Page 7 of Dance of Ruin

He barely even looks human as the darkness surges behind his face, misting off his skin like black smoke.

Nico takes another slow, predatory step toward me. I move back again, and he slides to his right, like he’s trying to get around me. I sidestep as well, keeping him dead center in my field of vision, rotating slightly, stepping back again when he steps forward, maintaining the distance between us.

“Are you scared of me, Naomi?”

Icy coldness teases over my skin and finger-walks down my spine.

“Should I be?” I whisper.

Yes.

Yes, you should.You just watched him murder someone.

The thought clings to me, digging its claws into my skin. I know what I just witnessed. But when it happened literally in front of me, some kind of self-preservation instinct took over, urging me to run away before he could see me.

Except… He did.

And now I’m alone on a dark roof with a man with a dangerous glint in his eyes who’s just proven that he’s more than willing topush peoplefrom said roof.

Our slow dance continues. He moves to his right, I rotate to mine, keeping him dead center. He advances toward me, I retreat, not taking my eyes off him for a second.

It’s not until something cold and solid hits the small of my back that I flinch awake from the dark spell he’s cast over me. I jolt, my gaze on him breaking as I glance behind me.

Shit.

I was so focused on keeping him in my center field of vision—as if he’s a lion stalking out of the savanna grass toward me—that I lost track of my positioning.

Nico wasn’t trying to outflank me. He was trying toturnme, knowing I’d keep backing away from him as he advanced. Which means now, I’m pinned against the very ledge of the roof I almost just fell from…and he’sstilladvancing on me.

Quite suddenly, I find myself frozen as he melts from the shadows into my personal space, looming over me, a menacing aura swirling around us like black fog.

He’s too close.

The scent of tobacco smoke, leather, and dark, lethal masculinity fills my lungs. For a ridiculous second, I think that if danger had a scent, it would smell like him.

Nico’s blue eyes pierce the swirling blackness around us, cutting into my core as I tense against the stone behind me. I’m suddenly much more aware of everything around me—the chill in the air, the slightly worn surface of the stone ledge pressing against me, the distant noise of the city below me.

Danger incarnate, cocking his head to the side and studying me. Appraising me.

Judging my fate.

“Because we know each other,” he growls quietly, “why don’t we spare each other the embarrassment of lying to one another’s faces.”

A cold shiver ripples up my spine as he moves even closer, so close that his body is pressed to mine, literally pinning me to the ledge behind me.

“What did you see.”

I swallow uncomfortably. My pulse thuds like doom in my veins.

He knows me. I’m friends with his sister. He wouldn’t just KILL me.

My insides curdle.

Right?

“If I wanted to kill you,” he murmurs quietly—like that cold blue gaze is capable of penetrating my skull and reading my very thoughts—“the opportune moment would have been when I had you dangling over thin air, wouldn’t it?” His lips curl, like he’s amused by the idea. “I wouldn't have needed to do a thing, actually. I could have just watched you fall.” His smile widens.

What is he, deranged?

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