Page 111 of Sweet Venom

I took a deep breath, ran my fingers through my hair, and then, without another word and a heart filled with love, I began to prepare for his ball.

Chapter

Thirty

SINISTER BLOOM

Poe

“I’d rather burn in your arms than freeze in anyone else’s.” — P

Come dance under the stars with me…

That’s what his note said.

So, once I was ready, I took a few seconds to get hold of my emotions and then I went in search of him.

Now I’m here.

The evening air was cool against my skin, a contrast to the warmth I felt inside as I stepped out into the garden. Winter in New York is cold but oddly there hasn’t been any snow this year.

It’s almost perfect. Although I loved the snow I know the white beauty would only take from the haunting of this manor. Of this night.

The night seemed oddly still, no sounds of guests, no sound of the staff that were here all day. It was too quiet. Too dark. The lights that are all over the garden are off.

The only light guiding my steps are that of the moon, stars and the distant lights of the carousel.

Where are his guests? His family? Was it just us tonight?

The deeper I went into the garden, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and an unsettling sense crept over me. The moonlight painted the garden in hues of silver and blue, casting long shadows across the statues, the fountain, the paths I had walked down a few times. Yet tonight, the haunting beauty of it all only heightened the tension in my chest.

As I walked further into the garden, I felt it—someone was watching me.

“Azariel?” I stopped, my pulse quickening. An eerie feeling crawling down my spine. My eyes flicked from side to side, but I couldn’t see anything, no movement, no sign of him. The silence was almost deafening, and it unsettled me more than I cared to admit.Come on, Poe… you’re not afraid of the dark.

The sound of footsteps in the distance made my heart stop in my chest. “Who’s there?” I called into the night, my voice breaking the silence. But there was no answer, only the whisper of the wind through the trees.

I tried to shake off the growing sense of dread, but then I felt it again—a chill creeping up my spine, a prickle on my skin. It wasn’t from the cold. No. Something was off.

Panic started to clog my throat and I looked around trying to see in the dark. My gaze landed on the carousel. The lights, which had been twinkling so brightly a moment ago, were suddenly extinguished, leaving only shadows behind.

Shadows…

Okay no, I’m a bit afraid. What if Azariel was inside and I’m bait for a demented clown killer. Dammit.Please don’t let my cousins be right.

“Heartless Prince?” I called out, my voice louder this time, more desperate. “Is that you?”

Nothing but footsteps in the distance.

I took a step back, my heart thudding in my chest. The garden seemed to stretch around me like some kind of haunted maze. I could feel the weight of the fear pressing down on me, making the night feel heavier, darker, more ominous.

Don’t be stupid, Poe, I told myself.It’s just your imagination.Monsters don’t hide in the dark. We can find them in plain sight. I tried to convince myself.

But the feeling of being watched, of being followed, didn’t leave. It only grew stronger.

I turned around again, searching the shadows, but there was nothing. And yet... I still felt like I wasn’t alone.

Then, it happened so fast.

---