The Demon Inheritance

THREE

"Just Ebony is fine," I say. "We'll get you back to Croma's castle, wash you up, and I'll show you around. Sound good?"

He dips his head, wiping his sticky hands onto the fabric of his thin, dirt-covered gown. "That sounds more than good... Ebony Kalos..."

***

In reality, not remembering anything about the morning except for walking through the doors with Mary, I was walking down the hallway to my classroom in Millton High School. Propping my bookbag over my angled shoulder, dipping my head to watch my tennis shoes jut in and out of my view, opposed to looking Mary Clarkson in the eyes. Overnight, I had become increasingly nervous about the wind and the strange dreams I'd been having. Besides, my zoning out was getting more and more frequent, lasting longer than the one before. I feared that, one day, I wouldn't be able to snap out of it. Besides, what if my wind wasn't an actual thing? Maybe I was going crazy. Maybe soon, I would wake up in an asylum, attempting to levitate the people in the cells around me.

"Something seems wrong, Sis..." Mary observed. "Are you okay?" Concern rolled off of her in waves.

I blinked, not looking up at her. "I'm fine. My mother's pregnant."

My best friend was taken aback. "I thought you wanted a little sibling. The idea always got you so psyched! What's bugging you?" Her worried frown was open and unhidden. That was something I loved about Mary; she worried about her loved ones. Of course, anyone did, but she showed genuine worry. It didn't matter what she was doing, she'd drop every thing for someone she cared about, and that was not something everyone could say and be telling the truth. "Is it something else, dude?"

I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell her or not; what if she thought I was crazy? What if she saw me do something with my air, and something bad happened? What if I hurt her with it? "There's something that... I'll tell you all about later..." I shrugged and continued walking to Gary Bluethorne's classroom. Mary said nothing else, and so the only sound that echoed throughout the hallway was the steady beat of our shoes hitting the floor, the loud laughter of a clique, and the shuffling sound of people digging through their lockers.

Mary asked me nothing else about it throughout the day, and I wasn't about to enlighten her.

***

I am the same character as before, by the name of Ebony Kalos. I sit on the edge of a garden full of exotic, unimaginable plants in varieties of colors I have never seen before. A few bushes are openly wilting, and I know it is because Croma is sick and can't keep them healthy. I know that he will be better soon, with the barrier finally being built and all.

My legs are dangling from the side of the rail of the third story of the castle. The vines curl around my limbs to keep me from falling over, which I don't plan on doing. The garden is my quiet place, when everyone else downstairs is being stressed, fighting, or, in this current case, having a dance.

Behind me, the door opens. The ivy parts ways to let whoever it is through, and then reconstruct themselves as the door closes. I turn to see the newcomer, Salt. His hair is soft, waving in the gentle breeze that snuggles up against the castle. His black eyes are bright with life, and a smile is snaked onto the pale skin of his face. He wears violet robes, as most Kalos members wear on occasions such as this. My robe bears jewels of a deep lilac color, unlike his plain ones. Here in Croma, equality was an all-around thing, but there had to be a way for them all to recognize me as royalty, even if I didn't like it.

"Jupus said you'd be up here, Ebony Kalos," says Salt. "Why aren't you downstairs, enjoying all the festivities?"

"We have dances here quite often," I say sullenly. "It keeps the Cromans from worrying too much. Of course, we have warriors outside in case something were to happen... That wall isn't going to keep out the demons, just keep us from falling in. A building will keep the demons out, and we're working on that."