Page 197 of Emerald Malice

Yelena is dead before she hits the ground.

Bile rises in my throat. I taste the acid on my tongue. Her blood is painted across Andrey’s face and hands as he turns to me. “Natalia…” he rasps, taking a step in my direction.

It happened so damn fast. So… easily.

A few seconds and a life was extinguished, just like that.

As fast as my father’s.

As fast as my mother’s.

Horror claws its way up my spine and I back away from Andrey. “Don’t come any closer.”

My voice is clear and strong. But my whole body is shaking violently. The blood on his face distorts him into a monster that I cannot recognize. A beast I cannot love.

He steps over the dead woman at his feet and keeps moving towards me.

Dreams melt into a reality so thick and viscous that I can’t tell where one stops and the other begins. The next thing I know, I’m picking up the gun at my feet…

And pointing it directly at Andrey.

It’s not just him I don’t recognize—I don’t recognize myself, either.

My world has been ripped off its axis. Up is down and down is up. My loved ones are enemies. Away is safe, and here is…

Here is death. Death and blood.

“Natalia, I know you’re scared, but you have to trust me. Put down the gun.” He takes another step forward.

“Stay away from me!” I scream, flying back in panic.

But my heel catches the baseboard and, in my surprise, my hand clenches automatically.

The gun fires.

Andrey glances down at his torso in surprise as blood begins to bloom on the white of his shirt.

The knife clatters from his hand and he drops to his knees. Misha and Leonty and Shura close in around him.

My entire world coalesces down to a single word. A single instinct.

Run.

Or death will catch you, too.

TO BE CONTINUED