Page 103 of Soulless Deeds

Camilla went to press up from the ground. Before she could raise higher, I kicked her feet out from beneath her. Her knees buckling hard, grazing raw across the rough surface.

She cursed and cussed me out, yet didn’t attempt to fight back, knowing there was no escape.

Sliding the tip of my blade over her cheek, I whispered my demands. “You’re going to tell us everything about your precious Khaos. And with your knowledge, we are going to tear it apart, piece by fucking piece.”

Camilla hissed as if that was the most offensive thing I’d said to her so far. Then, without preamble, she leapt upwards with her claws out. In reply, I slashed my knife upward, the blade slicing across her fingers, which she retracted immediately.

She sobbed before me, blood and tears staining my feet. “Please, Noah. We could be great together.” Hiccup. Cry. Begging. Pleading. “Who’s that woman you were with? She’s nothing compared to what we have. Our past, our ambitions. You want me. You’vealwayswanted me. That bitch has nothi?—”

Her rant flipped to outward screams as I carved slice after slice into her superficial mask—her most prized possession. Appropriate marks to beautify her fucked up face.

“Don’t. Ever. Speak. Of. Her,”I said, my Variant hitting Camilla’s flesh with painful pressure, ultimately taking a toll on my throat that tore from the strain of manipulating those five words. The disordered soundwaves from the stadium echoed and ebbed, making control difficult and the use of my Variant practically impossible.

However, my threat was already enough.

Camilla scuttled backward, as far away as her damaged form could carry. I let her, giving that inkling of perceived escape before I carved up her body next.

Lifting my blade to align with her ugly, beat up face, I made my demands. “Who do you work for?”

Camilla spat at my feet and retreated back even further.

“You are dead either way, Camilla. Now, how fast or slow that happens entirely depends on you. A name.Onename, and it will be over quickly.”

Camilla collapsed in hysterical laughter like the psychotic cunt she was. Bloodthirst and brutality saturated my body. Answer or no, Camilla was going to die, and long-awaited retribution would finally be reached. The mere revelation made me giddy, the high near-euphoric.

However, the snake had one last trick up her sleeve. Camilla’s red-stained mouth lifted into a certifiable grin of arrogance that had my high dropping so fast, it gave me whiplash.

Camilla desperately scooped something up from the ground and sprang upright. Dread filtered into my system as she raised and shifted the gun to point—not at me—but to my right.

As if out of a fucking movie, white smoke cleared to display my biggest weakness, my undying infatuation, my greatest love.

Spencer had her back to us, unaware of the perilous danger I had thrust her in.

XLI

Spencer

“SPENCER!!”

I stilled from the scream. Echo’s Variant layered over me in warning, and as I spun towards his voice, a loud pop sounded close—too close. Shock shackled me to the spot as my brain processed the undeniable ricochet of a fired gun and Echo dropping to the ground at my feet.

Time stood still as my brain sifted through the scene in rapid-fire sequence. Echo’s breathing stuttered, and blood seeped from his ribs, his crazed eyes bouncing between me and Camilla.

She stood across from us, her sinister smile widening as her gun remained trained in our direction. My frame began to tremble as every violent fantasy flashed to the forefront of my mind. More than anything, I wanted to collapse at Echo’s side and staunch the gaping hole in his chest. But I knew… I fucking knew I had no choice other than to deal with the imminent threat right in front of us, or we were both goners. He would make it.He will fucking make it.I couldn’t think of any other outcome, or I’d truly crumble.

Then, my saviour made themselves known in my periphery. I’d sense her anywhere—my sister, my damn lifeline. Emersonwould save him, take care of him while I ended this once and for all.

My gaze never left Camilla as I gave my words to a wheezing Echo. “You justhadto play hero and catch a bullet for me, huh?” I hissed, tone accusing.

Echo coughed, red-stained spittle coating his chin. My heart beat out of sequence, and I shut that shit down as soon as it flickered into awareness. “No one,”he muttered, pure emotion poured into those two words.

And that just pissed me the fuck off. I scoffed, my defence mechanism slamming into place, letting my bitterness shine through. “Clearly, there issomeone.”My lids narrowed on his ex who he chose over me. No harm in letting Echo sweat his supposed impending death for a second, purely based on the idiocy of his own actions. Emerson was biding her time on the outskirts, assessing the scene for the most opportune moment to enter the utter clusterfuck we had found ourselves in.

One bullet, two contenders and a million reasons to die.

A shame I didn’t give a fuck.

Then, I felt it. Echo’s fingers—subtle, soft and filled with longing—grazed my ankle. Suspecting I was about to engage the enemy, he reached out in his dying state, attempting to guilt trip me into line. “Please, Ghost,run.She’s not worth it.” I could hear the underlying panic in his voice. His last effort to save me before he died.

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