Chapter 203 Chapter 203
“Valerie,” Jimmy’s voice called from outside. “I know you’re in there. Why don’t you open the door for me?”
Her heart leaped into her throat. Of course, she wouldn’t open the door; no, she continued to move further back. Jimmy was a fire demon… could it be that he was…
A wave of sizzling heat rushed towards her face as the door was kicked down with force. Shielding herself with her magic, she avoided most of the flames that shot right at her. She stared into Jimmy’s ruby red eyes that brimmed with loathing. He was here to kill her—there was no doubt in her mind. Terrified, she used her magic to protect herself, encasing her body in shimmering light.
“What do you want?” she snapped, not letting her unease show. Her defiant glare was met with a mix of amusement and disgust.
“To make it short: I want you dead,” he said in a cruel tone, summoning flames that licked over his arm without burning his clothes. He had full control over the fire and its intensity, a fact that evoked morbid fascination in her. “My real name is Mason. I bet you have heard of me, human.”
And that was when her fear skyrocketed. She had suspected it already, but to hear it from him made it ten times as horrifying. “You killed Seth,” she stuttered.
“Yes, I did,” he drawled. “How ironic that you are acquainted with his old friends. Your fate will be the same as Delilah’s.”
“Why do you hate us so much? What’s so bad about sharing a bond with a demon?” she asked desperately, clenching her hands into fists. The light that surrounded her as a protective barrier glowed brighter.
“I don’t need to tell you anything,” he drawled, smirking at her. “Let’s get this over with. I’ve wasted enough time trying to find your home.”
His body erupted in flames. They covered all of him. His skin was fire, his hair was fire—even his eyes were made of flames. He looked like a true monster, and all that stood between them was her magic. Bottomless fear gnawed at her as tears pricked at her eyes. If only Maxwell were here. Frantically, she tried to sense his emotions within her, but all she found was raw panic. He knew that something was wrong, and he was already on the way back, but would he make it in time?
Mason raised his arm, and the fire leaped onto the wooden shelf that stood in the hallway. It went up in flames immediately, and the fire reached the wallpaper within seconds, spreading further. Valerie walked backward when Mason approached her, and when he came too close, she turned and ran into the living room, throwing the door shut behind her. She hurried to the next window, wanting to rip it open, but she was stopped. A wall of fire shot up from the floor and blocked her path. She avoided the flames, but not their searing heat. Crying out, she stumbled back.
Mason’s burning form stood in the doorway, simply staring at her without moving a muscle. His appearance was eerie. It evoked a deep fear in her and caused her body to tremble in dread. The hallway behind him housed an inferno. He had set everything ablaze—the floor, the ceiling, the furniture. Her home was slowly destroyed right in front of her, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. Black smoke filled the living room, forcing her to press her hand in front of her mouth and nose.
Her eyes scanned the room for any kind of escape or something that would be helpful to her. She had to make time until Maxwell arrived. Gaze restlessly moving over her surroundings, it got stuck on the hunting knife that Travis had gifted her. It lay on one of the shelves not far from her. She shot off towards it, grabbed it, and held it tightly.
Her actions had the fire demon laugh mockingly. He stalked closer to her, and she prepared herself to fight, summoning more of her magic, but to her astonishment, he didn’t aim his flames at her. The demon set the sofa on fire, and the carpet below it. The flames spread and soon reached her tv and the devices connected to it. Sparks erupted when something cracked. She flinched violently.
“Stop this,” she pleaded. “Just… just let me live.”
He didn’t answer her, and the silence between them was eerier than anything she had ever experienced. The only sound she heard was the crackle of the fire as it ate through furniture, flooring, and walls. She had trouble breathing due to all the smoke, coughing, and desperately gazing at the windows. They were hidden behind flames and unreachable. Mason had cut off every possible escape—he would burn her alive. Already, the heat was getting to her. The floor was too hot, burned her feet, and the sparks that touched her legs left holes in her jeans.
A terrible realization manifested in her mind. Even if Maxwell made it here before she was dead, how would he reach her? How would he get them both away from the flames? They were doomed. She was as good as dead, and because of their bond, he would die too. Valerie deeply regretted making a new bond with him.
“Fuck,” she cursed when a flame licked over her hand. The heat was pure agony. She clutched her hand and looked at Mason, but he remained in the doorway and made no move to attack her. He intended to let her suffer as long as possible.
“Good riddance, human,” his deep voice growled, and then he left. He just left. She couldn’t believe it. He walked through the inferno that raged in the hallway, knowing that she would either suffocate or burn to death.
“No,” she screamed frantically. “Don’t leave me here. Please.”
Her teary eyes were focused on the inferno in the hallway as she tried to make out the fire demon somewhere in there, but she couldn’t see him anymore.
“Come back, please.”
Her cries fell on deaf ears. He didn’t return and left her to her demise. Valerie’s tears ran down her cheeks as she let out a strangled sob. The smoke burned in her lungs and in her eyes. The scorching heat that trapped her was unbearable. She heard an unsettling creak and another crash as the flames spread through the building.