Page 100 of Dance with Death

Skin and fucking bones.

I think my heart has stopped beating.

My lungs have forgotten how to take in air.

My body has forgotten how to move.

But then, everything explodes back to life all at once. My system is flooded with the incessant need to run to her, to save her, to do fucking anything at any cost to spare her future torment.

I move without thinking, ready to take off at a run. I make it one step before Kostya leaps in front of me and I nearly slam into his chest. Then Nikolai grabs the collar of my jacket, flinging me backward. He grabs my shoulders and physically turns me away from the staircase.

“Go. Move.Move.”Nikolai shoves at my back, pushing me through the throng of guests.

He pushes me until we make the clearing and turn down a hallway beneath the staircase.

I need to go after her.

I slam to a halt, spinning around to face Nikolai. He grabs the lapels of my suit jacket, fisting the fabric and shoving me until my back is against a wall.

“Shut up and listen to me,mal’chik,” he tells me as Kostya catches up to us, standing at our side. “I’m stealing her back tonight. I need you to focus so you don’t fuck it all up, do you understand me?”

Stealing her back?

He wants to steal her back?

My muscles twitch at the thought. I was ready to fight to the death to save her, but I didn’t have a plan. The only strategy I had come up with was improvisation. That may work with my dancing, but I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing here on my own.

But I can’t wrap my head around working with Nikolai. Helping him steal her back would only mean bringing her back into servitude to Nikolai.

But that’s better, isn’t it?

At least then she’d be with me—maybe we could plot a real escape together.

“Are you serious about this?” I ask him.

“Am I ever anything but serious?”

I don’t even know how the fuck to respond to that.

“I’m listening. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

His jaw ticks. “I wish all your concessions were given so easily.”

I grit my teeth. “When it comes to Anya, you know I’ll do anything.”

“Be careful with your promises. Someday I might come collecting.”

“Are we having a pissing contest or do you want to tell me your plan?”

He pulls me toward him by my jacket and then slams my back to the wall again. I hit with athudand the air rushes from my lungs as the back of my head bounces off. He lets go of me and takes a small step back, glancing at Kostya before looking at me again.

“You’re going to do exactly what your instincts tell you to. You’re going after her,” he says.

“What?” Frustration washes over me and I throw up my arms. “Why the fuck did you stop me then?”

“Because I need us on the same page. You’re going to fight me off here and run after her. Back through the party, up the stairs.”

“And that’s your plan? I’m just supposed to run after her? Then what?”

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