Page 21 of When Death Whispers

My lip curls, fangs flashing, as I snarl. “Pea as in… Parker?”

He whines, like something feral and lost.“So sweet,”he breathes.“Her death would taste like?—”

“That’s enough,” I snap. “She’sminenow, Steorfan. My tether. My Beholden. You don’t get to feed on herorcrave her. You don’t even get tolookat her.”

His form flickers, shadow swelling like thunderclouds ready to split open and spill their rage.

I take a step closer, voice dropping to a low, silken threat. “She summoned me. Not you. She gave her blood, her fear, everything—willingly.” Albeit accidentally, but that’s neither here nor there. “That makes her mine. And you? You’re just the forgotten devourer begging for scraps.”

That does it.

He lunges, faster than a blink, faster than a swish of my tail even.

Shadows wrap around me before I can react, dragging us both into the ether with a violent, muffled whoosh.

The Evergloom.

Damned souls, I hate this place.

It’s like frostbite laced with grief, cold and endless and choking. Nothing grows here. Nothing breathes. I feel the tether between me and Parker snap taut, straining, pulling me back.

And that’s when my patience burns out.

“What the fuck are you doing, you bony version of Lucifer’s farts?!”

I whirl, claws already out, ready to rip him to shreds?—

But he’s gone.

Blended into the Gloom like smoke into smoke. Sneaky fucking bastard.

“Coward,” I growl into the void. “Come out and face me.”

The Evergloom doesn’t answer.

Just breathes.

I spin in a slow circle, fur bristling, fangs bared. The shadows shift, curling tighter, watching. Listening. And then, like a breath at my twitching ear:

“She was mine first.”

“You had your chance, Steo,” I snarl. “You stalked her like prey. But she summoned me. She’s mine now.”

A hissing laugh echoes all around me.

“She will die,”he whispers.“Mortals always do. And I am patient.”

“Then I’ll make sure you starve,” I snap. “Because her death won’t be yours to taste.”

The shadows recoil at my threat, but I can feel his smile like rot in the dark.

“You won’t always be there, demon.”

Wanna bet?

The pull in my chest yanks harder, snapping taut like a leash, and I don’t wait. I follow it without hesitation, slashing through the veil and tumbling back into Parker’s room like a storm.

She’s still there. Still breathing. Still safe.

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