by ID Johnson
He nodded. “She didn’t direct him to go in when I got myself into trouble, but she approved it. At the time, it probably seemed like a routine call. She had no idea she was sending him into an ambush.” He ran his free hand through his hair, and Ru could see him trying to shake the thoughts out of his head.
“He must’ve been something else for them to organize such a take down.” She wasn’t sure if her words were helpful or not, but the observation was true.
“Yeah, he was.” Cutter slid his arm further around her, pulling her close. “And that’s all the more reason why we need to be careful with you.”
She put her hands on his arm and let him hold her, relishing the feel of his strong arms holding her tight. Resting her head on his shoulder, she breathed him in. It was hard not to think about what had transpired in the dark room, but she wanted to focus on their mission… for now.
“Is your mom adjusting?” he asked quietly, as if he wasn’t sure if he should disturb her thoughts.
“I think so.” Ru pondered telling him about her mother’s request, but she didn’t know how he might react. Of course, she was pretty sure he’d tell her not to do it. Rather than bring it up just then, she asked, “Cutter, can you explain how Hell works? I don’t understand how Azrael and the other demons can hang out there, but that’s where we send them when they mess up.”
“Well, they’ve all already messed up,” he began. “I mean—they all deserve to be there because of their betrayal to God. But there are different areas of Hell, some we control, some they do, just like Earth. We banish them to Hell but to the places we control, ones they aren’t supposed to be able to escape. They control other places where they, currently, can come and go.”
“Can’t they still communicate even if they can’t get in and out?”
“Sure, they can use their spirit form. But, just like us, Reapers are a lot less powerful when they don’t have their bodies. The more of them we can lock down there or keep up here where we can pick them off, the better. It’s the going back and forth that is problematic. We can’t corner them.”
“And once we close the portals, that’ll be it? They won’t be able to hurt humans anymore?”
“I’m sure, eventually, the demons will find a way to create a new portal. They will find a way to come to the surface again, until God gets involved once more. But… we’ll make it a lot harder, and it will give us a chance to hunt down the Reapers on this side who are claiming the unmarked.”
It was all so complicated, it made Ru’s head hurt. She didn’t want to let go of Cutter’s arm to try to squeeze the confusion out of her head, so she buried her face in the crook of his neck instead.
“Are you tired?” he asked. “You seem like you are.”
“Yes,” Ru replied.
“Maybe you should go take a nap. I need to have a talk with Cinder anyway.”
Ru’s eyes flew open, her eyelashes brushing his skin, which caused him to jump back a bit. She gently kissed his neck in an attempt to apologize for tickling him. “I don’t think you should talk to Cinder.”
“Why not?” he asked, shifting so that he could partially look her in the face. “What she did is unacceptable.”
“True,” Ru agreed, “but, like you said about Sky, Cinder’s under a lot of pressure. She was just doing what she thought she was supposed to, I guess. Besides, I don’t think she’ll do it again. I’m pretty sure she learned her lesson.”
Cutter looked skeptical, but he shrugged. “If you don’t want me to say anything, I won’t. I guess knowing your mom is safe helps with that.”
“It does,” Ru agreed. But thoughts of her father made her stomach tighten. The suggestion of a nap sounded pretty good to her. “I think I will go lay down,” she said, sitting up. She hated that it caused him to drop his arm from around her. Suddenly, she felt exposed and cold. “Maybe… you could come with me?”
Cutter raised his eyebrows. “To take a nap?”
Ru smiled coyly. “Sure. Eventually.”
A crooked grin spread across Cutter’s face. “Luckily, my schedule just got cleared.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers and rays of warmth radiated through Ru’s body along with the feeling that nothing could ever harm her again.
Chapter 9
Nat looked around the room at the shambles of his team. He used that word loosely since, like most Reapers, they really had no loyalty to him or anyone else. They were here out of a last-ditch effort at self-preservation, and that hadn’t quite gone as hoped.
