Chapter 45: Chapter 45
The sand beneath her feet felt soft and squishy. The water was warm as it lapped against her ankles and then retreated only to come and kiss her calves before darting back into the sea. The sun was high but it wasn’t particularly hot, and she knew immediately this must be a dream of some sort, though she wasn’t sure if she’d left her body. It couldn’t have been a memory, though, because Ru’d never walked along a beach like this before. The sea was a tranquil turquoise and the white sand led off into a mountain range covered in emerald green. Bouquets of flowers bloomed from the plants both in front of her and to her right, though they were a far distance from the string of footprints she was laying down, letting the pristine beach fill up most of her field of vision. The scent of the ocean, mingled with coconut and pineapple, was a sure sign she was either fast asleep or had just knocked over a display in a Bath and Body Works store. It smelled divine.
Looking down, she saw she was dressed in a blue floral wrap-around dress, the most prominent color being the same shade as her eyes. Her feet were bare, as they always seemed to be in these peculiar dreams, and her hair must’ve been up on top of her head because the wind brushed against her neck as she casually made her way through the surf, headed to nowhere.
Footsteps behind her were not alarming. She’d been expecting them from the moment she stepped into this make-believe paradise. She just wasn’t sure from which direction he would approach. Slowing her pace, it took him only a second to meet up with her. Ru didn’t bother to turn her head to acknowledge him. There was no doubt she’d find out shortly what it was that he wanted this time.
“What do you think?” Nat asked, falling into step beside her. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?”
“Gorgeous,” she agreed. “Is it a real place or did you completely construct it?”
“Me?” he asked, all innocent. “It’s your dream.”
Ru scoffed. “I know you’re building them, though, Nat.”
“Aw, there it is. I like it when you call me by my nickname. It makes me think maybe we’re friends.”
“We are not friends.” She turned to face him momentarily, noticing he was wearing bright blue swim trunks and a white T-shirt. She didn’t let her mind acknowledge how handsome he was. There was no point.
He laughed at her agitation. “So, you figure it out then? That we are in your head, but these are my thoughts?”
Without bothering to comment on how she’d come to that information, she asked, “How do you do that, exactly?”
“I’d love to show you,” he replied. “But… unless you join me, I’m afraid it will have to remain my little secret.”
“You know I will never join you.”
“Then,” he sighed loudly, “I guess you’ll never know.”
Ru shook her head at him as a particularly aggressive wave hit, the water reaching mid-thigh; she wondered if he had done that on purpose and decided he probably did. “You know, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but you likely don’t have much time. My friends are looking for you pretty aggressively, you know? And they aren’t exactly happy with me for not nabbing you before when I had the chance.”
“Nabbing me?” he repeated with a chuckle. “When did you have a chance to do that?”
Once again, she looked at him scrutinizingly. “You know what I mean. They think I should’ve at least tried.”
“No offense, Rune. I’m sure someday I’ll fear you, but as for now, I’m well-aware that you don’t know how to capture me.”
“I can knock you into those palm trees over there,” she reminded him, pointing at the foliage on the other side of the beach.
“Oh, I know. I could do the same. But I’m not here to hurt you.”
She accidentally caught his gaze and quickly looked away. She’d learned a long time ago that looking into those intense green orbs was dangerous. “What are you here for? Shouldn’t you be out collecting unmarked souls?” Her tone wasn’t accusatory.
He chuckled. “Haven’t had much of a chance to collect anyone recently, we’ve been so busy chasing your ass around.” She glanced over at him, not catching his eyes, wondering if he was serious. It did seem like there were a lot fewer names on the list recently. “I just wanted to see how it went with your mom, that’s all.”
Ru let out a long sigh. She’d already decided what she would say if he showed up at some point and asked about her. “Unfortunately, our information was wrong. She’s not even in Manchester. We’re headed back home to regroup.” Then, she widened her eyes and looked away quickly, hoping he’d fall for her lie and the idea that she hadn’t meant to deliver it.
“Wow, Ru,” Nat said, his bare feet kicking up sand as he reached a dry patch where the tide had yet to impose. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“Uh, yeah, you’re right. I was totally lying.” She stammered, hoping to throw him off again. “It definitely wasn’t Manchester. It was, uh, Shiresburg.” She was pretty sure that wasn’t even a place but that might make her “it’s not Manchester” story seem even more believable, so that maybe he would think it was Manchester.
“I love Shiresburg,” he replied, looking up at the cloudless blue sky as if he was reminiscing. “They have the best blood pudding there.”
Ru had to fight a snicker. She didn’t want to laugh at him, or with him. He was not her friend. “Look, Nat, I’m sad to say I didn’t find her. We really did think this was a valid place to look, but she’s not here. So… we really are headed home tomorrow. Now, is that all you wanted?” There was a shift in the air, as if something was stirring off in the distance, and she thought, perhaps, they were not alone. He would need to go if he was going to escape, assuming it was a Keeper. If it was a Reaper, well, she’d have to defend herself.
Whatever it was she was sensing, he was feeling it, too. He looked over his shoulder and then off into the trees. Pulling up short and turning to face her, he reached out and caught Ru’s arm. She expected some sort of exchange of electricity or a burn or something, but the feel of his hand on her elbow only radiated warmth, like Kyle’s touch. “Listen, Ru, I know you’re going to head back to Reaper’s Hollow soon. I know that Cutter changed your airline tickets so you’re no longer connecting. I’ve got to tell you—ask you—please, don’t try to close the portal. If you can find it, and that’s a big if, closing it will be more difficult than you can know. And we will have to do everything we can to stop you. People will get hurt. You might get hurt. You know, the last thing in the world I want is for something to happen to you. It’s time for you to stop letting Cutter make decisions for you. Just don’t do it, Ru. Please.”