by ID Johnson
“This is a list of all of the incubi,” Windy explained, handing Ru another packet full of information. They were sitting at the dining room table at Cutter’s parents’ house, mid-afternoon sunlight streaming in through the nearby window. Each name in the packet had a description and a picture, and Ru only glanced down the length of the first page before she set it on top of the stack of other documents Windy had assembled for her. It was day three of her demon identification training, and Ru still didn’t get the point. Windy had volunteered to teach her, and Ru was enjoying getting to know her better, but as far as she was concerned, all of the demons were the same, and they all needed to be equally destroyed.
“If you’ll flip to page three, there are a couple of jumpers there I want to be sure I point out to you.” Windy smiled, waiting for Ru to comply, which she did, once she realized she’d been given a direction. It was hard for Ru to imagine Windy bossing people around the way that Sky did; the older woman’s disposition was much gentler than Sky’s seemed to be. But then, Cutter had said his mother never liked the job. Maybe that was why.
She was pointing at a particularly heinous character. According to the label, his name was Jarwu. Ru would just as soon avoid him, but then, a quick glance down the page told her she’d honestly want to stay away from all of them, especially when she tuned in to what Windy was saying.
“Jumpers will leap right into your body if you’re not careful, and it’s very difficult to shake them. So, you have to be careful and always take a defensive stance against them. Once they’re inside of you, they can use your body to attack your own troops, and your allies will hesitate to fight back because they don’t want to hurt you.”
“Great,” Ru muttered. “Does everyone know about this?”
“The rest of the Keepers know, yes,” Windy nodded. “It wasn’t anything to worry about last time because you didn’t have your body, but this time, it could be a problem.”
Ru raised both eyebrows. “So, what do we do if a jumper takes one of us over?”
“You’ll have to cast it out,” she shrugged, as if it were that simple.
“How do we do that?”
“There’s an incantation,” Windy said. “It’s, ‘In nomine Dei patris ego mittam te!’”
“Who are we banishing?” Cutter asked, coming in from the kitchen, an apple in his hand.
“That guy,” Ru said, pointing at Jarwu. “Or any of them.” There wasn’t a picture on the page that didn’t look like it’d come straight out of a horror movie.
“Oh, yeah, it’ll be good for you to know that. The last thing we need are jumpers.” He took a bite of his apple and casually strolled out of the room, as if his girlfriend and mother were not discussing the idea that an evil deity might take over her body.
Glancing down at the stacks of papers Windy had already gone through, Ru began to think this task might be a lot more daunting than even the last one, a battle they’d almost lost. She began to feel overwhelmed and started to question whether or not they should even try. She knew Sky was doing everything she could to get enough troops in place and that she was working with her own superiors to put a solid plan together, but with each packet of monsters, Ru felt the weight of her own task pressing down on her shoulders.
As Windy moved to the next group of demons, Ru’s stomach began to feel more unsettled. At first, she thought it was just anxiety, but then it began to feel more like a pull, like a presence was nearby, one she couldn’t ignore. She crinkled her forehead and tried to hone in on whatever it was she was feeling. Windy continued to chatter, like she hadn’t even noticed her student’s disposition, and Ru suspected it might just be her own imagination. Could she be losing her mind? Nevertheless, the feeling began to increase.
“And this demon is named Jume,” she continued, pointing at the picture in front of Ru. “He uses a lasso to pull you in close enough to squeeze your life force out of your body.”
Ru opened her mouth to say something, anything, when a noise at the window caught her attention. Ru turned her head to see a large black crow perched on a low hanging branch right outside the window. It was peering in at them, undoubtedly, and since it was the largest bird Ru had ever seen, she couldn’t help but stare back at it.
“Ru?”
She turned to see Windy looking at her questioningly. “I’m sorry, it’s just—that bird is huge.”
“Yes, it is,” Windy agreed. “But it’s just a bird. We have a lot more demons to cover.”
