Page 144 of When Death Whispers

The Evergloom didn’t just shift.

It answered her.

Now, pale rose veins pulse along the gnarled roots, spiraling up ancient trees that seem taller than before. The air’s still heavy, but it glows faintly now—like the realm itself is breathing in time with her.

“The fuck is happening,” I mutter, more to myself than anything.

Rad doesn’t answer. His gaze stays locked on the light—studying it like it’s a living thing. His tail flicks once, twice. There’s something tight in his posture. Controlled. Alert.

I push to my feet slowly. Everything feels heavier. Off. Like my body hasn’t quite caught up with whatever the hell he did to it.

But I follow him.

Because there’s no denying it now.

Parker did this.

And we’re just trying to keep up.

“What now?” I ask, voice lowered, barely audible.

He doesn’t answer, his gaze locked forward, pupils thinning to dangerous slits. I follow his line of sight—and see exactly what’s caught his attention.

The glowing path we’ve been following abruptly ends, blocked entirely by a dense wall of twisted thorns and shadowy vines. They form an impassable barrier, tangled and aggressive, stretching endlessly upward and outward like a monstrous fortress grown solely to deny entry.

Within the twisting thorns, shadows writhe and coil, sending a chill down my spine. The entire blockade radiates hostility like a huge flashing sign that says “do not enter.”

It’s not just a barrier—it feels alive, watching, waiting for us to step closer.

Unease prickles at the base of my neck. Whatever comfort the pink glow provided before is gone, swallowed by the overwhelming sense of threat emanating from the thorny wall ahead. Instinctively, every fiber of my being urges me to retreat.

But Rad takes another deliberate step forward, his claws flexing at his sides, the muscles in his back tensed with wary readiness. He surveys the obstacle, expression shifting between annoyance and grudging respect.

“This place doesn’t want us getting any closer,” he mutters darkly. He glances back at me briefly, his lips curling in a sharp, predatory grin. “Guess that means we’re on the right track.”

53

“We could burn it,”Hudson says for the thirdfuckingtime, glaring at the wall of hostile vegetation like it personally offended him. It offends me too, but that’s beside the point. “Plants burn, right? Basic biology.”

I shoot him a flat look, claws flexing irritably. “Yes, genius. And then the whole Evergloom—this living, breathing nightmare realm—goes up in flames. Along with Parker inside. Brilliant fucking plan.”

He sighs, frustration radiating off him in waves as he clenches his jaw. “Fine. Then we just… hack through it. Brute force.”

I raise a brow, extending one clawed finger and slicing neatly through a single vine. It splits easily, then immediately regrows—twice as thick and twice as sharp. The damned thing actually hisses at me.

“Fuck,” Hudson mutters, running a hand over his exhausted face.

“Exactly.” I give a humorless laugh. “Every time we attack, it feeds on our aggression and fear. In case you haven’t noticed, that’s kind of my whole brand, human.”

He scowls at me, but there’s no heat in it. He’s too drained. Too worried. The tension between us thickens, uncomfortable silence settling heavily over our shoulders as we stand staring at the tangled mass blocking our path.

“So what?” Hudson finally asks, sounding reluctantly defeated. “We just sit here until it… politely opens up and lets us through?”

I narrow my eyes, watching the vines closely. They pulse slightly, vibrating with subtle agitation, but they aren’t attacking—not yet. My instincts scream at me to rip them apart, to tear through and find Parker now. But even I can admit brute force isn’t working here. Not if it keeps feeding this damned thing.

“We try something different,” I grit out. “A softer method.”

Hudson’s eyebrows shoot up, clearly surprised. “You? Suggesting subtlety?”

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