Page 99 of Soulless Deeds

They wereeverywhere,lining each tier, each column of the coliseum—a clear show of their dominance and power—which was further proven by the majority that surged the battleground below, surrounding the Ludus soldiers who were severely outnumbered.

A peculiar quiet filled the air, tension intensifying with the promise of inevitable violence and slaughter. The unmistakable atmosphere only kin to that of pre-battle.

I dropped a calm Fran to the ground, allowing my little warrior to guard my back. My sisters still didn’t realise that the chihuahua thrived in disorder…just like us. A match made with destiny, a true King, through and through.

Then, another high-pitched whistle sounded from the main viewing podium, accompanied by a scream. “KHAOS REIGNS!”The call vibrated with such force, it snapped the fragile friction that was barely held in place.

The robed fuckers converged on the populace, and Maximus manically laughed as bombs detonated all over the Caverns.

The stone walls shook, and debris fell from the high ceilings. Smoke and screams barraged my senses as the crowd stampeded in panic to the bottle neck exits. It didn’t take a genius to realise an all-out civil war was about to ensue, with no discrimination on the casualties—rich pompous citizens included.

I wasn’t fazed. We could easily utilise the distraction to our advantage. Until I heard Echo whisper a name—oneincriminatingname that shook my foundations as severe as my surroundings.

Camilla.

My gaze tracked Echo’s face, which was held in blatant contempt, his frame deathly still. I could feel him overtaken, his entire being geared towards one exacting fixation—the petite, green-haired woman basking in the havoc she had just wrought.

He didn’t say a word, but he may as well have been screaming. He was going to destroy her… Would doanythingto destroy her.

Apprehension pulled on my limbs as warfare sparked in all corners, threatening to pull us into the fold. Soon, we wouldn’t be able to escape it.

Carving out a space for us, I clutched his arm with bruising force, wanting to steal him back. “Stay with me, Echo. We will ruin her. Together.”

He shuddered, but didn’t reply. His resolve was so close to shattering, he didn’t spare me a glance. Vengeance was an emotion I was all too familiar with. I knew that once he pursuedthat ugly goblin bitch, he would give in to his most basic instincts—which would also place him in danger.

Camilla was obviously in cohorts with Khaos. Hell, I hated to admit it, but the bitch had some serious pull if she could command that many soldiers. Meaning she had to be considered and respected as a legitimate threat.

I couldn’t lose Echo to his rage, or I would risk losing him altogether. As one who always befell my emotions, I could see how hypocritical my reasoning was, but Echo wasn’t someone I was willing to compromise.

Ignoring the vicious battle below and the terrified spectators pushing in on us, I slid a hand up the side of his cheek. “Watch me.” My thumb skirted over his bottom lip. “Feelme.” He didn’t react, didn’t move. I didn’t even think he was breathing.

My brow furrowed out of frustration.Fuck her.She couldn’t have him. With that, I decided to use the one thing that would surely pull him out of this stupor. “You promised, Echo. You promised you would stay by my side. That you were stitched to my very flesh…”

Echo bit my thumb, hard enough to taste blood. Then, after a shaky inhale, I heard his plea. “Ghost,” he said, all gravelly and hoarse and mine.

I was so close, and still, in the end, it wasn’t enough.

A growl erupted from his chest, his attention fixated in the distance. My head spun to Camilla, and her beady orbs were on us—on him. With a taunting sneer and heady gleam in her eye, that’s how she stole him back from me.

“Forgive me—” Echo barely finished talking before he ripped from my hold and dove into the throng in pursuit of his ex and old love.

I’m going to rip out her fucking heart and crush it in my fist. Right after I do the same to his?—

Pulled out of my reverie entirely too late, I was aggressively shoved from behind, unable to find purchase as I careened over the rail, towards the battleground.

My rib cage ached as my lungs laboured in and out while sand and jagged rocks dug into my spine. Whoever pushed me was going to fuckingdiea horrible and painful death—if Fran didn’t get there first. My poor baby would have to find me throughout that entire shitshow, but I had no doubt he would pull through.

My senses were overwhelmed, the sounds of skirmish significantly louder, not that I could see shit. White plumes of smoke invaded from above, covering the place with an extra layer of despondency. I’d have to tread carefully if I didn’t want to be speared by a wayward weapon.

However, luck wasn’t on my side. I was on my feet before a heavy boot could make contact with my middle, and a distorted male chuckle shortly followed.

“What have we here, boys?”

Another sniggered. “Looks like we’re going hunting.”

I couldn’t make out much except for the swish of thick material and the subtle outlines of rams’ skulls. I cautiously backed up and lowered into a crouch, assessing the scene and biding my time for an all-out assault. I was without a weapon—a disadvantage I would fix soon enough.

There were four figures in the little posse, each male looming closer with outrageous taunts. I was ready to turn those snide tones into pathetic cries of pain, something I was confidently efficient in producing. I’d make them all regret wearing those disgusting skulls as badges of honour.

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