diff --git a/h/storage.py b/h/storage.py
index db1ca4ccbb3..d3b49b9f982 100644
--- a/h/storage.py
+++ b/h/storage.py
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
 from pyramid import i18n
 
 from h import models, schemas
-from h.db import types
 from h.models.document import update_document_metadata
 from h.security import Permission
+from h.services.annotation_read import AnnotationReadService
 from h.traversal.group import GroupContext
 from h.util.group_scope import url_in_scope
 from h.util.uri import normalize as normalize_uri
@@ -30,25 +30,6 @@
 _ = i18n.TranslationStringFactory(__package__)
 
 
-def fetch_annotation(session, id_):
-    """
-    Fetch the annotation with the given id.
-
-    :param session: the database session
-    :type session: sqlalchemy.orm.session.Session
-
-    :param id_: the annotation ID
-    :type id_: str
-
-    :returns: the annotation, if found, or None.
-    :rtype: h.models.Annotation, NoneType
-    """
-    try:
-        return session.query(models.Annotation).get(id_)
-    except types.InvalidUUID:
-        return None
-
-
 def fetch_ordered_annotations(session, ids, query_processor=None):
     """
     Fetch all annotations with the given ids and order them based on the list of ids.
@@ -96,11 +77,13 @@ def create_annotation(request, data):
     """
     document_data = data.pop("document", {})
 
+    annotation_read: AnnotationReadService = request.find_service(AnnotationReadService)
+
     # Replies must have the same group as their parent.
     if data["references"]:
         root_annotation_id = data["references"][0]
 
-        if root_annotation := fetch_annotation(request.db, root_annotation_id):
+        if root_annotation := annotation_read.get_annotation_by_id(root_annotation_id):
             data["groupid"] = root_annotation.groupid
         else:
             raise schemas.ValidationError(
diff --git a/tests/h/storage_test.py b/tests/h/storage_test.py
index 115b2e2b478..f1dacb3e9ea 100644
--- a/tests/h/storage_test.py
+++ b/tests/h/storage_test.py
@@ -16,17 +16,6 @@
 pytestmark = pytest.mark.usefixtures("search_index")
 
 
-class TestFetchAnnotation:
-    def test_it_fetches_and_returns_the_annotation(self, db_session, factories):
-        annotation = factories.Annotation()
-
-        actual = storage.fetch_annotation(db_session, annotation.id)
-        assert annotation == actual
-
-    def test_it_does_not_crash_if_id_is_invalid(self, db_session):
-        assert storage.fetch_annotation(db_session, "foo") is None
-
-
 class TestFetchOrderedAnnotations:
     def test_it_returns_annotations_for_ids_in_the_same_order(
         self, db_session, factories
@@ -130,6 +119,7 @@ def test_expand_uri_document_uris(self, db_session, normalized, expected_uris):
         assert uris == expected_uris
 
 
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("annotation_read_service")
 class TestCreateAnnotation:
     def test_it(self, pyramid_request, annotation_data, datetime):
         annotation = storage.create_annotation(pyramid_request, annotation_data)
@@ -181,10 +171,16 @@ def test_it_queues_the_search_index(
         )
 
     def test_it_sets_the_group_to_match_the_parent_for_replies(
-        self, pyramid_request, annotation_data, factories, other_group
+        self,
+        pyramid_request,
+        annotation_data,
+        factories,
+        other_group,
+        annotation_read_service,
     ):
         parent_annotation = factories.Annotation(group=other_group)
         annotation_data["references"] = [parent_annotation.id]
+        annotation_read_service.get_annotation_by_id.return_value = parent_annotation
 
         annotation = storage.create_annotation(pyramid_request, annotation_data)
 
@@ -192,8 +188,10 @@ def test_it_sets_the_group_to_match_the_parent_for_replies(
         assert annotation.group == parent_annotation.group
 
     def test_it_raises_if_parent_annotation_does_not_exist(
-        self, pyramid_request, annotation_data
+        self, pyramid_request, annotation_data, annotation_read_service
     ):
+        annotation_read_service.get_annotation_by_id.return_value = None
+
         annotation_data["references"] = ["MISSING_ID"]
 
         with pytest.raises(ValidationError):