddens me you’re not. I feel like there should be something I could do to help, but I don’t know what it is.” She touched my arm. “Can’t you at least let me help you blow off some steam?” Her lips curled into a smile. “After you get Takumi her strawberries?”

  “I would like that,” I said as we reached the door. “Maybe we could take a shower later? You could wash my back?”

  “Among other things,” she said with a sly smile. “Now go.” She waved me toward the door. “Seeing poor Takumi like this hurts me because I too hate throwing up for hours on end.” She gave me a wry grin. “You’d think I’d learn not to put things in my mouth that are bad for me.”

  “Right.” I tried to hide my smile. “But putting things in your mouth is one of your best qualities.”

  “I know.” She nodded at me. “It’s a real problem.” Before I could say more, she swung her head around, causing her hair to move away from her breasts, and as it settled behind her shoulder, she pulled on the strings of her top, causing her breasts to push dangerously against the fabric. “And don’t forget about our date tonight. I’ve been very dirty.”

  With that, she walked away, giving me a great view of her assets as she went. It was a little weird because as I watched her go, I remembered I was supposed to be helping Takumi who was throwing up because I’d asked her to take on the Mantle of Gluttony, and for a second, I’d forgotten. Something told me that had been the idea, though.

  “Thanks for lightening the mood,” I called when I realized why she’d done it.

  “You’re welcome,” she called back, one hand arching over her head as she waved.

  With that, I made my way inside the kitchens and hurried to the back. I found Takumi’s two assistants, Aika and Erin running around like chickens with their heads cut off as they struggled to take care of the lunch br
eak all by themselves. While both were great cooks, neither was as fast or as good as Takumi.

  Worse, when they saw me, they both froze mid-step. It was a bit funny because Erin had a spoonful of broth halfway to her lips and Aika was in mid-chop.

  “Can we help you?” they both said at once before looking at each other. Then Aika blushed furiously and looked away.

  “I need frozen strawberries and pickles.” I gestured toward the industrial refrigerator and freezer. “Are they in there?”

  “I’ll get them for you,” Aika said, dropping her knife and hurrying to assist me while Erin went back to her soup. Her face visibly colored as disgust spread across her features. Then she spun on her heel and flung the pot at the cadre of angels furiously cooking in the back.

  “How dare you serve this to me?” she snarled, marching toward them as the pot hit the ground with a clang. “I cannot believe you would allow something this terrible to even touch my tongue. You insult me.” She brandished her fist.

  “Forgive her,” Aika said, shoving a jar of pickles and a bag of frozen strawberries at me. As I turned to look at her, the pink-haired demoness smiled at me. “Erin has a strange sense of taste, so she can’t quite tolerate certain flavor combinations others of us wouldn’t notice because she has more flavor receptors per square millimeter on her tongue than most people.”

  “Ah.” I took the items from Aika. “Still, she shouldn’t treat people like that.” I pointed. “She’s literally beating that girl with a chicken leg.”

  “That’s how she shows affection.” Aika ran a hand through her pink hair, brushing it back past the goat horn jutting from the left side of her head. “If she doesn’t react to you with rage, you should be worried. That means she doesn’t care anymore.”