39. XXXIX
XXXIX
A challenge laid. A bent knee. A sharp whistle.
That’s all it took for the underground to break out into utter madness. Robed figures swarmed the arena from every direction, all masked with legit rams skulls, curved horns stretching high above their heads. I was impressed by their disguise, the distorted bones causing fear to ripple through the masses while also keeping their identities hidden.
Pussy bitches.
They were everywhere, 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—one incriminating name 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 do anything to 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 pursued that 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. “ Feel me.” 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 fucking die a 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.
Sneaking up behind the one on the end, I swept a kick to the side of his head, the skull digging into his temple with well-placed precision. Upon impact, he dropped to the floor face-first.
Without giving him time to adjust to the new position, I gathered his robe between my palms, jumped on his spine and pulled. The strings around his neck constricted his airway as I utilised all my strength and weight to strain against the thick material. His hands failed to find purchase against the rough ground, his bulky body floundering like a dying fish as he tried and failed to knock me off balance.
It didn’t take long for his muscles to lax beneath me, and when he inevitably gave up the fight, I yanked one last harrowing tug before releasing my hold. A resounding crack sounded as his head hit the floor, alerting his peers to the end of his life.
The commotion caused a fissure to ripple through the remaining three, and like a pack of panicked, untrained hyenas, they pounced. It wasn’t hard to dodge their half-assed attack, their expertise entirely exaggerated and sloppy. Their arrogance would be the death of them, and I was all too happy to deliver.
When the next came into view, I sprang upward, tackling him to the ground as my knees dug into his chest. Before he could utter a word or grab onto me, I snapped a curved horn off his rams mask and buried the tip into the fucker’s throat. A fountain of blood burst from the intrusion, colouring the area with crimson red.
My inner monster was awakened, salivating from my kills, delighting in the slaughter of anyone who claimed themselves proud members of the elusive and all powerful Khaos.
A sinister giggle escaped as my victim’s life force continued to drench my body from top to bottom.
I’ll show them the true meaning of chaos.
Then, I heard a charging howl from behind, with all the courage of a baby deer. But I was a motherfucking lion, and I was ready to rip them all apart.
Without hesitation, I barrelled towards the attacker with my newfound weapon firmly in hand. Lost in my bloodlust, I failed to notice the knife he hid beneath his villain cape. He managed to cut my arm with the sharpened blade, the gash free-flowing down to stain my fingers.
Pain ebbed and flowed, causing my system to light up with utter rage. I’d made an amateur move, my cockiness giving the clown an opportunity to wound me.
Never. Again.
A dodge here, a step there—and I had my opening. Lunging forward, I smashed the tip of the sharp horn into the bottom of his gut, his aggressive howl rapidly shifting into one of agony, my ears singing from the wondrous melody.
His legs gave out beneath him, and I gripped onto his robe so hard, he couldn’t withdraw. Using the momentum of his fall, I dug my weapon in that much deeper. It tore through flesh and muscle, causing his abdomen to gape with fresh disembowelment.
I licked my lips at the carcass before me, and the smoke cleared just enough for the last remaining member to catch a glimpse. His gasp pulled my attention as he staggered away from the monstrous scene. He fell to the floor in terror, shuffling away, his outrageous cloak not letting him get far. He was a frightened fawn, stuck in a nightmare he couldn’t escape, and I was the huntress, ready to string him up and skin him alive.
I prowled towards him with all the confidence of a blood-stained killer. He submitted, gathering to his knees, and bowed before me.
I dropped into a crouch and lifted his chin. His pupils dilated, swallowing the dark blue of his terror-filled eyes. I growled into his face as I ripped the ugly ram’s skull from his head.
“Please… Please, ” he muttered, begging for his life. If only that would save him.
My head cocked, gazing upon the simpering, middle-aged nobody who thought he could play with the big boys. I’d make it quick.
I abruptly stood and shoved his head backward at an odd angle as my fingers wound tightly in his hair. My mind reeled back to Psycho’s lessons, wanting to get it right this time. I refused to fail again.
My test subject attempted to protest by pushing against my hold. He even managed another plea before I shoved my free hand into his begging mouth.
A tilt of the head here and twist of the mouth there. Then, with as much strength as I could muster, I ignored my injury and felt it tear further as I ripped his lower jaw clean from his face.
His scream faltered in the wake of my gleeful cheers when he flopped to the ground as his heart gave out. Psycho would be so proud of me.
Covered in absolute muck and body matter, I sighed. There was no way I am saving this dress—ever.
I ditched the four corpses, wading through smoke and wayward bodies, trying to find an exit when I heard it.
“ SPENCER!!”
BANG!