Page 191 of Dance of Madness

His foot slams into my face, spinning me around to face a screaming, sobbing Milena.

I hear the dull metallic click of a hammer being drawn, and my eyes swivel up to see Levka standing over me, pointing a gun at my face.

I’m so fucking sorry, Milena.

I tried.

I love you.

“Yes, there is a new king,” he snarls, swaying unsteadily on his feet. “And he has no need for a prince carrying a grudge, either.”

BANG!

Three things happen at once:

A gun fires.

Milena screams.

And Levka grunts as blood explodes from his chest.

The gun falls from his hand as he drops to his knees, toppling to the floor.

“It would seem I missed the fun.”

What the actual fuck.

I roll my bleary gaze toward the doorway, where Kir is standing, in a goddamnsuit, a smoking gun in his hand.

“Papa!”

I roll my head the other way, a faint smile touching my lips as I watch Milena help Marko up, his face grim and his teeth gritted as he holds his bleeding abdomen.

He glances at Kir and nods curtly. Kir nods back, then calmly walks over to where Levka is pathetically squirming on the ground in a rapidly growing pool of blood, still trying to reach for his gun.

Kir aims at him, but then a voice stops him.

“No, Kir,” Marko hisses, blood trickling from his mouth as he staggers over and puts a hand heavily on Kir’s shoulder. “Let me.”

Kir dips his chin graciously. “My pleasure.”

He hands over the gun. Levka’s eyes go wide, blood bubbling from his mouth as he stares haggardly up at Marko.

“Brother—”

“No one, and I meanNO ONE,” Marko roars, “points a gun at my daughter.”

There’s zero fanfare as he pulls the trigger, sending Levka to hell and his brains splattering all over the floor.

“Nero!”

I’m swimming in and out of consciousness as Milena rushes to me and falls to her knees, sobbing. She yanks the blood-slicked ropes, ripping them off and then clutching my body to hers.

Her hot tears fall across my face. I just smile as I inhale her scent.

Feel her warmth.

Listen to her heart thudding against mine.

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