Page 26 of Anathema
I knew my first task with her was too easy; my hatred for Monika was blatant. I never liked her to begin with, and after hearing that whiny fucking voice calling me a ‘stupid cunt’ I was more than happy to put a bullet in her head. The crazy bitch deserved it.
Eli believed her to be already dead, so what did it matter if it was my finger that pulled the trigger? A year too late, but it’s all the same.
I sighed as I sat at the counter, quietly staring at the words inked into the card. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t turn back now. Pulling that trigger was the equivalent of signing my name on the dotted line. I had accepted their invitation for recruitment and now had to see it through to completion.
After I had killed Monika, two cloaked figures took care of her lifeless body, dragging it out of the room as Adrian pulled me aside to answer any additional questions I had left—if I had any left.
There was only one, really:
“What is it that you want with me?” I demanded, aggressively shoving the gun into his hands and crossing my arms over my chest. I had enough of this bullshit, and the adrenaline that rushed over me from pulling the trigger was overwhelming.
I was shaking but held my composure as I stood there in front of him. I wouldn’t give Adrian the satisfaction of knowing that I was high on murder, that I enjoyed what I had just done. There was blood on my hands, and all I could do was smile as the image of the bulletpiercing through Monika’s brows replayed in my mind again and again.
Adrian chuckled as he held the handgun out for one of the cloaked figures to take.
Were they men? Women? Both? No one spoke a word, and the cloaks were so large that they didn’t leave any clue as to who was under them.
“That is the only question I cannot answer until you are fully initiated into Anathema.” He adjusted his jacket and tucked his hands into his pockets with a shrug. Holy shit, he was so fucking pretentious.
“How can you expect me to work for you if I don’t even know my purpose?” I argued, throwing my arms out wide, frustration evident in my tone.
“Patience, Alexis. We all need to have a little patience. With that, bigger, more significant moves can be made.” He smirked, the shadows on his face darkening his eyes.
Adrian was being cryptic, and it pissed me off. He loved his games; I was well aware of that when it came to his past relationship with Madison. I just hoped he was ready to finally meet his match and lose.
I scoffed at his words and rolled my eyes so hard it hurt.
There was too much to think about at the end of the day, my mind running over all the newly learned information and unanswered questions—questions he refused to answer.
Adrian kept me in that dark, decrepit space until yesterday. I spent two whole nights in that underground hideout,getting an in-depth history lesson on Anathema and how they came to be. I’m sure he was leaving out essential details in his favor, but it was more than I knew before I arrived.
Without the light from the surface, it was hard to know what time of day it was. I still don’t understand why he required me to remain down there for forty-eight hours; it seemed a little overkill. My phone died shortly after I arrived, the battery being drained from using my flashlight for so long. Of course, there were no phone chargers in their hideout; who would have thought?
Ultimately, I left knowing that I would have three tasks in total to complete, and if performed successfully, I would be fully initiated into Anathema. Monika was my first task, and the next two would be a test of morals—one test for gray, the other for black. As to which order they would be assigned, I wouldn’t know until moments before action.Surprise, surprise.
I had to give him credit where it was due; Adrian had been busy building this group from the ground up over the years. No wonder he was so good at manipulating Madison. Would she have joined him if he asked her? Did she know what he was doing all this time?
The more questions Adrian answered, the more questions I had for Madison. But could I even approach her with them? How would she feel knowing that I was working for her ex-boyfriend, that he was still in Minneapolis?
As far as she was concerned, he had left the city shortly after their explosive break-up.
Madison was vicious in the aftermath, taking her anger out on any poor sap that came near her. Pretty sure she coined the term ‘hate fucking’ in that first year without him.
The woman was a savage in the sheets. I had to run out of her townhouse a few times when she had male guests over. Headphones alone couldn’t mask the sounds that came from her room at all hours of the day and night. I have to admit there were times when I was envious of her newfound sex life.
Snapping back from my memories, I had completely forgotten why I came into the kitchen in the first place—to eat… The vase of roses distracted me from my need for food.
I stood up from the barstool and made for the pantry, pulling out a cereal box and pouring its contents into a bowl. I leaned over the counter, eating my half-assed breakfast before showering and getting ready for the day.
I couldn’t stop my mind from wondering what Derek was up to…
Shit.
Chapter 12
Derek
DeanandIreturnedto the office, exhausted from the long morning spent exploring the headrace tunnels. I sat behind my desk, and he leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, staring down at the street, deep in thought.
