Devil's Heir (6. The brightness Today)

THE BRIGHTNESS TODAY…

Evan continued looking at the sun. It had no effect on him, not the slightest flinch. Rihette made a small sound, "Ahem…"

"I told you, leave me alone. I gave you my reasons. Please… it’s a beg."

Evan felt tears gather in his eyes. His dry throat hurt. A soft light spread in the room as Rihette walked around the bed and perched on the windowsill, one leg dangling down. Evan wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Rihette heard him say, "I must be dreaming…" (sniff and sob in between), "There is nothing much to do… I must see Miss Dell. I’m hallucinating. I’m hallucinating…."

Evan continued chanting as Rihette stood up in front of him, "Evan, mind looking up for once?"

Evan still chanting the same, shook his head and looked up.

SMACK!

Evan, stunned and quite awake by now, looked up with wide eyes.

"Now does that bring you out of your sleep, Mr. Evan Doran?"

Rihette breathed in deeply and said, "I didn’t know someone who was apparently as bold as you could be a cry baby like… who else? YOU!"

Evan’s look of utter confusion irritated Rihette as she glared at him mercilessly, "Have you no sense of what is happening? Now what’s gotten into you?" She shook her head and said, "your teacher was right, you of all people are a dodo…."

She settled back on her seat- the window-sill. Evan stopped sobbing and said, "Well then I don’t think that you can understand how I feel. Not like you lost someone…"

‘Dodo, she said’, thought Evan; "How did you know that female called us a dodo? How did you…"

Rihette cut him off as she replied with a grin, "Well duh! I’ve been tracking you for the past few days… thought I’d rather confirm whether you really needed me or not…"

"Is this all really happening… I mean are you really here?"

She blew the air and it ruffled his hair out of his face, "If you felt that breeze, sure as hell, I am here."

Evan stood up, a bit groggy from the previous day and walked in the blink of an eye was next to Rihette. She smiled at him, he peered in her eyes and asked, "How did I do that?"

Rihette said gently climbing off and leading him towards the door, "Your powers are returning. Your coronation is drawing nearer Evan… Hurry…"

Evan confused slightly enquired, "Why…? Is something wrong?"

"No nothing’s wrong, unless of course you don’t want to start a fight with the devil again… he’s up and he’s looking for you."

Evan’s grip on Rihette’s hand grew tighter as he pushed open the door to the dining hall. The battlefield from yesterday. The ravens had obviously been cleaning up. The decoration had been changed from red to black and purple. There were specks of a few more colors here and there. The ravens seemed to leave him with his so- called privacy as he continued walking towards his seat. It was placed adjacent to the devil’s. Evan stifled a tiny wave of frustration when he saw the position of his chair. Maybe the devil wanted to nick away every bit of peace he had left- placing the chair right under his nose. ‘I’d rather sit in his lap…’ thought Evan as he settled on the chair while Rihette sat on the table, unnoticed by anybody but Evan. The breakfast was already laid. Evan waited for the devil. He had a feeling the devil would try to get into a sweet-talk. Rihette said in low tones, "Don’t act as if I’m there even if I talk to you. Play along if I trip something by mistake. Hark! Here he comes!"

Evan turned sheepishly to look at his uncle. He looked sort of ill. Had he beaten him up so badly that he had to look so ill till the next day. Objectionably, Evan was feeling sorry for his uncle. Rihette grumbled something about brainwashing people.

"Ah! Evan… I see, you turned up for breakfast… Not angry with me are you , young lad?"

Evan mildly surprised because he was expecting this said curtly, "Why would I? Yesterday was a draw…."

"The first one I believe. Son…"

Evan said through gritted teeth as he felt strength his confidence to him, "I’m not your son… my name’s Evan."

The devil sighed deeply and nodded, "Very well Evan, if that’s what you’d like to be called. I think it’s time you took my place…"

Evan was about to say something but Rihette muffled his mouth. Evan looked at her annoyed but she gave a wise old angel like expression and whispered into his ears (even though had she yelled anything, nobody would hear it), "Listen to him. Let him speak. Use your opportunities for your hatred lies beyond duty…"

‘What is she talking about? Oops I guess I shouldn’t be thinking about her now… he might understand’. Something told him that everything related to Rihette was immune to the devil. Still he avoided thinking of her after that.

"Yes Evan? What do you think? You proved yourself to be a suitable heir… now you are capable enough of handling the devil’s throne."

Rihette eyed the devil curiously as she heard Evan and the devil talk.

"I’m not sure, uncle… I don’t know a thing about the curse you rule… I don’t know what you do with the cursed…" His breathing quickened as he felt thoughts clogging in his mind. Everything was going the wrong way. Evan felt a hand on his shoulder, it was Rihette- "Evan don’t worry… we’ll get out of this. I’m with you… relax. Tell him you need time to think about this."

Evan tried to relax, he strained his dry mouth to say, "I guess I’ll need a few days to think it over. I’m not ready… yet."

The devil supported his frame on his elbows and slowly approximated his fingertips, "Oh yes you are Evan. How else can you explain yesterday’s phenomenon?"

Evan of course by now had understood that it was because of Rihette he had escaped the devil’s fire. Rihette searched for words to say that on Earth he was an incomplete soul. His other half was in Rihette as hers was in Evan’s. It had been very difficult for Razek to explain it to Rihette. Evan fiddled quietly with his fingers. How could he say that the person the devil had so ravishingly killed, had come back to him? At least that’s what he thought. Rihette whispered in his ear- "Tell him you need time to decide. He will let you take your time. Just say it."

Evan wondered if he was doing the right thing, "Uncle, I’ll tell you my decision after a week’s time. Let us start breakfast. I’m starving."

His uncle smiled and started on his food- meat, water, meat, coffee, meat, eggs, meat and did I mention-meat?

Evan glanced sideways to look at Rihette, she was wearing a lavender top with a blue jeans. Her feet, which had been bare, were now enclosed in 3-inch heels. He saw her pulling out a chocolate out of thin air and tear the wrapper. She saw him looking- "Sorry man! Can’t afford to give this to you in front of your uncle… he’ll know if I do."

"But I… "

"But what Evan?" asked his uncle, trying his best to sound kind but honestly, he sounded as if somebody had pulled at his vocal cords.

Evan licked the foam from over the coffee and said, "Nothing, I was just wondering if I should take a holiday from school today. I wanted to go out to the city… had some shopping to do."

Evan looked around and saw Rihette grinning, damn… she was good- it was Rihette. She was controlling his lips now. ‘That girl!’ thought Evan as he continued tasting the foam slowly.

"As you wish son… uh I mean Evan."

Evan wondered if the devil was genuinely fond of him or was he just faking it?