Raven was sprawled on a sofa near the window, which he would’ve thought odd if she were conscious since she normally hated the light. The bright sunshine streamed in, making her dark hair seem almost purple. She hadn’t been fully awake for more than a few minutes since they’d brought her here, earlier this morning. She had at least a few broken bones as well as a concussion. Nat would’ve felt badly for her if he were capable of caring about anyone else at all, which he’d accepted a long time ago would never be the case.
While most people would die to have an apartment in the Dakota, Nat would’ve killed to stay out of here. Unfortunately, he hadn’t killed enough Keepers—or any, for that matter, in their last engagement—and now his favorite place, the portal at Reaper’s Hollow, was permanently out-of-reach.
The view out the window was breathtaking by human standards, but it was nothing compared to his palace in the portal, where he could create whatever scenery he liked and would often watch warring dragons or villagers being stomped down by monsters. Somehow, Central Park wasn’t as enticing.
Raven would recover, eventually. It would’ve helped if they’d taken her to the emergency room, but there was no explaining her fractured skull and ribs, all of the lacerations and burns, without arousing suspicion, and while he had never feared human authorities, there was no sense dealing with that now. They’d called in a medicine woman to treat her, and when she’d left a few hours ago, she said give it a week. Or two. Not bad for all of the trauma Raven’s body had been through.
A few of the others had broken bones or wounds that had required stitches. Luckily, the only part of Nat that had been scathed was his ego. But if he didn’t find a way to handle Rune, soon, this was nothing compared to what his father would do to him. Letting out a sigh, Nat ran a hand through his hair and stepped away from the window. Unless he happened to see a mugging or murder, there was no use peering out at the New Yorkers.
He took a seat across the room, listening to Raven’s ragged breathing. Another Reaper, a younger man, almost a child, Nat admitted, by the name of Striker, sat on another couch nearby, messing with the ace bandage wrapped around his broken arm. He’d have to go without a cast, but since Reapers could heal more quickly than humans, he was sure it would be fine. Next to him, Char sat with a bandage around her head. He realized they’d both survived because they were among the best he had, which didn’t seem to be saying much. Four more slept in adjoining bedrooms making their total casualties about fifty percent.
“What do we do now?” Char asked quietly, as if she didn’t want to disturb Raven. “Regroup? Invade?”
“I say we leave her the hell alone,” Striker muttered. “That bitch is… psycho.”
Nat raised an eyebrow, studying the young imbecile and wishing he was close enough to show Striker what it meant to be struck. “We wait for more troops and for the Keepers to let us know they’ve found another portal.”
“What if they don’t tell us?” Char asked, her black, spikey hair dancing as she shook her head. “I mean, what if they move and we don’t know it? We’re not there anymore, where we can see.”
“I still have eyes there,” Nat replied. Creepers, filthy little creatures he despised, not quite demons or rodents but somewhere in between, made perfect spies, and there were still plenty of them littered around the woods in Reaper’s Hollow. Not to mention the demon population hadn’t diminished any just because Nat had to find new quarters. While he could’ve found a house cl
oser by, being near Rune wasn’t a good idea right now, not when he was plotting her demise. The thought of killing her should’ve excited him, but instead, it made him feel hollow inside, like Ru’s death would cause him to lose part of himself, which was a foreign thought to him. Not caring about what happened to anyone at all, not even his own mother, was such a constant, he wasn’t sure if he’d even recognize having actual feelings for another person. Could that be what this strange sensation might be whenever he thought of ending Ru?
“I still think it’s a bad idea,” Char said. “I think we should just go ahead and get our troops to the portals and wait.”
“There are plenty of Reapers and demons at each location, I assure you,” Nat replied, growing more and more annoyed at both of them. “The problem is that, when Ru strikes, I have to be there. I need to be there.” To end her. He didn’t add the last thought aloud. It was understood. Besides, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
“Well, I’d rather not be,” Striker muttered.
