Page 47 of The Reaper's Vice

This is ridiculous. I was going to be the next Madam. If thereisan intruder, he has far more reason to be scared of me than I of him.

With that thought, I forcefully shut my eyes and focus on getting some much-needed rest. My dagger clenched tightly in my palm beneath the sheets. I’m just about to slip into nothingness when I hear it—not the gentle tapping from earlier, or even that awful scraping—something far worse than the two combined.

Whistling.

In the night, little doves take flight,

Silver wings soft as fading light.

Once they trilled a gentle song,

But in the dark, their calls feel wrong.

‘O wide-eyed lovers, don’t you roam,

For the doves have found their rightful home,

In the night, little doves take flight,

Silver wings shining in moonlight

Once they trilled a gentle song,

Now a warning as shadows grow long.

‘O wide-eyed lovers, don’t you roam,

For the devil has taken his rightful throne.

Little doves with wings of ghostly gray,

They sit from their perch—watch the living fade away.

‘O wide-eyed lovers, don’t you cry.

Do not linger, or you will die.

When the doves begin to sigh,

It’s time to say your last goodbye.

As the tune comes to a close, I stand from shaking legs, my fist a vice around my dagger as I walk toward the closet—toward the origin of that horrible sound. As I reach out, the song starts from the beginning, and I nearly lose my nerve.

Taking a deep breath, I throw open the door, my dagger raised high and ready to slash whatever sick fuck is hanging out in my closet.

Only, there’s no one inside.

Instead, a black flip phone lies on the ground, its screen lit up like a beacon as it vibrates, screaming the tune from its speakers as someone calls it over, and over, and over.

When I realize the whistling is just a recorded ringtone, some of my anxiety falls away. But it’s only for a moment.

Because this means someone was in my apartment. It means I’m not crazy—the noises were real. And if they were real…

I stoop, snatching the phone and answering before I have the sense to think it over. I wait for the person on the other side to speak, but there’s nothing on the other end besides some creepy, heavy breathing.

“Hello?” My heart threatens to burst from my chest. “Hello? Who’s there?”

Nothing.

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