UnWanted Reunion (UnWilling Roommates book 2)

Chapter 14: Bill Does the Hero Thing (part 1)

But he's NOT happy about it.

(Bill's POV)

I stood facing Will's bubble at the edge of the forest, trying to psych myself up to enter.  I'm Bill Cipher.  I don't get SCARED of things.  Just do it already.  He's waiting for you.

I gritted my teeth and stepped into the bubble.

It was dark, lit by a few dim torches along the wall.  And FREEZING.  Even in my tuxedo, I grimaced at the chill.  I hope Will's okay.  I know he hates the cold.  

A second look at my surroundings filled me with dread.  The stone hallway I was standing in bore a striking resemblance to the tent's dungeon.  That probably doesn't bode well.

I had barely taken two steps into the hallway when something hurtled into me from behind, knocking me to the floor.  Taken by surprise, I didn't put up resistance until after I was on the floor, someone's hands gripping my throat.  I grappled with my assailant for a moment before throwing him off me and scrambling to my feet.  I froze when I found myself face-to-face with my own doppelganger.

Jeez, Strange, how original, I thought sarcastically.  Not only do you copy my apocalypse, but you have to copy ME as well. 

My clone didn't speak, but his hands lit up with electricity as he attacked again.  I calmly waited for him to close the gap, then grabbed his wrist, heedless of the shock, and threw him against the wall.  He hit the ground, dazed, and I shot an energy bolt through his heart, killing him with contemptuous ease.

That's the problem with clones, Strange, I thought vindictively.  They pale in comparison to the real thing.

I eyed the corpse with unease.  What was he doing here, though? 

The feeling of dread intensifying, I hurried down the hall with renewed urgency.  The layout wasn't the same as the tent's basement.  Instead of branching paths, there was a single straight hall with a metal door at the end.  I stopped at the door, suddenly afraid of what I'd find on the other side.

The smell registered as soon as the door creaked open.  Blood and... something burning.  Being a demon, I didn't need time for my eye to adjust to the dark, but it still took me a moment to realize what I was seeing.

Will was shirtless, shackled spread-eagled to a table in the middle of the room.  From here, I could see the blood dripping off the table and pooling on the floor.  Moving closer, I could make out the dark bruises that indicated multiple broken ribs, as well as at least a dozen star-shaped burns- no, brands- that overlapped on his upper chest.

Where's all the blood coming from? I wondered, scanning him with concern.  His wrists and ankles had been scraped raw, gouging so deeply that his hands were entirely covered with blood.  I found myself fervently glad that demons couldn't die from physical injuries.

I reached out slowly to begin healing the worst of the damage.  The instant my fingers made contact, Will jerked awake, thrashing reflexively and letting out a screech that made me flinch in surprise.

"Will!  Calm down, it's me!" I hissed.  "I'm here to get you out."

"No!  Please, no!" he begged in a broken voice, jerking at the cuffs without regard to his injured wrists.  Tears streamed from his already red and swollen eyes.  "Please don't hurt me anymore!  I can't take any more of this!"  He couldn't form any more coherent words around his hysterical sobs.

I stared at him for a moment, not understanding, then I remembered the clone in the hall and put two and two together.

I put one hand to my mouth in horror.  "Oh no.  Oh no no no... Will, it wasn't me.  You have to believe me, Will, whatever happened to you, it wasn't me.  You know I would never do... this to you."