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‘Really?’ said Rezamaar. ‘Nothing? I wish you would at least pretend to be upset at me for a change.’

‘Sorry. Though, you’ll have to let the aging thing go sooner or later. I know you wanted me to stay a teenager forever, but I--’

‘That’s not what this is about!’

‘Sure it isn’t.’

‘Dunstan, I am so tired of your lip.’

‘Are you, though?’

‘Yes, I am! Agh! Don’t test me! I will release your soul in a heartbeat!’

‘Well, if you’re gonna do it, then you’re gonna do it.’

‘What the fuck do I have to say for you to get angry?! It’s really creepy the way you never get mad, you know! I basically called you a fucking swamp monster, and you don’t even care!’

‘I can’t help it if you’re into little boys, Reza.’

‘I’m not into little boys!’

‘Aren’t you, though?’

‘I’m into young men!’

‘Are you, though?’

‘And it’s not a sexual thing! It’s purely platonic!’

‘Is it, though?’

‘Shut the fuck up!’

‘Alright.’

A long beat passed.

‘I just find them adorable,’ said Reza. ‘Like teddy bears and puppies. Reapers don’t even have sexual urges, you son of a bitch.’

‘No judgment here. You’re free to lust disgustingly over whomever you like.’

‘God, I hate you so much, Dunstan.’

‘Then I guess I am not long for this world.’

Reza just growled at him. For all her talk, Dunstan knew she wouldn’t really do it. But even if she did, he honestly wasn’t too concerned. He hardly considered himself alive, anyway. This was all just borrowed time, and it wasn’t like anyone would miss him.

‘You really need to make some friends,’ said Reza. ‘This is getting pathetic.’

‘If you say so.’

‘How about the Elroy boy? He seemed nice. Well, not nice, but loyal. Well, not loyal to us, but to his family.’

‘He is also a frozen head, at the moment.’

‘Yeah, but Dennex isn’t.’

‘Dennex?’

‘His reaper. He and I have been talking. Dennex is cool.’

‘Could you please not fraternize with the enemy when I’m not around?’

‘I told you I was bored.’

‘If the wrong person overheard the two of you talking, it could come back to bite us.’

‘Please. I’m more careful than that.’

‘Mm. Did Dennex tell you anything useful?’

‘Well, he didn’t admit to being an Abolish spy, if that’s what you’re getting at. But I have a sneaking suspicion that a spy might be reluctant to reveal that sort of thing.’