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Ramira didn’t let go of Emiliana, instead just looking up at her and squinting. “Quit leaving me alone! I don’t know any of these stupid people!” She tossed a glance at Alicia. “No offense.”

Alicia just shrugged.

“I thought you liked being alone,” said Emiliana.

“Yeah, well, I don’t!”

“Then why are you always wandering off and eavesdropping on people?”

“Because that’s what spies do! It’s my job! That doesn’t mean I want you to disappear for nine hours!”

“Hey, I wasn’t gone that long.”

“Whatever!”

Alicia interjected. “You’ve been eavesdropping on people?”

Ramira looked at her blankly. “...No.”

“Right,” said Emiliana. “Did you learn anything juicy during this eavesdropping that you didn’t do?”

The little girl frowned. “Not really. With all these people around, you’d think there would be more going on, but no. It seems like everyone gets along really well. It kind of creeps me out... No offense.”

Alicia just shrugged again.

“I think it’s because everyone knows that there are invisible reapers all over the place who could be watching their every move and listening to all of their suspicious conversations,” said Ramira. “I think I might have to start going through their mail next.”

“That would be a federal crime,” Emiliana told her.

Ramira’s face scrunched up. “Federal? What does that mean?”

“It means both the Rainlords AND the Sandlords would be upset with you. And you’d go to prison for a really long time.”

Ramira squinted. “Nuh-uh. They wouldn’t put me in prison. I’m only nine.”

“Hey, I don’t make the rules.”

“You’re lying! You shouldn’t lie to me! I’m young and impressionable!”

Chergoa burst into a laugh. ‘She makes a good point. Don’t confuse your sister like that. Could cause her problems later. And when she finds out the truth, she’ll probably make you regret it. If I were her, you’d be waking up with glue in your hair the next day.’

The reaper made a compelling argument. “Okay, you wouldn’t go to prison. But you would get in a lot of trouble, so don’t open other people’s mail. Understood?”

“Fiiine...”