The noise outside my room had not stopped yet. I turned around to investigate why no one had come to rescue me as planned. Rowan was meant to take me away while the demons took care of my murderer, just before things become worse.

Death's deadly voice stopped me from opening the door. "Don't even try to walk through that door. It's unsafe."

I spun. "Why? Tell me what's going on." I demanded.

"Firstly, take that pendant off."

"Over my dead body." I seethed.

Death let out a long, low sigh. "I won't be able to protect you when you have that hideous thing around your neck."

Before I could respond, footsteps drew closer to the door. I took several steps back to distance myself from it. The door swung open, and the demons and Rowan stood on the threshold. I dropped to my knees, overcome with relief, knowing that Rowan was safe and that nothing had happened to him.

In a second, he was in front of me, bringing me back to my feet. He pressed me against his chest and buried his head into my hair, inhaling their scent. I hugged him back, detecting his soft wings.

"I'm so sorry, Vivienne. I'm so incredibly sorry." He said it through his teeth, guilt at the tip of his tongue.

"Explanation?" Death said, I almost forgot he was there.

Keliah huffed. "Well, clearly, shit went down. We hadn't expected ten demons to show up at our doorstep." He said in an obvious tone.

I broke from Rowan's embrace. "What do you mean, demons?" I frowned, looking in Death's direction. His hands were folded as he leaned against the wall.

"Oh- what should we do about him? He looks like he begs for death." Keliah muttered, his eyes shot out of his skull, and he crouched down to my murderer, whom I assumed was dead.

"You didn't kill him?" I asked Death, facing him.

"No, kitty, I didn't because I couldn't. And neither can one of you since it would alert heaven." Death's voice was husky, filled with roughness.

Death leaned off the wall and came closer to us. "It's either you, Mr. Sunshine, or you-" he pointed at me. "pretty girl. The choice is yours." Death cackled.

Can an angel kill someone? Would he do something so twisted for me, despite his morals?

My gaze shifted to Rowan, who was staring at my murderer. Something wild burned in his eyes. He was motionless, as if waiting for the right moment to strike. His fists were clenched, and his muscles were tense. Desire to end his life, perhaps.

He wasn't a good person and didn't deserve to live. Tonight, he wanted to end my life to earn this house. Nothing more, nothing less.

"I'll do it." I suddenly said, and everyone stared at me.

I snatched the knife that had fallen from my hand to the ground and took slow steps towards my murderer. He was barely alive, yet still far from death.

I went down on my knees and raised my hand in the air, ready to stab him in the stomach. I could feel my adrenaline pumping through my veins as I prepared to commit the act of violence. But then Rowan yanked the knife out of my grip and stabbed him instead.

"I will not let your hands get dirty." He said coldly. My murderer's blood streaked on his shirt.

What consequences will he face because of this sin? Getting his hands soaked in the blood of a human?

"Azra, take care of the body, and Keliah, you're staying with us because I know you would try to damage him more." Death proclaimed, and Azra immediately left with his body. Keliah's creepy giggles formed goosebumps on my skin.

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"W-What about his soul?" I asked quietly.

"He does not possess one." Replied the Grim Reaper.

• • •

We have sat at the dining table in silence for a few minutes now. My head was heavy with everything possible under the sun. I needed someone to break the silence-to distract my mind.

"Who were these demons? Do you know them?" Rowan spoke first, glaring at Death with his hands clenched on the table. It's like he heard my thoughts. Death, instead of answering him, pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"You can't smoke here-" I said.

"I can do whatever I please." He cut me off and took a long inhale of his cigarette. "Those demons? They're my fault. Want a cig?" He asked Rowan. He only huffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What do you mean it's your fault?" I snapped at him, and, raised from the chair, it scrapped the floor. Its screeching sound formed goosebumps on my body.

He blew out smoke before speaking. "Calm down, kitty. You are no panther. It's just as I said. Those demons had some...issues with me in the long-forgotten past, well, at least for me, since they thought they could take their revenge on me."

I began to hysterically laugh, staring at the wooden dining table and holding myself against it. "Because of you, we almost died today," I said quietly, leaving the table.

