Chapter 28

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You scream a curse as you roll to the left to avoid being fried by a fireball of red flames. You duck behind the couch, using it as a makeshift barrier between you and the demon spitting hellfire. The whole place reeks of burnt wood and smoke. You and Bill are sweating bullets. Your living room is a disaster. You have no idea how long this has been going on. Bill blasts a wave of blue flames in retaliation and you're just glad the little amount of magic he has allows for that because you're otherwise unsure how you two would handle this. 

Another wave of heat lets you know that another attack has been fired. Thankfully, Elegar has chosen to focus on Bill more than you, taking him as the larger threat, but that doesn't mean you can just sit here. You need to do something. As your back is pressed to the cushions, you take a glance around the room and spot your herb table sitting there, mostly untouched. Your eyes light up with an idea.

You wait until Bill is firing a ball of magic before you quickly dash to the table, grabbing at two herbs that aren't completely random in the slightest. In fact, the two specific ones you've chosen are extremely volatile if you accidentally put them together, which is exactly your intention. You gather the two jars up, pop the lid off both, and dump the contents into the other. Without a second to waste, you reel your arm back and lug it at the bastard who trapped you here. It hits him, drops to the ground, and shatters on impact. The concoction inside reacts and starts billowing purple smoke thickly. It covers Elegar and you can hear him coughing inside it.

You sprint as fast as your legs can carry you, grabbing Bill by the front of his shirt and dragging him along with you to the bedroom. You slam the door shut, rushing over to your dresser. "Help me with this!" You grab one side as Bill grabs the other, managing to move the dresser in front of the door just as a huge explosion rocks your entire house. You can feel the roof and walls crumbling from beyond the safety of your fake bedroom. You turn to Bill and put a finger to your lips to signal for quiet while you both duck closer to the bed.

You have maybe a minute or so to spare before Elegar gets himself together and starts finding you. Bill immediately gets a thinking look on his face, clearly trying to come up with some sort of game plan. You're just realizing that the mirror that originally appeared in your bedroom is nowhere to be found, only serving to infuriate you more. You need an escape plan, and a damn good one at that.

"Okay, I think I have a plan." Bill reveals after a few seconds of silence. You know all the anger you're feeling is just a result of Elegar, but even still, you can't stop the sneer that erupts on your face. "Oh, is it gonna be just as good as your other plan to ruin me emotionally?" He sighs, brushing his hair back to smooth it out slightly. "Are you really gonna do this right now when we're in the middle of a life or death situation?" You scoff. "Are you really going to let me possibly die without knowing why you decided I wasn't good enough to not stab in the back when you got your powers back?" 

At this, Bill's gaze softens. He looks at you with all the care and affection you could possibly ask for. You can feel a warmth deep inside your chest, a distant feeling barely there. Your anger seems to placate itself for a short moment. "I'm sorry, okay? I know I screwed up and I should have given more explanation. I'm sorry." He sucks in a shaky breath, glancing over to the door. You know you need to keep watch for the mirror demon, but all you can think about right now is getting answers. "Tell me why. Why couldn't you make the deal I offered you?" Your voice is almost pleading.

Bill doesn’t look at you, staring at the door as if on guard but you can see the gears in his head turning. Eventually, he takes a deep breath to speak. “Okay, there’s a reason demons are known for being evil literally everywhere.” You can feel the hair on the back of your neck stand. You’re finally getting an answer. “For all the power we’re granted, it comes with its own kind of cost.”

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