Reckless Souls (Saints Academy, #1)(40)

The noise burns my ears, but not as much as the screech does as she sees me and shouts my name

at the top of her lungs. “Rhea! Oh my Gods, Rhea! What the fuck happened to you?”

She instantly approaches, blood dripping from my face as I move. “I’m fine, I’ll be okay,” I

mumble, my voice croaky as I edge toward my door, which quickly opens under my touch before I

step inside, Harmonia hot on my heels.

I can see in her eyes that she wants to help, but has no idea where to touch in case she hurts me,

but I’d rather be left alone anyway. I’m used to handling situations by myself, so her hovering over me

does nothing to help the anger burning inside.

Flopping down on my bed, I wince at the pain as a deep voice comes from my bathroom door.

“What’s with all the fucking wailing?” Adonis grunts. I don’t need to see him look to know he’s

caught a glimpse at the state of me, the tone of his next words does it. “Who the fuck did this to you?”

Deep, deadly, and gravelly, it almost doesn’t sound like the same person.

“I don’t know, dickhead,” Harmonia bites. “Hence all the fucking wailing,” she retorts, and I wish

I had the ability to laugh at her response, but right this second, everything hurts too much. “She needs

to sleep, Adonis, so leave her alone.”

I scoff, my body jolting with the pain. I wish I could sleep right now, but I know there’s no chance

in hell I’ll be able to let my guard down for that.

“That’s not going to happen any time soon, but I’ll be fine,” I mumble, my eyes falling closed, but

my brain is still running at a mile a minute.

“Girl, you need to sleep, and we need to get you cleaned up,” Harmonia says, softer this time.

“Don’t let anyone fucking touch me, Harm,” I manage to whimper, hissing in pain. I pry my eyes

open, my vision blurred, and I manage to see Adonis pass her something, before she moves toward

the side of my bed, crouching down next to me. “What—”

Before I can finish my sentence, she lifts her hand to my face, palm up with some kind of powder

glistening on her skin, and blows it in my face.

Plummeting into darkness, I see nothing, feel nothing, am nothing.

Just like they wanted from me all along.





Chapter 12

Rhea

M y mind drifts away from the dream I was consumed in, filled with dark shadows and men

hunting me in white, black, and red masks. I wet my cracked lips, stretching my arms out as I

rouse from sleep, frowning at where the dream may have stemmed from. A sense of

uncertainty washes over me because of the unknown.

The moment my body is pulled tight, muscles aching, especially my stomach area, I blink my eyes

open, at the memory of the last thing I remember playing out in my mind. My head is pounding

something fierce, my pulse setting the rhythm as pain shoots throughout my skull. Sunlight beams in

through my window as I blink up at the ceiling, letting the scene take control of my thoughts.

I stepped through the portal, and the touch of someone's hand on my shoulder had me transported

to Nero hall. I can visualize the ugly red carpets and blue walls like they’re right here in front of me

causing a chill to seep deep into my veins.

The touch of a staff as it connected with my neck, holding me captive in my own body, makes the

ice cold sensation I’m feeling turn into a violent shudder as it runs down my spine.

When I managed to move, the ass kicking over, stumbling my way back to Agion, I remember

Harmonia pounding on my door, before she saw my beaten face and weakened body. We’d barely

slipped into my room before Adonis appeared from the adjoining bathroom.

His shouting hadn’t helped the situation, but I remember him handing something to Harmonia,

which she blew in my face, making my world go dark.

I try to control the panic while I try to clear my mind of what happened and focus on the now.

Fumbling for my phone, I thankfully find it on the nightstand, and when I turn the screen on I see

it’s almost six a.m. the following morning. How the fuck did I sleep for a solid fifteen hours?

I place my phone back down with a sigh, brushing my hair back off my face, when I cringe at the

touch against my sensitive skin.

Oh, Gods, how bad does it look?

There’s no time like the present to find out, so I swing my legs over the side of the bed and take a

second to catch my breath. Moving too quickly, I make myself a little lightheaded, my vision spotting

momentarily, but once I have my breathing under control, I confidently plant my feet on the ground and

stand up. I bypass the floor-length mirror on the inside of my walk-in closet, opting for the better

lighting in the bathroom.

My door is slightly ajar, and when I peek around the wood, I sag in relief when I see there’s no

naked, masturbating Adonis in sight. His door is slightly open too, but I tiptoe across the tiled floor

and quietly close it before I turn my attention to the mirror.

Someone, I'm assuming Harmonia, cleaned up what would have been dried blood and all of the