Ever didn’t think he’d ever do this, but here he was sending out a broadcast into the supernatural ether.

  *Chaos, are you there?*

  He slowed his sweeping slightly, his back towards the ice cream displays. Logan was humming to himself as he put the tubs of ice cream away.

  Ever closed his eyes, as if by doing so it would amplify the echoes of his message. If he listened very carefully, he could make out the slightest humming. Other than that, he heard nothing. Not only that, he couldn’t feel Chaos. He had said that he did occupy various planes of existence. Perhaps he had gone elsewhere. That might have been as easy for him as leaving one room to stand in another.

  “That older guy didn’t show up.”

  Clack!

  The broom clattered to the floor, snapping Ever out of his reverie. Despite spending the day working with Logan, he still wasn’t used to the new voice in the ice cream store.

  “Chaos, you mean?” Ever said, picking up the broom. He unconsciously cradled the handle as if he were holding the scythe.

  “Yeah, Tayzer told me that was his name - wild. He looked a bit unhinged when I saw him that day I came by.” Ever was going to ask what ‘unhinged’ meant but Logan continued. “I don’t have a record of your phone number.”

  “I don’t have a phone.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Logan raised an eyebrow; Ever suddenly could see the striking resemblance. “You don’t have a phone?”

  “Yeah,” Ever said, rubbing the back of his neck. His questions felt like bullets blowing away parts of his human shell. “Taylor just told us what days we would come in. That worked for us.”

  “Until you get someone like Chaos who decides that he doesn’t want to show up. I don’t have a record of his number on file either. I’m guessing he also doesn’t have a phone?”

  “I guess not.”

  Logan grunted in dissatisfaction. “Could you get a phone this week then? It might just be the two of us for a while.” For a while. Logan knew something about Taylor. Ever did everything he could to hold back the question desperate to be given a voice.

  “Yep, sure thing.”

  “Oh another thing.” Logan disappeared into the backroom, coming back out holding something that wasn’t his. “Why is there a bag of cash in a tote bag stashed in the-”

  “That’s mine!” Ever barked.

  Calm down, young soul. Death’s voice, often chirpy and sometimes annoying, was soothing and familiar, exactly what Ever needed to hear right now.

  “That’s mine,” Ever repeated in a more level tone. “That’s where I keep my pay.”

  Again, the raised eyebrow. “Are you homeless?”

  Another question, another bullet. Ever swept the pile of dust into the pan.

  *Mentor, what do I say?*

  “Haha, I kid.” Logan chuckled. “Tayzer told me that she paid you cash in hand. But you gotta take this bag away. I can’t have it lying around, waiting to be stolen.” He extended his arm, tote swinging slightly off his hand. Ever could see there was quite a bit of weight to it.

  “Thanks,” Ever said, taking it back.

  “Hey, good work today," Logan said, crossing his arms. "I can see why the kid hired you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”