When he drew back Phoebe reached out to trail her hand over his fur- it was a miracle she could still move it, the miracle of sinew repairing itself nearly as fast as he could cut through. And this time he let her scratch under his chin.

Image: Silver from the neck-up. The front of his face is smeared with blood, and Phoebe is cupping one side with an equally-bloody hand. End description.

But blood loss still outpaced the Firebird’s magic. Phoebe felt far too tired to even think about the repercussions of just dying and letting him run off. Still, she managed to rouse herself. His purr was deep; it danced over her fingertips as she slid her hand around to his nape and brought him forward.

“Silver...” she managed a whisper, “come on, come back.”

He glanced at her lidded eyes, his tongue licking blood from his skinless jaws.

“If you listen to me… I can keep them from locking you up.” Another deal with the devil.

He yawned and continued to tinker with her, claws prodding where his tongue had moments before. She was unsure if he cared, and at this point, with the world moving away, she didn’t know if she cared either. Deep shadows crept back into her vision as her senses drained from her body. Her hand stayed on him. Blood on the skin cooled so fast, and she couldn’t have imagined his body feeling so warm.

As the canopy above became denser and denser, she felt him move from her arm and back to her torso. He broke her open further. There was the crack of him wedging himself into the space under her ribs before she ceased. And the last thing Phoebe remembered feeling was contentment.

Image: Silver is forcing himself inside Phoebe’s body. She’s lying limp on the ground, with her head turned away and her back arched. Her guts are spilling out of her torso, and another section of flesh has been pried up as he worms under it. Only his back half is visible, and his tail is wagging. End description.

Image: A view of the clearing from further away. Only a part of Phoebe’s bloody leg and foot can be seen behind a mass of bushes. Once again, darkness descends from the top of the image, making everything look cloaked in shadow. End description.



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7.8.2023
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If you're viewing this on mobile or a tablet (which, apparently, quite a few of you are) then hopefully you'll notice that things are easier to read! I made some much-needed CSS edits. Things may still be a little janky- I haven't put in all the code because I'm saving it for a larger backend edit after chapter III wraps.