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"No."

For the first time since appearing in the closet, he relaxed by a fraction. "Good."

"What else did the reports say?"

"One account was nearly a century old. A trapper described the forest falling silent for seven days before livestock began disappearing."

"And then?"

"The reports stopped."

"That's not ominous at all."

"No."

He looked toward the closet door, though I doubted he saw painted wood and shelves anymore.

"I've encountered signs like these before."

My stomach tightened. "Where?"

"A realm that no longer exists."

The temperature in the closet seemed to drop. "What happened to it?"

Azaren's eyes met mine. "It was consumed."

I stared at him. "Consumed by what?"

"I don't know."

"You were there."

"Some things remain mysteries even to me." The words came clipped now. "I was sent to retrieve souls fleeing judgment. By the time I crossed the boundary, the realm had begun folding in upon itself. Fairy magic. Infernal magic. Mortal life. It was all being drawn toward a single point."

"Like something was feeding on it?"

"Yes."

"And you think that's happening here?"

"I think dismissing the possibility would be foolish."

Mrs. Callahan's whisper returned. Lonely.

"It doesn't sound angry," I said. "One resident said it sounded lonely."

Azaren's expression hardened. "Do not confuse loneliness with harmlessness."

"I didn't."

"Lonely creatures are often the most dangerous."

Before I could ask more, the closet door rattled beneath someone's hand.

"Poppy?" Nurse Bellamy called from the hallway. "Are you in there?"

I jumped. Azaren didn't. "Yes!"