Page 56 of Dance of Madness

I start to scrabble on the ground to find it. Then I’m screaming as another window blows, and bullets slam into the wall behind me. I gasp as he suddenly yanks me to my feet and drags me toward the rear of the loft.

“Go out the back. Be quiet, stay low, don’t stop.”

He shoves me toward the hallway. I whirl just as he’s about to let go of me.

“Wait!” I shout. ”What about you?!”

The mask makes it impossible to read his expression, but his green eyes stab into me with an intensity that makes me shudder.

“Don’t worry about me. Not my first gunfight rodeo.”

We stay like that, barely a foot apart, both of us—well,me—shaking as fresh gunfire slams against the outside of the building, shattering more windows. Yelling men draw closer.

“I don’t know who youare,” I hiss. “What if?—”

His head tips to the side. “Sure you do. And If I die…”

He lifts a shoulder.

“Then I’ll haunt the fuck out of you.”

12

MILENA

Present:

I’m in my room,pretending to read.

Lying to myself that I’m occupied, andthatis why I’ve hardly touched my phone since last night.

…Since I ran from Greymoor after seeing…what I saw.

His blade at their throats. The casual, easy way he justdid it. And the blood.

So much blood.

Part of me has been paralyzed with worry ever since, waiting for the repercussions of menotshowing up at the house like he ordered me to, his threat of “finding me anyway” rippling through my brain.

I didn’t sleep last night, not really. I ended up going downstairs to the main security station and pestered Rurik to play chess with me, saying I had insomnia. On the plus side, Rurik actuallytaught meto play when I was a kid, but I haven't had a game with him in years. So it was great to finally have a rematch.

Unfortunately, the lack of sleep has left meexhaustedand fueled my paranoia that Nero is lurking behind every door, waiting to grab me. Under my bed. In the shower.

But he's not. I refuse to admit how insanely disappointing that is in a super fucked up way.

My hands still feel clammy. My stomach still churns when I remember the wet sound of the blade cutting through flesh, the way he unblinkingly killed them.

Not to mention all the other bizarre stuff.Kirbeing there, for one. Or whatever they were talking about involving a “Black Court”. And what did Kir mean when he said “these two held your father down and made him watch”?

Whatever. I’m trying not to think about it. Trying not to think abouthim.

A knock on my bedroom door sends my heart into my throat.

“Milena?”

I exhale in a rush.

Not Nero.

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