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I was so busy brooding that I didn’t pay any attention when the door to Kaldi’s opened, and three ain, all conversation stopped, and I felt a collective emotion ripple off everyone in the shop: fear

"The Protectorate," I heard Helena whisper

The Protectorate? What was that? I’d never heard of them before, but apparently they knew me because the men walked in my direction, their eyes fixed onwho the men were and what they wanted Could they be Reapers coan, so I’d left Vic,the weapon, even though we’d only been getting coffee I should have known by now that nothing was sian

My eyes scanned the shop, looking for sos within ars and the napkin holder on my table I wrapped my hand around the napkin holder and put it in ht of the men

This wouldn’t be the first time Reapers had attacked me If theseBesides, one good screa out of the bathroom to help me

One of the h, with blond hair and pale blue eyes, but his mouth was fixed in a firm frown, as if he constantly found fault with everyone around hiazehim One of the men was tall and slender, while the other was short, with a body that looked fat but was really all hardwas that the ray robes over their winter clothes The robes reh thehideous, rubber Loki masks like Reapers did Instead, a symbol was stitched into their robes in white thread on their left collars close to their throats-a hand holding a balanced set of scales

I’d seen that sy of the prison in the botto on caate that Vivian Holler had used to free Loki My unease kicked up another notch Nothing good was ever associated with that ie, as far as I was concerned

"So you’re her," the first man said "Nike’s newest Champion Not quite what I expected"

His voice was soft, smooth, and cultured, but there was obvious power in his words, as if he was used to being obeyed noaround the flimsy napkin holder "What do you want?"

"And you don’t even have the good sense to knohen you’re in trouble," the h I hadn’t said a word

I snorted Oh, I kneas in trouble I was almost always in trouble these days The only question was how bad it would be this tiet out of it alive once again

The mental eyes, and I lifted my chin in defiance Whatever happened, whatever these oing to show him how confused and scared I was Reapers thrived on that sort of thing I didn’t think theseor trying to run away froood I could feel the hostility e from them in waves, especially from the leader

The man tilted his head to the side "I wonder what he sees in you" After a "

"Change what?" I asked "Who are you? What are you doing here? What do you ith er made the leader’s cheeks take on a faint, reddish tint, but the short, lare at hih I could see his chest shaking, as though he was trying to s the rest of his amusement The third et over with

Okay, this was getting weirder by the second I looked past the , when the leader stepped even closer to er

"Gwendolyn Cassandra Frost," he said in a loud, boo voice "You’re under arrest"

Chapter 2

My ainst the Pantheon," the man said in a cold, cryptic tone

"Cri about?"

He leaned down so that his face was level with irl Did you really think that you were just going to get aith it? That there wouldn’t be any consequences?"

My mouth dropped open a little more "But I didn’t free hi off h time here already"

The other two men stepped around him and headed toward me I leaped up out of ainst the fireplace, just to the left of where the flaainst h my clothes Norht now it told o-and no hope of escape

I looked past thefro that at least one of theoing on But the other kids seemed just as stunned as I felt, and even Kenzie and Talia, who my friends, remained frozen in their seats Whoever the men were, the students seemed to know all about them-and they didn’t dare interfere with the to do to me