Page 23 of Anathema Codex

DAPHNE

"I like your eyes,” I say, smiling at Willa as she glares at me over the back of her seat. The flash of confusion on her face makes me want to laugh, or rip out those pretty blues with my bare fingers, but I swallow it down. Holding out the hand sanitizer, I tilt it back and forth. “Did you want this back?”

“Of course,” she sneers, ripping it from my fingers to throw it into her purse. “I just wanted to make sure at leastpartof you was clean since you’re in my car.”

“It’s a nice car.”

Willa twists around in the seat again, rolling her pretty blue eyes at me. “Yes, it is, but I’m sure you want us to drop you off somewhere soon. How does the middle of fucking nowhere in Ohio sound?”

“No, thanks. I’ll go as far West as you’ll take me,” I answer, holding onto the smile by digging my fingernails into my palm.

“How does Arizona sound?” Aftyn asks in a casual way, blowing another cloud of smoke out the window.

“That’s perfect.” I’ve never been that far west, but it does put me pretty close to California, and I could have so much fun out there. “Thanks again for the ride.”

“She isnotstaying in this car all the way to Arizona! Not fucking happening.” Willa turns to face Aftyn again, and I wonder how long they’ve been together.

“Why not?” Aftyn sounds almost bored, not rising to Willa’s sniping tone.

“We don’t know her! And you said you sent Dexter home because this trip was supposed to be just us.” She waves a hand at me in the backseat. “This isn’t just the two of us.”

“Daphne, what’s your favorite color?” Aftyn asks, looking at me in the rearview mirror, and I smile at him.

“Red?”

“Fantastic. See, Wills? Now we know something about Daphne.”

“I don’twantto know anything about the roadside prostitute you decided to pick up, Aftyn.” Turning around in her seat again, she glares at me. “That’s the only reason he picked you up. I won’t fuck him, so he grabbed you because you’re easy.”

“Being easy would make me a slut, wouldn’t it?” I ask, pretending to think over her pathetic attempt at an insult. “Prostitutes charge for everything, which sounds a lot more difficult. So, which are you going for, Willa? Am I a slut or a prostitute?”

“Oh shit!” Aftyn laughs loudly, banging a hand on the steering wheel before he takes a long drag on his cigarette. “Well, answer her, Wills. Slut or a whore?”

“Fuck off,” Willa says, facing front again, and Aftyn grins at me in the rearview.

“Ignore her. Wills just didn’t expect you to stand up to her.” Aftyn reaches over toward Willa and she jumps, cursing at him as she shoves his hand away, but he just starts laughing again. “Go back to sleep. You’re no fun when you’re tired and bitchy.”

“You’re an asshole, Aftyn,” Willa grumbles, huddling against the door again.

I’m not sure what’s going on with these two. Neither of them seem particularly happy with the other, so maybe it’s more habit than actual interest. Especially if she isn’t fucking him anymore. I just don’t know why she wouldn’t be. He’s hot, and he has a wicked tilt to his smile that tells me he could be a lot of fun.

Leaning against the window, I look at the small smear of dull red on the other side of the vehicle. It’s on the plastic edge of the door, and I’m pretty sure it’s blood.

I’ve spent the last couple of hours pretending to sleep while trying to figure out if these two are more dangerous than they appear. The previous occupant in the backseat, ‘Dexter,’ walked into the bathroom with Aftyn—but he didn’t come back to the car.

Maybe Dexter hasn’t been their only guest in the backseat though. The smear isn’t enough blood for a murder scene… but it’s definitely more than a papercut. Not proof of anything.

But it is interesting.

Dexter. Dexter. Dexter. Who were you?

Willa seems sincerely concerned about their old road trip partner, but Aftyn doesn’t give a shit. If anything, he’s shut down every conversation about the guy.

So many questions that I just can’t ask.

Not yet.

Shifting, I slowly unzip the side of my backpack and reach in to brush the edge of one of my knives. It’s a comfort thing, especially when I’m starting to get tired, but I won’t sleep yet.

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