Before Ru could even open her mouth, the bird squawked loudly and banged its beak into the window. “I think it’s trying to tell me something.”
“It’s a crow, Ru,” Windy reminded her, looking at her as if she truly had lost her mind.
“Yes, and this is a drawing of a half-bull, half-fish named Lojen who can kill me in my sleep. None of it seems real, but I feel like I need to go outside and talk to that crow.”
Windy opened her mouth and then closed it. She shook her head slowly. “Fine. But put on a coat. It’s cold out.”
Ru snickered. She’d never had a mother who cared whether she was cold or not, and now she had two, three if she counted her grandmother. She tried to control herself as she got up and pushed in her chair, but she felt like a little girl going on an adventure as she hurried into the living room and grabbed her white fluffy coat off of the hook by the door. It hadn’t seemed too much colder in Wyoming compared to New York the last time she was here, but up in the mountains, now that it was December, it was definitely cold, and a blanket of white covered the ground.
“Where are you going?” Cutter asked, climbing out of his seat in the living room. The TV was on, the volume too low for Ru to hear what he’d been watching, though this time of day she couldn’t imagine it was anything spectacular. He was by her side in no time.
“I’m going to see what that giant crow in the tree outside the dining room window wants,” Ru replied nonchalantly.
Cutter raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Want some company?”
“Sure,” she replied, and he grabbed his coat as well, though he was still holding the remains of his apple, which made putting it on a little trickier. “You can give that to him.” She gestured at the core with her head.
“Okay,” Cutter agreed, though he sounded a little skeptical. Ru didn’t know why. Birds liked apple cores, didn’t they? The two of them stepped out into the yard and around the corner. The crow still sat in the tree, looking at Ru’s every move. “Here bird, bird, bird, bird, bird!” Cutter called and dropped the core on top of the snowy ground.
The crow watched the apple fall but soon lost interest. Returning its beady stare to Ru, it cawed and then took off flying, slowly. A few feet in front of her, it stopped midair, turned, and cawed again.
“I guess it doesn’t like apples,” Cutter mumbled.
“I think it wants me to follow it.” Ru ignored his comment and took a few steps toward the crow.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Ru,” Cutter said, placing a hand on her arm.
“Why not?” she asked, turning to look at him. “Does he seem like a demon crow?”
“No,” Cutter admitted, “but birds and other animals have been used by spiritual creatures before. He could’ve been sent here by someone to lure you out.”
“I figured as much,” Ru shrugged. “I’d like to know who.”
“What if it’s Nat? Or something worse?”
Once again, Ru shrugged and looked at the bird, who was hovering midair still, watching her. “I’ll take my chances.”
“Ru….” Cutter began, but one glance from her, and he was changing his tune. “Fine. But I think we should take the car.”
“Okay,” she replied, and he headed back to the house to get the keys and probably let his mother know where they were going.
“CAW!!” the crow squawked again, looping around in circles.
“Caw to you, too,” Ru replied, giggling. There was something about following a bird that seemed both j
uvenile and enchanting at the same time.
Cutter pulled his mom’s car up alongside her and Ru stepped over and got inside. She rolled her window down, despite the cold temperatures and shouted, “Okay, buddy! Where are we going?”
The crow cawed again and took off, the car following behind. It seemed to stick to the roads and often glanced down to make sure Ru was keeping up. Eventually, it headed out of town, and the road wound through the mountains for a few minutes before the crow headed off in a direction where there was no road. Cutter pulled over. “What do we do now?” he asked.
“Follow on foot, I guess,” Ru said, already opening her car door.
“Ru, this might be dangerous. We’re out of town now. There could be… anything out here.”
“I don’t feel any threats in the area, Cutter, do you?” she asked through the open window. She could sense the bird waiting for her just over her shoulder.
“I sense something,” he replied. “And honestly… I think it’s a Reaper.”
Ru considered the idea. Her stomach was churning. “I think you’re right. But it’s just one. It’ll be fine.”
