by ID Johnson
Larkin took a few deep breaths. The only other sounds were the breeze rustling the branches in the tree and Max’s occasional squawk. After ten minutes or so, Ru could see the color coming back to her father’s face. “I’m fine, really,” he said and began to pull himself up.
Ru bent down to help him, and Cutter offered his hand as well. Larkin came to standing and thanked them before taking a few steps backward, steadying himself. “Whoo. Definitely feels different. But in a good way. I feel like a weight has been lifted from me.”
Smiling, Ru patted her dad on the back. “Good,” she said. It seemed that Cutter sending the Reaper essence to Hell hadn’t harmed her dad, and she definitely didn’t feel any different than she had before she cast the spell. She was glad it worked out that way, even if Cutter had caught her off guard. Something told her she’d feel differently if she’d had to absorb the blackness.
“What about the cloaking spell?” Larkin asked, looking at Ru.
“Right,” she replied. “I just wanted to make sure you were strong enough, that you were ready.”
“I’m ready,” he nodded. “There’s not too much to a cloaking spell.”
Ru had seen her mother cast one and knew that was true. “Okay,” she said, taking a few steps back. “I’ll do it then.” She looked at Cutter, who was slowly shaking his head as he stepped back out of the way. “This will just cloak him from evil,” she reminded them. “The Keepers will still be able to feel him if they choose to.”
“I know I can’t talk you out of it,” Cutter mumbled, turning around as if he couldn’t bear to watch her do it.
Ru raised both hands. “Patrocinium invocavi te tenebras lucem virtutes!” This time, a swirl of light sprang forth from her hands, encapsulating her father in a thin veil of white mist. In an instance it was gone. He didn’t look any more worse for the wear this time. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he nodded. “I think I’ll rest easy tonight, knowing no Reapers or demons can find me.”
A smile broke across Ru’s face. “There’s no way to test it out, of course. But I feel like it worked.”
“I do, too,” he agreed.
Cutter cleared his throat and Ru turned to see he was able to face her again. “We should get going.”
“Right,” Ru said, though she really didn’t know why. He had been patient with her, however, and she saw no reason to upset him. “Well, Dad, I’m guessing you probably can’t command the crows anymore, so I’m not sure how I’ll know when you need me.”
“Oh, Max and I go way back,” Larkin shrugged, looking up at the bird. “I’m sure he’ll still do a favor or two for me if need be.”
“Just in case, do you have a cell phone?”
“Not yet, but I’ll get one. I’ve got plenty of cash, so don’t worry about that.” He smiled at her, his hands on his hips, and Ru was sad to be leaving him again so abruptly.
“Okay, well, be careful. Hopefully, the Keepers won’t be angry about any of this and they’ll finally let you and Mom be together.”
“That would be… amazing,” Larkin replied, a far off look in his eyes. Ru couldn’t even imagine what it might be like to long to be with someone every day for as long as he had, especially while suffering in Hell. She’d also dreamt of the day she’d see her parents reunited. “You take care, Ru. Don’t do anything stupid. And be careful.”
“I will, Dad,” she said, giggling at his bluntness. She leaned in and hugged him. The feeling of being in her father’s arms was unlike anything else she’d ever experienced. He felt strong and protective, like nothing could ever harm her here. Ru turned her head and kissed his rough cheek. “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you, too, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll see you soon.”
Ru released him and reluctantly headed over to where Cutter waited for her.
“Take care of her, Cutter,” Larkin said as he waved and turned around.
“I will,” Cutter promised, though Ru caught him adding, “if she’ll let me.”
She took his hand and narrowed her eyes at him. “I did what I had to do.”
“I know.” He didn’t say more, though his countenance told her he still didn’t approve.
A squawk behind her caught Ru’s attention. “Bye, Max! Come visit me soon!” The bird seemed to answer with another loud chirp before he took off, disappearing into the horizon. Larkin was also already gone, down the other side of the hill, as Ru took a few deep breaths and considered what she’d just done. She’d stand by her decision, no matter what, even if it meant troubled waters lay ahead. If there’s one thing her parents had taught her, it was that family always came first. Always.
