Page 24 of Anorthic Anarchy

Cutting through the lax air, a distant sound of a wailing siren makes us both snap our eyes to the window. Her pert lips fall open as she gasps. “They’re here.”

As she draws her handgun, I move to the cabinet near my back and pull out some rifles. Sev throws open the door, standing at the ready, and I toss him two, then grab two for myself.

“Move, girls!” Dilan yells from my bedroom.

A flurry of women run past, handing out guns and loading them expertly, each rushing to their designated spot. Everyone hurries to their positions and takes up at the windows. Doors slam, vibrating the portraits on the walls.

Sev grits out behind me, “We’ve set the explosives, sir. They won’t get through the perimeter without getting hit.”

“Yeah, but what if they break that barrier?”

My only concern is air attack. The crumbling turrets are equipped with some old missiles, but we haven’t had a chance to try them out.

Hurrying to my bedroom, I spot my little wife with her blue eyes wide. With her arms splayed out, she turns this way and that, not knowing what to do. And despite probably wanting to murder me, she appears relieved when she sees me. Gripping her upper arm, I shuffle her forcefully out the door at my side.

“What’s going on?” She stumbles, but I grab her waist and help her up before she falls. Thrusting the long barrel of a gun into one of her hands, I point straight ahead.

“March. They’re coming for you.”

Her steps pause in the upper hall before we can reach the tower door. “Well, I want to go withthem, whoever they are. I bet they won’t rape me.”

Spinning her by her shoulders to face me, I pinch her chin and lift her face to mine. She gasps at the sudden closeness of our bodies, and remembering the feel of her tight cunt, my cock stirs. “They definitely will. And much worse things than that. I may be a monster, but I have a vested interest in your survival. Until you carry and birth my baby, you’re a target for them.”

Her lip is getting loose, carelessly forgetting her rules. Given the situation, I’ll have to handle her punishment later. Although, my rapid pulse has little to do with the danger we find ourselves in and more so her daring to forget how to address me properly.

She narrows her eyes at me. As if weighing the words for verity, she takes a step back and shakes off my hold. But she moves in the direction I point to.

“Back in the tower?” she asks once we reach it.

Nodding, I open the door for her, then lock it behind us. “Up we go.”

In our hurry, her feet trip on a stone, so I pick her up and toss her over my shoulder, carrying her the rest of the way up the stairs. Her voice echoes across the rock walls with each bounce of my steps. “You don’t have to do this!”

“Pipe down and don’t drop the gun.” If my hand were free, I’d spank her for disobedience.

Once we reach the top, I set her down and hustle through to the bedroom. She follows as I lock us inside, then stuff the heavy iron key ring in my pocket. “Look around outside and see if you spot where they’re approaching.”

As I head to the back, a clicking sound makes me turn around slowly. The little girl points the rifle at my chest. “Listen, angel. Once I’m gone, you’ll have no protection. I don’t think you understand that. Even if you disappear into the city, they will find you. And if you’re very lucky, the worst they will do is rape you repeatedly until you produce a male heir of their liking. Then, they’ll toss you into the trade to make their money. More likely, they’ll tie you up and drain your blood into vials so they can drink you for their rituals over the course of years. They’ll eat your adrenal glands while you remain awake and alive, screaming in agony to sing the songs for their gods.”

Her little arms shake violently as I walk forward. She doesn’t even know where to hold the weapon, but does have a finger on the trigger, so that’s a start. Lifting the barrel for her, I plant it over my heart. Gently, I ease her fingers off the end and place them appropriately, pressing the butt into her shoulder. “Like this. Memorize this hold. Cheek here… Now, squeeze with firm, steady pressure if you’re going to kill me.”

The intensity of her eyes is almost comical. Like a tiny doll trying to be a real woman. But she stops herself. Her lips quiver as she asks, “Wh-who arethey?”

“Theyare Clavius and Herodius. Your people were allies with them for centuries. Granted, my people were called in to eradicate yours for disobedience, but none of that matters. Because we’re doing something different now.”

Shaking her head, her shiny blonde locks fall away from her face. “What? Who iswe?”

“You and me.We. Mr. and Mrs. Vincente Strauss.”

An explosion makes both of our heads whip to the front of the tower, then hurry to the windows, which rattle from the gust of dust blowing against it. Pointing to her desk, I snap my fingers. “Grab that chair. Stand on it.”

“But the windows don’t open!” she cries.

“They will if we bust them out. Hopefully, we don’t need to.”

Sharp pecking sounds of a machine gun spray in tiny bursts as Sev and my guards form a unit and clear out the forest’s edge. One of the men bends to inspect the destruction near where a bomb detonated, but only one body is noted below. The man appears to be conscious, splayed on the ground and moving slightly, but in one piece.

The girl holds the gun at her side awkwardly, as if it’s too heavy for her. My eyes rake up her figure to her baby cheeks and pursed pink lips as she studies the scene below. Watching her scan the outside with something like fear, I settle inside. She appears willing to learn to fight. I just need to tap into her resources.

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