Daeva: Black Diamond Chrysalis - Danielle Bolger (essential reading txt) 📗

the nail: a distinctive atmosphere that is attached to or generated by a person, thing or place. In spiritualism this is seen as the visual manifestation of a living body's emotional, mental and spiritual energies. Or, put into other words, the bits that made up a person's soul. And as I looked around the brightly lit room, the twinkling air and my own shining skin that didn't seem to quit fit inside me I could see that to be a reality.

I sighed as I finally relented to my growing fatigue and switched off my computer. I guessed I really had to wait until I saw Ariel again to find my answers only that I wanted them now and did not know how soon I would see her again.

After my plea to be trained as a daeva, Raziel had simply told me to go home and get some rest and promised that Ariel would seek me out and would instruct me in all I desired. I did as he ordered and went home, eventually, but that was not before running through the forest as I drunk in its splendour. Even though night fell quickly and the awing rivers in the sky faded, the world still provided beauty with ample quantity. I had run up the hills, seeing the green leaves sway before the wind hit them; over rocks that had teeming ants dashing under them; past animals hiding within logs and on top of tree branches that kept their bodies very still but not their fretting minds as I saw their thoughts shake, wondering what massive beast passed and whether it would just leave them alone tonight. Then, when I found a stream, I saw water rush through it with such energy that it shone white against the black sky, the drops of water cascading past each other like handfuls of diamonds descending through the air.

It took me some time to remember how late it had gotten and that I should have probably returned home so my eldest brother wouldn't have a conniption. When I came back I said hi and walked straight into my bedroom where my curiosity drew me straight to my computer. It took him a few minutes to come and interrupt me, no doubt he put off that obligation as long as he could.. But by the time I laid in bed I had known he was already gone. He had to work all night at Sax's, a bar that was open every night of the week where my brother made cocktails for successful business people where fine drinking was actually paid for by their corporations. That was my oldest brother's life, to clean up the terd of animals during the day and to serve it to the animals at night. That was his endless cycle, that was how he made enough money to parent his younger siblings.

As soon as I rested my head on my pillow I felt my fatigue grab hold of me, lulling my eyes instantly into a half-closed state, but still I resisted them from fully shutting, there was just too much to see and I was afraid that if I did close my eyes then maybe when I woke up I would never be able to witness all the beauty again. I was still in darkness, even more acute than before with my computer now being switched off and my curtains pulled across, but still the world continued to be illuminated. I still saw the dots of light float happily through the air. Not so intense as at dusk, but they could be seen. So many colours, each seeming to hold their own characters: reasons for happiness, desires for existing but then also tragedies that made their brilliance fade. This dust of the world, I realised, was its soul and just like any other it felt emotion.

But, despite my aversion I did drift off to sleep and when wakefulness came back to claim me I became aware of a grimy coating on my body, perspiration I realised. It was currently autumn so up on the mountain the weather certainly was not hot and neither was I. But these I discerned were cold-sweats, as if I held an infection and my immune system was simply in over-active.

I opened my eyes then, raised a hand up and smiled. I saw my flesh shine as if I was part of an oversaturated photo where my colour even leaked outside the lines and into the surrounding world. I moved my hand left, the colour moved too but in a strange blur part of it seemed to hang back, then rushed across to rejoin with that body part. I moved it quickly to the right and the colour, with a delayed moment seemed to register and then darted so quickly I thought it even looked panicked. I giggled as I did it again to the other side and just as before, the high chroma colour skirted over belatedly, but jagged and disjointed, as if each small portion had its own simple consciousness that detected at different times that it needed to move. I wondered if I honed in further whether I would find adorable minions in an army, simple creatures that followed their commander's every whim, but not all of them were so quick to respond. And I also imagined these to be clad in suits of armour, spears, shields and chest-plates and every single piece glistening. I wondered if the small fragments of energy were what caused the diamond effect on my skin, warriors suited in the most beautiful yet impenetrable armour. A strange thought, but intriguing none-the-less.

I heard a knock on my door before someone opened it and peaked in.

I frowned. "You know, knocking is pointless if you're just gonna come right in anyway."

My brother was at the door, but it wasn't my eldest, but second eldest. Cameron shrugged. "Yeah I know, just letting you know I'm heading to work."

"You know but you still decide to barge in anyway? What if I was naked, you ever think about that?"

Again he shrugged. "Well it's not like there's much to see with you being flat-chested."

"Hey!" I argued. "I'm just a late developer, that's all! And quit checking me out, you incesty pervert!"

Cameron rolled his eyes. "Are you still pissed at me for seeing you in the shower the other day? Get over it, it's not like we haven't seen each other naked before."

"Yeah, when we were kids!"

