21. CHAPTER
CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE
“You already knew—” Indy squealed, gagging on his own spit and maybe some blood. “You—” He pulled away from Mr. Heiss as he tried to cough and get it out, his face flushing hot as his body worked to send everything upstairs and save his brain.
Mr. Heiss clapped a big hand on Indy’s back. “Breathe!”
“I’m—trying!” Indy wheezed, glaring at Mr. Heiss through watery eyes.
It felt like his ribs were curling into his lungs, creating a new level of misery he couldn’t escape.
The tiniest attempt to draw breath only increased the pressure, and his head grew light as he remained trapped in a horrible stalemate between the need to draw in more oxygen to keep himself alive and desperately trying to escape the pain.
A quick cough brought momentary relief, but only in that he was able to get a bit of air.
The agony that followed made the room blur, and tears streamed down his face as his body burned.
Everything was getting fuzzy as his muscles seized up, and he didn’t think he could bring himself to take another breath.
Fuck…
Was this it?
This was going to be how he died?
No, no, no. This was bullshit. Utter and total bullshit!
He was Indigo fucking Summers and he’d come too far, fought too damn hard, to die like this. He struggled and bucked, trying again to gasp, but his throat wouldn’t unclench because of the squeezing in his chest. Still, he went for it again and finally managed a teeny gasp.
Not enough…
It wasn’t going to be enough.
“Indy!” Mr. Heiss shifted his other hand around to Indy’s chest. His eyes narrowed in focus, and he grimaced. “Hold still, Sonnenschein. This may not feel very nice.”
“Wha…? Oh God—” Indy screamed as Mr. Heiss’s hand passed through his chest and clenched inside him, the pain now so great that his vision went black and consciousness slipped away. He went limp, unable to fight it, and he was totally at Mr. Heiss’s mercy as everything turned dark.
Then…
It was gone.
The pain was gone, and Indy shivered, his skin soaked with sweat as he gasped for air.
He could breathe. It didn’t hurt, and he could fucking breathe.
He trembled but found he didn’t have to worry about going anywhere because Mr. Heiss cradled him so close.
He had to wait for his vision to return so he could focus, staring blearily up at Mr. Heiss. “What… What did you…?”
“You’re dead, demon!” Gammy hollered as she charged in, waving her hands so that every banishment circle in the room lit up like neon signs. “Dill! Where’s Dill? Dill, damn you, we have to banish this demon!”
“Now wait—” Mr. Heiss tried.
Dill appeared with a roar, glaring at Mr. Heiss as he grew large enough to bump up against the ceiling. “Grow!”
“Dill!” Indy grunted, his voice still weak. “It’s… it’s okay!”
“He is all right,” Mr. Heiss said calmly, though he watched both Gammy and Dill warily. “Do you not see…?”
“I see what an absolute piece of crap garbage demon you are!” Gammy hollered. “And I will see your butt banished into—”
Mr. Heiss cleared his throat and held up his hand.
“Oh…”
Mr. Heiss’s fingers were coated in a thick black sludge. It seemed chunky in the most unpleasant way possible, and Indy was certain it would smell terribly if he got a whiff of it. Mr. Heiss made a fist, and the sludge simply burned away into nothing.
“Was that…?” Indy touched his chest. “Did you just pull out my fucking cancer?”
“Only some,” Mr. Heiss said gently. “It’s enough for—”
Indy smacked Mr. Heiss’s arm. “You asshole!”
“Excuse me?”
“You knew? This whole fucking time?” Indy glared. “And, and you didn’t say anything?”
“Oh, yes, because by the way, I know you’re terminally ill is such a great way to open up a conversation,” Mr. Heiss drawled in a surprisingly catty tone.
“Wow.” Indy blinked.
“What?”
“I didn’t realize you could sound that bitchy.”
Mr. Heiss growled.
Dill took a step back, glancing between them questioningly. “Grow?”
“I think it’s all right, big man.” Gammy patted Dill’s arm. “No grow right now.”
Dill huffed and gave Mr. Heiss a dirty look.
“I’m okay. Promise.” Indy rubbed his chest and took a deep breath. “We were, uh, sorta having a conversation and it got personal, really personal, and I was maybe gonna talk to him about, well, certain things? Certain, yeah, those certain things.”
“Certain things I already knew,” Mr. Heiss said softly.
“Yeah, that.”
Gammy scoffed and planted her hands on her hips, glaring at Mr. Heiss. “If you knew Indy was sick, why didn’t you offer to help, huh? It’s obvious you care about him, you big stinky dope!”
“He hadn’t asked me, for one.” Mr. Heiss lifted his brow. “And I clearly did not know the full scope of his illness. If I had, I would have offered—”
“Is this before or after you wanted to chop off my hand?” Indy chimed in.
“Oh my God.”
“Well, offer now!” Gammy waved her hands. “Help him!”
“Help!” Dill declared, mimicking Gammy and also waving his hands around.
