Chapter 5

5

ROMAN

I dove into a forward roll, narrowly dodging the swing of the hammer. It came down hard behind me, a vicious bell putting my eardrums through even more hell.

With a grunt, I twirled on my toes, backflipping to avoid an upward swing.

"Slug fuckers!" the demon cried.

That was a new one.

Xavier sprang into action, going into a slide and taking the demon's legs out from under him. He put a dent in the tiled floor, creating a network of crevasses that reached my feet.

Holy shit!

"Fuckers of the slug!"

Ha! How many ways could he spin the insult?

The demon charged at me again. Xavier leapt into the air like a proper badarse, landing a kick on the wanker's head. Shadowy Bastard stumbled toward me, clearly seeing stars, his big hands clutching the back of his skull.

Not to be outdone in the arse-kicking department, I rushed him, performing my own kick trick. A mid-air flip kick, cracking him under the chin. Well, where I assumed the chin was under that weird hood thingy.

Shadowy Bastard howled, going down onto his spine, bones cracking as loudly as the tiles, putting another dent into the floor.

I went to try for his hammer, then thought better of it. It'd be way too heavy for me to use.

Xavier went for it instead, helped by Butterfly who now decided to join the fight.

"No!" the demon wailed. "My weapon! Mine!"

Butterfly almost had it, but Shadowy Bastard gave the hammer a mighty swing. It clipped Butterfly's shoulder as he jumped back, sending him spinning across the room.

"So, so, so, so sorry!" Margarite bellowed. "If only I could help!"

I checked on Darcy and saw the blue door was still closed.

Shadowy Bastard rolled, pushing himself onto his knees. Black blood leaked from his hood in a heavy flow.

"You'll die here today. You'll…" He swayed, the hammer looking ready to slip out of his hands.

Cool. A head injury to fuck him up. I loved to see it.

Xavier took the opportunity to attack, going at him full pelt and landed a hand on the hammer's handle. My heart leaped into my throat as the big demon roared, throwing elbows.

Xavier dodged too late, getting slammed in the chest. He hit the floor on his back.

"No!" I cried, darting forward.

"Be careful!" Butterfly yelled.

Shadowy Bastard clocked me. I prepared for a swing of the hammer, not expecting him to throw it at me with an earsplitting roar.

Everything slowed for long, painful beats. The thrum of the hammer cut through the air like a rhythm of doom, its killing blow about to end my life.

I didn't have time to move. I'd be dead with no Xavier, no hope, moved onto the next life when I wasn't ready. Not yet. The idea of seeing my grandma again meant everything, but only at the right time.

Not here.

Not in this place.

I let a thought break free. Make his hammer flowers.

The demon's chest caved in as if stomped on by a heavy boot. A spray of black blood hit me in the face, the demon making a gross, gargling sound. His body swayed left and right before landing in a twisted heap.

Dead.

A bunch of pink carnations landed at my feet, wrapped in cellophane. I stared down at them, the device hot inside my chest. Sweat trickled down my spine, beading across my brow.

I'd made a wish. I'd put everyone here at risk to save myself. What if I'd killed my best friend or my lover? Oh, God. I couldn't even think about it in case I made it happen.

Guilt riddled my body like a spray of bullets. I collapsed onto my knees, my heart pounding in my ears. My stomach lurched, a bubble of acid escaping my throat.

Not your heart! You don't have one!

Footsteps approached. Xavier's. His feet appeared beside the flowers. Slowly, I lifted my head to meet his face.

"I… I'm so sorry…" My throat was closing up.

He crouched down, his white gaze too sharp, too scrutinizing. "Did you make these flowers happen with your power?"

"Y-Yes. I didn't… I… Oh, God." I closed my eyes to avoid eye contact, biting my bottom lip.

"We have to get to Level 88."

"Is that wise?" Butterfly wondered from somewhere over to my left. "Wouldn't Earth be a safer option?"

"Not right now." Xavier reached for me.

I flinched, falling onto my backside. "Don't… Just don't. I'm jinxed."

"You have to get up, Roman," he said softly.

"I'm too dangerous. I'm a lost cause."

"Please don't say that."

I shuffled away from him, terrified of a new development where one touch stopped both his hearts.

"Roman…"

As much as I hated myself for thinking this, my death might be the best outcome. But would it destroy the device, or free it up for someone else to use? Would Butterfly snap out of his regret and fish it out of my corpse?

No. I couldn't risk it, and I didn't want to die. The sooner we got to Level 88, the sooner we'd start working on a solution.

I had to be stronger. Resist the device, these wishes. Get back on my feet, channel The Shadow. Never give up the fight.

"Roman?" Xavier said.

The blue door pinged, sliding open to reveal a clean and spacious elevator fresh out of a shopping mall. Only without the music.

"About time," Darcy told it.

I got to my feet, pulling on every reserve of inner strength I possessed.

"Let's do this," I said, still not meeting Xavier's eyes. "Before a shadowy twin shows up."

"Don't say that!" Darcy cried. "Bloody hell!"