Chapter 33: Chapter 33

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 could face him. “And thank you for getting rid of the blackness. I really didn’t want to absorb that.”

He nodded. “I had no idea if it would work or not, but I couldn’t let it enter you. Who knows what damage it might’ve done? Even if you are strong enough to control it with your white light, it wasn’t worth finding out.”

“Do you know who’s in there?”

Cutter shook his head. “Guess we better go find out.”

Ru swallowed hard and pushed the car door open. Her legs were shaking as she headed toward the front door. Though she still felt she was important enough that they wouldn’t destroy or banish her for her actions, she knew she needed to start humbling herself a bit. No one liked a cocky Keeper.

Cutter took her hand and pushed open the front door. Ru took off her coat and Cutter hung it on a hook for her, doing the same with his own. From the foyer, they could see into the adjoining living room. His parents were both sitting on the sofa. Across the room, on another smaller couch sat a tall, blond, middle-aged man Ru had never seen before. There was a lightness about him she’d never seen with any other being, almost as if he were glowing. He wore a large black coat that almost looked as if it were made of fur—or feathers—over his suit, and when she entered, he stood.

“There she is,” he said quietly as he stepped forward. “Rune?”

Ru glanced at Cutter, whose face looked pale, which was saying something for him. “Y—yes,” she stammered.

“Please, come in. Have a seat.” He gestured at the chair next to him, and Ru did as she was told, even though she found it odd that he’d invite her in when it wasn’t his home.

“We’ll just be in the kitchen,” Windy said as she and Walt took off quickly toward the other end of the house.

“Cutter, you can stay,” the man said, pulling his pants up at the thigh before he sat back down.

Cutter sat on the couch his parents had vacated after mumbling, “Thank you, sir.”

“Ru, you’ve been a busy gal.”

“I have?” she asked, still uncertain if she should speak at all. “I have.”

“Found your mother, closed two portals, made your father a mortal. That’s a lot for one young Keeper who’s only known her powers a few months.”

“I suppose so….”

He cleared his throat. “I hear that you’ve served us quite well, young lady, though your attitude of late might be a bit… arrogant.”

Remembering all of her, “What are they going to do?” empty threats, Ru felt a bit embarrassed. “I apologize for that,” Ru said hastily. “I’m just not used to being very good at anything.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” he replied with a shrug. “Seems to me you have an awful lot of gifts that would be useful even as a human. You’re smart, pretty, kind. Good with kids.”

“True,” Ru admitted. “I never felt like any of those things were the case before, though.”

“I suppose not,” he replied. He took a deep breath. “Well, I won’t keep you long. I know you have important plans in the works. I just wanted to thank you, and to let you know, now that your father is a human, if your parents wish to be together, they may do so… under one condition.”

Ru felt her hopes raise and then come crashing back to the ground all at once. “What is that?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

“Simple,” he shrugged. “Close the remaining portal.”

“That I can do,” she said, nodding confidently.

“And… get rid of Thanatos. He’s been a thorn in our side for long enough. It’s time his reign was over.”

Ru felt her breath catch. Was she now receiving the same order that Nat had against her? To destroy him? “But… sir, what if… what if he’s not there… or I can’t?”

“Why couldn’t you?” he asked, his piercing blue eyes staring right through her. “He’s not any stronger than you are.”

“No, I know,” she admitted, fumbling for words. “It’s just… I see good in him, sir. I see, that if he were given a choice, maybe, he’d choose the light.”

“Oh, Rune. You are so naïve, sweet child. Thanatos has had every opportunity to choose goodness, just like every other creature. He has chosen evil. And for that, he must be destroyed. I rest assured you can, and will, find a way to get it done.” He was already up and off of the sofa, and Ru found herself scrambling to stand.

Words of protest welled up inside of her, but one glance at Cutter’s expression let her know she needed to let it go. “Yes, sir,” she whispered, though she didn’t know how she could ever bring herself to do it. She’d even told Nat she’d never destroy him.

“Don’t let your kindness be a weakness, Rune. I chose you for these tasks on purpose, my child. Don’t fail me.” He looked at her sternly one last time and then, in a flash of bright light that had her closing her eyes tightly, he was gone.