Chapter 13
Cutter drove back into town without saying a word. Ru didn’t blame him for being upset, but she thought he’d get over it, eventually. How could she expect him to understand why it had been so important to her to turn her father back into a human? He’d never been in a similar situation, though she imagined if the choice had been something he could better identify with, like saving his brother, he wouldn’t have questioned her actions.
Before he even pulled into the driveway, Ru got a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if she were walking into a snake pit. She looked at him and could tell by his expression he felt it, too. Others knew what she had done, and someone was here.
“Ru, I don’t know what their reaction is going to be, but I do know that, no matter what, I’ll stand by you.” Cutter still held her hand, and though his expression was solemn, she could tell he meant each word.
“Thank you,” she said, shifting in her seat a bit so she could face him. “And thank you for getting rid of the blackness. I really didn’t want to absorb that.”
He nodded. “I had no idea if it would work or not, but I couldn’t let it enter you. Who knows what damage it might’ve done? Even if you are strong enough to control it with your white light, it wasn’t worth finding out.”
“Do you know who’s in there?”
Cutter shook his head. “Guess we better go find out.”
Ru swallowed hard and pushed the car door open. Her legs were shaking as she headed toward the front door. Though she still felt she was important enough that they wouldn’t destroy or banish her for her actions, she knew she needed to start humbling herself a bit. No one liked a cocky Keeper.
Cutter took her hand and pushed open the front door. Ru took off her coat and Cutter hung it on a hook for her, doing the same with his own. From the foyer, they could see into the adjoining living room. His parents were both sitting on the sofa. Across the room, on another smaller couch sat a tall, blond, middle-aged man Ru had never seen before. There was a lightness about him she’d never seen with any other being, almost as if he were glowing. He wore a large black coat that almost looked as if it were made of fur—or feathers—over his suit, and when she entered, he stood.
“There she is,” he said quietly as he stepped forward. “Rune?”
Ru glanced at Cutter, whose face looked pale, which was saying something for him. “Y—yes,” she stammered.
“Please, come in. Have a seat.” He gestured at the chair next to him, and Ru did as she was told, even though she found it odd that he’d invite her in when it wasn’t his home.
“We’ll just be in the kitchen,” Windy said as she and Walt took off quickly toward the other end of the house.
“Cutter, you can stay,” the man said, pulling his pants up at the thigh before he sat back down.
Cutter sat on the couch his parents had vacated after mumbling, “Thank you, sir.”
“Ru, you’ve been a busy gal.”
“I have?” she asked, still uncertain if she should speak at all. “I have.”
“Found your mother, closed two portals, made your father a mortal. That’s a lot for one young Keeper who’s only known her powers a few months.”
“I suppose so….”
He cleared his throat. “I hear that you’ve served
us quite well, young lady, though your attitude of late might be a bit… arrogant.”
Remembering all of her, “What are they going to do?” empty threats, Ru felt a bit embarrassed. “I apologize for that,” Ru said hastily. “I’m just not used to being very good at anything.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” he replied with a shrug. “Seems to me you have an awful lot of gifts that would be useful even as a human. You’re smart, pretty, kind. Good with kids.”
“True,” Ru admitted. “I never felt like any of those things were the case before, though.”
“I suppose not,” he replied. He took a deep breath. “Well, I won’t keep you long. I know you have important plans in the works. I just wanted to thank you, and to let you know, now that your father is a human, if your parents wish to be together, they may do so… under one condition.”
Ru felt her hopes raise and then come crashing back to the ground all at once. “What is that?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“Simple,” he shrugged. “Close the remaining portal.”
“That I can do,” she said, nodding confidently.
“And… get rid of Thanatos. He’s been a thorn in our side for long enough. It’s time his reign was over.”
