The arm loosened slightly, enough to let Isaac slip free. He stood up and immediately missed the warmth of Whichello’s body against his. The floor felt cold under his bare feet, even through the carpet.
“Phone’s in the bedroom,” Whichello said, gesturing toward the door that led to his private sleeping quarters. “Don’t go wandering off anywhere else.”
“Not a chance in hell.” Isaac headed for the bedroom, his steps quick across plush carpet. “Not after the castle tried to eat me.”
The bedroom was exactly as excessive as the rest of Whichello’s chambers. A massive four-poster bed dominated the space, draped in dark fabrics that looked like they’d swallow anyone who got too close. Floor-to-ceiling windows showed the eternal twilight of the demon realm, city lights twinkling in the distance like fallen stars.
His phone sat on the nightstand, the screen dark. Isaac picked it up, thumb hovering over Danny’s contact before he made himself press Call.
It rang once. Twice. Three times. Isaac counted each ring, his heart rate climbing with every unanswered second. Maybe Danny was busy. Maybe he was with Ash and didn’t want to be interrupted. Maybe—
“Hello, Isaac.”
The voice that answered didn’t belong to Danny.
Ice flooded Isaac’s veins, freezing him in place with the phone pressed too hard against his ear. He knew that voice, had heard it right before Whichello had yanked him off Isaac’s body and sentenced him to death.
Dimitri.
“I was just about to call you,” Dimitri said. “Funny how we had the same thought, huh?”
“Where’s Danny?” Isaac snarled, ignoring the obvious taunt. “What did you do to him?”
“Nothing yet.” Dimitri’s voice held that same cruel amusement it had carried in the tower room, making Isaac grind his molars. “Your friend and his bear are perfectly fine. For now.”
“Let me talk to him.” Isaac gripped the edge of the nightstand, nails scraping against wood. “Right now.”
“I don’t think so.” Something rustled on the other end, fabric maybe. “But I’ll give you a choice. Come to your friend’s house. Alone. No demon backup, no Whichello riding to the rescue. Just you.”
“And if I don’t?” Isaac already knew the answer. It would be some kind of death threat. Although he was terrified of the demon, Dimitri didn’t seem like the type who thought outside the box.
“Then Danny and Ash become examples of what happens when someone defies me.” Dimitri’s tone stayed pleasant, conversational, like they were discussing dinner plans instead of negotiating a hostage situation. “I’m not unreasonable, Isaac. Come alone, and they stay untouched. Bring your demon, and I’ll make you watch them suffer before I kill them.”
Isaac could refuse. Could tell Whichello and let the demon handle it with the full force of his power. But Dimitri would know the moment anyone but Isaac showed up, and his friends would pay the price for that decision.
“How do I know you won’t hurt them anyway?” Isaac didn’t trust a word the demon said. For all he knew, they were already dead. The thought made Isaac want to vomit.
“You don’t.” Dimitri laughed, the sound making Isaac’s skin crawl. “But you know what I’ll definitely do if you don’t show up. So really, you don’t have much of a choice.”
The line went dead.
Isaac stood frozen in the bedroom, phone still pressed against his ear, listening to the empty silence where Dimitri’s voice had been. His hands shook so badly the phone nearly slipped from his grip. He lowered it slowly, staring at the screen that showed the call had ended, duration displayed in cold digital numbers that proved this had actually happened.
Danny was in danger. Ash was in danger. Because Dimitri was a twisted son of a bitch. He wanted payback for what? Being a grimy piece of shit and getting caught?
Isaac wanted to deck the guy.
Then unleash Whichello on his sorry ass.
The thought of telling Whichello what just happened made Isaac’s stomach clench with dread. The demon would lose his mind. Would probably freeze half the realm trying to mobilize an army to storm Danny’s house, and Dimitri would see them coming from miles away. He’d make good on his threat before Whichello could get close.
But going alone meant walking into a trap with no backup and no way out. Dimitri had already proven what he was capable of, what he wanted to do to Isaac. The memory of being pinned to that bed, of hands holding him down and lips on his throat, made Isaac feel nauseous.
He couldn’t think about that right now. Couldn’t let fear paralyze him when Danny and Ash needed him.
Isaac walked back into the main room on legs that felt disconnected from his body. Whichello still sat on the couch, but his posture had changed. It was no longer relaxed. Every line of his body radiated alertness, like he’d sensed something wrong through whatever instinct demons possessed.
Those gray eyes locked on Isaac’s face the moment he appeared in the doorway. Whichello stood in one fluid motion, the movement too fast for someone his size.
