eyes?" Lelet va’Everly was more interested in rooting through their oldest sister May’s jewelry box than what Scilla was working on. She found a pearl earring and held it up. "Wonder where the other one is."
"Lelly! Look. I drew this for you. It’s demons." Scilla pushed the book in front of her sister’s face.
"What are you doing with my journal? Are you writing in it?" Lelet snatched it out of her sister’s hands. "Oh, Scil. You drew all over it. Did you go in my room?"
"Rane gave it to me, he said you’d like it," said the girl. "He made me." She paused. "Am I in trouble?"
Lelet slammed the little notebook shut, remembering not to swear in front of her sister. A child of seven should be spared the kind of language she wanted to use, and as she was frequently reminded, she was a lady of thirteen and might consider acting like one. She took a deep breath. "Rane is not allowed in my room. And you are not allowed to draw all over my journal! Scil, you should know better, you’re not a baby." She opened the book again to assess the damage. A long, narrow face dominated by glowing red eyes and sharp teeth looked back at her. "Is this supposed to be me?" she asked.
"No, it’s demons," answered Scilla. "I know all about ‘em."
Lelet pushed a hairband decorated with dainty pink silk roses aside and found the matching pearl. She put the pair in the pocket of her dress. "Are you going to have nightmares now?" She picked up the rose band and held it up to her hair—which she wore cut just below her chin and dyed pale blue. She thought the pink roses suited her and they joined the earrings in her pocket.
"I don’t have nightmares," said Scilla indignantly. She picked up her red pen and began to draw eyes on her hand. "Red eyes and they can make themselves turn into fire."
Lelet shoved May’s bureau shut and turned to see what her sister was doing. "Quit drawing on yourself, May will have a fit."
"I wish I could turn myself into fire," Scilla added.
Lelet sighed and shook her head. Her little sister was always going on about something bizarre. Fire, demons; where did she come up with these things? She supposed it was for the best that in just a few years Scilla would leave for her new school, The Guardhouse, out near the coast. From what Lelet could tell, all they did was sit around all day and talk about things that didn’t even exist. Scil and her new classmates would probably get along famously.
May, the owner of the bureau, earrings, hairband, and room, walked in and found them in their usual positions: Scilla sitting on the floor gazing at Lelet, who was ignoring her in favor of whatever May left unlocked. She stood behind Lelet at her dresser.
"Hand it over," she said.
Lelet rolled her eyes and fished the earrings out of her pocket.
"And what else?" May asked.
"She took your hairband with the pink roses," Scilla said.
Lelet glared at the girl and tossed the headband on the dresser. "Rane was snooping in my room. He stole my journal." She folded her arms. "And Scilla’s talking like a crazy person again. Honestly, I am the only normal one in this family." She picked the band back up and began to fasten it in her short hair. "Can I borrow this? I’m going to dinner at Althee’s."
"Can I come?" asked Scilla.
"No," replied Lelet. "Only normal people allowed."
"Take that back at once," said May. "Scilla, I know it’s a considerable step down from dining with Miss Lelly, but please consider having dinner with Rane and me. We can talk about how boring it is to be so normal." She made a dreadful face behind Lelet’s back and Scilla giggled.
"Fine, sorry I said you weren’t normal." She picked up her journal and opened it so May could see Scilla’s artwork. "All little girls draw things like this."
May glanced at the drawing and said, "Good use of negative space, Scil. Would you make me one?"
"Ugh!" Lelet headed for the door. "I won’t be out late."
She left her sisters and headed out the door
"Lelly! Look. I drew this for you. It’s demons." Scilla pushed the book in front of her sister’s face.
"What are you doing with my journal? Are you writing in it?" Lelet snatched it out of her sister’s hands. "Oh, Scil. You drew all over it. Did you go in my room?"
"Rane gave it to me, he said you’d like it," said the girl. "He made me." She paused. "Am I in trouble?"
Lelet slammed the little notebook shut, remembering not to swear in front of her sister. A child of seven should be spared the kind of language she wanted to use, and as she was frequently reminded, she was a lady of thirteen and might consider acting like one. She took a deep breath. "Rane is not allowed in my room. And you are not allowed to draw all over my journal! Scil, you should know better, you’re not a baby." She opened the book again to assess the damage. A long, narrow face dominated by glowing red eyes and sharp teeth looked back at her. "Is this supposed to be me?" she asked.
"No, it’s demons," answered Scilla. "I know all about ‘em."
Lelet pushed a hairband decorated with dainty pink silk roses aside and found the matching pearl. She put the pair in the pocket of her dress. "Are you going to have nightmares now?" She picked up the rose band and held it up to her hair—which she wore cut just below her chin and dyed pale blue. She thought the pink roses suited her and they joined the earrings in her pocket.
"I don’t have nightmares," said Scilla indignantly. She picked up her red pen and began to draw eyes on her hand. "Red eyes and they can make themselves turn into fire."
Lelet shoved May’s bureau shut and turned to see what her sister was doing. "Quit drawing on yourself, May will have a fit."
"I wish I could turn myself into fire," Scilla added.
Lelet sighed and shook her head. Her little sister was always going on about something bizarre. Fire, demons; where did she come up with these things? She supposed it was for the best that in just a few years Scilla would leave for her new school, The Guardhouse, out near the coast. From what Lelet could tell, all they did was sit around all day and talk about things that didn’t even exist. Scil and her new classmates would probably get along famously.
May, the owner of the bureau, earrings, hairband, and room, walked in and found them in their usual positions: Scilla sitting on the floor gazing at Lelet, who was ignoring her in favor of whatever May left unlocked. She stood behind Lelet at her dresser.
"Hand it over," she said.
Lelet rolled her eyes and fished the earrings out of her pocket.
"And what else?" May asked.
"She took your hairband with the pink roses," Scilla said.
Lelet glared at the girl and tossed the headband on the dresser. "Rane was snooping in my room. He stole my journal." She folded her arms. "And Scilla’s talking like a crazy person again. Honestly, I am the only normal one in this family." She picked the band back up and began to fasten it in her short hair. "Can I borrow this? I’m going to dinner at Althee’s."
"Can I come?" asked Scilla.
"No," replied Lelet. "Only normal people allowed."
"Take that back at once," said May. "Scilla, I know it’s a considerable step down from dining with Miss Lelly, but please consider having dinner with Rane and me. We can talk about how boring it is to be so normal." She made a dreadful face behind Lelet’s back and Scilla giggled.
"Fine, sorry I said you weren’t normal." She picked up her journal and opened it so May could see Scilla’s artwork. "All little girls draw things like this."
May glanced at the drawing and said, "Good use of negative space, Scil. Would you make me one?"
"Ugh!" Lelet headed for the door. "I won’t be out late."
She left her sisters and headed out the door
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