Page 31 of Soulless Deeds

“The opening of my show, not even a week ago. I haven’t seen her since,” he rasped, swirling silver eyes narrowing in my direction, almost accusing.

“And Oakview?THE TRUTH!”My Variant unintentionally burst out of me. “The amount of shit I had to do to clean that fucking mess up, Remi… Youoweme.What happened to him?”

“It was her—the one you questioned me about. She was protecting me… She killed him.”

I lunged, but he managed to slip out of reach, skittering to the opposite side of the room.

“You’re going to tell me what you know. Right fucking now,”I said, teetering on the very precipice of using my ability to turn his brain to complete mush in that pretty skull of his.

He blinked, expression falling. “She goes by Spencer. I don’t know her real name or anything else of substance, I swear. We mainly talked about random shit, and I taught her a few special tricks of my own.”

Spencer. My ghost has a name.

“Were you together?” I asked, fingers trembling to reattach themselves to his throat until he stopped breathing.

“Not the way you think. She was my friend—onlya friend… But what was she toyou,Echo?” His tone was sharp, the strike as harsh and severe as any whip.

I staggered back at his scathing words, spine colliding with his shelf of treasures, multiple pieces scattering to the ground—including all his candy. I haphazardly collected the mess and stormed for the exit, the bowl and all latched tightly in my hand.

I’d scoured the entire damn city for those sweets and had come up empty time and again. To know she gifted some toRemi…My insides churned with bitter jealousy.

She belonged to me. That smell belonged to me.This taste belonged to fucking me.

Before I could slam the door, I flicked a glance over my shoulder, stare penetrating Remi and his dumbstruck face.

“Spit that gum out of your mouth, and if I ever see you chewing that shit again, I’ll rip your motherfucking tongue out.”

XIII

Spencer

Ientered the common area of the Temple with an excited air, which came to a halt as five sets of eyes unblinkingly geared my way, scanning my extravagant get-up.

Psycho’s jaw dropped open, but before he could say anything, Micah clamped a palm over his mouth. Then, Tanner sighed as if slotting into the unwanted role of my disappointed father.

“It’s a mourning dress,” I said in explanation. “Eternal Nights is about celebrating the dead. It doesn’t mean you have to look like them.” My brows raised as I blatantly scanned their dull black attire, which held no flare or semblance of life whatsoever.

Franny boy waddled up behind me, nipping at the black tutu wrapped around his middle. Micah pursed her lips, and Emerson chuckled as they all veered for the door.

After depositing Fran in Ava’s arms, I ran after them with the single source of light, the torch causing grotesque shadows to dance off the endless catacomb walls.

“Hold on, Meek, I need help with my veil.”

Emerson released a dramatic huff. “Maybe we should rethink the plan.”

I sped up and nudged into her side, pushing her off balance. “You know my plans are epic. This is going to work.”

“Of course this is going to work,” Micah said from the front, Psycho walking beside her. “But we’re wanting to get Aster on side, not give her a heart attack and add another casualty to the Kelly mausoleum.”

I flipped the flashlight beneath my chin, the illumination shining upward over my face. “She’s not the one you have to worry about,” I said, my tone menacing and eerie.

At that exact moment, Psycho flicked a glance over his shoulder, his eyes zoning in on my distorted, deranged grin. He jolted with shock, inadvertently misplacing his step, and tripped over something at his feet.

I shone the light on the offending object, a decayed skeleton staring up at him.“Fucking Saints,”he spluttered, staggering back into Tanner.

I cackled, the sound transitioning into a sinister death rattle, before switching my flashlight off, causing darkness to swallow us whole.

Micah squealed, and Psycho cussed. Emerson didn’t say a word, but her fingers tightened on my wrist almost to the point of snapping.

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