Encore (Book Four of Test the Limits Series)

The Return

"Hello? Dark? Anyone?" Anti yelled out in the darkness that surrounded him.

He only heard his own voice echo back in reply.

"You think you can escape from me?"

Anti jumped in surprise when he heard Infelix's voice from behind him. He whirled around to see Infelix watching him with an amused grin.

"I didn't need to escape, you literally shoved Dark and I out of the plane in Germany." Anti pointed out.

Infelix tilted his head back and laughed, the sound sending chills racing up and down Anti's spine as it reverberated around them.

"If only you knew what I'm planning." Infelix shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Anti narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"You think since I dumped you and Dark in Germany that I'm done with you two? Not even close. You'll regret ever wanting to leave when I see you again." Infelix growled.

"Anti, are you okay?"

Anti faintly heard Dark's voice echo around him as Infelix disappeared.

"Anti?" Dark's voice softly rumbled in Anti's ear, waking him up from his dream.

"What?" Anti mumbled groggily, cracking his eyes open slightly to see Dark laying next to him in bed with his arm wrapped protectively around him.

Curled up at his feet was their adopted shelter dog Mayhem, a black lab that was sleeping soundly with his tail wagging every now and then, thumping against Anti's feet.

Raindrops battered the roof, dripping down the window and splashing onto the grass as lightning cracked in the sky.

"You were shaking in your sleep and saying Infelix's name. Were you having another nightmare?" Dark asked gently, his dark chocolate brown eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah." Anti admitted with a sigh, rubbing his face with his hands.

"We haven't heard anything from him for a year now, he's not going to bother us ever again. I won't let him." Dark promised.

"I know, but..." Anti trailed off, thinking of his dream.

What if Infelix is planning something?, Anti wondered silently.

"What time is it?" Anti changed the subject.

"It's-"

Dark paused as he checked the time on his phone resting on the bedside table next to them. He winced as the bright white light shone in his face while his eyes briefly scanned the screen.

"Almost three in the morning." Dark finished, clicking his phone off before placing it back in the bedside table.

"You want coffee?" Dark added with a small smile, ruffling Anti's already messed up hair.

"Yeah, thanks Darkidoo." Anti smiled back sleepily.

"No problem Antiboy." Dark smirked as he kissed Anti briefly on the lips before walking out of the room and disappearing from sight.

Anti activated his phone before opening YouTube to watch Mark and Jack's newest videos, stroking Mayhem's soft fur while listening to Dark humming from the kitchen in the background.

A few minutes later, Anti heard Dark's footsteps down the hall grow louder until he was standing in the doorway.

"What took you so long?" Anti teased, setting his phone down on the bed before stretching his arms high over his head with a soft pop.

"Well I figured a certain tired green bean would like chocolate chip pancakes with their coffee, but I mean if you don't..." Dark trailed off, starting to walk away.

That woke Anti up.

He scrambled out of bed, startling Mayhem awake as he nearly fell face first onto the carpeted floor before catching his balance and quickly walking towards the delicious smell wafting from the kitchen, Mayhem softly padding behind him.

"You didn't have to make breakfast ya know." Anti remarked as he wrapped his arms around the back of Dark's torso as he stood in front of the oven flipping pancakes.

"I know, I just thought you'd like a nice breakfast to brighten your day." Dark shrugged as he expertly flipped a pancake out of the pan and catching it with a plate pied with pancakes.

"You brighten my day enough." Anti kissed Dark on the cheek.

"You love me more than pancakes? Wow, I'm impressed." Dark joked as he set the plate of pancakes down on the kitchen table before turning off the oven, Anti's arms still wrapped around him.

"You're gonna need your arms if you wanna eat." Dark remarked.

"I guess I can let you have some personal space for a little bit." And replied sarcastically as he rolled his eyes before grabbing a plate and piling it with a stack of pancakes and drowning them in syrup, as well as whip cream.

As Anti dug in, Dark filled his plate with food, about to eat until his phone started ringing.

His face paled as he read the number, his eyes full of disbelief, anger, and confusion.

"I'll be back." Dark muttered, answering the call as he stepped out of the room and went outside despite the fact that it was raining, slamming the door shut behind him with enough force to shake the entire house.

Anti crept up to the closed door and pressed his ear to it, straining his ears to hear who Dark was talking to.

"What the hell do you want Infelix?" Dark whispered sharply, his voice muffled by the sound of distant thunder and the fact that there was a door between him and Anti.

"Now don't be so rude, remember who paid for the lovely little house you live in now and the little mutt, what's his name? Mayhem?" Infelix reminded Dark.

"Anyway, remember that case I told you about last year with Mark and Sean?" Infelix continued.

"There's no way in hell neither of us are helping you kill them!" Dark snarled fiercely.

"What if I told you that if neither of you help, I'll kill you both, burn your house to the ground, then kill Mark, Jack, and their girlfriends by myself?" Infelix giggled insanely.

"You're bluffing." Dark scoffed.

"You willing to take that bet?" Infelix countered smugly.

"You don't even know where we are." Dark pointed out.

"Alright, suit yourself." Infelix laughed before hanging up.

Anti held his breath as he waited for something, anything to happen.

The house was silent.

As Anti walked away from the door and sat back down at the kitchen table, he heard Dark open the door and all back inside, his black pj shirt and red and black plaid pj pants soaked and dripping water on the floor.

"Who was that?" Anti asked, pretending to be curious.

"Just a sales call." Dark assured him as he looked away, a tinge of guilt flashing in his eyes for a brief second.

"Okay." Anti plastered on a fake smile as he picked at his lukewarm food, his appetite vanished.

That was when a maletov crashed through the kitchen window.