Ru felt her breath catch. Was she now receiving the same order that Nat had against her? To destroy him? “But… sir, what if… what if he’s not there… or I can’t?”
“Why couldn’t you?” he asked, his piercing blue eyes staring right through her. “He’s not any stronger than you are.”
“No, I know,” she admitted, fumbling for words. “It’s just… I see good in him, sir. I see, that if he were given a choice, maybe, he’d choose the light.”
“Oh, Rune. You are so naïve, sweet child. Thanatos has had every opportunity to choose goodness, just like every other creature. He has chosen evil. And for that, he must be destroyed. I rest assured you can, and will, find a way to get it done.” He was already up and off of the sofa, and Ru found herself scrambling to stand.
Words of protest welled up inside of her, but one glance at Cutter’s expression let her know she needed to let it go. “Yes, sir,” she whispered, though she didn’t know how she could ever bring herself to do it. She’d even told Nat she’d never destroy him.
“Don’t let your kindness be a weakness, Rune. I chose you for these tasks on purpose, my child. Don’t fail me.” He looked at her sternly one last time and then, in a flash of bright light that had her closing her eyes tightly, he was gone.
When Ru blinked her eyes open, she found there were tears in them. She wanted to blame it on the brilliant flash of light, but she knew that wasn’t all of it. Cutter was there in an instant with his arms around her. “Are you okay?” he asked, pulling her against his chest.
“I’m okay,” she replied quietly. “I’m glad he wasn’t angry about my dad. Or anything else.”
“I know. I’m shocked,” Cutter mumbled into her hair. “Ru, I know you don’t want to kill Nat, but when the time comes, you’ll be able to do it. I’ll help you.”
Ru nodded. She could feel a headache coming on, and all she could think about was going to sleep. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice,” she replied, resting her head on Cutter’s shoulder. “I guess when God tells you to do something, you do it.”
A vibration in his shoulder let her know he was laughing at her. Ru stood straight and looked him in the eyes, one eyebrow raised, waiting. “That wasn’t God, Ru,” he said, trying to control his smile.
“It wasn’t?” she asked, confused. “Then what was with the, ‘I chose you, my child,’ business?”
“That… was Raphael.”
“Raphael?” she repeated. “Oh.” She shook her head. That made sense. He was her great-great-grandfather, or something. Once again, her head began to ache. She rested her forehead back onto Cutter’s shoulder. “May as well have been God,” she mumbled. “I’ve still been ordered to do something I don’t want to do.”
“I know.” Cutter pulled her in closer. “It’ll be okay, though. I promise. We’ll figure it out. Together.”
Ru appreciated the fact that Cutter wanted to help, but she was afraid that, in the end, she’d be forced to make a decision, one she couldn’t fathom.
“Why don’t you go up to Leaf’s room and rest for a little while?” Cutter suggested. “I think you’ve probably had enough demons for one day.”
“Okay,” Ru mumbled. Thoughts of asking him to come with her were quickly dissipated when she thought about the loss his family had suffered. She held him tightly for another few moments before stepping back. He smiled at her, and Ru let their entwined fingers linger for a moment before she took a few steps toward the stairs.
As her foot fell on the first step, she turned back. “Cutter, what was up with the black? And that feathery coat?”
Shrugging, Cutter replied, “Remember, good guys don’t always wear white, Ru. The coat was probably to contain his wings.”
“Wings?”
“Yeah, he’s an Arch—an angel. Angels have wings. We don’t have them because we are half-human, remember? That’s why we have our scars.”
“Right.” Her mouth may have given the impression she understood, but she couldn’t fathom actually seeing a person with wings.
“You didn’t see any of the angels during the battle at Kayakoy?” he asked, taking a step toward the stairs.
“No,” Ru admitted. “I was inside the whole time. They were all outside, I guess.”
“I suppose that’s true.” Cutter nodded as if he was thinking back to their time in Turkey. “Well, I’m sure when we get to Japan, you’ll see a whole lot of them.”
