Page 91 of Soulless Deeds

Aster's expression turned dubious. “We can’t rush this. There’s much to prepare.”

Psycho paced, a fresh cigarette hanging from his mouth. “I don’t give a fuck. I haven’t heard from G in months. I’m going. With or without you all.”

Spencer rolled her eyes. “Enough of that macho bullshit, Mr 10%. Evenyoucan’t take the whole Ludus on your own,” she said, waving her fingers in the air. “Expert planner right here. You can be my backup.”

I cringed. “Over my dead body are you going into those Caverns.”

“Talk dirty to me, Echo. You know the thought of your death only turns me on,” Spencer said, sending me an air kiss. I couldn’t help the smile that I hastily squished down.

Psycho geared his attention towards Verus once more, who remained vigilant and attentive throughout the entire exchange. The Kings unperturbed, we were talking in front of him.

“Ah, so you got Titus, too?” Verus asked, voice drifting off in contemplation.

“Many months ago,” Emerson said.

Verus nodded, expression clear, resigning to the fact that the Kings had tortured and killed one of his associates.

“I’m the last one left.” Verus cleared his throat. “If you reclaim the Ludus and overthrow Maximus, there will be little dissension. I’m the one remaining loyalist.”

“You don’t seem loyal,” Psycho spat. “Letting Maximus run the Ludus into the fucking ground. For what?”

“Do not underestimate the power they have, boy. This is fucking child’s play compared to what Khaos can do. What they’re capable of.” His eyes bounced to each one of us in turn, measuring our stature for what’s to come. “Let’s hope you’re strong enough.” His crinkled eyes gleamed as if he was pleasantly surprised to find that we just might be.

Verus raised his cigar, perusing the smoking end. “I have no final words or death speech. Just an old man’s request—bring the Ludus back to its former glory, boy. You hear me?”

Psycho grit his teeth. “How do we get in, old man?”

Verus smirked. “Ask your sister.”

Then, with more speed than I could have thought, Verus threw his cigar butt to the ground, leapt to his feet and jolted over the balcony bannister, careening to his death.

It happened so fast, I didn’t even know how to process the sudden change of our reality. Everyone seemed to have the same mindless thought as we all stood frozen, staring at the vacant spot our prisoner had sat a moment before.

XXXVI

Spencer

Psycho immediately pulled out his phone and went to the kitchen. A beastly roar came twenty seconds later. “WHATTT!?”

He soon rejoined us, switching his phone to speaker, and we were immediately assaulted with high-pitched crying. Ava’s delicate voice seeped through the phone, hardly coherent through her snotty tears. “You have to save Gannicus, now! I can’t lose?—”

“—how do we get down there?” Psycho interrupted.

“PLEASE,” she crooned, with more crying.Spit it out already, for fuck’s sake.

Psycho paced. “Tell us what you know. FUCK! Everywhere I’ve searched is blocked off.”

“Meet me at the condemned theatre in Hangman’s Block,” Ava said. “There is a way.” Psycho came to an abrupt halt, finally processing all the information that Ava justhappenedto know.

“Ava?” he asked, the question laced with rising menace. “How do you know where to go? How thefuckdo you know how to get down into the Caverns? To get to Gannicus?”

“Please, August.I love him.” Just by her tone, I could tell what type of love she was referring to. None of the innocent friendship bullshit. We were talking about the real deal.

A huge grin spread over my face as I watched her big brother’s undoing.

Psycho paused, and I could feel the air practically vibrating around him. Then, he lost his absolute shit. Like an aggressive bull, Psycho proceeded to smash everything in sight.

The custom coffee table, Aster’s expensive antiques—everything—the violent carnage booming between his roared statements.

---