“Keep it up, and you won’t be!” Nat pulled himself out of the chair and headed for his own bedroom, done with the discussion. He needed to be alone if he was going to figure out how to handle the situation with Ru. Resisting the urge to slam the door, he shut it quietly and then fell onto the large four-poster bed. This apartment had been in his family for as long as the Dakota had been in existence. His father had acquired it back when he made the Earthly world more of a priority. New York happened to be the place where his parents had met. His mother was nearby, but he wouldn’t go visit her. He didn’t even think about her anymore. She’d given him away, after all, to be raised by his demon father. That was reason enough to forget her.
Forgetting Rune wasn’t that simple, however. He’d reminded her the other night in the forest of the connection they had together, and her eyes immediately flew to Cutter, as if they also had a bond. But he could feel Rune’s energy in a way he’d never experienced before. He’d been with many women, both human and Reapers, and none of them had ever meant anything to him. He was slowly starting to realize Rune was the exception, and the thought was both exciting and revolting at the same time. If he was honest with himself, he could no longer deny that he had feelings for the woman. For weeks, he’d been attempting to convince himself that it was because of the ruse he’d pulled with Kyle. But lying on his bed alone with his own thoughts, he remembered reaching for her on the battlefield to pull her out of harm’s way, and then afterward, stroking her cheek as he beckoned her to join him. It hadn’t just been an attempt to talk her into joining their side, as much as he hated to admit it.
Closing the portal had changed everything. She was his sworn enemy now, for certain. Before she’d destroyed the portal, there was still hope of swaying her. Now, there was nothing he could do to spare her. Azrael had insisted she must die. If his father had the authority to actually write her name in his magical book, he’d do it. Unfortunately for him, that was not a power he had; only God could do it. Which is why he sent his Reapers after unmarked souls—to play God himself. Not only was Nat his son, he was also his most loyal Reaper. Until now. Suddenly, there were thoughts of doubt in his mind. How could he possibly stand across from Rune Ronobes on the battlefield and bring her brief life to an end?
Despite the fact that it was only late afternoon and the sun was streaming in his open bedroom window, Nat closed his eyes, hoping to find clarity, hoping to find a way to destroy the only thing he’d ever loved.
Ru pulled her bedspread up around her shoulders, careful not to disturb Cutter, who was sound asleep next to her, his arm still flung across her waist. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he’d actually left his body, but he was still there with her, just worn out completely. A smile spread across her face as she relished the feel of him. When she’d initially invited him upstairs, she thought they might just play around a bit, as they had earlier in the dark room. But things took a serious turn quite quickly, and by the time she’d completely surrendered herself to him, Ru realized what they shared was something far more powerful than she had ever imagined possible. Snuggling into his arms, inhaling his masculine scent, she felt the pull of their bond and knew this is where she belonged.
With her head next to his chest, Ru could hear the rhythmic beat of Cutter’s heart. Steady, unwavering, strong. Just like him. Her eyelids grew heavy, and Ru found solace in his embrace as she drifted off to sleep.
She was back in the garden. “Damn it,” Ru whispered. Looking down, she was happy to see she was dressed, at least in her spirit form. A long red gown flowed to the ground in a shade similar to the petals that rained down on her. Turning on her bare feet, she began to walk in the direction her gut told her would lead to Nat. She couldn’t see him with her eyes yet, but she knew he was there.
Off in the distance, perched up on the stone wall that surrounded the garden, he sat, dressed all in black, of course, polishing a long sword, which glinted in the light of the full moon. As she approached, he lowered the tip to the ground, setting the rag aside, waiting for her.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” she said under her breath as she stopped a few feet away from him. She knew she’d have to be cautious, not allowing him to take any of her thoughts, which Cutter had already warned was a possibility. “What do you want, Nat?”
“I’m fine, thanks. And you?”
She pursed her lips and folded her arms. “We are not friends. This is not a social call. What do you want?”