“I did.” Mr. Heiss groaned lightly and gave Indy a pleading look even as he said flatly, “We’re leaving.”
“We are?” Indy laughed. “Why did it sound like a question?”
“I would very much like to leave.”
“Not yet!” Gammy narrowed her eyes, still clearly skeptical.
“Whatever is going on with Indy is going to take some serious magic to heal. The brew I cooked up only bought him a few days, and now it seems like he’s actually gotten worse.
It might be tied into whatever demonic magic Mr. Kalt used to save him. ”
“Mr. Kalt never actually promised to cure me,” Indy said with a sigh. “He just, you know, did the whole everlasting life thing. Like hitting a pause button.”
“Yes, and now that your deal is broken, everything has been put on fast forward.”
“So, that’s what this is? All these years catching up to me in a few days?”
“Yes. Everything that should have happened is happening now.” Mr. Heiss’s gaze strayed to Indy’s brow and then immediately dropped back to his eyes.
“What? What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. What is it?”
“You’ve changed. A small bit. Since we’ve met. You look… a little older.”
Indy grabbed his forehead and seethed. “Do I have a fucking wrinkle?”
“You do not not have a wrinkle.”
“Gammy?” Indy demanded, dropping his hand. “Do I?”
“Aw, sweetie cakes. It’s nothing!” Gammy soothed. “You really can’t complain about one tiny wrinkle.” She considered it for a moment. “Well, you could, but don’t whine to me. I’m all creased up like an old purse.”
“Ew, ew, ew. That is summoning a visual I did not want!” Indy rubbed his forehead insistently. “Is there demon Botox? Can we discuss that? Can we also erase the whole old purse thing, too, while we’re at it? I wonder if Misingno will take that memory.”
Dill chirped curiously.
“What? Botox? Needles for my face,” Indy explained. “Stab, stab, stab.”
Dill gasped in horror.
“No, it’s good. It will make me beautiful again.”
“You’re still very beautiful,” Mr. Heiss promised.
“Yeah, well, I could be beautifuler. More beautiful. Whatever.”
“How about we focus on your illness?” Gammy frowned. “You can be vain later.”
“Can’t be vain if I’m dead, so… Yes. Fine.” Indy turned back to Mr. Heiss with a cheeky grin. “Don’t suppose you’re in the market for a human soul? Slightly used, has some miles on it, but it’s attached to a person with a great ass.”
Mr. Heiss stifled a laugh and kissed Indy’s hair. “I may be able to heal you without a deal. If nothing else, I’ve bought us both more time to discuss… the more intimate aspects of our relationship.”
“Oh, so it’s a relationship now? Do I need to update my socials?”
Mr. Heiss glanced heavenward with a sigh. He was obviously uncomfortable, but he said, “Please trust that you are… important to me. And that yes, I plan to help you however I can.”
“Thank you.” Indy kissed his cheek.
Mr. Heiss ducked his head with a small growl. “Now can we leave?”
“I gotta check with the boss first.” Indy grinned at Gammy. “Are we satisfied that Mr. Heiss doesn’t need to be banished?”
“For now,” Gammy said, her eyes again thinning to slits. “You two go have your little talk and neck and whatever else you’re going to do.”
“Dill?”
“Grow.” Dill huffed. He honestly seemed disappointed he didn’t get to smash Mr. Heiss, pouting as he resumed his normal size.
“Thank you, babe.” Indy smiled and nudged Mr. Heiss. “So, we can—”
The living room vanished and then reappeared, minus Dill and Gammy but with the addition of a bunch of antique furniture.
It took Indy half a second to realize they must be in the actual house, Ethan’s mother’s house, that Mr. Heiss had brought him to before.
Instead of a leather couch, they were now seated on a velvet sofa and surrounded by old paintings of landscapes.
Mr. Heiss sagged and groaned lightly. He held out his hand, a glass of inky black liquid appearing that he immediately chugged.
“Don’t like talking about the fee fees in front of people, huh?” Indy grinned.
“What gave it away?” Mr. Heiss drawled as he waited for the glass to refill.
“Everything.” Indy made a grabby motion with his hand. “Ahem.”
Mr. Heiss snapped his fingers, and a new glass popped up in Indy’s hand.
“Thank you.” Indy took a small sip. “Mmm, rum and Dr Pepper.”
“Your favorite.”
“Yup.” Indy slurped more, getting situated on the couch and tucking his legs underneath himself. “So.”
“What?”
“When did you know?” Indy glanced down at his glass. “That I was sick.”
“I skimmed over your contract before I came to find you,” Mr. Heiss replied. “I saw a deal for everlasting life and honestly… I didn’t look too closely after that.”
“That’s why you thought I was a superficial whatever?” Indy absently rubbed his forehead.
“Yes.” Mr. Heiss gently took Indy’s hand. “You’re making it red.”
“You mean the wrinkle?”
“Shut up.” Mr. Heiss kissed Indy’s hand. “It wasn’t until later that I decided to take a second look.”
“When exactly?”