Ru sat on her sofa, her legs extended down the length of it, her laptop open in front of her, with Piper curled up at her feet. Spotify was blaring The Clash from her favorite punk playlist. Most people would be shocked to hear that she listened to this type of music, but it had gotten her through some dark times.Her keyboard had a very thick, plastic protector on top of it, and the rest of her laptop was not only in the thickest case she could find, she never set it directly on her lap, always putting a blanket or pillow between herself and the electronic device. So far, she’d only blown up one computer, and that had been years before. Replacing a hairdryer was one thing, but buying a new MacBook Air was another story.She’d been home for three hours, and most of that time had been spent researching special powers on the Internet. So far, she hadn’t found much reliable information. Other than some guy in Poughkeepsie

Ru sat straight up, sucking in air as if she’d actually been running through the woods. At first, she wasn’t sure where she was. A loud noise caught her attention, and she turned her head to see the television was on. Not exactly sure how that had happened, she fumbled for the remote on the coffee table. Piper was gone, likely frightened by the TV. The ceiling fan was also on, whirring around on high speed, and every light in the house, as far as Ru could see, was on, too. A noise was coming from the kitchen, another electric droning, and steadying herself, Ru rose to investigate. The blender was on, and the toaster had also been activated. Ru put on an oven mitt and turned them both off, along with the light switch.“It was just a dream,” she told herself as she methodically walked through the house, using the kitchen mitt to turn off the rest of the lights and the fan. She left the light on in her bedroom, knowing she’d be

She heard his footsteps on the porch and stood, grabbing her clutch and phone off of the table by the door just as he knocked. With a deep breath, Ru approached the door. Pulling it open, she forced a smile onto her face, even though her nerves were starting to get the better of her. She’d dated several guys, some of them even very attractive, but she’d never gone out with anyone like Cutter before.He was wearing a blue shirt that closely matched the color of his eyes, and for a moment, looking into them, Ru was transported back into her dream and a different set of electric orbs. She pushed the thought aside and concentrated on the handsome man in front of her. “Hi,” she said, “how are you?”“I’m great,” Cutter replied, smiling at her as he straightened his tie. “We match pretty well.”Ru realized not only was his tie black, he was wearing black slacks

Ru stared into Cutter’s eyes dumbfounded. She yanked her hand away from his, folding hers in her lap. “What do you mean?” she asked. “What do you mean that’s not my name? Of course it is. I’ve seen my own birth certificate.”Cutter glanced around, as if checking to see if other patrons were looking in their direction, her voice was so loud. No one seemed to be paying them any mind by Ru’s account, but she honestly didn’t care if they did. “Listen, Ru, I can explain everything. And I will. But I’m not sure this is the place to do it.”“Well, you picked it,” she reminded him, tossing her napkin down on the table next to her only half-eaten entrée.“No, I know,” he replied. “That’s not what I meant. I don’t think any restaurant, any public place, is the right one for this discussion.”

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