“Something tells me, I’ll see a whole lot of things I’ve never imagined,” Ru muttered as she headed up the stairs. Thinking about all of the creatures his mother had been trying to teach her about and realizing she could come face to face with some of them had her stomach churning in a way that had nothing to do with special powers. Still, she’d faced some pretty terrible monsters before, of the demon, Reaper, and human variety, so she had to believe that however menacing her opponent appeared, she could handle it.
Those thoughts froze in her head as she pushed Leaf’s bedroom door open and saw a hologram-like figure standing near the bed waiting for her. This one she also knew she could handle, but she really didn’t want to, not right now anyway.
“Hi, Ru,” Cinder said, her image looking a little like Princess Leia projected from R2-D2 when she’s seeking her only hope. “How are you?”
Ru closed the door behind her because she wasn’t sure what this visit was all about. “Tired,” she replied curtly. “How did you even know where I was? I’m not staying here. Have you just been hanging out in this room in case I showed up?”
Cinder made a sound like a half-laugh, half-sigh. “No.” She had her right arm across her body, holding onto the bicep of her left arm, which was straight, and for a moment, Ru thought she looked like a child afraid of being punished. “Your pull is strong, Ru. You’re very easy to find if a person is looking for you.”
“Good to know.” Ru took a few steps toward her. “What do you want? If you want to yell at me for what I did for my dad, you’re too late. Raphael and I just spoke.”
“No, I know he was here. I just came to say… I’m sorry, Ru. I shouldn’t have interfered before, and I shouldn’t have been so rude to you when you came to talk to me about it.”
Ru stared at the other woman for a few moments in disbelief, her eyes wide. “Sorry?” she repeated. This was such a far cry from the Cinder she’d encountered in the desert not that long ago. “You’re sorry?”
“I am,” Cinder nodded resolutely. “I wasn’t being fair to you, and I should’ve given you a chance before I decided that you weren’t going to be able to handle the tasks assigned to you. I guess, I just thought there was no way someone new to all of this such as yourself could be so powerful when I’ve worked so hard my whole life to accomplish less
than you’ve done in only a few months.”
Hearing Cinder’s confession pulled at Ru’s heartstrings. “Cinder, that’s not true. You’ve done so much more.”
“But nothing so grand as closing a portal. And you’ve already closed two.”
Ru took a few more steps until she was standing right in front of Cutter’s sister. Even though she wasn’t truly in the room, Ru could see both remorse and a bit of jealousy in the older woman’s eyes. “But that’s not what you were made for, Cinder. I was created to close those portals. Raphael told me as much just now. He chose me to do this. Your task is different. That doesn’t make it less important. You have brought down, what dozens, of Reapers?”
Cinder nodded, her expression still solemn, though there was a tinge of happiness around the edges.
“And I’ve never even destroyed one.” Ru didn’t mention she had killed a few demons. It didn’t seem pertinent to the conversation. Cinder had likely taken out her fair share of those beasts as well. “We’re all called upon for different things. It doesn’t matter what they are. All that matters is how well we do them. And you’re a rock star at what you do. Up until a few weeks ago, I was a teacher. Some people might say that was fairly unimportant in the grand scheme of things compared to world leaders or astronauts, people trying to find the cure for cancer. But I went to work every day knowing that I was touching the future, changing the lives of children, two dozen at a time, and hopefully for the better. Nothing we do in life is small as long as it fulfills a purpose that makes this world a better place.”
By the time she’d finished speaking, Cinder had a smile on her face. “Ru, you sound like a philosopher. I wish I’d have been able to see all that when I was your age.” Ru thought it was a little odd to hear her phrase it that way when Cinder wasn’t that much older, but she supposed it had something to do with worldly experience as well. “I’m glad you are able to see how you fit into all of this.”
“I see my purpose right now,” Ru said with a shrug. “It might change after we close the last portal. I’m hoping I can go back to life before Reapers, but I think that might be difficult.”