Ch. 3

By now, you probably know my brother is quite the dreamer. It's one of most endearing qualities, believe me. No one says the same about me. Probably because I don't like to talk about most of my dreams.
~

The sun was setting and the sky was red as blood. In the crimson light, the field where Rin stood was thick with the smell of death. Around her feet, the ground was slick with mud and blood.

Blood that was still seeping from the bodies.

As far as the eye could see, the grass was littered with the corpses of humans. Through a crimson haze, Rin could see the horrific claw marks that had ended their lives as well as the pools of blood and organs that lay puddled beneath them. In some cases, the heads had been torn clean off, their eyes still wide with terror.

Rin took a step back. As she did, her bare foot bumped into something. Turning around, the half-demon saw that the body's blond curls were stained red.

'That's Angie. And the others.' All around her were the bodies of the girls who had so often teased her. Now they wouldn't ever say a word against Rin again.

Rin's eyes came to rest on a trio of all-too-familiar bodies, one so much smaller than the others. Her heart pounded in her chest, filling her with strength. She looked down at her hands, only to find them covered with the blood of her family. A smile split across her face as the joy of killing spread through her veins like wildfire...

"No!" Rin bolted awake, gasping for breath. She looked down at her claws, relieved that they were clean of gore. Outside, the early summer sun was rising out of a clear blue sky. A sky that was- thank goodness- as far from the color of blood as possible.

Scrubbing the side of her face, Rin stood up and stretched. There was no way she was going to fall back asleep; might as well get some breakfast.

"Stupid dreams," the young half-demon muttered, stumbling into the bathroom. Turning on the sink's tap, Rin splashed cold water onto her flushed skin, shuddering in relief as the liquid washed away the troubled sleep. This wasn't the first time she'd dreamed of slaughter, but she could never get used to the feeling. The idea that killing her family would make her feel good was revolting.

"Merely your demon instincts. The desire to kill is present in all of us and it could very well save your life in a battle. Control yourself now and unleash your inner demon when the time is right," Rin intoned. Her uncle had repeated the words often enough. It was easy enough for Takashi oji-san to say; he and his family were all full-demons, control came so much easier to them. Between the mix of human and demon blood and her own bad temper, control was not exactly high on Rin's list of skills.

Rubbing her face dry on a nearby towel, Rin tromped downstairs. Henry and James were seated at the breakfast table, both of them talking over eggs on toast. Rin caught her brother's eye and he smiled.

"Hi, Rin."

"Ohaio, James-chan," Rin replied, nodding at her stepfather as he looked around at her.

"Ah, Rin, good morning. We were just talking about you."

"Oh?" Rin stepped closer to the table. Despite the squawk of seagulls, Rin had to admit that the eggs on toast looked delicious. Maybe she'd eat with her family today, depending on what Henry wanted.

"Yes," he said now, gesturing for Rin to sit down. "You see, your mother and I planned to head on up to London today. She and I need to do a bit of shopping and I thought I'd take her to lunch. So you and James will get to spend the day together."

"So, you just want me to keep an eye on my brother, right?"

"I want to spend the day with you anyway," James said, his brown eyes sincere.

"Well, how can I say no to that?" Rin asked, matching her brother's grin. "But first, I'd like breakfast."

"Toast or seagull?" Miranda asked as she swept into the kitchen.

"Meh, I'll take the toast and eggs. Save the seagulls for later."

"Hopefully, there will still be seagulls left." Miranda joined her family, bringing over two plates of eggs on toast for herself and her daughter. "Morning, love," she greeted James, kissing the top of his head."

"Morning, Mum. Are you and Dad going to be in London all day?"

"Yes. We'll be back dinnertime, though." Miranda smiled and took Henry's hand in her own. "Your father has promised me a special lunch, after all."

"Only the best," Henry agreed. "But I imagine Rin and James will have a lovely day as well."

"We will!" James declared with an affirming nod. Rin smiled as she swallowed her last bite of egg and toast. Trust James to vouch for her; most people would probably run away screaming if they found out they had to spend a full day with a half-demon.

Especially if you're going to kill them. Rin froze in her seat at the thought, feeling the toast crumbs catch in her throat. She gulped down some orange juice, hoping no one would notice the grimace on her face.

"Rin, are you alright?" No such luck.

"Fine, Mother. Just thinking. Want to go to the cliffs, James?"

"Yes."

"Sounds like they have their plans," Henry said, rising from the table. "So we'd best go along with ours, Miranda."

"Alright. But be careful up there, you two."

"Always, Mother."

"We'll be careful, Mum. I promise," James added.

"I know." Miranda smiled lovingly at her children. "I won't worry about you two. You're in good hands with each other."

Her mother was right, Rin thought as she and James followed their parents outside. Demon instincts or not, there was no way she'd ever hurt her little brother. And she certainly wasn't about to let anyone else harm him either. No, James was safe with her; she'd make sure of it!

"See you both later!" Miranda called as she climbed into the family car. The two adults waved as the car trundled out of the driveway and was lost to sight.

"Guess it's the two of us. To the cliffs, then?" Rin asked as she knelt down.

"Yes, please! Do you think we'll see any ships come in?" James asked as he climbed onto his sister's back.

"Only one way to find out. Let's go!" With a sweep of her wings, the siblings were airborne. A warm breeze caressed their faces as Rin and James soared off to the grassy cliffs that towered over the beach. Below them, the water shimmered like glass and the air was sweet with the scent of early summer flowers. Rin tilted her head and let the sun's rays wash over her. Already, she could tell that the day would be warm and bright, a far cry from the blood-drenched dreamland she'd left behind.

No, on a day like today, nothing bad could happen.
~

Looking back on it, the dream I'd had may have been a sign of things to come. Because that morning was the last time I ever saw my mother and step-father.