Novels by Annabelle Anieke

The laughter stopped.Silence returned to the chapel.Matteo didn't move.Neither did I.Then the voice came again."Hello, Matteo."His face had gone completely pale.My mother stepped backward."He's awake."Matteo slowly lowered his weapon."Uncle?"A deep laugh echoed beneath the altar."Did you really think I was dead?"Matteo's jaw tightened."You've been hiding for eighteen years.""Not hiding."A pause."Waiting."Elena looked at my mother."You knew he was here?"My mother shook her head."I knew he survived."The stranger stepped closer to the altar."Then we need to leave."Matteo didn't look at him."Not without answers."The voice beneath the chapel laughed again."You've always been impatient."Matteo's eyes hardened."Show yourself."The ground beneath us suddenly trembled.I grabbed the edge of the altar.The hidden staircase began glowing with a faint golden light.My pendant grew warm.My mother immediately looked at me."Don't touch anything.""I wasn't going to."T

The laughter stopped.Silence returned to the chapel.I couldn't breathe.My mother's voice had come from behind the altar."Mom?"Matteo immediately raised his weapon."Stay behind me."I barely heard him.I took a step forward."Mom?"A shadow moved behind the altar.Then a woman slowly stepped into the faint moonlight.My heart stopped.She looked older than I remembered.Her hair was messy, streaked with silver, and there was exhaustion written across her face.But her eyes...I knew those eyes."Mom."My voice broke.I ran toward her.She caught me in her arms.For the first time in years, I felt like I was finally where I was supposed to be.My mother held me tightly."I'm sorry."Tears filled my eyes."Why did you leave me?""I didn't."She pulled back and held my face between her hands."I never left you.""Then where were you?""I was trying to find you."I looked at Elena."She said you were taken."My mother's expression changed."Elena told you?""She told me you were take

The phone kept ringing.Once.Twice.Three times.Nobody moved.Elena stared at me."Don't answer it."I looked at her."Why?""Because whoever is calling knows exactly where we are."The phone rang again.I swallowed."What if it's my mother?"Elena's expression changed.For a moment, she looked uncertain.Then she nodded."Answer it."I slowly picked up the phone."Hello?"Silence.My heart pounded."Who's this?"A faint sound came through the speaker.Breathing.Then a woman's voice."My daughter."I stopped breathing.The world seemed to disappear around me."Mom?"Elena covered her mouth.The stranger immediately stepped closer."Put it on speaker."I did."Mom, where are you?"The voice trembled."Don't ask me that.""Why?""Because they are listening."I looked around the dark chapel grounds."Who?"A pause.Then she whispered,"Everyone."My hands shook."Are you safe?""For now.""Where are you?""I can't tell you."I closed my eyes."Please."Her voice softened."I've waited

The pendant grew brighter.Golden light spilled across the ground.Elena immediately covered it with her hand."Don't let him see it.""It's already too late."Matteo's voice came from across the courtyard.I froze.He had heard us.His eyes remained fixed on the chapel."Come out."Elena shook her head."Stay behind me."I stared at Matteo.Something about him felt different.His expression was cold.His posture rigid.But his eyes...His eyes kept searching the darkness around us.Almost as if he was trying to find me."Matteo," I whispered.His head turned slightly.For one impossible second, our eyes met.And I saw it.Fear.A warning.Then it disappeared."Run," he mouthed.I blinked."What?"Elena grabbed my hand."Now."We ran around the back of the chapel.A gunshot cracked through the night.The bullet struck the stone wall beside us.I screamed."Keep moving!"Elena pulled me toward the trees.Behind us, footsteps followed.Fast.Too fast."Elena!""I know!"We pushed throug

Elena didn't answer immediately.She simply stared at me.Her face had lost all color."Who called you?"I tightened my grip around the phone."A woman."Elena swallowed."What did she say?"I hesitated.Then I repeated the words."Don't trust Elena."Her expression changed."And then?"I looked directly into her eyes."She said you betrayed my mother."Elena closed her eyes.For a moment, she looked exhausted.Not angry.Not surprised.Just... tired."She's alive."My heart stopped."What?""Your mother."Elena opened her eyes."She's alive."I stared at her."You knew?""Yes.""And you lied to me?""I was trying to protect you.""Everyone keeps saying that!"My voice echoed through the narrow passage."Everyone says they're protecting me, but nobody actually tells me anything!"Elena looked away."You deserve the truth.""Then tell me."She took a slow breath."Your mother wasn't betrayed by me."I frowned."Then why would someone say you betrayed her?""Because I did something wors

The room went completely still.Nobody spoke.The voice came again from the other side of the door."We need to talk about your mother."My fingers tightened around the Black Ledger.Matteo looked at Elena."You know him."Elena's expression hardened."Unfortunately."Another blow struck the door.The hinges groaned."We don't have much time," Elena whispered.Matteo stepped toward her."Then start talking."Elena looked at me."Your mother wasn't who you were told she was."My heart pounded."What does that mean?""She was born into the same bloodline that created the Black Rose."I stared at her."The symbol?"Elena nodded."The serpent and the black rose aren't just a family crest."She placed her hand on the ledger."They represent an organization that has existed for generations."Matteo's eyes narrowed."The Black Rose."Elena looked at him."You've heard of it?""My father mentioned it once.""And what did he tell you?""That it was destroyed."Elena gave a bitter smile."That