by ID Johnson
“My daughter wasn’t being uncooperative, Sky. She was being loyal. That should be celebrated.”
“And what would you know of being loyal?” It was the first time any of the others had spoken. One of the men, the tallest one, who had a jagged scar on his face near his left ear, cutting through his skin to his jawline, took a step forward as he spoke.
“More than you might think, Flint,” Sera said with a shrug. “I was loyal to those who loved me. It just so happened the numbers weren’t on my side.”
Ru assumed she meant Larkin and herself, possibly her friend Ribbon, but she wasn’t sure. And now, there was no way for her to ask. They might take her mom away from her forever. She fought back her tears, not wanting Sky to see them. “Mom!” she called. Maggie turned and looked at her. “If they so much as lay a finger on you, you call me. I will hear, no matter where I am, and I will come for you. You make sure they know that.”
Before Maggie could respond, Sky said, “Rune, you really should bite your tongue. It’s going to get you into trouble one of these days.”
“And you should learn not to underestimate my daughter,” Maggie replied. “Now come on. Let’s get on with it already.”
Ru didn’t stay on the beach and watch the Keepers lead her mother away. Instead, she exploded back into her body with enough ferocity to knock both herself and Cutter onto the floor. Considering he wasn’t back yet, moving him wasn’t too difficult, and once she’d untangled her limbs from his empty ones, she stormed out of the dark room, slamming the door behind her.
The lights in the hallway flickered as she made her way downstairs and through the front door, slamming that one as well.
Once she was standing out in the yard in front of Angel Grove, her stomach burning with the pain of her Reaper power, Ru let out a growl loud enough to startle the birds which scattered out of the trees all around her, sending them off through the dimly lit evening sky. Raising both hands, Ru chose a tree in the distance and unleashed the fury that had been accumulating deep within her soul for the last hour or so. A streak of black sprang forth, streaming through the sky and crashing into a large branch at the top of the ancient tree. With a loud cracking noise, the branch tumbled to the ground, bursting into flames as it fell. Black smoke lingered, filling Ru’s lungs with the scent of anger, the scent of power, the scent of hate. “If anyone touches a hair on my mother’s head, I swear to God, I will destroy them.” She looked up at the sky and shouted, “Do you hear me, Raphael? Do you hear me?”
If the Archangel had a response, he didn’t reveal it—not right then anyway. Ru watched the flames she’d created continued to flicker and dance their way down the tree branch, licking the bark and consuming it, leaving nothing but char in its wake.
Chapter 4
“Didn’t Smokey the Bear teach you anything?” Ru heard Lyric’s voice behind her at about the same time a warm gust of air swept over her, making contact with the flames rising up off of the ignited branch, causing them to flicker and then whoosh out, as if they’d never existed. Ru absently wondered if that’s what it was like in the end for everyone. A moment of recognition and then—nothing.
Ru turned to see all four of her friends crossing the yard, headed in her direction. Three of them had concerned expressions on their faces; Rider still looked pissed. Ru would deal with him later. “Which one of you was it?” she asked, looking at each of them. “Who ratted out my mom?”
“It doesn’t matter, Ru,” Cutter said, stopping a few feet away from her. “What’s done is done. And just like Maggie said, it was better to tell them than to risk all five of us getting in trouble. Or worse. We’re no help to anyone if we are decommissioned.”
“Or dead.”
Ru turned and glared at Rider but said nothing more. “Then what was all that talk ahead of time, that ‘I’ve got your back’ bullshit you were all spouting off. I guess that was just to make me think we were all in this together?”
“No, we really thought we could talk her down,” Lyric explained, her eyes focused on the ground in front of her. “Whatever Raphael told her, it must’ve been direct enough to leave no wiggle room.”
“Sky is usually more of a messenger than a minion,” Cutter continued. “We thought we could get her to go back and talk it over.”
“Or convince her that Maggie wasn’t there,” Ivy added. “Although she definitely knew she was.”
