Chapter 46: Chapter 46
It was almost impossible to avoid his eyes, or the sincerity in his voice. He sounded as if he was genuinely scared for her safety, though there was a nagging in the back of her brain reminding her that he was the enemy. He could’ve been making this argument to avoid his own destruction. “I’m sorry, Nat. I don’t really have a lot of control over what the team decides to do.” It wasn’t true, and she could see in the way that he arched his eyebrows that he wasn’t buying it. She wanted to say more, to attempt to justify her reasoning, but she knew for certain now that someone was approaching. She turned her head to look behind them and saw a speck of a silhouette in the distance, gaining quickly. “You need to go.”
Nat could see it, too. He stared for a long moment before he returned his attention to her. “Just think about it, Ru. Think about your father. He may never be able to get out of his predicament if the portals are closed.”
There was no point in arguing, nor was there time. “Run. I’ll have to chase you.”
He looked confused, but only for a moment before it didn’t matter anymore, and with a sigh, Nat released her arm and took off in a flash down the beach, headed toward a plume of foliage that jutted out from the jungle ahead. Ru waited a few seconds before she took off after him, sending a message to her team that he was getting away and they needed to hurry, if it was even possible to transmit that many words. She prayed the ocean would wipe away the evidence in the sand of their leisurely, side-by-side stroll.
Ru watched as Nat leapt through a portal into another realm. He was about a hundred yards ahead of her when he went. Whoever was behind her was making up ground, and she decided she needed to hurry, too, if she was going to make it seem like she was chasing him. She wanted to be cautious, though. While she knew it was a Keeper behind her, she didn’t know if Nat was cruel enough to try to set a trap for her and whoever else was chasing him. She knew enough about Reapers and demons operated to know it was a possibility, so when she followed him through, she was careful.
As she jumped through the portal, she expected to leap into the white space or into another realm. Instead, Ru found herself lying flat on her back, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. With a gasp, she sat up. She was in the hotel room, in London, still fully dressed, lying on her bed in the same position she’d been in when she fell onto it after Cutter left. A glance at the clock told her only two hours had passed. “What the hell?” she muttered. She swiveled around and picked up her phone out of habit. There were no texts or missed calls. Shaking her head, she ran her hands across her face and straightened her hair. Had it all been a dream? At this point, it was impossible to tell. The only thing she could do was ask her teammates in the morning. If it had been one of them tracking Nat, then she’d have her answer. Otherwise, she’d never know. The idea that she could no longer tell her dreams from reality was unsettling.
Ru stumbled into the bathroom, still pondering Nat’s words and all that had happened on the beach. She understood that, whether he was really there or not, the message would’ve been the same. He definitely didn’t want her to close that portal. And yet, Ru felt she had to do it. More than anything else in the world, she wanted to make Reaper’s Hollow as safe as possible.
Her reflection showed a woman who looked tired and groggy but resolute. She definitely wasn’t the same shrinking violet she’d been when she first met Cutter. It had been such a pain not to even be able to touch electrical appliances or turn her own light on in her classroom. Now, she knew how to control her powers. They said if anyone could close the portals, it was her. Even if she wasn’t completely sure why everyone else had that kind of faith in her, she had faith in herself. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was meant to do something.
Ru turned on the tap and splashed some cold water on her face, trying to shake herself from the dream. It had been a long day, one she’d never forget. She’d finally found her mother. Knowing that Sera—or Maggie, as she preferred—had never wanted to leave her, had intended for her grandmother to raise her up as a Keeper, was one of the most important pieces of information she’d ever heard, only second to knowing that her mom loved her and wanted a relationship with her.
She patted her face dry with a towel and wondered if she’d ever fall asleep again after that. When she was younger, dreaming had been an escape. Whatever the topic of her dreams each night, there was a good chance they wouldn’t be half as bad as her reality. Now, falling asleep meant confronting monsters or running from friends. She didn’t need any more of either of those things tonight.
Ru let out a sigh and returned to the bedroom. She’d need to change into her PJs if she even wanted to think about going back to sleep as her clothes were not very comfortable. She was surprised she’d even fallen asleep in them in the first place. She wished Piper was there to make her feel better. Missing her best friend was definitely a downside to all of this. Of course, Cutter was quickly filling the void—not that she was expecting to share her bed with him anytime soon—and after what had transpired as she was telling him goodnight, she wondered if he even wanted that. Whatever was going on with him, she’d have to sort that out soon enough, or else they would drive each other crazy, and she had enough craziness in her life without worrying about him.
Having slipped into her nightgown, Ru double-checked her alarm and saw that it was set for 7:00, which should give her plenty of time to get ready and get to the airport. Reluctantly, she let her head hit the pillow. As she did so, she prayed that any more dreams for that night would be her own. Evading sleep wouldn’t be smart with everything she had ahead of her. At least the list was shorter now than it had been before. She could cross a few items off. She’d found her mom, and the part about destroying Thanatos may as well have been written in pencil because it likely wasn’t going to happen. She didn’t think she had it in her.
“Find the portals and close them,” she whispered to the ceiling. “Find the portal in Reaper’s Hollow, and close it. That’s next. I can do that. I will do that.” Resolute in each word, Ru nodded her head sharply and then closed her eyes, ready to awake the next day and fulfill her legacy. She was destined to close the portals, and she would. One way or another.