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Chapter 29
Nat liked the dark. Even though this lair was fully equipped with every modern technological feature available, he didn’t turn any of them on. He preferred candlelight, and this evening he sat in a plush velvet chair, sipping red wine by the light of one solitary candle.
He’d missed his opportunity, and he knew it. She’d been so close, only a hand’s breadth away. Why hadn’t she trusted him? There was no reason for her to think he would harm her, none at all.
He set his goblet aside and rested his head back, wondering if it was even worth it to try again that same night. By now, the Keepers likely had her and were initiating their brainwashing techniques, resolute on turning her against him. If only he’d been successful when he’d had his opportunity.
A sound at the door caught his attention, and he turned to see Raven slinking in. “What is it?” he asked, turning away
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Reaper's Hollow Chapter 30
Ru wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry. “What do you mean everything I know about my past is a lie?” She glanced down at the paper again, and finding it offensive tossed it onto the coffee table. She could feel herself becoming very defensive now, so she tried breathing deeply through her nose. It wasn’t working.“Your mother’s name was, as you can see, Seraphina Raphaels. She is a Keeper. A descendant of Raphael’s.“Great. Now I’m related to a Ninja Turtle,” Ru mumbled.“Ru, please. This is serious.”With a loud humph, she said, “I’m sorry. Who is Raphael?”“An Archangel. We use our names to trace our lineage. So you are also a descendant of Raphael’s—not the cartoon character, or the artist, but the Archangel.”Ru licked her bottom lip, trying to im
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 31
Ru climbed into Cutter’s truck, wishing they could’ve taken any other vehicle, and Lyric, who was already in the driver’s seat, started it. Ru clicked her seatbelt and crossed her arms, hoping some distance and deep breaths would clear her mind, thought she didn’t feel any calmer now that she was outside.Lyric turned the truck around and headed back down the winding, nearly invisible lane. She pulled out onto the country road that snaked through the forest and eventually caught the highway that headed to Reaper’s Hollow. She didn’t say a word until they were nearly to town. “I like your bracelets,” she said quietly. “You’re a lot edgier than I would have thought, considering you’re a teacher.”Ru glanced down at her bangles. “Thanks. I guess.”Lyric snickered. “What do you listen to?”Ru glanced at her for
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 32
Cutter sat on the porch reflecting on what he’d done wrong. Clearly, it had been nearly everything, but he had no idea what he could’ve done differently. He had tried being direct, being completely honest, even letting her see for herself what they were capable of, but none of that seemed to matter. Now, she was out there alone, and he knew Nat had to have found her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dreamt of him. Whether Ru realized it or not, that dream wasn’t what she thought it was. He hoped his text was warning enough to keep her safe, but somehow, he didn’t think so.Lyric pulled into the driveway and got out of his truck. He was hopeful that she’d report she’d also had a discussion with Ru and now she was much more willing to believe, but he could tell by her solemn expression that wasn’t the case. “Well, that didn’t go as expected,” she muttered, tossing his keys back to him.
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 33
“And then, Steve said to follow him, so I did. But we forgot the potion, so I went back and got it. And Rupert was with us, but later, he died. And I was really sad about that. So I researched that if you keep the healing potion, you can save him, so I’m going to restart when I get home and see if that works.”Ira was standing next to her desk, telling her a story about Minecraft, and Ru was nodding along, even though she had no idea what he was talking about. “Wow, Ira, that sounds interesting. Can you tell me one more thing and then save the rest for recess?”“Sure,” he replied. The young boy continued to talk, but Ru was no longer listening at all. She caught a glimpse of Cutter over his shoulder in the hallway. He glanced in her direction and then looked away, taking his class down the hall, likely headed toward lunch, which is where Ru would be taking her friends in just a few minutes. Retu
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 34
Ru sat on her couch, her legs crisscrossed, her hands up, her eyes closed. She was doing her best to concentrate. If what Cutter said was true, and she really did have the same powers flowing within her, then she should be able to do what he had done. A little more research online, including the pages she’d found earlier where the kids were experimenting with powers like these, and she thought maybe now was the time to try it.Attempting to clear her mind, she concentrated on feeling her own energy flow freely through her body, visualizing a spark at her fingertips. Occasionally, she would think she felt something and opened her eyes to see—nothing. After a few hours, she collapsed onto the sofa, frustrated. “Gee, Ru, I wonder why you can’t make fire with your fingers? Maybe because everything Cutter said was made-up bullshit?”Her phone rang, and she sighed, hoping she hadn’t somehow just summoned hi
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 35
Ru stood on the top of a mountain, barren of any sort of life except for a few scraggly bushes in the distance. She felt the wind pick up, blowing the long white dress she wore out behind her. She was looking down into a rocky cavern illuminated by the moonlight, but she felt a presence behind her. Turning slowly, she wasn’t at all surprised to see the man standing there. Dressed in his black cloak, with his hood down around his shoulders, he stared at her. Even from twenty feet away, his green eyes seemed to penetrate her very soul.“How are you, Rune?” he asked, his melodic voice ringing out into the open air and dancing on the breeze. This time, his mouth moved. It was as if they were old friends.“Thanatos,” she said, acknowledging him. “What are we doing here?”“I wanted to speak to you,” he replied, no
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 36
Cutter opened his eyes and blinked a few times as his spirit form completely reunited with his body. It was a skill that had taken a while for him to learn at the age of five, but now, over twenty years later, he definitely had it down. The room was dark and a glance at the clock said it was about 3:30 in the morning.He was sitting on his bed in what one might call a lotus position, as he had been hours ago when he’d left his body to stay with Ru. He’d tried not to spy on her; the last thing he needed was for her to think he was invading her privacy, but he’d been certain for the last few weeks that Nat was stalking her. He’d showed up a time or two while Cutter was nearby but hadn’t attempted to manipulate her again. Until tonight.Jumping into Ru’s vision was a last resort, but it had been necessary. Nat’s promises were compelling, and he could tell from the moment he began to fill Ru’s
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 37
Rider had been hopping from one subconscious to another, attempting to pinpoint the location of the Reaper. He knew there was one nearby, but hunting in NYC was never easy. So many minds in such a compact area made it tough to find anyone.He’d just left a small boy dreaming about a day at the zoo with his parents when he got the sense a Reaper was in the same building. Jumping out of the dream, but staying in his spirit form, Rider felt with his mind. She was definitely close by, and she was no stranger.Following his instinct, Rider propelled himself into the mind of a woman on the third floor. Her sleep was not purely natural, as the empty bottles next to the bed would confess, and once he wound his way through thick layers of black, inky tendrils of depression and alcohol induced stupor, he landed in a dream that looked very much like the room she slept in.The woman, an African American lady who appeared to
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