“And who told her that?” Ru asked. “Again, the only people who knew that were you guys. Seriously, whoever the hell is stabbing me in the back, I’d just like to know so I can toss back your knife for next time.”
“It wasn’t necessarily one of us who told her your mom was on Holy Island.” Lyric was looking at Ru again. “A few others knew.”
Ru remembered that Cutter had told his family, which reminded her of something her mom had said. “Did Maggie say that Windy used to have Sky’s job? As in, your mom?”
Slowly, Cutter nodded his head. “But not for long. She didn’t like it.”
“And you told your mom about mine, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” he said, taking a step toward her. “I guarantee that my mom did not tell Sky anything, though, Ru. She wouldn’t do that. She doesn’t even like Sky. No offense.” The last comment was made in Lyric’s direction.
“None taken. Right now, neither do I,” she replied.
“My mom didn’t do this.”
Ru wanted to believe him, but it didn’t make any sense. “If it wasn’t one of you, then it had to be her.” Her head was beginning to hurt, thinking through everything that had transpired. With a deep breath, she said, “Okay, let’s just take this one step at a time. I need to know who told Sky my mom was in the basement.”
“It was me,” Rider said, causing Ru to turn and face him, her eyes wide. “There. Does that make you happy?”
Before Ru could even exclaim that, no, it did not make her happy, another voice caught her attention. “No, Rider, it’s okay. I don’t need you to take the blame for me.” Swiveling again, Ru’s eyes fell on Ivy. “I’m sorry, Ru. I told her. I thought… I thought we’d do more harm than good if we stood in her way. Like Cutter said, we wouldn’t be able to help anyone if we were locked up. Or dead.”
“Ivy?” Ru could hardly believe it. She was the last on her list of suspects. “But… I could’ve taken her.”
“Yeah, and then another wave would’ve shown up, thoroughly pissed, and we would’ve launched into a civil war. No thank you.” Rider’s argument might’ve been convincing if Ru wasn’t so angry—and hurt.
Ivy rested both hands on her hips. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you from the beginning.”
“You should’ve told me first back there. You should’ve warned me,” Ru rationalized.
With a nod, Ivy said, “I guess you’re right. I just didn’t think you’d agree with me.”
“I wouldn’t have,” Ru admitted. “But at least I would’ve known who to redirect my anger at.”
“Judging by the looks of that tree branch, I’m going to go out on a limb and say Ivy made the right call,” Rider mused.
Ru didn’t find the pun funny. “Look, Ivy, if you’re the one that told Sky where my mom was to begin with, just let me know, okay?”
“It wasn’t me. I would tell you if it was.”
“No, Sky said someone else was with you on the beach when you were chatting with Nat, remember?” Rider asked. “The two of you sure are awfully chummy.”
Ru glared at him. “I told you, I wasn’t chatting with him. I was chasing him.”
“And, yet, I still don’t believe you.” Rider crossed his arms across his barrel of a chest.
“Do you have any idea who it was, Ru?” Cutter interjected before things got ugly again.
“No,” she admitted. “I didn’t really look back. I didn’t wait around to see.”
“Well, until we find out who else was there, we won’t know.” Cutter sighed. “But I’m certain it wasn’t my mom.”
&nb
sp; Ru wanted to believe him but couldn’t find the logic to do so. Until she heard otherwise, Windy was a suspect. “From now on, we don’t tell anyone anything unless they absolutely have to know what’s happening.”
“Yeah, that’s a bit of a problem since we’re supposed to report everything to Sky,” Rider reminded her. He was still angry from their confrontation, Ru could tell, but he seemed to be handling it okay. For now.
“I don’t care,” Ru stated, emphatically. “I don’t like her. And nobody has told me I’m supposed to report shit to anyone. So… when we close this portal in a few minutes, you can let her know that. But once Lyric cracks the code on my back, we don’t tell anyone anything. Even if I have to pay for airline tickets myself. Got it?”
