Share
Chapter 139
Ru sat up abruptly, startling her mom and sending Piper scurrying for cover. Thankfully, nothing came shooting out of her hands. Her grandmother didn’t seem to miss a stitch as the knitting needles rattled on.
Wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, Ru looked around the room. Her mother’s eyes were wide in concern, but she said nothing, giving Ru time to compose herself. “Sorry,” Ru muttered. “I guess… I was dreaming.”
“Were you?” Nana Sue asked, not even looking up from her project. “Didn’t sound like it.”
“What do you mean?” Ru asked, hoping she hadn’t been talking in her sleep.
“Usually, when someone comes back so forcefully, it’s because they’ve been out of their body,” Maggie explained, reaching a comforting hand out and placing it on Ru’s shoulder.
It helped, and Ru settled back against the sofa. “Maybe it wasn’t a dream. I don’t know. It just seemed… odd.” She looked at each of their faces, not sure what she could say.
“You ca
Related chapters
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 140
A week had passed, and Ru still hadn’t mentioned the incident with Nat to Cutter, though it was difficult not to because she wanted to tell him everything. The more time they spent together, the more she realized just how lucky she was. After twenty-five years of one travesty after another, her entire life finally seemed to be coming together all at once. If it wasn’t for the legion of demons and Reapers who wanted to kill her, everything would be perfect. “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. Wind
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 141
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,” h
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 142
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
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 143
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 olde
Reaper's Hollow 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
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
Latest chapter
