Ru wanted to argue with Cutter, especially since she noticed how carefully he’d chosen his words, reassuring her that he thought of her only as a Keeper and not at all a Reaper, even though she had yet to reconcile that other part of herself at this point. Was it really as simple as choosing a side? If she had been capable of selecting an identity growing up, her life would’ve turned out much differently. She wouldn’t have chosen to be the unloved, under-appreciated, cast off “ugly stepsister.” Looking down, she realized his hand was on her arm, near her elbow, and noted this was the first time he had voluntarily touched her since her insensitive comment. The thought was fleeting, and she remembered his statement. “I don’t know, Cutter,” she admitted. “I guess it’s possible. I think it’s more like an ulcer at this point, though.” Her stomach screamed at her whenever she got anxious or upset, which didn’t a

“Really?” Kyle asked. Before she could answer, he dropped to his knee. “Hey, Ira, how would you like to go to a place where everything is made of Legos? You can build whatever you want to, all day long. No school. No interruption. Sounds cool, doesn’t it? Wanna go?”She could tell by Ira’s excited reaction he was considering it. Regardless of his preferences, she put both hands on his shoulders. “No!” she said, pulling him back a few steps. “You can’t do that! You can’t lie to him to get him to come with you.”“I’m not lying,” Kyle protested. “It’s true. What do you say, buddy?”Ira pulled away from her, giving her the harsh look he dealt to those who touched him without permission. “Stop, Ms. Roberts,” he insisted.“Ira,” she said, ducking her head to look into his eyes, “this is

Ru erupted back into Leaf’s bed with a resounding boom which shook the room. She’d never experienced anything like it, but as her eyes flew open, she realized her body was gyrating and the bed was vibrating across the floor. The lights were still off, as were the other electronic devices, but the feeling in her stomach seemed to be surfacing, and as she watched, the darkness came to life as the pain seemed to gather into a sphere inside of her and erupted out of her hand in a surge of energy. Confusion swept over her as she realized this wasn’t the warm blue light she was used to. Even in the darkness, she could see the blackness ejected from her right palm, leaving trails of smoke in its wake as it dissipated into the room. Her eyes were wide with bewilderment. It looked just like the puff Nat used to propel himself into another realm.Before she could even begin to consider what might’ve been happening, the bedroom door flew open and Cutter was stand

London wasn’t exactly what Ru had imagined it would be. In her mind, it was the hauntingly beautiful, foggy world of Dickens and Peter Pan. In reality, it was a lot like every other noisy, crowded city she’d ever visited, although some of the architecture was unlike anything she’d ever imagined. Perhaps if she’d had more time to actually visit some of the touristy places, she’d have come away with a different impression, but for now, she would rather read about the capital of Great Britain than actually visit.She had plenty of time to reflect on the city as Rider steered their rented van down winding rural roads leading out of the congestion toward the serene Holy Island. It would be a seven-hour drive, and a glance at the time on her phone told Ru they weren’t even halfway there.They’d had to plan their trip carefully because of the tides that covered the causeway every day. She’d left all the planning to other team me

Though the diner had been crowded, there weren’t a lot of vehicles in the parking lot, and looking up at the castle in the distance, Ru could see why. There must’ve been a thousand steps. The castle sat on top of a hill, and there was a stairwell that wound its way around the base. In the sunlight, the bricks gave off a golden glow. With the backdrop of the sea behind it, the scene was breathtaking.“Guess we’ll be getting in our cardio,” Rider mumbled, pulling the keys out and opening his door.“This place will literally take your breath away,” Ivy agreed as she climbed from the far back seat of the van and followed her teammates out.Ru was hardly aware of what everyone else was doing as she stared at the fortress before her. The hum was softer now, but not more distant, just more content, as if it was pleased with her choices. She would’ve continued to sit in the van indefinitely, just staring at the complex, if