Peter waits at the top of the stairs like promised, his demon twining around his legs. I´d always liked the big cat – demon.

Her Eyes meet Saras and she suddenly starts to cower behind her Master.

I glance over at him and just get an accusing pair of eyes staring back at me. Fair enough, it wasn´t his fault the Cat was scared of him.

No one talks on the way to the dining hall. I feel my bodies confused response, while I try to eat. Not much actually makes it way down to my belly, and strange cramps are the response to it. Maybe for the first time I realize how little I have been eating.

Then, even the thought scares me and I promptly blame the bad food. Seems like I truthfully had been using my mouth prioritarily for snarky comments, instead of literally anything else.

I feel like the odd one out once more when we try to leave the room in the middle of the budding crowd, that pushes forward to get to their classes. Where I used to earn respect and space by generously using my elbows, I am now shoved around in the flood of siblings.

Peter and Sarazeel wait patiently for me at the doorstep, but it doesn´t make me feel any less of an invalid after this disastrous Breakfast.

We walk out the door together, and I follow Peter´s guide through the part of the house that I´d never visited before.

“So,”, I begin innocently, “not that I do not know, but what exactly will we even learn in those classes?”.

Peter sighs.

“Well, It´s a lot about the demons, and we often train them to fight – there´s almost always a fight when we´re outside. We also learn how strong our demons actually are, and what powers they possess … “

“Why don´t you just ask them?”, I question their methods immediately.

Sarah, who had walked by my side seems to listen in, even though his expression is almost bored.

“Wait up. We learn how to handle their powers, get to know them and their weaknesses...”

“And your teachers will take note of all of that.”

Peter slowly looks over to Sarazeel.

“Ok, Kara. Please tell me you keep instructing him to make those remarks.”

I raise an eyebrow.

We have arrived out in the open, in a field of sand in the middle of two buildings, where a little crowd has already gathered. I notice how Sarah has gotten Peter to the point where he even forgot to insist on calling him as “it”. Against my will, I can´t help but find it funny.

“No, I promise “It” came up with that. And it´s a legit concern! So our teachers are basically learning with us how to control our demons?”

Peter ignores the second part of my sentence, too used to my criticism of the Family.

“How funny. Sure, I did understand that “it”, your demon, is a boy, by now.”

Sarah clears his throat.

“I prefer the word “man”.”

I bite my lip so I don´t let out a chuckle. Now he´s clearly teasing Peter, for whatever reason.

Peter finally completely turns over to my demon.

“Oh, so you think you deserve to be called a man?

For a second I see a flimmer before my eyes, then they shoot into focus again. Sarazeel looks over at me.

“Master, you instructed me to alarm you if someone adamantly tries to get into contact with me. I think I am dealing with a specially persistent case right here -”

His brows narrow, and he ducks under Peters half hearted blow and is suddenly right by my side. He puts a hand firmly on my shoulder. I stare up at him, waiting for some kind of explanation for his sudden adherence, but he just looks into the distance.

When I follow his gaze, I see an adult disassemble himself from the crowd and come towards us.