Illumine by Alivia Anders Page A

chain with a
    delicate wire wrapped white glass heart was pushed across the
    table towards me. Her lips curled into a catty sneer as she spoke.
    table towards me. Her lips curled into a catty sneer as she spoke.
    "He said when you'd see me to give this to you. It was the only
    thing your father left me that was pure."
    I nodded a numb thanks to her and rose from my seat,
    clutching the pendant in my hand. Without looking up I said,
    "Guess you were right after al. I guess I realy am monster." She
    stayed silent as I brushed past her and left but it wasn't until I was
    somewhere on the highway that I could shake off the feeling that
    she had been staring at me with a malicious gleefulness. Maybe she
    was finaly happy to know I had accepted my own fate.

    E L E V E N

    "You're not putting in enough effort. Come on, Essalie,
    you can do better than this."
    I stood in front of Kayden, panting as if I had run the
    longest marathon of my life at ful speed. Not even two days had
    passed since I had ventured out to see my Mother that Kayden
    had started harping on me about controling my abilities. We stood
    outside in my backyard amidst snow-soaked branches, the barren
    clay earth beneath my feet a welcoming reminder that life wasn't
    always filed with the frozen white stuff.
    "So what? I don't need to prove anything to you," I
    wheezed out between gasps for air. My lungs burned as a sharp
    acidic taste lapped against the back of my throat. Roling down
    onto the ground I winced and yanked up my sleeves to see fresh
    new bruises forming just as the old ones were starting to die off.
    Kayden had said it was because I wasn't using my gift more
    effectively, or as he put it, 'on a constant basis.' I had told him
    some days I just didn't feel like setting things on fire and wondering
    if I was going to accidentaly reduce my brother to ashes.
    I saw his faint shadow on the ground shake it's head while
    he muttered something low in a language I didn't understand. "I'm
    trying to help you and this is the thanks I get? Someone's not
    getting their World's Favorite Nephilim coffee cup this year."
    "You wouldn't know help if it bit you in the-" I stopped and
    let out a frustrated sigh. "Nevermind. I'm not in the mood for your
    let out a frustrated sigh. "Nevermind. I'm not in the mood for your
    games today, Kayden."
    He stood a few feet away, running his hand through his hair
    with a bored expression. "Ah, yes, because preparing for the
    eventual is a game. Sily me. Let's try a new game. How about
    Monopoly?"
    I kicked at the dirt and walked past him towards the
    house. "Screw your Monopoly."
    "What's the matter? Didn't have a good time with Mommy
    the other day?"
    I knew it was a ruse specificaly meant to set me off. I
    shouldn't have reacted, but something within me snapped and
    ripped at the seams to welcome every venomous thought front and
    center. A raw scream escaped my throat before I realized it, red
    coloring everything before me. Something inside of me whispered
    in a wild tone and I responded without thought, my arms snaking
    out to release two streams of fire that wrapped around Kayden
    and sealed him in a constricting grasp. Closing my hands into fists
    the bands wrapped tighter, his clothes and skin burning wherever
    the fire touched.
    Hands locked I brought them to a cross over my chest, the
    bands of flame carrying Kayden's dragging frame to stand in front
    of me. "Who are you," I spat out, "to say anything to me? You only
    want me to figure this out so you can kil me and move on in your
    existence as a slimy little leech roaming the plains."
    Kayden didn't struggle against the fire; if anything he was
    grinning, enjoying my display of unbridled power. "You don't
    understand, you haven't been around as long as I have." A new coil
    understand, you haven't been around as long as I have." A new coil
    of fire wrapped across his cheek and began to scorch the flesh.
    "You're a creature created for war. What do you think is going