him. “Oh, nothing. But I'm Harvesting him if he decides he needs to challenge me again. Here I was, expecting a nice, sweet sector, and that's the first Reaper we meet?”
I shoved Grace in front of me, pushing her through the doorway before quickly following behind. As soon as we had enough room, I grabbed her again, keeping her close.
I refused to leave her in this sector alone, so she would be building up a tolerance to the stream sooner than she probably wanted. Maybe I should force her to go back to Orusian.
Glancing down at her, a thought struck me, and I realized that some of my decisions lately weren't mine to make. I didn't regret ordering her to change forms. That one belonged to me because I really did need her to travel with us, and she would have to see Earth in order to determine how the Cherubs would proceed. But even the Corin meeting had been tiptoeing on the line between interference and business.
I guided us around a corner, into a hall that looked like my DNB, only shorter. Lights were on, but no one wandered about, leaving it to our little group.
“The door's that way,” Kian said, pointing to our original route.
“I know. I just need to get something straight with Grace before we start with the chaos of everything.” I leaned down, whispering into her ear. “Do you want to stay here or go with us when we travel to Earth? I don't like the look in Pax's eyes and his brazenness, but I'm leaving it up to you.”
She bit her lip and dropped her chin, fidgeting as decided on her answer. It finally came, and when she chose to go with us, a wave of relief washed through me.
“I saw it, too. I don't care to pass through the stream, but I'm more concerned about being here by myself.” She glanced behind her, so I gave her a quick squeeze.
The trio didn't ask what we'd been discussing while they'd reminisced, but we did hurry towards the lobby. When we entered it, I found it to be similar to the larger DNB as well. The entire building seemed to be a mini-version of one original.
Despite the smaller size, it held just as many bodies, though more were of other occupations than Grims. When we exited the doors, some of them turned at the sound, while others continued to chat amongst themselves. A few leaned against the wall or slept in the chairs.
Those jerked awake when Trace clapped his hands together. Soon, the eyes of those closest by found us, and the wave of bows began as they caught sight of my robes. I didn't like it.
“Stop. Stand back up.” I glanced around, trying to find a position where I could watch everyone at once, but all the bodies blocked my view.
Axton tapped my shoulder. When I turned to him, he was already pointing to the desk. “They can't see you unless you jump up there. It's the only thing high enough here. What? Let's just say that I have experience.”
I didn't press him for the story, but I tucked it away for another time. I didn't question his suggestion, either. This was their home, and they would know it far better than I ever would. Besides, it would provide me with a decent vantage point. So, I floated towards it, vaulting myself up when I drew near enough. The Reaper at the desk tried to put his hand on my cloak, and I whipped it out of his reach before glaring down at him. He backed up, so I focused on the newest members of my Office.
While I'd been busy, the chatter grew even louder than it had when I first entered. My palms rose and fell as I gestured for them to quiet. It did no good, anyway. No one paid any attention to me, not while they had gossip to spread and complaints to lodge.
An ear-splitting whistle cut through it all, and I glanced down to find Grace with two fingers in her mouth. The conversations screeched to a halt, and the sound of boots stomping replaced it. Now all the Reapers faced me, and I could feel their eyes scrutinizing me. Almost all of them bowed, some overly low while others weren't such ass kissers. I counted two that barely tipped their heads, and I took a moment to memorize their faces.
They stood together, shoulder to shoulder as one whispered to