Four heads nodded up and down, and Ru wondered if they were just pacifying her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go blow some shit up.” She took off at a brisk walk heading to the woods behind Angel Grove, which eventually led to the same tract of land she’d gone exploring with Kyle—who turned out to be Nat—not too long ago. There was good reason to think the portal to Hell that was allowing Reapers to go back and forth, conspiring with demons, was within easy walking distance of the house Keepers had built over two hundred years ago in an attempt to find said portal and stop the Reapers from congregating there.
“Ru, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Cutter asked, falling into step beside her. “We’ve had a rough night. Maybe we should just call this off until tomorrow.”
Without slowing her pace or turning to look at him, Ru replied, “Now is as good a time as ever. Probably better, in fact. The angrier I become, the less of a chance anyone who tries to stand in our way will have of stopping me.”
“Okay, but you’re angry at the wrong people right now,” Cutter continued. “If you’re going to use that side of your power, there’s a good chance it won’t do anything to stop attacks from Reapers or close the portal.”
Ru stopped short and turned to look at him. “Are you saying that you think I’m in Reaper mode right now? That I’ll somehow manage to do more harm than good?”
Cutter stammered for a moment before admitting, “I don’t know. But I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Well, unfortunately for you, I really don’t care what you think right now,” Ru replied tersely, continuing on her march. “Besides, there’s only one way to find out if there’s a difference between black smoke and blue light.”
“Oh, there’s a difference,” Rider said, coming up behind her. Two other sets of footsteps fell in line as well, and Ru realized she was leading them all into the woods. “We just don’t know how it will affect them.”
“Maybe they won’t even bother to show up,” Ru mused, though she was more than a little certain they would.
“Are you kidding? The last time we closed a portal, it was like Armageddon. Two battling armies fighting against each other for days. No, they’ll definitely show up.” Ivy’s voice sounded shakier with each word.
“And yet, here we are, just the five of us undertaking this?” Ru asked. “Seriously, was anyone going to tell me this?”
“Well, the circumstances were a little different back then,” Cutter said, and Ru noticed he shot Ivy a dirty look over his shoulder. “That was a much larger portal, much more frequented.”
“And Satan was using it as a thoroughfare,” Rider added.
“This one isn’t being used by anyone but Nat and his cronies,” Lyric reminded them.
“As far as we know.” Ivy still didn’t sound confident.
“I guarantee something else will come out of it when we try to shut it down,” Rider warned them.
“That’s fine. You guys hold off the attackers, and I’ll close it up,” Ru decided.
“Assuming we can find it.”
Ru was tempted to turn around and stare Rider down for that comment, but she let her feet do the talking. She would find it. If it took her all night, she’d find it.
The sun had completely set by the time Ru reached the point in the woods where she believed the portal to be located, and darkness enveloped them. Cutter used his hand as a torch, which helped, but Ru was following something other than her line of sight. Memories of the time she’d spent here recently drew her back to the location where she’d been headed with Kyle the night she’d discovered the man she was ready to give her heart to was actually Thanatos.
Her team had come out here one other time after that, before they traveled to Los Angeles, in an attempt to close the portal. That night, they had found the three trees that “Kyle” had told her he was looking for the evening he brought her out on a walk, which was really Nat’s attempt to trick her into joining his forces. He’d been planning to take her into the portal, but Ru had realized his plan and escaped, with the help of her friends. He’d mentioned the three trees, though, and Ru had wondered why she’d never heard of them before once she laid eyes on their peculiar trunks. They seemed like the sort of anomaly teenage lore was based on. With white chalky bark and branches that twisted and tangled into each other, it seemed like anyone who stumbled upon them would run off screaming in the other direction, leaving a trail of curious pilgrims streaming back to repeat the process.
Ru could see them looming in the distance. Despite the darkness, their discolored bark gave off an eerie glow, which served as a beacon every bit as much as the calling in her gut. She pulled up a few feet in front of them, letting the feeling inside of her speak. It only made sense that the portal would be nearby, but she’d have to feel it out, and right now, all she sensed was a darkness coming from inside the tree trunks themselves.
“Do you want us to start searching again?” Lyric asked, her voice nearly a whisper.
