Chapter 29: Chapter 29
Ru wanted to argue with him, 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 always have something to do with demons, although Liddy Brown also had that effect on her, and there was a pretty good chance she was hatched in Hell….
“Well, whatever it is, we need to get a handle on it, especially if Nat is planning something.”
“I thought you said you’d get Sky to handle that.” Now, she was growing even more concerned, and the stabbing pain in her stomach alerted her again, though she did her best not to grimace this time so as not to alarm him.
“And I’m sure she will, but ultimately, it will likely be you to take him out, Ru.”
Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. “What?” she asked, pulling away from him as she turned to look at him. “You think I can take out Thanatos?”
Though he was nodding adamantly, Cutter began to stutter. “Uh, yeah, probably. I mean, Ru, like we’ve been telling you all along, you’re far more powerful than you even realize, much more so than the rest of us. It will take someone of your caliber to defeat him once and for all.”
Her eyes were wide for a moment before she began to laugh. At first, it was just a giggle, but then, it quickly got out of hand, and before she knew it, she was doubled over in laughter as Cutter watched, flabbergasted. Minutes seemed to pass before she finally managed to compose herself enough to speak. “I’m sorry…” she began. “It’s just… I can’t even jump realms without a roadmap. My fire is a sparkler compared to yours. You honestly think that I’m going to be the most powerful Keeper, one that can defeat Thanatos?” Her cheeks were burning, and she realized she had tears rolling down her face. Cutter’s expression was still one of surprise but also resolute. He was serious.
“I know this has been an emotional rollercoaster for you, Ru. You should probably get some rest. We’ll talk about all of that later.”
Her laughter finally faded and she stared at him for a long moment before she finally said, “Okay.” Spending the next ten minutes trying to convince him he’d lost his mind would be a waste, and he was right; she was exhausted in every way possible.
“I’ll be sure to wake you before dinner.”
It was early afternoon, and she wondered if Windy would come home and cook for the two of them or if they’d have to fend for themselves, but she didn’t care at that moment. The cardboard cookie was sitting like a rock in her gullet, which ached from the anxiety pangs and the laugher. “All right. Just one more thing. Cutter, no one knows where we are going tomorrow, right? I mean, you didn’t tell Sky or anyone?”
“No,” he assured her. “The only people who know for sure are the people who were here and Nana if you told her. I said we had a lead when I asked for your passport, but I was vague.”
“Good,” she replied, quickly. Even though everyone had assured her that Sera was safe, the idea that she might get her mother into trouble was nagging at the back of her mind. She trusted her team, that was for certain, and there was no way that Nana would tell. So long as Cutter’s family was trustworthy, they should be fine waiting to report until after they had her mother.
Ru pulled herself up off of the step and stretched her back. She was a little surprised it was warm enough to sit outside this time of year in Wyoming, but she was thankful for the pleasant weather. She glanced down and noticed Cutter was staring at her. Clearly embarrassed, he looked away, and she didn’t know how to react, so she ignored the incident. It was odd to think he may have been checking her out when she wasn’t looking for weeks, and she hadn’t even noticed.
“See you later,” she said, giving him a small smile before heading toward the door. He muttered a response that sounded like “yep” and she went inside, relieved to have answers to some of her questions but aware that she had even more uncertainties to ponder now, but then, that seemed to be the norm around here; answer one question, fifteen more popped up.
On her way back upstairs, she paused to look at the family photos on the wall. There they all were, all five of them, smiling, sitting together in a studio portrait that resembled the one Liddy had of herself, Melissa, and Danielle in the living room at her house. She remembered Liddy explaining to anyone that asked why Ru wasn’t in the picture that it was because she had been sick. In actuality, she’d been left at home. She was six.
But this family, they looked happy, all of them. Even the parents. Leaf must’ve been in his late teens. Strong and indestructible. Cinder looked confident. Cutter was small and missing some teeth, which she assumed had fallen out naturally, not at the hand of a Reaper or other boogeyman. How might their expressions have been different if they’d known their family portrait was about to change forever in only a few years? But then, if Cutter’s family would’ve had the opportunity to know in advance that one of its members would be leaving them soon, would they have wanted to know? The more uncertain Ru’s future became, the more she decided ignorance really was bliss. Perhaps they would never find her mom. Or maybe, they’d find her and she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with the daughter she’d abandoned. For now, she’d choose to believe they’d locate Sera soon, and when they did, the reunion would be a happy one. Anything less than that was enough to make the ache in Ru’s heart rival the one in her gut, and she just couldn’t think about that, not now anyway.