Page 29
Okay. That’s true.
Annoying, but true.
“I wanted to know what made the sound.”
That wipes the hint of amusement from his face. “And now?”
My throat hums as another faint pulse moves beneath my feet, and I swallow against it. “Now I want to know what the fuck was powerful enough to make it.”
He takes a step forward, his eyelids blinking, making the slits in his eyes flicker. “This is Kings’ territory. It’s our business.”
“I think a tear in the earth makes it all of the supernatural world’s business, don’t you? What if this thing… this Kings’ business, exposes us to the humans?”
“Is that a threat?” He takes another step toward me.
“I haven’t made a move against you.” My blade stays where it is, but I don’t lower it either. “I’m not here for a fight.”
“No.” His eyes stay on me for another second, pupils narrowing to thin vertical slits. “You’re not.”
Apparently that answers whatever question he had.
He starts toward me, and I tighten my grip on the knife, watching him cross the clearing without making a damn sound. Gravel and broken branches cover the ground between us, but somehow his boots barely disturb any of it.
Fucking creepy.
He doesn’t reach for a weapon or hurry either. Just keeps coming while I stand there wondering how close I am actually willing to let this reptilian bastard get before instinct wins and I put a blade in him.
Except the closer he gets, the more another instinct starts whispering that the knife probably won’t do shit.
Great.
By the time he stops a few feet away, cold has started crawling over my skin.
Not mountain cold.
Him.
It rolls off him in a steady chill that raises the hairs along my arms and makes the song behind my teeth shrink back.
I look down at the knife, then at him. “You gonna give me a reason to use this?”
One corner of his mouth shifts. “Wouldn’t recommend it.”
Yeah. Fucking creepy.
I look up into those gold, slit-pupiled eyes. “What the hell are you?”
His mouth twitches. “That’s usually considered rude.”
“So is sneaking up on people in the woods.”
“I didn’t sneak.”
I glance toward the trees he appeared from. “Sure.”
A slow hiss escapes him, and his eyes flick again. “I’m a basilisk shifter.”
I raise my brows. “Snake… great.”