Death appeared in front of me suddenly, and I flinched. "Because of me, you are still alive." He growled.

I scoffed, shaking my head in disbelief. "Are you really out of your mind? Get help." I snapped and turned around.

"I'm not done speaking!" Death proclaimed, and twisted me around with the power of his scythe. I gasped, holding myself against the edge of the table to not be swayed to the floor.

He pointed his finger at me for a second and then yanked it to the side of his body. "One day, I'll punish you for the things you dare to say to me." His voice was cold, wicked, and unbelievably threatening.

Suddenly, I felt Rowan's hands around my waist, and I looked behind my shoulder to meet his ocean-blue eyes. He analyzed my face and then my neck, which probably looked bruised.

"You fucker. Don't touch her." Death said in a monotone voice.

He completely ignored Death's threat. He shot a sharp glance at Death before he spoke to me. "Does it hurt?" He softly brushed his fingertips against my neck.

I shook my head, but it was a lie. It burned like hell; it felt like the rope was coiled up around my neck. Rowan placed his hands on my hips as he was focused on my neck, and I was too perceptive of his touch. So gentle, but so firm. His lips were so close, I could feel his breath. My heart fluttered.

At the edge of my periphery, a dark shadow stood, peering at us. When I looked to my right and saw Death with his scythe in his hand, I knew he was going to do something stupid. With his scythe, he slammed Rowan to the floor, pointing the tip of the sharp scythe at his heart, inch-separating the space.

"Now, let's talk about your funeral, blonde." Death said, and then chuckled. "Azra will gladly bury you too, you know."

Death's gaze fell on me. I froze in place, just wide-eyed, and stared at him. "We will have a talk about this later, kitty." He said.

Rowan didn't try to push the scythe or move; he simply stayed lying on the floor. This all looked ridiculous. Keliah just sat by the table, looking at the three of us like we were performing some theater scene and giggling at it.

"That's enough, Death. Stop being childish." I seethed.

"She looks so scary when she gets mad." Keliah chimed in. "Hot stuff."

Death swung his scythe at him, and Keliah vanished into the air. You could only hear a glimpse of his surprised voice, cursing at the Grim Reaper.

Meanwhile, Azra came back, and everything kept being chaotic. "I've picked a very lonely place. No one will look for him, boss." He informed Death. He only nodded, and Azra analyzed us three. "Did something happen?" He wondered.

"Yeah, Mr. Sunshine keeps touching my property, and Keliah thinks he can say whatever he wants without consequences following." Death complained, now seated on the kitchen island, swinging his feet.

How the fuck did he get there so fast?

"I will teach him a lesson." Azra quietly said, rubbing his forehead. Keliah will have a rough night, I suppose.

Rowan got back to his feet, dusting his pants. As soon as they were far away from one another, I was able to relax.

"What happened with the other demons? Did they survive?" I asked Azra.

He shook his head. "At least five of them are still alive. It was three against ten, Vivienne. We did what we could." He glanced at Rowan.

I looked around the kitchen, trying to catch sight of dead bodies. But the floors were clean, except for all the broken stuff.

"Where are they?" I asked Rowan.

"When you kill a demon, they turn into dust." He said and pointed to the entrance hall, where I could see piles of charcoal ash scattered all across the hall. I gasped, staring at it.

"What will we do about the remaining five demons? They will come again and try to hurt Vivienne." Azra asked Death.

"But why me? Why has it anything to do with me?" I demanded an answer. An answer that would make sense. I couldn't understand why they would want me dead.

"Very good question. Why do they want her, Death? I don't understand why you're putting her in danger." Rowan said, his arms folded under his chest.

Death grabbed a plate from the counter and threw it across the room. It hit the wall and shattered the floor. I began to think that was his favorite, or probably only, hobby. Throwing stuff at the wall. What is he? Five years old?

Death jumped off the counter and walked towards me, stopping at a safe distance. I caught a glimpse of his crimson-red eyes before he disappeared, leaving a gray mist behind him.

I exhaled and turned to Rowan. He said nothing at all. We both knew that Death was a total bipolar psychopath.