Page 25 of Soulless Deeds

I dropped it immediately, trembling fingers raising to tangle in my short blonde hair, pulling hard on the roots, trying to dig the thoughts from my tumultuous brain.

“Get the fuck out.Get the fuck out of my head.” The force of my voice left the mirror in splintered pieces.

My mind replayed those intimate moments, warning my soul that I was irrevocably changed.

I can’t escape her.

Stark blood hardened over my entire front, and her candy fragrance merged with the misting air. Then, my gaze caught on my mouth. I hadn’t registered that I was chewing—the sweetest gum staining my tongue with the potent taste of her. I hadn’t fully processed what happened, let alone our mind-blowing kiss, her bubblegum transferring to me in the feverish exchange.

Why’d it have to be so fucking delicious?

I launched forward, swiping all the contents off the bathroom counter in one fell swoop. The crashing noise triggered a roar to rip from my throat as I let my own self-loathing take root.

I’d done what I had to do to protect myself. Yet, the last image of her laying in her own blood haunted me—fuckingguttedme.

I had to believe the lie. Had to believe in my own survival. With our brief interaction, she’d already become a dangerous distraction I couldn’t afford to keep. A connection I was remiss to grow any further.

She was a stranger, a nobody, a nameless person who would never amount to anything more…and how could it?

I fucking killed her.

SPENCER

I was strung up between my two sisters, an arm stretched over each of their shoulders as they dragged me to the entrance of Variant Sanctorum.

We couldn’t venture through the catacombs in my state, so we had to risk exposure arriving through the front doors instead. Luck was on our side, the place deserted, clearing a free path up the centre aisle.

A squeak alerted us to Ava, who stepped out from behind the altar, grey eyes widening in panic at our dishevelled state.

“Micah, are you okay?” she exclaimed.

“Hush, Ava, I’m alright. Come and help us with the door,” Micah replied.

“You know, Meek and I are okay, too. Thanks for asking,” I piped louder. Ava flushed pink, and Micah side-eyed me with a murderous glare.

We managed to manoeuvre down the hidden stairs into the temple, and as soon as we entered, the atmosphere spiked with wired tension.

Psycho jolted from his stool, tremors wracking his frame as he took in Micah. “Golden girl?”

Micah huffed, depositing me onto the fighting mats—rather roughly, I might add. “Ouch, bitch,” I said. Emerson collapsed beside me, eyes already lapsing shut. Fran trotted over, whining and pressing his snout into my neck.At least someone cares.

Psycho fawned over Micah, hands roaming all over, searching for injuries he wouldn’t find. She whispered placating words in reply, trying to calm him down before he went on a rampage.

I raised a hand and waved my fingers at them. “Ah, hello? We do exist.”

Emerson groaned and punched me in the arm. “Answers. Now.” I rubbed the spot and furrowed a brow. Her strength was severely diminished, identified by the lack of force behind her hit. She’d used a lot more energy than I realised.

Tanner came out of his room at the commotion, stopping short as his eyes bounced between us.

Do we really look that bad?

I groaned with exaggeration as I lifted up into a sitting position, pain lancing through my entire nervous system at the small movement.

For the first time, I soaked in the scene before me.Fuck.

All three of us were completely blood-drenched. I’d lost a bit of colour, but not as much as Emerson, pallor so white, her skin almost appeared translucent. It was no wonder everyone was looking at us like we were all about to die.

Tanner raced to the fridge and grabbed some random concoction. He sat behind Emerson, dragging her upward untilher head laid upon his thigh while he force fed the liquid down her throat, ignoring Fran, who growled low in his direction.

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