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

her shirt and unveiled a shoulder exposing a raised and intricate pattern of beautiful flowers, ones composed of deep black rock. "The black diamond chrysalis has started within you." Chapter 12

 

Abigail

 

I stared forwards, locked into a sitting position I had assumed since dusk. Not long before I had stumbled upon this place, dazed, confused but full of awe after accepting Raziel's contract and upon passing this place I had to turn and run full speed until my vision was no longer obscured by trees. There I collapsed onto my bottom, eyes wide with wonder as I gazed towards the neighbouring city, the soles of my feet scant millimetres from the cliff's edge.

Rivers of light was what drew me into my rapture, all different colours, different speeds and different forms as they flowed over the top of the city. But as twilight shifted into night this wonderful display transformed also. I had seen the city lights from vantages like this so many times. Every time I had it was beautiful, the golds and whites from skyscrapers contrasting against the night-sky serenely, but this time those memories may as well have been viewed through thick fog. This time the chroma was more distinctive and though the building lights were just as bright, they did not drown out unlit parts to the scenery for they all glowed as if fuelled by their own power-source. Then overhead, that too remained light, the stars not only as common over the city as in deeper bushland, but also in far greater number. There were so many white twinkles in the air that it resembled the way I always imagined falling snow would appear during a snow-storm. It was a visual wonderland, only with colour and light.

"Honey? Are you okay?"

A voice from behind stirred me from my reverie and when I turned I saw a golden goddess smile sweetly.

"Yes." I giggled. "I am perfect. No, better than perfect - I'm finally awake!"

The goddess, who looked to be about seventeen and somewhat familiar nodded. Then she slipped up next to me and sat at the edge of the cliff. "Yes, it is quite a sight to behold. This world that we live in is full of so much potential, full of an incredible amount of energy laid dormant beneath the spectrum of normal light. It's life, in all its faces and it is truly wonderful."

"The world has always been wonderful, but this..." I breathed. "It's almost sad."

I sensed the goddess cock her head side-on. "Now why do you think that?"

"Because," I murmured as I reached a hand towards the shining stillness. "I can see it, but I can't feel it. I wanna know what it feels like to have that tingle touch my own skin."

"But it does, it always has. Just as it touches that city down there so too does it fill your own flesh. You just don't realise that your eyes have been deceiving you all this time."

My smile remained firm on my face. "You're right, I have always felt it. This energy, its friendship, family, nautre and nurture. It's love and we've always felt it, it's only now that I can see how amazing it is. But still... I wonder if that's why I feel a little sad to see it, because I know of it now but others still don't. Some people can't even feel it and yet here I am experiencing its light. I guess I just think that it's not fair."

"But even if normal people had the ability to see this, some still wouldn't. Some people are too lost in their own worlds to see the beauty this one holds. And for a good portion of the others they'll see it at first, but then it will become normal to them, they'll adapt and they'll forget there was ever anything different. You're right, this light you see, it's love, emotions, the outward expression of the world's soul. A beautiful thing but even that in time can be forgotten by people who by nature cannot thrive on just those things alone."

I looked to the point of the city's tallest tower where a coarse red light flashed. "Yeah, I guess that's what makes me sad." And here my smile even dropped a bit so that it was only held with wan muscle memory.

"I think you're different, aren't you, Abigail? You won't forget this light and you won't let others forget it either, even if it is only the feel."

I frowned. "You know who I am. That must mean that you're a daeva too, right?"

"I am, my name is Pearl. I go to the same school as you but as a year twelve student so I don't think you would know of me too well."

"I... I remember seeing you in school. You sung in that all-girl band, Blue Petals. There's drums, a lead guitar, a singer but then there was a second guitar - that was you!"

"Is that what you think? That I was some girl in a band?" Staring ahead Pearl answered evenly. "You have a very active imagination. No, there was no such thing. Maybe you simply dreamed it all which would explain your lapse in memory now."

I frowned, ready to protest but found the more I concentrated on the thought the more it faded from my mind. It was just as she stated, it was like I was grasping at a dissolving memory from a dream.