"Well that seems fine, since you are still one." He smiled. "But hey, if you really are so paranoid then just lock the door next time."

"I did but I guess someone hasn't fixed the lock yet!"

Cameron raised his eyebrows as understanding hit home. "Ah, that's right, the apprentice tradey was meant to do it for a few dollars less than he already makes, for free."

"Yeah, I know, you get paid slave labour and I just sit on my arse skipping school... You know, I just started looking for a casual job seeing as how I just became old enough!"

"Don't." Cameron stated pointedly. "You know how Michael feels about that. He wants you to work hard at school. Get good grades and go to university..."

"I know what he wants." I replied tersely. "And I have enough lectures from one brother without having to deal with the other too."

Cameron sighed. "Listen, I didn't come to lecture, I just came to say that I'm leaving and that I hope you'll be leaving for school soon. I'm not Michael, I'm not your legal guardian, I'm just a teenager like you, but I think you should make some effort. We have some pretty shitty circumstances thrown us and he's trying to do everything to make it right for you so, you know, at least make an effort."

"Yeah..." I murmured. "I know what you're saying."

"Well alright then, I'm off to learn how to build million-dollar homes. I'll see you later." Then Cameron walked away leaving my bedroom door wide open.

"Typical." I murmured as I stared at the unveiled do-not-disturb sign.

Rising out of bed I closed the door and then pulled open the doors to my wardrobe.

Damn those boys. I cursed internally as I reached inside and pulled out my school uniform.

-

"So!" Abigail demanded as I entered her mother's four wheel drive. "Are you feeling better?"

"How am I feeling?" I asked with confusion, great, actually was the obvious response before I realised what fuelled the question. With a guilty smile I winced. "Better. Sorry I told you I was making my own way to school, I was thinking of doing that but I guess I just didn't feel up to it in the end."

Abigail nodded but did not appear convinced. Ah, so she knows that I skipped out. Trust Abigail to lecture with a single look.

It wasn't long until we were dropped off at the high school and soon surrounded by our group of friends by our usual morning meeting tree.

"Bethanie!" Amy cried upon seeing me. "Are you feeling better? We missed you yesterday!"

"I'm fine!" I replied. "Honestly I wasn't that bad, just feeling under the weather and needed some zees to catch up!"

"Course." Louise responded. "Because you've been pushed so hard lately." As always she knew what actually transpired and made that point as obvious as she could without spelling it out. Only in this case, she only knew a small part to it.

"Are you stressing out, Beth?" Amy exhaled. "I have too, the workload is getting so hard! The problems in maths are just over the top! I don't like all these silly quadratic formulas! Where have these letters and things come from?!"

"We've been worrying about you." Eric interred with a tone that was more cautionary than concerned.

"I've been worrying," Bart exclaimed, "that you spent the day trying to beat my Mario gamer-score! Because you know, that if you did, it doesn't count since you'd be cheating!"

"Dude." Kieran responded. "If a chick can beat your gamer-score then what does that say about you?"

"Well this isn't just any chick!" Bart refuted. "She's more like a dude! Not only can she game but she can whoop your arse at tennis!"

Kieran shone his friend a dark look. "That happened once because I was going easy on her, that'll never happen again."

"Quit acting so arrogant, mate!" I argued. "I wiped the floor with you clean! Just accept it, it'll be less embarrassing for you next time!"

Kieran's mouth made an O. "So I'm the one being arrogant?" He shook his head sadly. "Then I'll have no choice but to not hold back next time so that I don't get embarrassed." He smirked.

"You're dreaming if you ever think that you'll save face!"

"Jesus, Bethanie!" Louise interrupted our banter. "How can you just brush off your behaviour like this? Don't you realise how it's affecting your friends?!"

"Louise, I..." I struggled for a brief moment before the school bell rang and signalled my salvation.

As we paused listening to the bell Louise kept her eyes on me, glaring. Then when it finally ended she snapped up her backpack from beside the tree and slung it about her shoulders angrily. "I guess I'll see you in maths." She stated hostilely before trotting away.

"Louise!" Amy called after her. "Hey, wait up, we have history together next!" Then with a quick turn she shrugged as she addressed me. "For some reason she thinks you skipped school yesterday instead of just being sick. I told her that wasn't the case since it's been two years since your mother passed and you're over it now but she just won't listen to reason!"

"Thanks." I responded slowly. "For having my back, Ames."

"Course I do, that's what friends are for!" She stated before trotting off after Louise.

"Eric!" Abigail exclaimed. "We have Geography!"

"Yeah, we do." Eric agreed. "So does Bart."

The boy rolled his eyes. "I hate doing this subject with you, I always feel like such a retard."

Then Kieran leaned right into his ear from behind. "It's because you are, dude."

"Whatever, I've got IT