Colorless

Chapter 5

My head is spinning.

"What?" I scream. "You have no idea what you're talking about!" I yell at Elijah. I have half a mind to go over there and smack that smirk right off his face.

"Oh, but don't I? Just like you said, you think we would have gone for a useless and irresponsible person like you if we could just as easily have gotten someone like your sister?"

"You asshole!" I growl.

"Your words sweetheart," Elijah smirks once more and rage boils in my blood.

"Ryan is my sister," I say, not sure if I'm speaking to them, or myself.

"Half-sister princess." I don't even have to look to know that Cal is glaring at him. But I don't care. 

Ryan and I have to have the same father. I mean, my mother was married to the guy. She wouldn't do that. She couldn't have. The world is rushing around me and my head feels heavy and light at the same time. I'm going to throw up. I run through the rooms and reach the front door, yanking it open, and go into the fresh air.

Breathe.

But I can't. I can't breathe or think. My mom cheated? Ryan isn't my sister? 

I  have to do these trials? 

I sit on the front steps and drop my head. I can hear Cal and Elijah fighting just inside the house.

"You better apologize to her!" Cal screams, more upset than she has been all day.

"She needed to hear it! What? We are just going to sit around while our only chance to do this whines about her whole damn life? This speeds up the process," Elijah says defensively. 

"Eli! The girl already thinks she is a burden and disappointment! You didn't need to say all that shit to her! Now go."

"Cal-"

"Go!"

It gets quiet, but then I hear footsteps, and someone sits right next to me.

"Look," Elijah starts, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or whatever. But you do need to understand that your sister is the same person she was before you knew you didn't have the same dad. That isn't going to change. But you helping us out could change the world. Cal was right about that." I looked at him and he gave me a sad smile. "We do need you."

I smiled back at him, and just as I realized that this was him without all his defenses and walls up, I drew my arm back, hand open, and brought it straight down on his left cheek.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that. Ever." He immediately touch his cheek, but a small smile spread across his face.

"Yes ma'am." I got up and headed back inside. Cal stood right in front of me. "Get Simon." She nodded and headed upstairs. Elijah came inside and stood next to me.

"So what now?" He says, and then it hits me.

"Now we find out how to prove I'm a Loris."

...

...

...

"I think I've got something!" Cal says happily. Simon drops his book and heads over to her. "Look, right here. It says, 'The first blood must be put through fire, coated in raven and phoenix ash. When the fire burns brighter, only then is the blood proven true.' "

"We don't have phoenix ash, Cal. And even if we did, we need it for healing." Simon says defeated.

"I know, but we haven't found anything else and I just think we should give this one a try."