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Chapter 144
The front of Nana Sue’s house was illuminated only by the lamp in the living room when Cutter pulled his mom’s car to a stop out front that evening. After a nice dinner and a game of Gin Rummy, which Ru had never played before, he volunteered to give her a ride home. The snow was lightly falling but it wasn’t too deep. Knowing she’d see him the next day, Ru didn’t make a huge production about telling him goodbye before she slipped out of the car and hurried up to the front porch, even though every time they parted now, it seemed like she was leaving a small part of herself behind.
Warmth radiated from the fireplace as Ru stepped inside. Nana sat knitting in her chair. Looking up, she smiled. “Oh, good. You’re home. I was beginning to wonder. How is the Michaels family?”
Piper rubbed up against Ru’s leg, and once she’d struggled out of her coat, she bent to rub her head. “They’re good,” she replied. “Windy made pot roast for dinner, so I decided to stay.” The aroma of
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Reaper's Hollow Chapter 145
Nana’s mouth hung open. “Take it away and dispose of it? Now just how in the world were you going to do that?” “White magic,” Ru whispered. “What?” Nana nearly came out of her chair. She turned to face her daughter. “You taught my granddaughter to use that same hocus pocus nonsense that got you into this trouble in the first place? Seraphina! So, help me….” “Wait—Nana! It’s okay!” Ru interrupted as Nana scooted to the edge of her seat like she would rise up and punch Maggie in the mouth. “It’s okay! I’ve already spoken to Raphael about it, and he is glad I did it.” She knew she was getting ahead of herself, but she saw no other way to even remotely calm her grandmother. Perhaps she should’ve opened with the comment that everything she was about to disclose was Archangel approved. “You spoke to Raphael?” Nana asked. At the same time, Maggie said, “Does that mean you did it?” Ru looked from one matron to the other. Both answers were the
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 146
The strain was still there, even after a few days had passed. Though her mother and grandmother did their best to get along, Ru could feel the tension anytime the two of them were in the same room together. But then, the residual energy had been there already, before Ru mentioned that she’d changed Larkin into a human so that her parents could be together. It just seemed more prominent once there was something specific for them to disagree on again. Ru realized neither of them would ever be happy living under the same roof, so she was relieved when they were sent word that Sky’s forces were just about ready and they would likely be headed off to Japan within a few days. The sooner Ru could get the portal closed the better. As to the other part of her mission, she’d have to figure that out when the time came. Lyric had information from her sister she needed to pass on to the rest of the team, so they decided to meet at Rider’s house since he was the only one who didn’t live w
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 147
Ivy giggled and swatted at him. “You know everyone in this town.” “True,” Rider sighed. “Whoever it is, I hope they brought pie.” As he pulled himself up, Ru realized she had a funny feeling in her stomach. It wasn’t the burning, aching sensation she usually got when there was a Reaper present. It was more like butterflies. The sound of a crow calling in the distance made her realize who it was at the door, and she jumped up to follow Rider to the entryway. It was difficult to see over his shoulder as he pulled the door open, but Ru could tell by the conversation that her instincts were right. “Uh, can I help you?” Rider asked. “Hi, I’m so sorry to bother you, but a little birdie told me my daughter might be here.” Rider didn’t get a chance to respond as Ru ducked under his arm. “Dad!” she exclaimed, opening her arms wide. He embraced her and Ru felt like a little girl whose dad had been away on business for a while but promised to bring her a
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 148
“Do you want me to send Cutter to get you?” Ru wondered if her mother would be up to driving in her emotional state. For that matter, she wasn’t even sure if Maggie knew where Rider lived. “No, I’ll be there in a few minutes.” “Okay. See you in a bit. Love you, Mom.” “I love you, too, sweetheart. So very, very much.” Ru ended the call and was glad for Cutter’s hand on her shoulder. She melted into him and let him be her strength for a moment as she took some deep breaths. Her parents were going to be meeting again for the first time since she was a toddler. And, for the first time she could remember the three of them would be in the same room together. It was almost too much to comprehend. “How are you doing?” Cutter whispered into her ear, his arms around her waist now. “I’m okay,” Ru assured him. “It’s just more than I could’ve ever imagined.” She slipped her phone back into her pocket and turned to face him, his arms sliding around
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 149
Ru wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when she leapt into Sky’s realm, but what she saw was nothing like what she’d fantasized. Images of people floating around on white fluffy clouds, sliding down rainbows, and little cherubs playing harps had been her idea up till now, even though she supposed that was probably more what she should expect out of Heaven and not this place, which Cutter explained they usually referred to as The Depot because a lot of beings passed through here at one time or another to gain their assignments. Rather than looking like something out of a cartoon, it actually looked like a regular city. There were skyscrapers, busy streets with cars—regular ones, not the flying variety—and people walked along in regular clothes on their way to work or wherever they needed to go. The only difference between this place and New York City that Ru could note was that this place was a lot cleaner. Everything gleamed and shined in a sun that didn’t fill the sky but wa
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 150
Cutter squeezed her leg, and Ru realized it must be apparent she wasn’t paying attention. She tuned back in to hear Sky say, “Now, the team we are meant to protect so that they can get in and close the portal will be given the code name Alfred. This will allow us to be briefer in our communications about the team.” Sky continued to talk, and she knew it was important that she listen, since Ru would be involved in whatever the blue-haired Keeper was discussing presently, but curiosity got the better of her. “Why Alfred?” she whispered to Cutter. Without turning his head, he replied, “Alfred Nobel.” “Huh?” Ru was still confused. “The inventor of dynamite.” “Oh.” Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to Sky, who was giving her the same look Ru might give a student who wasn’t paying attention. Ru swallowed hard and made herself concentrate. “Alfred will be dispatched from here, a break in the forest away from the typical entrance
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 151
Navigating airports was hard enough for Ru when she was in countries where most everyone spoke English. Flying to Japan would’ve been completely overwhelming if Ivy wasn’t fluent in Japanese and Mandarin, especially when they had to switch planes in Shanghai. Luckily, the gentle-natured Keeper had managed to keep all of them in line and they’d made their way to Shizuoka Airport with little incident, though Rider complained about the lack of legroom on the commuter jet nearly the whole flight. Thank goodness for headphones, Ru had thought to herself. The entire van ride from the airport to their hotel, a place Ru hadn’t even attempted to try to pronounce for fear she’d embarrass herself, her eyes were glued out the window. From the buildings, to the natural surroundings off in the distance, to the smiling faces of those they passed along the streets, Ru was fascinated. By the looks she was getting, so were the people staring back at her. Five tall blondes with blue e
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 152
Aokigahara sprawled in front of her like the untamed wild it was, trees encroaching into the neighboring farmlands and open spaces as if the forest insisted on reclaiming what used to be hers. From this direction, it was difficult to tell where the forest began and civilization ended, though Ru thought for certain she’d know when she crossed the line. She stifled a yawn and kept moving forward, one boot at a time, toward what might be her very last mission, if she had her way. Though she had fallen asleep for a few hours, for the most part, she’d gotten her wish and was able to stay up most of the night, with Cutter’s help, and the activity he’d chosen to occupy her certainly didn’t make her feel less worn out. The few hours she had spent in oblivion had been dreamless, as far as she knew. At least, if there had been dreams, they had been unmemorable. Her friends surrounded her as they made their way into the forest. Cutter was in front of her, Rider b
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