Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Darkness enveloped them completely, rendering Cutter’s visuals useless but heightening the rest of his senses so that the faintest brush of Ru’s skin against his sent sparks through his bloodstream, causing gooseflesh to crawl up his arm. The scent of warm vanilla and nutmeg would’ve been intoxicating if he wasn’t constantly reminding himself he was in the dark room with her for a reason other than to revel in her fragrance. While part of him was overjoyed that she was finally beginning to understand how to transform to her spirit form, he knew he’d miss these intimate moments alone with her. It had also occurred to him that their cessation might be his salvation as it was abundantly clear that Ru thought of him only as a friend at best and an antagonist from time to time.

He sat next to her, his right arm held firmly in the grasp of both of her hands. She’d mentioned how it seemed to help her last time to anchor herself to him, and he was all for it. Her breathing was even now, bordering on shallow, and he waited for her to slip away, hoping it would actually be easier this time, though there really was no guarantee. Her innate fear was understandable, though counterproductive, and he couldn’t blame her for instinctively fighting against leaving the warmth and comfort of her own body.

After several minutes of concentration with no results and a deep sigh uttered into the inky blackness, he contemplated voicing a word of encouragement but didn’t want to bring her completely out of whatever state she’d managed to reach, so instead he adjusted his position so that his other arm was around her shoulders, as it had been on their successful conversion. She didn’t protest, and once again, her inhaling shallowed, her exhale barely discernible.

It only took a few more moments before he realized she’d done it. A proud smirk spread across his face as he followed along behind her, hopeful that she hadn’t yet gotten such a good handle on this that he wouldn’t be able to find her.

She was standing in the same brilliantly white in-between that she’d been in when he found her the day before, looking around as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. Cutter had learned to take his spirit form when he was very young, no more than three, so he didn’t quite recollect exactly how it felt the first few times the transformation was made, but he did enjoy watching Ru’s face light up in awe as she slowly surveyed her surroundings. It was difficult to let her know he was there because he enjoyed seeing her beautiful face full of wonder, but he knew they had a mission tonight, and the others would be waiting, likely already making their way through the forested area Rider would direct them to. Slowly, so as not to alarm her, Cutter stepped out of the veil, allowing Ru to see him. This trick was yet one more in a long list of items Ru had yet to learn.

“You did it,” he said once her eyes met his. The more time she spent with the Keepers, the more dazzling her eyes became, and they twinkled at him now, despite the fact that they were standing in a world filled with heavenly white light.

“Thank goodness,” she muttered, still looking around. “I wasn’t sure I could do it again.”

“I told you it would be easier the second time.” He stepped up next to her, and Ru extended her hand. He took it, even though he knew that, soon enough, she would understand she didn’t need to actually hold his hand to be anchored to him, nor was it always a necessity to be anchored to anyone at all. Before much longer, she’d be wanting to run off and explore by herself, like a child at the park. For now, he was glad to feel her hand in his.

“What do we do now?” she asked, looking at him with curious eyes. “How do we find Rider?”

“Well, why don’t you tell me?” he probed. “Do you feel anything at all?”

She looked at him with wide eyes, clearly surprised by the question, and began to look around. Her forehead crinkled. “Feel anything?” she repeated. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

“Do you remember yesterday when you found the opening by yourself? The one by the koi pond?” She slowly nodded. “Rider is calling to both of us, mentally. You should feel a tug in a specific direction that will lead you to where he is located. Remember, this place is between all other realms, so you can get to most of them from here.” He didn’t bother to attempt an explanation as to which ones could not be accessed from here. “The opening to the woods lies somewhere within these misty white walls. So… where is it?”

Ru let out a steady sigh. “You are going to make me work for everything, aren’t you?” she said quietly.

Cutter stifled a chuckle knowing the true work hadn’t even begun yet.

“Okay. Where are you Rider?” She took a step in one direction and then paused, turning back to look at him. He said nothing, waiting to see if she’d made her choice. Ru closed her eyes, and he assumed she was concentrating on feeling Rider’s call, an instinct she should’ve been born with. Even as a human, it wasn’t uncommon for a person to know when someone else was thinking intently about them. Ru surveyed the area again before her face lit up, and a smile broke out over her face. “He’s that way.” Her voice started off strong, as if she was certain, and then she began to waver, looking to him for guidance.

