his memories had been two different Harvesters. One felt amateur and sloppy, while the other whispered experience and precision. It left me wondering why two Harvesters would be so interested in this boy that they took the time to take multiple areas. I was almost certain that the better of the two was the cause of his odd little memory box collection as well.
With my heart racing and my own thoughts buzzing, I reran Dal's life, seeing each new clip in a different light. When I spotted a segment that felt off, I wanted to break away so I could celebrate, maybe scream 'gotcha!'
An implanted memory of him hanging out with his Grouping felt, smelled, and looked so real that I knew why I'd missed it the first time. The only reason I found it was that I'd stopped paying attention to the main scene. Instead, I studied the peripherals and the background, searching for too much or too little detail. The scent of the aninquillo fruit that sat on a table across the room was far too strong for how far away it was. And, the biggest issue, it wasn't the right smell at all. The aninquillo fruit had an intense scent that left one's eyes watering and nose running and promised you fire. The scent in his memory reminded me of sweets.
Eventually, I completed toiling through Dal's head and pulled all three of us out, disconnecting our links just before. My eyes met Port's, and his pinched expression sent satisfaction through me.
“Well, that was fascinating,” Laeru exclaimed.
Oh, you have no idea.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
A search through Rin's head confirmed what we'd previously discovered, and by the time we were done with the pair, only Port, Laeru, and myself remained in the borrowed office.
The not knowing what happened to Grace and the trio left me buzzing with the need to go. It made every word uttered by the two Masters even more grating than they would have been if my thoughts weren't distracted.
“Is it usually that immersive?” Laeru asked slowly.
I glanced at him sideways, taking in his unfocused gaze and odd little smile. Maybe I shouldn't pull older non-Harvesters in again. What if I broke him?
“It is for me. I'm not sure about everyone else. Now, I believe that should be enough for these two.” I waved a hand in front of Laeru's eyes, eliciting a wider, goofier-looking grin.
“Yes, I expect it is pretty clear, and we shouldn't have any trouble with sentencing,” Port claimed.
“Right. Well, if you would like to get that together, I'll add my signature to the report. In fact, why don't you do that now while I go check on the party I arrived with?” I asked Port as I eyed the door.
“Yes, you will have to include the events before we were called in,” Port continued.
Does he think I don't know how this works? I've been on the other side of this probably more times than he's written them.
“Of course,” I said as I laid a hand on the doorknob. “I'll be back in a moment. Maybe get Master Laeru to lie down somewhere for a bit.”
When I reached the lobby, it seemed a lot less full, but I had no way of knowing why that was. I certainly hadn't counted each individual that showed up, and Grace carried the ferrule. For all I knew, they were in the hall by the portal room, leaning against the wall as they waited for their turns. Asking any of the Reapers in the area would only expose my lack of control, and that just wasn't done.
I turned away with the intent to check the portal room when Kian came bounding through the door. The instant he spotted me, his grin grew, and he hurried towards me.
“Hey, are you finished with them?” he asked as the door opened to reveal Trace.
“Not quite. I still have some formalities.” After glancing around, I pulled him aside, away from the other Reapers.
Trace changed direction, moving laterally to join us by the wall.
“Finished yet?” Trace inquired when he got close enough.
I shook my head. “Almost.”
The door dinged again, and I sighed.
“Did all of you take a group? Where's Grace?” I leaned to the side, peering around Trace.
Axton exited just as Trace answered my question. “We've taken a lot of rounds. You've been gone for quite a while. And Grace? Well, Grace started off traveling with Axton, but she took the rest by herself. She's doing pretty decently… for an Angel, anyway. So, what