The Demon Inheritance

TWELVE

The next week was peaceful. As usual, I was doing research for my unborn sibling. My mother had told me that she figured it was a girl, and had no way of explaining how she knew. I hadn't really done much Croma training yet, but when I did, Mun and Nahara usually aided me. The Extants and I, plus Oliver, were all ready to go save Mary Clarkson. Our plan, we had all agreed, would not be put into action until after my parents had their wedding. I had even been in a good enough mood to invite Oliver, Dillan, Delta, and Fango to that occasion. Dillan volunteered to help me set it up.

"Did you drop Mary?" My mother had asked me whenever we had been making the dainty, pastel invitations. "You have been talking a lot more about this new group and, I have heard nothing new about Mary."

"Yes," I had lied, feeling guilt churn in my stomach. "I felt like changes had to be made. My new friends... have defended me a lot." I had added the second part to make my explanation less of a lie than it was. After all, they had saved me from my own plots several times. That was why I decided to give them a chance. That was why I decided to not hate them completely.

My mother had only shrugged. "Whatever you think is best. If you ever need to talk to me about it, I'm here."

During the week, Carter's vessel had been killed off, which was, according to him, painless. The only difference in his dead vessel is that I could not see him on earth. He was still in Croma, alive and well. Of course, my family couldn't know that (in fear that they would charge me with schizophrenia or something), so I was forced to go to Oliver's house to 'comfort' him. Instead, we got some training done in his bedroom.

Then, the wedding day came in May, Thursday.

Dillan took the liberty to be my date to the event. I'd just walked up to him, informed him he was my plus-one to the wedding, and he'd agreed. I'd chosen him, since Mary was gone.

My parents' wedding was one thing I hoped Mary wouldn't miss.

My dress was the one that my mother wore whenever my grandmother had gotten married to my grandfather. It was complete with ruffles and silky lace on the sleeve edges, and it was a bit itchy. The dress went past my knees. Finishing the innocent look the white gave me, I wore my mom's pale one-straps and a flower head band. Even some make-up. I was almost too happy to care. Almost. I still grimaced in hatred at my reflection.

Dillan placed his hands on his hips, grinning as I stepped out of the bathroom with my dress. The wedding hadn't even started yet, and my mother was still with her bridesmaid, my aunt, somewhere else. "Aw! You look like an innocent little doll child." He then put both hands behind his back. "How do I look?"

My black eyes skipped over the tux. The preacher had made him take the rose off of his chest pocket because it would have drawn attention to him rather than the groom. "Yeah, and you look like something from a really old video game with all those edges."

"I can not believe you just said that! I'm truly flattered. Video game characters are attractive." He smirked, taking my insult as a joke. I wasn't kidding. With how tight and angled his clothes were, he looked like a video game character with poor, sharp graphics. "Where is your dad?"

I shrugged. "Probably getting dressed. He is a neat freak when it comes to appearance on important days."

Dillan Raking began making a picture frame of his fingers around my face, and I felt my eyes narrowing in exasperation. "Can I take a picture of you and sell it? Because no way in Hell is anyone ever gonna see you look like this again. I mean, not until you marry Mary. But wait, you're probably gonna wear a tux, aren't you?"

I gave him a glare of disgust. I had nothing against gays, but I didn't have interest in anyone. Even if I did, I'd be as straight as a board. "Honestly, Dillan Raking? I am not going to marry her!"