“You don’t trust yourself?”

“I want to,” she admitted, “but I’m scared. What if I’m wrong?”

“Then we’ll try again.”

Ru nodded. “No, I’m pretty sure we need to go that way.” Even though her words were full of confidence, he saw a flicker of doubt in her eyes and silently cursed Liddy Brown’s name for bringing Ru up in a world where she could do nothing right despite her intelligence and many talents.

Gesturing with his free hand, Cutter said, “Lead the way.”

“And if it’s not the right portal?”

“We’ll find him eventually.”

She held his gaze for a moment, and he was certain she was thinking about the creepy clown dream, or maybe the sexual encounter they’d accidentally walked into. Eventually, she’d get used to both scenarios. For now, she needed to follow her instincts.

“Okay,” Ru muttered, approaching the brilliant, shimmering air that indicated there was an opening. Almost the entire world here was full of them since they could be conjured for nearly all realms. The one that stood out to her was nearby, and with a deep breath, she closed her eyes and parted the air with her hand, stepping through. Cutter followed, his eyes open, watching her in fascination.

Ru didn’t open her eyes immediately, but when she did, a smile spread across her face, despite the dim surroundings. “I did it.” Her words were just above a whisper, but he was standing closely enough not only to hear them, but to catch the awe contained in the phrase.

“Well, it’s about time,” Rider teased, stepping out of the darkness between a pair of scraggly trees. “Nice job, Ru.”

“Thank you,” she beamed.

“Now, if you two wanna quit holdin’ hands and get to work, we’ve got a portal to Hell to find.” He winked at her, and Cutter watched Ru’s face turn red. Still, she didn’t drop his hand.

“We’ll be right with you,” Cutter replied, and Rider flashed them a crooked grin before stepping back through the shadows.

Ru’s grip on his hand strengthened. Cutter turned to face her. “Ru, you’re fine. You can let go of my hand.” Those were not the words he wanted to say, but they were the ones that needed to be said.

“I don’t want to,” she admitted, her face revealing how uncomfortable she was. “This place is… more than a little frightening.”

“I know,” Cutter nodded, smiling at her in an attempt to ease her tension a bit, though he didn’t think it was working yet. “But Ru, you don’t have anything to worry about. All four of us are here to help you, and you know how to find a portal if you need one. Can you feel any nearby?” He knew there were at least three portal openings off in the trees not too far from where they were standing.

She closed her eyes tightly, holding her head in the air in concentration. After a moment, she opened them. “Yeah,” she nodded. “But what if I accidentally step through one of them?”

“Then I’ll come and get you.”

“What if you can’t find me?”

“I’ll always find you.” She raised an eyebrow, and he realized that might’ve been a bit too intense. “Ru, you know how to get back to your body, and you can do that at any time.”

“What if there’s a Reaper in the woods?” She glanced around, clearly scared at the thought of the possibility.

“We’ll take him or her to pay a visit to Zu.”

“I don’t know how to do that.”

“I know. But we’ll be nearby. You’re fine.”

She held his eyes for a long moment, biting her bottom lip. Cutter pried his eyes off of her lush, pink flesh, focusing on her radiant eyes instead. He placed his free hand on her shoulder. “Ru, you’re fine.” He hoped his calmness would transfer through his touch.

It seemed to be working. Slowly, she released his hand, but her other hand grabbed ahold of his forearm between them. “You’re sure?”

Cutter couldn’t help but let a smile slide across his face. “Ru, it’s natural for you to be a bit frightened. But you faced down Thanatos all by yourself. There’s nothing as powerful or intimidating as him in these woods right now, I promise. Now, you can stick with me if you want to, but we need to follow our instincts and see if they will lead us to the portal, okay?”

A slow nod later, and she slid her hand down off of his arm. Cutter withdrew his hand, hating the fact that he no longer had an excuse to touch her, and they both turned, taking in the deep woods where they stood.