WantNovelChapter 219: Grace: Crash and Restart
After checking my phone, where a new mission has not appeared despite Caeriel saying it did, | glance up...
And he’s gone.
What the hell.
My eyebrows twitch with irritation, but mostly I'm just grateful the creepy reaper vanished. One second he’s all
looming condescension, the next—poof. Supernatural beings must get off on tic exits.
My phone buzzes in my hand, the screen lighting up with a notification. Well, would you look at that. The mission
he promised has finally materialized.
But the contents are... strange.
[ASSIGNED MISSION: 20-L.fnd-dglD.0039]
So helpful.
I didn’t think I'd miss Caeriel, but now | do. Maybe he’d explain what the fuck this means. It looks like ssort
of error in the code instead of a proper mission.
Staring at it isn’t going to helpdecode it any faster, though, so | shove my phone in my pocket, resolving to
wait for ten minutes to see if ssort of update gets pushed through the app.
| scan the laundromat absently, going still when | see Sadie once again sniffing in the corner and the cat sleeping
on the swasher it was before.
What the hell, what the hell, what the hell. Caeriel said they were gone giving reports, but now they're back in
the exact spositions they were the last tI looked at them?
Creep Meter has maxed, Grace Harper.exe needs to restart, this is getting too fucking weird.
(Fine. It was funnier in my head.)
Neither seems particularly disturbed by the fact Caeriel was just here.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtLet’s rip the mask off these fake pets and start over.
I march across the worn linoleum floor toward Sadie, arms crossed over my chest. The golden retriever continues
her intense investigation of whatever fascinating smell she’s found.
"I know you can understand me," | announce, keeping my voice flat so it doesn’t betray my annoyance. "What
the hell are you?"
The golden retriever’s head whips around at the sound of my voice. She abandons her sniffing expedition
immediately, her entire demeanor transforming into quintessential dog joy. Her tail wags so hard her butt swings
with it. Big brown eyes lock onto mine with what appears to be pure, innocent adoration.
Convincing as hell, but we all know better now, don’t we?
| narrow my eyes, not buying the act for a second. "I know you aren't a dog. Spill."
Sadie’s response is to crank the excited puppy routine to eleven. Her entire body wiggles with enthusiastic tail-
wagging before launching at me, her front paws landing on my shoulders as she tries to lick my face with sloppy
devotion.
"Ugh!" I shove her off, wiping dog slobber from my cheek. "Gross." Even worse knowing she isn’t really a dog.
Sadie lands on all fours, looking supremely pleased with herself. Her tail continues its metronome-like sweep. If
dogs could smile, she'd be grinning from ear to floppy ear.
Whatever she is, she’s holding onto her secrets hard.
But she doesn’t seem out to hurt me.
"Fine. Play dumb." | wipe my hands on my jeans. "But I'm onto you."
The dog tilts her head, one ear flopping over in what has to be a calculated move of cuteness. I'm not falling for
i)
| check my phone again, examining the new mission notification, but it's as glitched out as it was a few minutes
ago.
Okay then. Another five minutes before I'll try wracking my brain to figure it out.
Meanwhile...
Sadie might not be willing to spill her secrets, but there's always the cat.
Eyes on my new prey, | stalk across the laundromat to grab it by its scruff. It’s too heavy to dangle in the air, so |
just lift its front half off the washer to ask harshly, "Whatever you are, take your true form and explain it to me."
The cat yawns, showing needle-like white teeth, then blinks big blue eyes atlike I'm stupid.
Sadie barks from behind me, and | can feel her butt-wagging joy even without looking.
"Con. | already know you disappeared to send in a report. What are you? Who are you reporting to?"
Shaking the cat a little and trying not to feel like an animal abuser does little to bring forward movement to my
interrogation.
The cat just half-dangles there in my grip, purring as it continues to stare atwith innocent blue eyes.
Hah.
"I'm warning you, if either of you bring trouble toor the kids..."
"Miss Grace Harper, there you are!"
The door jingles to accompany an old man’s voice, and Andrew piles into the laundromat behind him, saying,
"Grace, it looks like the king sent one of his lackeys to watch over you."
The old Lycan turns to frown at Andrew, who squares his shoulders and stares back. They both block the door
rudely, though it isn’t like anyone’s queued outside to barge in behind them.
I look at the old man suspiciously; he’s one of the Lycans who cto the camper with Caine, too. He didn’t
seem as friendly as Raymond—no. Rodney? Fuck. He'd just correctedon his ntwice, and I've already
forgotten it.
Whatever. The point is, this new guy isn’t nearly as open-minded as Super Nanny, and | stiffen a little as he looks
here."
If you could emoticon in real life, I'd definitely have question marks above my head. Alas, you can’t.
So | just stare at him blankly instead.
Sorry, is that my problem...? But | don’t quite have the bravery levels required to say it out loud. The man’s
intimidating, with his weathered, scarred face. And, while | have about ninety-seven percent faith Andrew will try
to protectif he comes afterlike the crazy one from earlier, | have about ten percent faith he'd win.
With all the math mathed out, I'm pretty sure my best bet is to not get on this guy’s nerves. So | give a slightly
confused smile instead.
I made the decision to becCaeriel’s bootlicker to survive; may as well do the swith the weird Lycans
Caine chooses to keep me... questionably safe.
"l already found her," Andrew points out.
He snorts. "I have eyes, kid."
Mm, yes, this is going swimmingly. Both men are here to keepsafe and yet they're at odds. We should be
united against the common enemy, but first | have to work on not also being the enemy.
So | say, "Thank you, sir. | appreciate it. I'm sorry, had | known, | would have waited."
Which is a lie, because there’s no way | would have entrusted myself into the car of sweirdo who stared at
And I'm still holding the cat by its scruff, which just makes everything really awkward. So | set it down, watching
as it immediately stretches and resumes its previous position as if | hadn't just been interrogating it.
Just you wait.
Once we're alone, the interrogation begins anew.
2
¢
oe
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
