Chapter Fifteen
Elliot
Reapers were invading my house. They reminded me of the orange ladybugs that bit. Those bugs would gather in a window upstairs each spring. I’d inevitably get rid of them, but they always came back.
So far, none of the reapers had bitten me, but they all seemed like they would, even the one with long, sun-bleached hair and tanned skin, wearing jeans and a T-shirt that had seen better days.
That guy pulled his hair into a bun with a rubber band he wore around his wrist, then tucked into his stack of cakes.
When I’d woken up and peeked out my bedroom window, I’d seen all the cars in my driveway and counted heads.
They’d been there a while, so I had mercy on them.
I’d feed them and send them on their way.
I had a long day ahead of me in my workshop and didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone except for Gary, should he want to help with sanding.
The woman, Morgana, as one of the other reapers called her, wore a suit.
It looked as if she had slept in it, since it was wrinkled.
Her dark hair hung past her shoulders. I got the impression she wasn’t used to it being free.
She carried a laptop bag. Her entire existence was probably confined to the compartments.
She zeroed in on me as soon as she came through the door, cornering me against the kitchen counters and completely bypassing the food.
She held what I assumed was a cup of coffee.
That she appeared to run on caffeine and a no-nonsense approach to life was completely on brand with her workaholic aesthetic.
“I’ll need my own room, preferably with a desk.
I also hope you have good internet, but if not, I’ll have it installed, so there may be service people here in the next couple of days.
” She met my gaze as if expecting me to answer a question.
Not that she’d asked one. I was still stuck on her treating my hospitality as if my house were her hotel.
“You know you’re in my home, right?” Maybe she got the wrong impression and thought I’d flipped an open sign when I decided to be nice and feed them breakfast.
“I’m aware.” She scanned the room as if searching for something, and when she didn’t find it, she sighed and turned back to me. “I’m Morgana, head of the reaper division of the Soul Management Bureau. I’ll be in charge.”
I sipped my coffee. If there was ever a time to use my caffeine addiction as a crutch, it was when dealing with her. “Again, and I don’t mean to beat a dead horse here, but you realize you’re in my house. Right? Which I own. This isn’t a hotel, and the only person in charge of me is me.”
She sighed and searched the room again. When Grymley entered, she looked relieved to see him.
Grymley walked straight to me. He smiled when our gazes met. All his attention made me blush for reasons I wasn’t ready to explore, especially with Morgana still breathing down my neck, ready to take charge.
Grymley’s presence should have reminded me of the upheaval he’d caused, but Morgana took over as the reigning queen of all things about to change in my life.
Since Grymley’s new role seemed to calm the storm, I tested whether he would be good at it.
“Explain to her how property ownership works in America, please. And she won’t get good internet out here, no matter how many service people she hires.
” I met her gaze. “The internet is as bad as the cell service. The nearest hotel is ten miles west of here.”
“Would it be okay if we talked somewhere private?” Grymley asked, taking my hand.
“I don’t want to talk about Gary.” I wasn’t ready yet.
I let Grym lead me through the room.
Before we left, he turned to Morgana. “Just pick somewhere to set up. We’ll figure out the rest.”
She nodded. “What about Cael?”
Grymley’s entire body sagged as if the question were a weight on his shoulders that he struggled to bear.
Everyone in the room fell quiet. A pin could drop and sound like a boom. They all focused on Grymley.
Grymley shook his head. “He said he had somewhere else to go.”
Someone cursed.
Morgana sighed and mumbled something about prickly demi-gods. She left the room. “Let’s hope he goes to his father. We can’t be alone in this fight.”
Everyone seemed confused, but no one had a chance to question her because she’d already left the room.
“What fight is she referring to?” I asked Grymley.
“Come with me.” So I followed him, even though I probably should have resisted.