He sighed, and Ru noticed a sadness in his eyes she’d never noticed before. “Nat? What’s going on? You never beckon me if there’s not something important to discuss. Please tell me you and the rest of the Reapers have decided to step out of the way and let us close the portals.”
His eyes widened and he stared at her for a moment before breaking into a laugh. It wasn’t maniacal or evil sounding, just the laughter of someone amused by something a friend might’ve said. “Seriously, Rune? Do you think that might be the case? Do you even think that’s my call?”
Ru shrugged. “Why not? Aren’t you the boss? You’re Azrael’s son.”
“That’s right. I am. I am Azrael’s son. And he happens to be the boss, not me.” The melancholy expression was back in his eyes, and he looked away. “That’s not why I’m here, Rune.”
A moment of silence passed between them where all Ru could hear was the sound of the falling flower petals as they rode a blanket of air to the ground. The exhale of fairies’ breath, barely detectable, yet loud enough to fill the void. “What is it then?” she asked.
Nat’s eyes were fixed on the ground between his boots. He fingered the sword, rocked the handle, thumping it into the wall. Clearing his throat, he began to speak without looking at her. “I have to kill you.”
The message hit her inside somewhere deep, though Ru wasn’t sure if it was her gut, or her heart. In a way, the information wasn’t new—she’d assumed her mortal enemy was charged with ending her, but the fact that he had been ordered to do so made the situation more complicated. There’d never been any question that she’d close the portals without killing Nat if she could do so. The thought that he’d have to kill her to stop her from doing so narrowed her options as well.
“I don’t expect you to say anything, I guess,” he continued, his eyes flickering up to meet her gaze before dropping back to the ground. “I’m sure you won’t make it easy.”
“Well, if you expect me to just bow down and let you do your bidding, then, you will be disappointed,” she admitted. “But, I guess I’m just shocked to hear you say the words. You saved me the other night—from the bull. And I haven’t even thanked you for that. So, thank you. But… what’s changed?”
“What’s changed?” he replied, looking up at her now. “You closed the portal, Ru. The portal I was using—the one I was in charge of. Now, not only am I supposed to prevent you from closing the other two, I have to make sure you can’t do anything else ever.”
Mut
tering under her breath, Ru said, “Little hard to close portals I can’t find,” hoping to throw him off. “Listen, Nat, obviously, I don’t want you to kill me. But… I don’t want to kill you either.”
His expression changed only slightly. An eyebrow raised a tad; his eyes widened. “Why not?”
“Why not?” Ru smirked, the sound of an awkward laugh escaping her lips. “I don’t want to kill anyone. But you—you’re different than I ever expected you to be, Nat. I mean… I feel like, in another life, we could’ve been friends.”
He stared at her for a moment, his green eyes boring through her. “Friends?” he repeated.
Ru had experience with this tone now and realized his intentions were beyond her own. “Hypothetically?” she shrugged, allowing possibilities to fill her mind. They were talking about another world, after all. “Maybe… maybe more. I don’t know, because it doesn’t matter. This is this world.” The words sounded ridiculous considering she was standing in a dream realm. “I mean, things are what they are.”
“But they don’t have to be, Ru,” Nat insisted, tossing the sword aside and jumping down off of the wall. “We can create any world we want to.” He’d closed the distance so that there was only a foot or so between them.
“Nat,” Ru began wishing she could just wake herself and bring what was quickly becoming a nightmare to an end, “you know that’s impossible. Your father would never allow it. And besides… I’m a Keeper.”
“You don’t have to be.”
“Yes, I do. It’s in my blood. It’s who I am. Don’t bother to remind me I also have Reaper blood. I know that. But in my heart and soul, we both know I’m a Keeper.”
Slowly, he raised his hand and brushed back a loose strand of hair, his fingertips kissing her cheek. “I suppose we are at an impasse then.” Somehow, he managed a chuckle as he withdrew his hand and folded them in front of himself. “I have to kill you, and you don’t want to die.”
