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<“You sure?”> said Hector. <“Want, like, your own room in my castle or something? Or, like, a souvenir from Sair?”>

“You’re in Sair right now?”

<“Oh, uh, yeah.”>

Gina had to stop and rethink what else she’d just heard. “Wait, did you just ask me to live with you?”

<“Uh... that’s not... I mean, when you put it like that, it sounds creepy.”>

She smirked. “How was it supposed to sound?”

<“I meant, y’know, as... a special guest... type... thing. VIP status or... whatever. And Roman could stay, too, of course. Or any of your family or... I didn’t mean... I, um. Just... Nevermind.”>

Gina laughed. Her nose started to run again, and she had to dab it with a tissue. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m all good here.”

<“Alright, well, I definitely gotta go now,”> said Hector. <“Talk to you later. If you think of a way I can return any of these favors, then just, uh, let me know.”>

“Hector, they weren’t really favors. We’re on the same team here. I’ve just been doing as Master Roman says, more or less.”

<“Yeah, that, uh... that sounds like bullshit. I owe you big time. Oh! Ah! Yeah, alright!”> A brief rustling noise intervened on Hector’s end. <“Talk to you later.”> And he hung up.

Gina pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it.


Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Four: ‘O, unknown messenger...’
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Five times now, Hector had asked Garovel to explain this to him, but the reaper was intent on being mysterious with him again. They couldn’t call, email, meet up with, or even know the whereabouts of Roman Fullister; but apparently, that didn’t matter, because... of something, Garovel assured him. Something that Hahl Duxan had at its disposal.

That was as much as Hector had been able to get out of Garovel. He tried Jada Najir’s reaper, Atalim, but Garovel intervened then, too, asking Atalim to help him “preserve the surprise.”

Atalim agreed, naturally.

All these reapers were far too pleased with themselves, Hector felt.