"Oh..." I murmured. "I guess you're right. I don't know why I thought that just now. But one thing I know is that I have seen you before. You said you go to my school, Golden Heights High? Well that makes sense, it's the only high school up on the mountain. But there's something else that's interesting about you, you used this word daeva, so does that mean you're one too? Are you someone who fights the darkness?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Right." I stated. "But... Even though I've seen you before and I know what you are I don't know who you are. It's all crazy, I only just stepped into this world, even though my feet as still resting atop of the once familiar one of my own... I've learnt a lot in a short time, the world's amazing beauty, but also that there's bad things here, things that want to hurt this incredible place. And then there's also bad people or, bad daevas that want to help the darkness. So, that leads to my question about who are you? Are you good, Pearl? Or are you one of these bad daevas that I'm warned to stay away from?"

"Sadly everything you have said is true, but as for your question you can know that I am good, I am light and in no way a threat to you."

I watched her then, the blue in her eyes fade in vibrancy as her voice lost its lustre and her mannerisms shut down. She was genuine, I knew that all along but it was comforting to see that then.

The light was still beautiful ahead of me but a sense of sobriety returned as I asked, "The fighting, is it still going on?"

"No. That ended about a half hour ago, the time it took for me to find you here."

"Bethanie?" I asked uneasily. "Is she okay?"

"She is. She is evolving into her power with great speed."

"And Ariel, she's fine too, right?"

This took Pearl a moment longer to respond to. "She is. Nothing I know of can really harm that girl."

"Good." I breathed. "Then it sounds like everyone is okay."

"We should get back to them." Pearl stated as she rose to her feet. "I know that Bethanie would want to see you safe."

I nodded, moved my hands out to my sides but then held them there. Pearl had disappeared behind me as I spoke. "Bethanie, is she very angry with me?"

Pearl replied thoughtfully. "You think she is angry with you?"

"I know she is. She wouldn't ever say so, but I can tell. I get where she's coming from, she just wants to protect the people she cares about and stop them from not only dying, but moving away from her. I get it and so I know why she wants to protect me so much but in a way it makes it feel like she won't let me live my own life. I love her and know the pain this stems from so instead of getting upset with her I do the opposite in the hope that I prove to her that I will never leave her. But this time I went against her. I had to though, I think this is the only way that she'll stop seeing me as a little sibling to protect but as her friend and equal!"

From behind me Pearl spoke stiff words. "It can be hard to appreciate the sacrifices others make when you've never had to make your own so I'll forgive you for that comment, but don't make the mistake of making life-changing choices based on flippant ideals, because in the real world, you can never return back to that place of indecision and your path is set forever."

I broke my idyllic perception then and turned with confusion to the angel walking away from me.

Picking up my feet I left the near edge of that cliff and skirted alongside the golden-haired girl. Together we walked in silence for many minutes before the clearing made itself apparent ahead right before we tread onto its grassy plain.

There I saw a group of three girls. One was Bethanie, staring dazed into the distance and I would have come up to comfort her but the other two girls caused me to halt in my path for these were the very ones that terrified me just the previous evening.

"What... what is this?" I stammered to Pearl who continued ahead of me but stopped at my alarm. "Those girls... They, they are the ones who attacked me! Why are they here? What's going on?!"

"Abigail!" Pearl cried as she quickly reclosed the space and rubbed my shoulders. "It's okay, we're all friends here."

I shook my head shortly but quickly. "No, they're not. They... she!" I pointed a finger to a black haired girl that just then turned her hostile green eyes on me. "She said she would kill me!" Then I pointed to the other girl, a redhead with thick curly hair who was tending to a long amber whip as she sat on the ground. "And she, she does too! But then..." I bit my lower lip. "She wanted to hurt that girl too..."

Pearl gave my shoulders a squeeze, redirecting me back into her kind blue eyes. With a lofty smirk she explained. "Rebecca and Vanessa are notorious for wanting to kill each other, along with anything else that pisses them off, but don't worry, they're... mostly bark and being who you are they wouldn't actually harm you. That goes for Bethanie here too." Pearl gave a shoulder glance to my hazel blonde friend who was locked in some deep thought. "Even though those two crazies will growl, they won't actually cause any real harm, not unless that someone deserved it."

I still clutched onto her as I asked. "But, aren't they bad? Ariel