The Demon Inheritance

THREE

"A little while ago, I discovered that you have a little brother or sister on the way."

My black eyes, normally dull coals parallel to each other on my 'resting bitch face', sparked with life. A smile wove its way onto my lips wide enough to show the bottoms of my pearly teeth. In my fifteen years of living, I'd always aspired to be an older sister to someone by blood, rather than soul, like with Mary Clarkson. "Awesome! Really awesome! Really, really awesome! That's... I don't even know what to say! How far along are you?"

"Six months, actually. And I just now discovered it! If it's a boy, we're thinking Tommy James Whitestone, like your father's grandpa. And if it's a girl, I'm thinking Rachael Lee Whitestone. We want to be surprised. What do you think, Emma?"

"I think that whatever name you chose, I won't really care. I just know I will love him or her or whatever with all my heart!" I grinned, eyes skipping over her stomach. "This is... exciting... I get to show them Metallica! And I'll beat up anyone who even looks at them! A-and..."

Mother laughed, ruffling my blonde curls. "You two are going to be dangerous, aren't you? I apologize for telling you so late... I was so wrapped up in everything, and I knew you were too. I should have told you sooner. And besides, I didn't find out until recently."

I shrugged, unable to wipe the stupid smile off my face. "I don't really feel bothered by that... I think right now, you could cut off my arm and I'd still forgive you!"

"Wow. You're that happy, huh?" She pulled away and removed herself from the edge of my bed, letting my mattress level itself out again. "Alright, I'll leave you to sleep. You have school tomorrow. Rest well, Emma." She leaned over to kiss my forehead, and then left my room soon after.

I glanced over at the pencil in my floor, uninspired to play around with my ability any further. After a dream of mine being fulfilled, I'd be too distracted and giddy to really do it without risk of hurting myself. I used my air only to retrieve my phone and lock my door. Then, I bid Mary goodnight via texting, and put my phone away once more.

Tomorrow, I had things to tell my best friend. One, my little sibling-to-come. Two, my ability.

***

In the following dream that hits me all at once, waving over me in sudden sleep opposed to my excited wakefulness that only occurred minutes ago, I am not me. I am not 'Lil', as I was before. I am, at this time, a warrior with long black hair. I am at the edge of the forest, narrowing my black eyes over into an abyss I know is forbidden. Holding a necklace with a symbol over it against my breast, I am filled with sudden courage. The symbol is a backwards three with a sharp top and a semi-circle bottom, like one I saw on Oliver's shirt in an earlier dream of mine. By the abyss, a few of the citizens are building a physical barrier to keep other from falling in. Until then, my character has created a sloped barrier of semi-transparent violet mental power to keep them from falling in, a wall at the end so they don't keep rolling.

"Ebony Kalos!" greets one of the more loyal workers. His shaggy, dirty blonde hair is partly covered with a metal cap, in he has a strange but useful-looking tool clasped in his hands. His face is smudged with earth. His gray eyes are sparked with excitement, as if building has caused great joy in him. As always, he is slouching. "How is Croma's illness?"

My character, uncontrolled by me, as if I see through her eyes rather than be her, dips her head back in greeting. "Hello, Carter Vurandoes. Croma is still ill. However, Jupus is still attempting to heal him along with the help of Gan Murondoes and Caleb Minios. I will not lie, we have not seen an illness like this before."

Carter glances down, pulling out a material of undefined color. "Hopefully, the barrier will help with that. I've heard he is sick because the Dark's demons keep breaking in. Disrupts his energy, or something. That right?" He presses the material into a gap in the wall, molding it to fill the inside. His stormy eyes lower in sadness. "I hope this will help."