She could see by his expression that he wanted to protest, but he said nothing more, only shut the car off and climbed out. Ru rushed off to follow the bird, Cutter on her heels.
They wound through some large rock structures, climbing uphill just a bit before the crow finally perched on a scraggly tree devoid of leaves. It cawed once more, and Ru waited. Whomever had led her here was nearby.
The sun was setting, painting the horizon a dull orange color. The winter air was crisp and there was a bit of a breeze at this altitude. Ru was beginning to wish she’d grabbed her gloves and hat when her thoughts froze. A man was making his way from between the shadows cast by the large rocks in front of them. Ru knew who it was instantly. She turned to Cutter and smiled. He looked confused and glanced from her to the man in front of them.
Taking a few steps forward, Ru met him near the tree. “Hi, Dad,” she said, smiling. “You made it.”
“I did.” Larkin looked much the same as he had when Ru had seen him not long ago in Kayakoy, though perhaps a bit more rested. He was wearing the same black clothing, and when Ru got a glimpse of his hands, she could see the scars didn’t seem as fresh. “It’s nice to see you, Ru.”
“You, too.” She stared into his green eyes, pleased that he had made it this far and that he had come at all. “How was your trip?”
“Long,” he said, chuckling. “But I made it. I’m afraid it wasn’t safe for me to come into town to get you.”
“That’s okay,” Ru replied. “I like your friend.” She smiled up at the bird who cawed at her once more.
Chuckling, Larkin said, “This is Max. He’s been a buddy of mine for a long time.”
“Nice to meet you, Max.” He squawked and ruffled his feathers. Ru imagined Max was likely used to gathering a similar looking young lady from her home and bringing her out here to meet Larkin. While that entire situation might’ve broken a lot of rules and made many people very unhappy, if it had never transpired, Ru wouldn’t be standing here now.
Realizing she also had someone to introduce, she turned to look over her shoulder. Cutter was still standing where she’d left him, a good twenty feet behind her. “This is Cutter. He’s a Keeper.” Then, Ru realized what she had said and added, “And a keeper.” She couldn’t help but giggle at her own joke.
“Ha, I get it,” Larkin said, also chuckling. “You have your mother’s sense of humor.”
Ru didn’t know if that was a compliment or not, but she definitely didn’t mind being compared to her mother. “I hope you’re okay that he came along.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Larkin replied. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to come on your own, not knowing where Max might lead you.”
While she was tempted to explain that she would’ve come on her own, she didn’t see the point. She was glad Cutter had come with her, after all. “Did you want me to cast the spell, Dad? The one that will make you a human?”
The question hung in the air for the briefest of moments, and Ru couldn’t blame him for wanting to consider the potential ramifications before he answered. It didn’t take long before he said, “Yes, Ru. I believe I do.”
A smile brightened her face as Ru considered what that would mean. No longer would the Keepers or angels hunt her father. He wouldn’t be a Reaper, and he could live happily ever after with her mother.
“Ru? Can I speak to you for a moment?”
By his tone, Ru thought perhaps Cutter had said her name more than once. “One second,” she said to her dad before turning and stepping back to join Cutter. “What is it?”
“Ru, are you sure about this?” he said, his voice quiet but his tone insistent. “I don’t think you should do anything that might get you into trouble.”
Raising an eyebrow, Ru said, “Cutter, it’s fine. I’m not doing anything wrong. This is white magic. Besides, like I said before, if they don’t like it, they can close their own damn portal.” She scoffed, but he didn’t seem to think it was that amusing. His concerned expression didn’t change.
“They could find someone else to close it, Ru. It might be harder, but they could do it. Now that they know where it’s at, it wouldn’t be that hard. Just… don’t push your luck, okay?”
“Cutter, I’m helping my dad. They owe me. I’ve already closed two portals.”
He opened his mouth like he might say something else but then he closed it, and Ru took that to mean he didn’t want to argue anymore, even though she was sure she hadn’t convinced him she was right. With an air of confidence, Ru stepped back over to her father who was waiting patiently, his hands stuffed deep into his jacket pockets.
