Page 32 of Soulless Deeds

The torch was aggressively snatched from my grasp before being switched on by Tanner. He was the only one not sporting a pissed off expression, his miniscule smirk carving a dimple into his stubbled cheek. He tried to shake his head in disapproval, but I could see the amused gleam in his smoky brown eyes.

I clucked. “Three assassins and one undefeated gladiator, all scared of some tattered bones. Never thought I’d see the day.” They all turned and proceeded en route, ignoring my taunts. “Gosh. Can no one take a joke anymore?”

Quiet was all that followed. Rolling my eyes, I submitted to their sour moods, unwrapped some gum and whispered, “Bunch of pussies.”

The repetitive bubbles popped from my mouth, the lone sound resounding through the stagnant atmosphere as we weaved through the underground towards Nightingale Cemetery.

ECHO

Our bulletproof, tinted car crawled to a stop outside the Kelly mausoleum, the cloudless night shrouding the graveyard in moonlit wonder. As our driver reached to open the back door, I flipped the locks, turning full-bodied to Aster beside me in the back seat.

“I know today is important to you. But this is dangerous, Aster. The Ludus is still in hiding. Not to mention the dangers of this location in general.”

We were surrounded by elaborate tombstones and extravagant crypts, Nightingale Cemetery a pompous brag for those who had too much money to know what to do with. The place was drowning in priceless treasures for only the dead to admire.

Due to the display of riches thrown around the place, grave robbers were a huge issue centuries before. Now, families took it upon themselves to booby trap the homes of their resting loved ones. After multiple casualties, the haunting grounds remained silent.Except for today—the celebration of Eternal Nights.

Aster scanned my face, the intensity making my skin prickle. “Don’t ever presume to tell me what to do?—”

“I wouldn’t. Your safety is paramount, Aster. That is my one concern—myonlyconcern.”

I only ever called her by her name in private. She had become more to me than just my mistress.

Her eyes softened ever so slightly before flicking the locks open. “I’ll pay my respects with or without you, Echo. Do not get in my way again.”

I shadowed her every move entering the Kelly crypt, shifting the stone door closed behind me, trapping us inside.

Eternal Nights was an annual festival where the souls of the deceased were commemorated, their lives remembered and honoured through their surviving relatives.

Aster had never missed one since I’d known her.

The Kelly tomb was prepared ahead of time, cleaned and decked out in flowers and ethereal candlelight. Distant sounds of celebration could be heard from outside, the cheerful tones drifting through the thick stone walls.

Aster strolled down the main aisle until she came to the lone marble sarcophagus eternalised up front. The love poured into the workmanship was undeniable, the design complex, carvings elaborate.

It was the only time I ever saw my mistress vulnerable; when she looked over her sister’s resting place with utter devotion. Lyssa Kelly had passed before I had the chance to meet her, although from what little intel I could gather, she was a formidable individual to behold.

I sat next to Aster in the front pew, passively letting my presence be felt.

She loosened a long breath and spoke for the first time in hours. “You should be out celebrating. Not wasting your time with my dead family.”

“Youare my family, Aster. The only one I’ve got.”

Her red gaze met mine, the openness in their depths startling, before tilting her head in acknowledgement.

When she opened her mouth to reply, an abrupt gust of wind swept through the crypt, all candles winking out of existence.

Glowing smoke crept over Lyssa’s sarcophagus, swiftly enveloping the floor with thick white clouds. My eyes strained through the poor visibility, senses reactive to the now-electrifying air. Moonlight illuminated through the slits in the concrete tomb, barely enough to produce shadows.

In two seconds flat, I was on my feet, gun drawn with Aster guarded behind my back. Then, an unnatural keening broke the silence, my eardrums grating against the high-pitched wail.

Smoke began to clear, slowly unveiling a delicate female figure resting gracefully against Lyssa’s grave. A black gown draped over her body, long lace gloves enveloped her hands and an opaque veil fell low over her front, concealing its bearer entirely.

The bedevilled image was both evocative and frightening, resembling a creepy fucking ghost from the Victorian era.

“BOO!” shouted a high, intoxicating voice. I flinched, my finger automatically pulling on the trigger in retaliation, causing gunshots to fire in rapid sequence.

Aster pulled on my arm, the ringing of bullets subsiding from her order.

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