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Chapter 70
Unlike the real woods that stood near Angel Grove, only a few miles away from the historic home, these woods were shrouded in eternal night. Being part of a dream realm heightened the more sinister qualities of the location. The real woods would’ve appeared less menacing during the day, while it would always be just as dark, foggy, and uninviting here no matter the time, although it didn’t help that it was almost eleven at night when the team began their search.
Cutter kept Ru within eye sight, which wasn’t difficult considering she was more than a little scared to step out of his line of vision. She was also more than a little distracting, not only because he felt he was constantly checking on her location, but because it was her. While he was surrounded by twisted trees with long, scraggly branches, thick roots reaching up from the ground to snare a misplaced step, she was the embodiment of all things lovely and good, even in jeans an
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Reaper's Hollow Chapter 71
Ru headed off in the direction she’d gestured in, and Cutter followed behind, watching as she picked her way through the dense foliage, stopping from time to time as if she was trying to sense her way forward.It took nearly half an hour over the rough terrain for Ru to see something in front of them and hasten her pace. Cutter didn’t see it a first, but once the fog lifted a bit, he saw where she was headed. In front of them, three trees, remarkably shaped even more oddly than the others, stood out against the black backdrop. Unlike all of the other twisted, tangled trunks, whose bark was deep brown or even black, these trees were a dirty white, as if they’d once been made of chalk and had grown dingy over their years of standing amidst their darker neighbors.Ru stopped about ten feet away from them where there was a clearing. The fog here was thinner, more like a mist, and it didn’t encumber their vision at al
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 72
Popping antacids seemed to be a new trend, at least in Ru’s world; she shoved three more into her mouth and steered her car onto her mother’s street. She must’ve taken half a bottle of Tums between the time she’d gotten back to her room after the hunt last night and now, and she was thankful Rider seemed to have a never-diminishing supply, though he’d warned her they were not a long-term solution. Right now, she was just hoping to get the burning under control before she walked into her mother’s house. She needed to focus on what she wanted to say, not the fact that she might spew acidic vomit all over her mom’s pristine carpets.She wasn’t sure what had been so difficult the night before. Unlike the first time she’d gone with Cutter to the other realms, the woods had been painful in a way she hadn’t expected. It didn’t help that he couldn’t explain it. She’d done her best to d
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 73
Clearly, Liddy was not expecting that question, nor the commanding tone in which it was asked. The shocked expression on her face lingered for a long moment. If Cutter had taught Ru anything it was that she was more powerful than she’d ever given herself credit for. “Cutter grew up in the same town Seraphina did. He knows her mother. He came here looking for me, Mom.” It was difficult to let the word slip out of her lips, but then, she’d been choking on it for years. “I’m living with him and three other people now, all of them from the same place. And we’ll be going there in the next few days, looking for clues as to where she might be.” She said all of it with her jaw set, her gaze even, her insides on fire.Shaking her head, Liddy said. “I have no idea why you would do something so reckless, Ruin. And totally unnecessary. To give up everything you’ve worked so hard for to find a woman who cast
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 74
The flight from LaGuardia to Jackson, Wyoming, was a long one, almost six hours. Ru couldn’t believe how much more complicated it seemed to even get to the plane than it had when she was younger, though she likely wasn’t paying much attention when she was ten since she was in awe of the thought of getting on a plane at all. She’d felt so lucky her mother’s uncle had insisted on flying them all out for the funeral, Ru couldn’t believe she was actually awake—not dreaming—and included. Not that her mother could’ve explained to her distant family why she’d left a ten-year-old at home unattended.Ru had supposed she’d sit with the girls or Cutter on the flight, but she found herself nestled into a seat next to the window with Rider on the other side of an empty seat between them. He needed the aisle because of his long legs, or so he’d explained it. Ru could believe that, but she was pretty tal
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 75
“They’re definitely gone,” Raven said, her voice cutting through Nat’s thoughts like a heated blade through a block of ice. “Where they’ve gone, we can’t say for sure, but we expect it’s likely to their village.”“I would think that would be easy enough to establish.” He had his back to her, so rolling his eyes would lose its effect. That didn’t stop him from doing it anyway. “Check the airlines, Raven.”“Right. Anything else?”Rather than turn and address her, he dismissed her with a wave of his hand and listened for her footsteps to echo down the hall.It had been weeks since his failed attempt to take Rune in the woods, and since then he’d had nothing but time: time to reflect, time to regroup, time to regret. He’d been so close, and yet he still wasn’t sure exactly what it was that bet
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 76
Ru had only slept in a hotel a handful of nights in her entire life, and as she’d entered her room in Jackson, Wyoming, she’d remembered that the last time she’d been in such a place, she’d started a small fire with the cheap hairdryer in the bathroom. Her mother had been furious, claiming she could’ve burned down the entire building and killed hundreds of people. Ru had let her hair air dry for the next four or five years.The bed was a little hard for her taste, but Ru was pretty sure that wasn’t the only reason she had struggled to sleep. Her mind was still racing when her alarm went off, and she felt like she’d only gotten an hour or so of sleep. She hoped the people of Los Angeles didn’t judge a Keeper by her cover because she’d likely show up with bags under her eyes.She showered and got ready for the day, packing the few items she’d needed back into her suitcase as Pipe
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 77
The ride to Los Angeles from Jackson would take about four hours and would take her through scenic views Ru had only imagined or seen in textbooks. The landscape around her was so different than Upstate New York. They wound through peaks and valleys, plateaus and mountains, climbing in elevation, making their way further and further from civilization. The trees here even looked different, although Ru realized the twisted trunks of the forest etched in her mind were not reality compared to the typical varieties that grew in most areas of New England. Still, the wide-open spaces, the clear blue sky, and the fresh, crisp air captured her attention for most of the drive, calming her spirit at least as well as Cutter’s mind tricks.She sat in the middle row next to Ivy. Lyric was in the back next to the luggage, and the men were in the front, Rider insisting on driving. For the most part, the rest of them were quiet as well, and she assumed they were le
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 78
The house was white and small, even by Los Angeles standards. It sat back off of the road quite a ways, and several tall trees dotted the ample yard. It even looked like there might be an orchard in the back. Ru stood in the driveway for quite some time, her feet rooted in place despite the chilly November breeze. Cutter hung back by the car, giving her time.Ru imagined what it might’ve been like skipping up this driveway as a little girl, possibly bringing her grandmother a bouquet of fresh flowers, maybe staying long enough to bake cookies or learn to sew. She could envision herself as a small child in a long, flowing dress, bows in her hair, lovingly placed there by her mother, who told her to have fun and be back before dinner. Of course, those things had never happened. And now, she would walk into the home of this stranger and try to figure out how they were alike… and how they were different.She turned her head sli
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