“No,” Ru replied. “It won’t do any good. You won’t be able to find it.”
“How do you know?” the other woman asked, but Ru wasn’t sure what words she could use to answer the question, so she ignored it.
A thin veil of fog began to travel in from all directions, misting its way between the other scraggly tree trunks of the dense forest. Like a snake, beckoned by Ru’s very presence it came, shrouding the ground in a white film. It ebbed and flowed, stretching its tendrils and spreading around them. Something in Ru’s gut told her this was more than a weather anomaly, but without the ability to defend herself against the vapor, she decided to disregard it, assuming something else would show up eventually, something more formidable but also more easily reckoned with.
The last time she’d searched the woods, she’d concentrated on these trees, certain the portal had to be here, but she’d left disappointed. This time, she decided she needed to be more thorough. Her mother had told her the first time they met, just a few days ago, though it seemed much more distant now, that she believed Ru could find the portal, that she had everything she needed inside of her. Now, Ru realized she must’ve been eluding to her Reaper blood. Surely, the half of her that had come from her father would want to find the opening to the world his ancestors had emerged from.
Ru raised both of her hands and began to feel the air between herself and the trees. Her teammates spread out, as if they were waiting for Nat and his minions to rear their ugly faces. Such a thought temporarily made her lose focus since Nat’s face was anything but ugly. With a sigh, Ru returned her attention to the tree in the middle. It made perfect sense that this is where it would be. But the air felt no different. Even placing her hand on the tree, there was nothing, no vibration of life, no heat, nothing at all. It was as if the tree was made of something unnatural, like foam, or concrete—or hate.
She made her way around to the back of the tree. It felt the same here. Frustrated, Ru dropped to her knees and felt down the side, reaching toward the earth and the blanket of dead leaves, brittle pine needles, and other debris. The ground felt different here, loose somehow. She slid her hands further apart, and the wider they stretched, the crumblier the ground became. “That’s odd,” she mumbled.
“What�
�s odd?” Cutter asked stepping around the trees to join her.
“The ground…” Ru replied. She decided it would be easier for him to feel it, so she pivoted on her boot, brushing her hands off, intending to turn around and move out of the way so that he could see for himself, but as her other foot came around, the ground gave way, and suddenly, Ru was falling, plummeting beneath the tree, sucked down backward.
Her stomach hit the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Visions of Alice in Wonderland filled her head as she scratched at the earth in front of her, trying to gain some traction, but there was none. Pine needles dug into her palms and rocks plowed into her knees. She managed to twist herself around so that her back was making contact with the rough side of the tunnel, but by then, she could see the ground rising up in front of her. Ru’s left foot hit first, gravity quickly causing her backside to slam into the hard earth.
It took her a moment to catch her breath and assess whether or not she was injured. Her hands stung from the scratches and her tailbone felt bruised, but other than that, and the possibility of some abrasions on her knees and stomach, she thought she was okay. Glancing up, she saw a small opening, maybe a foot across in diameter, about fifteen feet above her. Four heads peered down at her. “I’m okay!” she shouted up, hearing their sighs of relief from there.
“Where are you?” Cutter called.
“I don’t know,” Ru admitted. Looking around, she could hardly see anything, not even what was above her head, other than the hole, or how large the passage was. “It’s dark.”
“Use your light,” Cutter reminded her.
“Oh, yeah, right,” Ru muttered, feeling silly for having momentarily forgotten she could do that. With a bit of concentration, she illuminated her hand and took a careful look around.
She appeared to be in some sort of a tunnel, though it was difficult to see for certain because the passage twisted off in the distance so that she couldn’t see if it actually came to an end or if there was more beyond the bend. Above her, the ceiling consisted mostly of tangled tree roots and some larger rocks all woven together with packed dirt. Here, it was about four feet from floor to ceiling, which she realized would be problematic for a group of people where every member was over six feet tall. There was a possibility the passage would open up later on. Or it could narrow. Or the ceiling could crumble, suffocating all of them.