Lightning illuminated the room, in accord with a large crash of thunder, lighting up her eyes as she lay awake in bed. She couldn?t possibly sleep with so much electricity in the air, the residue bothering her elemental sensitivities. While fire was harmful and possibly fatal for Jewell (and she equally, if not more so, harmful to it) electricity was often far more deadly. The lightest brush with it and her entire being would prove to be a conduct, allowing it to cripple her magic as well as her physical body.
The rain had yet to begin but she could feel it stirring in the air, could feel that tense build up that was the precursor to a torrential downpour. The wind whipped about, stirring the curtains and teasing her bare shoulders. It had been stifling hot, too hot to wear anything more than a light dressing gown or those camisoles and shorts she had discovered and taken to, but the cool breeze off the water made her shiver and shift closer to Stephen (another bright flash of lighting had nothing to do with it).
One of the two little girls down the hall was having similar trouble sleeping. The thunder had scared Devyn awake and those same elemental sensitivities she shared with her mother kept her eyes open, wide, and frightened. She crawled out of her bed and over to where the sole other occupant of the room slept soundly. How Kerrick was not bothered by the thunder and lightning was an enigma but he was not at all pleased by being shaken awake by his twin.
?Go ?way.? He attempted to just roll over and bury his face into his pillow.
?But I?m scaaaared,? she drew the word out. ?I wanna stay with you.? She reached out and gave him a shove. ?Move over!?
?No, you kick!? He remained sprawled out over the bed with no room left for his sister.
She stomped her foot in exasperation which turned into a startled jump when a blast of thunder rocked the house, shaking the pictures on the wall. She glared at her brother, gave him one more shove, and resorted to her other option: ?Maaaama!? She called out, breaking the silence of the house. It was amazing to see how fast Jewell came running, jumping out of bed and clearing her mind of that state of half-sleep she had been in.
She frowned when she found her youngest just standing there in the middle of her room, seemingly okay, ?What?s wrong?? Grey eyes couldn?t help but take a paranoid look around to ensure there were no monsters lurking in the shadows.
?I?m scared.? She gave a sniffle to emphasize the point but couldn?t help tacking on, ?And Kerrick?s mean!?
?I?m sure he is,? she sighed. ?Would you like to come sleep with us tonight instead??
She nodded eagerly, that had been her ultimate goal of course. She held her arms out to be picked up and Jewell was too tired to argue with her on that, just leaning over to scoop her up in her arms. Kissing Kerrick?s brow to ease him back to sleep, she moved back to the master bedroom.
?Wha? be the problem, murinin?? Stephen queried as she came back in, her sudden departure having roused him.
?Devyn?s scared of the storm and wants to stay with us tonight.? Stephen just nodded as Jewell sat on the edge of the bed, setting Devyn down before she moved over to be near her husband, smiling as his arm curled about her waist. Her own did much the same for Devyn as the little girl got comfortable, hogging much of her mother?s pillow and closing her eyes as Jewell started to stroke her hair in a soothing manner. Her eyes flew open once more at another flash of lightning but both mother and daughter relaxed as that flash, and another boom of thunder, heralded the opening of the heavens and the downpour that had been threatening all evening.
It was only a matter of time before Devyn fell back asleep and Jewell felt it safe to follow her, the lightning no longer a worry as her element saturated both ground and air, and Stephen?s arm remained around her.
The rain had yet to begin but she could feel it stirring in the air, could feel that tense build up that was the precursor to a torrential downpour. The wind whipped about, stirring the curtains and teasing her bare shoulders. It had been stifling hot, too hot to wear anything more than a light dressing gown or those camisoles and shorts she had discovered and taken to, but the cool breeze off the water made her shiver and shift closer to Stephen (another bright flash of lighting had nothing to do with it).
One of the two little girls down the hall was having similar trouble sleeping. The thunder had scared Devyn awake and those same elemental sensitivities she shared with her mother kept her eyes open, wide, and frightened. She crawled out of her bed and over to where the sole other occupant of the room slept soundly. How Kerrick was not bothered by the thunder and lightning was an enigma but he was not at all pleased by being shaken awake by his twin.
?Go ?way.? He attempted to just roll over and bury his face into his pillow.
?But I?m scaaaared,? she drew the word out. ?I wanna stay with you.? She reached out and gave him a shove. ?Move over!?
?No, you kick!? He remained sprawled out over the bed with no room left for his sister.
She stomped her foot in exasperation which turned into a startled jump when a blast of thunder rocked the house, shaking the pictures on the wall. She glared at her brother, gave him one more shove, and resorted to her other option: ?Maaaama!? She called out, breaking the silence of the house. It was amazing to see how fast Jewell came running, jumping out of bed and clearing her mind of that state of half-sleep she had been in.
She frowned when she found her youngest just standing there in the middle of her room, seemingly okay, ?What?s wrong?? Grey eyes couldn?t help but take a paranoid look around to ensure there were no monsters lurking in the shadows.
?I?m scared.? She gave a sniffle to emphasize the point but couldn?t help tacking on, ?And Kerrick?s mean!?
?I?m sure he is,? she sighed. ?Would you like to come sleep with us tonight instead??
She nodded eagerly, that had been her ultimate goal of course. She held her arms out to be picked up and Jewell was too tired to argue with her on that, just leaning over to scoop her up in her arms. Kissing Kerrick?s brow to ease him back to sleep, she moved back to the master bedroom.
?Wha? be the problem, murinin?? Stephen queried as she came back in, her sudden departure having roused him.
?Devyn?s scared of the storm and wants to stay with us tonight.? Stephen just nodded as Jewell sat on the edge of the bed, setting Devyn down before she moved over to be near her husband, smiling as his arm curled about her waist. Her own did much the same for Devyn as the little girl got comfortable, hogging much of her mother?s pillow and closing her eyes as Jewell started to stroke her hair in a soothing manner. Her eyes flew open once more at another flash of lightning but both mother and daughter relaxed as that flash, and another boom of thunder, heralded the opening of the heavens and the downpour that had been threatening all evening.
It was only a matter of time before Devyn fell back asleep and Jewell felt it safe to follow her, the lightning no longer a worry as her element saturated both ground and air, and Stephen?s arm remained around her.