Page 135 of Sweet Venom

My skin prickled with unease. There was no way Azariel had come back. He had a few meetings that he couldn’t postpone, and he said those would take hours.

Even though I was freaked out, I still moved toward the source of the ringing, my footsteps slow and hesitant, but my curiosity drove me forward. The dark halls felt different, and the strange ringing made my heart stop in my chest.

The ringing led me to the door of a room I hadn’t gone into before. I hesitated for a moment before turning the handle. The door creaked open, revealing an empty room bathed in shadows.The only light came from the flickering flames from the fireplace in the next room. The phone continued ringing but louder now.

Turn around, Poe…

“Azariel?” I whispered into the quiet, my voice barely more than a breath.

No answer.

“Okay… I’m scared now. Is that you? Because if it’s not, I’m about to embarrass myself and possibly shit a little.”

Nothing.

I stepped further into the hallway, eyes darting from corner to corner. Nothing looked out of place, which somehow made it worse. Because of course, nothing looked off. That’s how horror movies start. I would know. I’ve seen every horror movie made by man.

I’m not a coward who is afraid of a little dark, but hey I’m also not stupid. I don’t want to get killed.

And where the hell are Allen and Prince? If I didn’t know better, I would think my demon cat child plotted this to mess with me.

Suddenly, the phone stopped ringing.

I froze.

What the hell was going on?

I checked my phone again. Still nothing from Azariel. No calls. No texts.

My heart was pounding so loud I had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself.

I tried calling him again.Ring… ring…

And then I heard it.

His phone. Ringing from somewhere inside the manor.

What. The. Actual. Hell.

Before I could bolt toward my room, the air around me shifted.

Then came the laugh— low, dark, a rumble that crawled up my spine and smacked me straight in the “you’re about to be murdered” instincts.

“You’re searching for me, baby?” His voice was smooth and dark. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

He came back early. He’s here. Somewhere. But I couldn’t see him.

A shiver ran down my spine. My heart skipped many beats. My handsome prince is messing with me.

“You asshole,” I muttered with a half-laugh that sounded way more terrified than I wanted it to. “Where the hell are you?”

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid,” he taunted, his voice laced with wicked amusement.

I could feel him now. Like a dark and powerful shadow wrapping around me.

I spun in a circle, arms half raised.Where is he hiding? He’s so damn good with shadows.

“Of course, I’m afraid. You ass. Why are you hiding in the shadows like a creep?”

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