Page 66 of Anathema Codex

Curiosity starts to shoot through me, but it feels different this time. Almost like when your foot falls asleep and no matter how many times you slap it, you can’t wake it up.

Lakyn scratches the back of his head before he finally begins to talk. I wish I could hear what they’re saying, but since he took the keys I can’t open the damn back window to listen in.

It's just mutters.

Angry.

Quiet.

Amused.

Secret.

Lakyn nods in the direction of the windshield at one point and I watch as Aftyn crosses his arms tightly over his chest before he runs a hand irritably over his face, then nods.

In agreement? Defeat?

I don’t fucking know because I can’t hear.

A few more moments pass as they both stand outside in abject silence, Lakyn with his back toward the truck as he leans on the hood, and Aftyn glancing up and down the road.

When they both finally toss their cigarettes, I sit back like the obedient little girl I can be—and wait.

But once they’re back inside the truck, in their respective seats, I arch an eyebrow curiously as they both turn and glance at me for a moment.

Lakyn with that damn half-grin on his face.

Aftyn with malice and danger in his eyes.

Something is up, but if they think I’m just going to sit around and take whatever the fuck it is, I’ll show them what I’m really made of.

“Ready?” Lakyn asks as he turns around and fishes the keys out of his pocket.

“Ready as I’ll ever be!” I reply cheerfully.

He sucks his teeth as he turns the truck back on and then pulls onto the road.

I’ll show him that I deserve to be a part of his family, and if there’s only room for one, I’ll prove that he needs me more than he’ll ever need Aftyn. Then we can be happy together.

And if there’s only one spot in Lakyn’s family at all… then I’ll just have to get rid of that guy at his house when we get back too.

Because I know there’s no one else on this fucking planet that will ever accept me like Lakyn Meyer would, and I’ll do whatever it takes to earn that from him. To not lose this chance where I’ll never have to hide again. I’ll never have to hitchhike again.

Where I’ll finally have an actual home.

NINE

Origins of Evil

LAKYN

It's been twenty years since I passed the city limits of Albuquerque and the memories bring a grin to my lips. Fucking Trixie and her Satanic church. All the chaos we caused when she was still on her mission to be Lucifer's number one bitch.

Those were good times.

As I monitor the exits, trying to remember which one led to the birthplace of Beatrix's crazy, I suddenly remember Trixie riding Basil on the floor of her fucking house with my cock in her mouth. I groan under my breath, reaching down to adjust my dick behind my zipper. Fuck, that psycho princess could suck a golf ball through a garden hose… but she'd never spread those damn legs for me. Maybe this time she'll let me bend her over for old times' sake.

Angling toward the old neighborhood, I'm surprised by how easily I find her house again. There's a bunch of fucking plants outside now, and weird little garden gnomes, and I toss the truck into park and hop out without saying a word to either of the kids in the car. This isn't an official stop, but sometimes I've just got to satisfy my curiosity. I rap my knuckles on the door, running a hand back through my hair as I turn on my charming smile.

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