Gods of Anthem by Logan Keys Read Free Book Online

phenomena of his quiet order. A single utterance filled with such power, and like a shoe of cataclysmic proportions dropped, the world pauses. We stop moving like a strange game of red light, green light.
    I take in large breaths as the monster recedes in reaction, my sanity returning with each gulp. Removing my foot, I watch in fascination as the tiny knee knits together, making itself whole again, like air pumped into a balloon.
    Joelle stares into my eyes, wonderment etched on her perfect visage. I glare back, half myself and half … something else.
    I draw in another shaky breath while she pulls her arm back into place. The grind of bone and tendon sickens me as it settles.
    Joelle moves to stand alongside me, and we both turn toward our visitor: Simon.
    He waits in a spot of moonlight, murky eyes of coal so black, they’re almost invisible in the dark. He’s been gone too long this time, and there are whispers about him losing more of his humanity with each travel.
    This particular return speaks of change. I’m not sure what, but whenever Simon comes back to base, plans are made. And here he is.
    “Joelle.” Her name echoes beyond reason, the voices layering and projecting louder as they go, growing.
    It’s like Joelle’s laughter had sounded before, though with much more strength.
    Joelle straightens into an innocent again; all at once, her thirteen-year-old body is demure and bendy, obedient.
    Simon has her strings, it occurs to me. I need to get me some of those.
    Then, he says, “Tom,” with equal force, and my lips peel back in reaction to the ripple of power. Can’t help it , I say with my eyes. The deranged thing inside is stretching, ready to make a run for it. I look at Joelle, then back to Simon in explanation, even as I waver between being me and not me.
    “Tom,” he repeats, more firmly, and the beast backs down.
    With a nod of approval, he turns to leave.
    And we follow. As always.

Eighteen
    “Promise me, you little vamp.” I point a finger in Joelle’s face and fight the urge to withdraw from her sharp teeth when she opens her mouth to answer.
    “Don’t use the V-word!” she cries. Her voice has returned to its usual teenage defiance.
    I lean back with a sigh, and Joelle pushes out her bottom lip at me.
    “Well, you deserve it,” I say. “I mean it. No more. Swear it.”
    I can’t have her forcing my transformation. It’s too risky, and next time I could really hurt her, or other people.
    Joelle looks away and hunches over.
    She only does that when she’s hiding something.
    Then, it dawns on me. “Did Simon ask you do this?”
    She avoids my eyes.
    “Tell me.”
    Joelle spins around and blurts out the confession. “We want to help Tommy, Joelle. That’s what he said! Help you control it! I’m so sorry, please don’t be mad. Please!”
    The thought of them putting her at risk almost undoes me.
    We both are the old Specials, the reckless ones, and the few taken on missions to test things out away from the regular enlisted.
    Silence falls as the vehicle lumbers onward to the new place that will be our home until … whenever. The base is large, newly erected.
    The driver opens the window. “Welcome to Armistead, folks.”
    Joelle and I share a look.
    “Both of you have been assigned to the new unit.”
    We move to the back portion of the truck to watch the gates close behind us.
    The barracks are the largest I’ve ever seen. This used to be a highway road with six lanes, and on either side, they’ve hastily constructed apartments for soldiers.
    The soldiers salute the truck behind ours, knowing Simon’s inside.
    Joelle looks at me and lowers her voice. “What if this place is worse?”
    “What can be worse than the labs?”
    She shrugs before whispering, “How come only you and I became monsters, Tommy?”
    “What?”
    “Some people became good. They have good things. Are we evil?”
    I don’t tell her that mine is because of my anger. I remember clearly being furious