Chapter 3

Rider had constructed the dark room in an effort to help Ru learn how to leave her body in a dream state to visit other realms and hunt down Reapers. She’d been able to do that eventually, through Cutter’s patient tutoring. But what she was about to do was completely different, and she had no idea if she could figure it out in time.

The moment Cutter closed the door, the room went pitch black, even though it was dusk outside. Rider had done a nice job of sealing out any places where even the thinnest stream of light could find its way through. Cutter used his own power to illuminate his fingertips so that they could see enough to make it across the room and drop to the floor in the same positions where he’d taught her how to leave her body to jump to another realm. She took a seat on the floor, and he sat next to her so that her knee was overlapping most of his folded legs. They both knew that, for some reason, making physical contact with him seemed to help her, so he didn’t resist when she scooted even closer.

“Okay, Ru. This is almost exactly the same as leaping into different realms. You’re still going to leave your body the same way, only, instead of jumping into the ether the way that you have before, you’re going directly to the location where you want to manifest.”

“Right,” Ru said, though absolutely nothing sounded right about what he’d just said. “And how, exactly, do I do that?”

Cutter gave her a reassuring smile which temporarily slowed her racing heart. “Just think about where your mom is, and concentrate on leaving the same way that you have in the past. Do you know where she might be this time of evening there?”

“What time is it there?” Ru asked, not sure how far ahead her mom’s time zone was.

“Well, it’s about 4:30 here, and she’s six hours ahead of us.”

“That means it’s 10:30 there. I’d guess she’d be at home.”

“Good. Since you’ve been to her house before, you should try thinking about what it was like to be there. Then…”

“Wait,” Ru cut him off. “She said that she does five hours of penance each night after work. That means she could still be at the church. Or on her way home…. If she knows Sky is coming, she could be anywhere.”

“Ru,” Cutter said softy, reaching over and placing his hand on her far arm so that he was almost hugging her, “just think about Maggie, and try to be where she is. You can do it.”

Swallowing hard, Ru nodded, but she couldn’t help but think out loud. “You’re going to leave me, aren’t you? If I can’t do it?”

“I’m going to wait for you, Ru. The others are likely already there.”

“But you can’t wait forever.”

“I won’t have to.” His grip tightened slightly. “You can do this.”

His piercing blue eyes were illuminated by the light coming from his free hand, and Ru saw nothing but confidence in her abilities there. It was too bad she didn’t feel the same way. With a deep breath, Ru closed her eyes. She felt Cutter extinguish his flame, leaving them in the pitch black. The feel of both of his hands on her bare arms was reassuring, but she was still afraid something would happen to her mom and she wouldn’t be there to stop it.

Ru listened to the rhythmic breathing from her own chest and Cutter’s. In a moment, they were in sync. She wished she could just grab ahold of his spirit as it left his body and go along like a stowaway, but she knew that wouldn’t work in this realm. She felt him adjust his hands, a reminder that she needed to focus, and she took several more deep breaths.

Focusing on her mother wasn’t that difficult. Her entire life, she’d wondered about her birth mom. Growing up in an adopted family where she clearly wasn’t wanted had been more than a little challenging for Ru, so the chance to meet her real family had felt like a new beginning, even if it was also terrifying. Having met her mother now, she was assured that all of the vague memories she had of her smiling face were nestled in the back of her mind, and her mother really did love her just as much as Ru had always hoped she did.

She had been at her mom’s house just the day before, though the long plane ride home made it feel more like two days. She could remember how cramped it was in the quaint little hut. It had smelled fresh and clean though, with a hint of floral bouquet, just like her mother. But for some reason, Ru couldn’t envision her mother there now. Instead, she had the feeling her mom was still at the church, St. Mary’s, where she went every evening and all weekend long to say prayers for Ru’s father who was currently locked away in Hell. Ru hadn’t visited St. Mary’s while she was on Holy Island, but she could see her mother on her knees, her eyes shut tightly, feverishly praying for the lost soul of the man she loved more than anything—except possibly their daughter.

Maggie’s head would be bowed, her hands folded. She’d likely be in her work uniform. Her hair, now dyed dark brown, almost black, would be up in a ponytail, her blue eyes closed tightly. Her knees would rest on a prayer pillow to protect them from the ancient wooden beams of the floor where she spent so much time. A candle would be the only illumination. Yes, Ru could see the scene perfectly.

But she couldn’t get there. She felt the minutes passing, the second hand dancing by so quickly in her mind’s eye it was all a blur. Her friends would be waiting for her, Sky marching in like a conquering hero. And Ru would be left here alone. She wanted to give herself a pep talk, but the words wouldn’t come. If only she’d been raised with the others, by her grandmother, as her mother had intended. Or if her parents would’ve been able to stay together and live as a family. Then, she might know what she was doing. But right now, she was nothing but a failure. And all of these people thought she was the chosen one. She could almost laugh if it didn’t hurt so much.

Ru let a few more minutes pass before she realized she couldn’t hear Cutter breathing anymore. In fact, his hands were no longer resting on her arms, and she thought they must’ve slipped off when he’d left his body. It was just as well; if anyone could help her mother, it was him. She’d likely find a way to mess it all up anyway. Hopefully, her friends would find a way to keep her informed.

Defeated, Ru opened her eyes and was stunned by what she saw.