Page 104 of Grim

“What? I don’t know. The language fit the mood. I know ten of them. Might as well use them. I’d hardly say that’s important right now, sir.”

“Important? No. Annoying? Yes,” Big D deadpans, his thin eyes cutting into me from across the desk.

“So, she,” I pause and look up, “crossed over? One hundred years after her portal closed?”

“Yes, Kane, she did. And now you’ve got a lot of fuckin’ splainin’ to do.”

“That’s the quote, sir.”

“Shut the fuck up, Kane.” His booming voice rattles me into immediate compliance. “Now, explain to me how a soul who missed her portal window by a cool century managed to cross over like she had the line-skip ticket at an amusement park!”

How can I answer that? I know what I saw, but it doesn’t make any sense. Either way, telling him it was Rue seems unwise.

“I made contact,” I lie easily. “Her soul connected. An opening appeared, and she moved on.”

“Right.” Big D sighs audibly as he falls back into his leather chair, the frame groaning in protest.

He reaches across his desk and grabs a human skull off the corner. The top of the skull is cut off and hollowed out, and inside … more Twizzlers.

“Nana,” Big D says softly as he looks at the skull, “I’ve been good to him, and he’s repaying me with lies.”

I close my eyes. I would rather him just punish me than make me witness him talking to his skull.

“Sir, I’m not—”

He holds the skull to face me, two pieces of the candy falling out in the process.

“Don’t lie to Nana,” he warns while gesturing to the skull.

“Sir—” I stop as he raises a brow in warning.

“Kane, I’ve been a fair boss. I’ve treated you well. I feel like when you’ve asked for things, I’ve done my best to deliver them. So, tell me”—he pops a Twizzler into his mouth and spins it around his tongue—“why do you hate me?”

“Sir, I can assure you, I do not hate you.”

“But you must. Because you brought this mess to me.” Before Big D can say anything else, a gust of shadow splits the room, and with it comes the arrival of Time and Fate, flanking him with amused looks on their faces. The ground shakes, and smoke coils into the office, causing D to lean back and groan.

“Wonderful,” he mutters. “Now I get to deal with the Sisters too.”

“Kane.” Time smiles cooly while plucking a Twizzler out of Nana and biting into it. She curls her lip before finding a wastebasket to spit it into. “That is atrocious. Why would you put that in your mouth?”

“I like them,” D mutters while taking the candy back. “Don’t touch Nana without asking.”

“Can we get back to the problem here?” Fate huffs. “I am very mad at you, boy.”

“Not as mad as I am,” Time hums while standing next to her sister.

Fate is thin with sharp features and a cold demeanor while Time is curvy with her golden complexion and warm aura. It’s a trap. Time still oozes sinister ruthlessness. They are both vicious. While Fate is all about instant gratification, Time loves to watch the slow tortureunfurl for the souls unfortunate enough to cross her. Like me currently.

“Oh, I don’t know about that, big sister,” Fate says in her silken voice. “This lowly soul shepherd has had his hands in my clay.”

“Well, he’s been messing with my perfectly crafted sheet music.”

The Sisters face off, yelling at each other over Big D’s head.

Fate continues, “He’s been chiselingmymarble.”

“And he’s been choreographingmydance.”