Page 63 of Anathema Codex

Pain at least reminds me I'm still alive.

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It's been almost fifty minutes since we separated when I finally hear voices and then someone smacking their hand against the back window. Muttering under my breath, I reach over to the keys and push the button to pop the rear open. I hear Lakyn laugh, and I glance back in time to see him leave Daphne to unload the bags while he walks to the driver door.

Lakyn swings it open with a manic grin, leaning on the roof as he looks around the inside of the SUV dramatically. "Something's missing, kid."

I lean against the window and cross my arms, offering a casual shrug. "If you'd come back to the car on time, you'd have your fucking blonde party favor, but she wouldn't wait."

"What part ofget a fucking party favorwas complicated to you?" he asks, head tilting to the side, and I roll my eyes.

"We're in public, and it's the middle of the goddamn afternoon. What was I supposed to do, knock her out? Dig the knife out of the cunt's backpack and threaten her to sit quietly in the car until you decided to show up?" I grab my pack of smokes off the dash and light up, rolling my window down to let the smoke drift out of my mouth slowly. When I glance back to Lakyn, I realize he hasn't moved, but the smile on his face looks a lot more feral as he sucks his teeth, running his tongue over them.

"Look, kid… If you're expecting me to hold your hand through this shit, you might as well give that up right now. You'll either step up or I'll bury my hatchet in your fucking skull and forget about you by morning." Lakyn stands up straight, looking back at Daphne before he stares at me again. "Me and Red got the party supplies,youwere supposed to get the party favor. I don't really give a shit how you were going to do it as long as you held up your end."

"Yeah, well, she's gone," I answer, grinning at him. "Next time, don’t be late."

The rear of the SUV slams shut, and Daphne pauses by my window before she opens the back. "We switching seats?"

"Shut up and get in." Lakyn doesn't even look at her as he climbs behind the wheel and shuts the door hard enough to rock the car.

"No party favor?" Daphne asks, and I take another drag off my cigarette instead of answering her.

Lakyn shakes his head, laughing quietly as he turns the car toward the exit. "No. Seems like the kid is more of a fuck-up than I thought. He lost the party favor, which means I'll have to show him how it's done."

"At least we have the rope and duct tape now, and all the other stuff." Her voice is so goddamnhappyabout the fucking 'party supplies' that Lakyn grabbed, and I don't bother pointing out that if I'd had that shit, I could have dealt with the blonde. Daphne leans forward, obviously trying to see Lakyn better. "Do you want me to get someone?"

"Fucking Christ. No more talking or I'll slit your throat too and just head back home." Lakyn doesn’t even glance at her as he taps the radio on and turns it up. More old music for the old man.

I don’t have a fucking clue how old he is, but however many years he’s survived on this planet, his fucking days are numbered.

SEVEN

Home is For the Hopeless

ICHABOD

Something useful that I learned from Lakyn is how to clean up after he makes messes. For a while, after I moved in with him, it was all I did.

Well, that and be his favorite thing to brutalize, but I worked my way up rather quickly. I think agreeing with him that he helped me get straight served his ego rather nicely.

After almost twenty years of being his stepping stool, he’s actually been a little nicer to me.

And if Aftyn doesn’t tell him what I’ve been up to behind his back, then it’ll probably stay that way.

Not that I trust him.

Or Lakyn.

Hell, I don’t even trust myself anymore most days because I never thought I would do something like this.

Manipulation has always been in Bea’s bag of tricks, but not mine.

A genuine smile—something I haven’t felt in years—appears on my lips. Just the thought of seeing Bea again after so long has me feeling so much better.

I know that Lakyn will bring her back since he promised to, and the thing about him is that he never breaks a pact once he seals it.

I wonder if she’ll look the same. I don’t think age will have done a goddamn thing to Bea, and if it tried, she probably gutted it and watched it gurgle.

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