When Ru blinked her eyes open, she found there were tears in them. She wanted to blame it on the brilliant flash of light, but she knew that wasn’t all of it. Cutter was there in an instant with his arms around her. “Are you okay?” he asked, pulling her against his chest.

“I’m okay,” she replied quietly. “I’m glad he wasn’t angry about my dad. Or anything else.”

“I know. I’m shocked,” Cutter mumbled into her hair. “Ru, I know you don’t want to kill Nat, but when the time comes, you’ll be able to do it. I’ll help you.”

Ru nodded. She could feel a headache coming on, and all she could think about was going to sleep. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice,” she replied, resting her head on Cutter’s shoulder. “I guess when God tells you to do something, you do it.”

A vibration in his shoulder let her know he was laughing at her. Ru stood straight and looked him in the eyes, one eyebrow raised, waiting. “That wasn’t God, Ru,” he said, trying to control his smile.

“It wasn’t?” she asked, confused. “Then what was with the, ‘I chose you, my child,’ business?”

“That… was Raphael.”

“Raphael?” she repeated. “Oh.” She shook her head. That made sense. He was her great-great-grandfather, or something. Once again, her head began to ache. She rested her forehead back onto Cutter’s shoulder. “May as well have been God,” she mumbled. “I’ve still been ordered to do something I don’t want to do.”

“I know.” Cutter pulled her in closer. “It’ll be okay, though. I promise. We’ll figure it out. Together.”

Ru appreciated the fact that Cutter wanted to help, but she was afraid that, in the end, she’d be forced to make a decision, one she couldn’t fathom.

“Why don’t you go up to Leaf’s room and rest for a little while?” Cutter suggested. “I think you’ve probably had enough demons for one day.”

“Okay,” Ru mumbled. Thoughts of asking him to come with her were quickly dissipated when she thought about the loss his family had suffered. She held him tightly for another few moments before stepping back. He smiled at her, and Ru let their entwined fingers linger for a moment before she took a few steps toward the stairs.

As her foot fell on the first step, she turned back. “Cutter, what was up with the black? And that feathery coat?”

Shrugging, Cutter replied, “Remember, good guys don’t always wear white, Ru. The coat was probably to contain his wings.”

“Wings?”

“Yeah, he’s an Arch—an angel. Angels have wings. We don’t have them because we are half-human, remember? That’s why we have our scars.”

“Right.” Her mouth may have given the impression she understood, but she couldn’t fathom actually seeing a person with wings.

“You didn’t see any of the angels during the battle at Kayakoy?” he asked, taking a step toward the stairs.

“No,” Ru admitted. “I was inside the whole time. They were all outside, I guess.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Cutter nodded as if he was thinking back to their time in Turkey. “Well, I’m sure when we get to Japan, you’ll see a whole lot of them.”

“Something tells me, I’ll see a whole lot of things I’ve never imagined,” Ru muttered as she headed up the stairs. Thinking about all of the creatures his mother had been trying to teach her about and realizing she could come face to face with some of them had her stomach churning in a way that had nothing to do with special powers. Still, she’d faced some pretty terrible monsters before, of the demon, Reaper, and human variety, so she had to believe that however menacing her opponent appeared, she could handle it.

Those thoughts froze in her head as she pushed Leaf’s bedroom door open and saw a hologram-like figure standing near the bed waiting for her. This one she also knew she could handle, but she really didn’t want to, not right now anyway.

“Hi, Ru,” Cinder said, her image looking a little like Princess Leia projected from R2-D2 when she’s seeking her only hope. “How are you?”

Ru closed the door behind her because she wasn’t sure what this visit was all about. “Tired,” she replied curtly. “How did you even know where I was? I’m not staying here. Have you just been hanging out in this room in case I showed up?”

Cinder made a sound like a half-laugh, half-sigh. “No.” She had her right arm across her body, holding onto the bicep of her left arm, which was straight, and for a moment, Ru thought she looked like a child afraid of being punished. “Your pull is strong, Ru. You’re very easy to find if a person is looking for you.”

“Good to know.” Ru took a few steps toward her. “What do you want? If you want to yell at me for what I did for my dad, you’re too late. Raphael and I just spoke.”

“No, I know he was here. I just came to say… I’m sorry, Ru. I shouldn’t have interfered before, and I shouldn’t have been so rude to you when you came to talk to me about it.”