“Ru, if you think you might get in trouble for this, maybe you shouldn’t. I don’t want to do anything that might put you in danger.” Larkin looked sincere, and Ru appreciated the fact that he was still trying to do what was best for her.
“You and Mom deserve to be together,” Ru countered. “You’ve both paid your dues, and besides, they need to think about the fact that it was your love—your forbidden love they hated so much—that created me. And without me, they never would’ve found the portals.” Ru despised the fact that she suddenly sounded like she thought she was more important than anyone else, and she honestly didn’t feel that way, but she did want anyone that might be eavesdropping from another realm to understand that she knew her value, even if it had taken her almost twenty-six years to figure it out.
“Okay, Ru. Whenever you’re ready, so am I.”
Ru took a deep breath and tried to center herself. Part of her was afraid this wouldn’t work, or she’d end up hurting her dad. She was also a little nervous about absorbing all of his Reaper energy. She knew the light inside of her was strong and thought it was powerful enough to overcome it, but it was something to be wary of. Without putting any more thought into it, Ru closed her eyes and recited the words her mother had taught her. “In nomine Dei patris ego omnia alia potentia malum relinquit corpus tuum. Corpus meum vas potestatem!”
Even before she finished the incantation, streaks of black began to shoot off of her father’s torso, then his arms and legs. By the time the words were finished, what had started out as wisps of smoke became thicker, turning and twisting together to form streams of black light. Twenty feet above him in the air, they formed into a sphere, one that began to spin, collecting all of his Reaper essence into a circle of energy. With a groan, Larkin dropped to the ground, the last tails of smoke and black ash releasing him.
The black sphere circled for a few moments longer, and Ru watched in amazement as it began to come closer to her. She heard footsteps behind her and knew that Cutter was alarmed. While she had asked to receive the Reaper power into her own body, she was more than a little frightened as it drew near. The thought of accepting all of that blackness into herself was more than a bit terrifying.
“Mitto ego te ad vidisse igneos puteos
horrendam daemonium de inferno!” Cutter shouted, and just as the blackness began to seep into her, it vanished with an audible popping sound. All that was left of it was the scent of ash, the same one Ru noted whenever she used her Reaper power.
“What did you do?” she asked, turning to Cutter.
“I sent it to Hell,” he replied. “I didn’t want that taking you over.”
“Cutter, the spell called for me to absorb it. I could’ve done that.”
“At what cost, Ru?”
She realized he was just trying to help, but the fact that he could’ve ruined everything entered her mind. At the thought of that phrase, she froze. It wasn’t fair for her to cast that kind of judgment on someone else, especially not someone who was just trying to help. Without another word, Ru rushed to her dad who was still doubled-over on the ground.
“Dad, are you okay?” she asked, helping him sit up.
“I… I think so,” he mumbled. “I just feel… different. Very tired.”
“You’re not in any pain?” Ru asked. Cutter was standing behind her, his hands on his hips, as if he was concerned but didn’t want to touch Larkin.
“No, I’m not in any pain,” he replied. “Just exhausted.”
“We need to get you out of here, get you somewhere so that you can rest,” Ru said, letting him lean against her.
“I have a hotel room. My bike is on the other side of the hill. I’ll be fine.”
“I can’t leave you like this,” Ru reminded him.
Smiling, Larkin said, “You did it, kid. You really are something.” He scooted back a bit so he could sit further upright and groaned at the strain. “I’ll be okay. I’m already getting stronger.”
“Ru, we can give him a ride into another town, but there’s no way we can take him back to Los Angeles,” Cutter said quietly.
“It’s okay. I’ll be fine,” Larkin insisted. “Believe me, I’ve been through much worse.”
“Let’s just wait a few minutes and see how you feel,” Ru replied. She helped him scoot back so that he was leaning against a substantial rock.