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

unrecognisable in any point of time, and then it could be anything in between. Dorothy has a unique gift where she can perceive other worlds but she cannot interact with them, only invite guests to their viewing."

"Other worlds?" I repeated. "You mean, there are other worlds besides ours and the world of dark?"

Pearl nodded. "That's right, there are an infinite number of worlds out there that we can barely contemplate, however at this time there are only two that matter, our world and the very different and opposite world of the darkness called noein. That's all we need to know of and that's what we must focus on."

"Right..." I uttered. "Only two out of infinity..."

"Hey!" Pearl squeezed my shoulder. "Don't look so down, you're hardly alone in all this, even if your friend isn't here you do have me by your side!" She winked.

"Thanks, Pearl." I patted the hand that rested on my shoulder. "That means a lot to me."

Pearl smiled but eventually drew her hand away. "Abigail, I know the other daeva-lux girls can seem a bit full on but they're good people really. They're all on your side, even if they can act like bitches at times. And as to Bethanie, you two are really good for each other, I can see that, but remember that as much as you rely on her she relies on you even more. She needs you, Abigail, I have a feeling that without you she will lose her connection to this world. Just make sure that you stay by her side, hey? Regardless of anybody else, just stay by your friend's side."

To this I giggled. "You sound like my mum! But that's exactly what I plan to do! Bethanie is my best friend so no matter what I will pester her until we're little old ladies receiving hip-replacements!"

Pearl nodded as if relieved. "Good and Abigail, why don't you have a little break from all this daeva stuff. You haven't found your erosreaver yet and don't have any crystals to worry about so just try having a go at being a normal tenth grader."

"But I can't do that!" I protested, not with Bethanie and you and Lara getting all those flowers on you!"

"You can still stay by Bethanie's and help her out, like I said she really relies on you." Then she added a sideways smirk. "And as to the rest of us I wouldn't worry so much, we're a lot tougher than we look!"

At a couple of blocks from my home Pearl said her farewells before hurrying off in the other direction. And as I walked the remainder of the distance I returned my thoughts to the powers daevas held and wondered what Rebecca's swords, Vanessa's whip and Ariel's arrows meant for them. Then I thought about what my own power would be expressed as. I held a great curiosity to discover this however, knowing about the black chrysalis, I decided that I didn't need to find its physical manifestation. Pearl had said that love was my gift and I agreed with and such a power could only be at its strongest through its less-tangible actions.

Chapter 19

 

Bethanie

 

The next day passed smoothly. The teasing about Eric and Abigail's relationship still there but already losing its lustre and then in last period Kieran was actually amicable during sport. It helped since we were put in the same basketball team that day, but pleasingly I did notice him favouring his passes to me.

The end of physical education meant the end of the day and there Kieran approached me.

"So, wanna head to the arcade so I can kick your arse in Daytona?"

I smirked back. "You know I'd be wiping the floor with you! But, since I cancelled on those friends yesterday I think I should probably make it up to them this afternoon."

Kieran was crestfallen. "Oh, right. That makes sense."

"But hey!" I enthused. "It's only hump-day, there's still plenty of time in the week for me to destroy you!"

Kieran gave a wan smile. "Yeah, I guess so. Well I'll catch you later then, Beth."

After running from the sports hall I caught up with Abigail by the school's front gate and just like yesterday she was there first.

"Your classes are conveniently located to leave school early aren't they?" I observed.

Abigail giggled. "Um... Yeah I just had Art and the class isn't too far from here so I guess you're right. And since I have Art as last period both Tuesday and Wednesday, I never noticed how easy it was to get out before!"

I couldn't help laughing at Abigail's occasional 'crunchie' behaviour. "Well cool, since I ran all the way here it should mean that we won't be too late to meet up with the daeva girls!"

"Um..." Abigail murmured. "I didn't get a chance to talk to Pearl today so she didn't tell me where we could meet them but... I'm sure they'll be where they were yesterday!" She cheered but did not look wholly certain.

"Oh... well I guess it's still worth a try to see if they're there. I do really want to speak with them. Everything's been so hectic so it'll be good to clear the air."

"I agree." Abigail murmured as we started walking. "I think they need to hear from you."

"Huh?" I asked. "Abigail, just what happened in that meeting yesterday?"

The pale brunette lowered her head. "I don't really know, all I know is that besides Pearl the other three don't seem to trust us. Well, it sounded like Vanessa in particular, she sounded very nasty. I didn't know who she was directing these words towards but to whoever they were intended it was... far from nice..."

I frowned. "Were they talking about us, Abigail? Do they have a problem with either of us?"

Abigail screwed up her face before shaking vehemently. "No, no that can't be right." Then she turned and smiled to me innocently. "My mind is just playing tricks, that's all!"

I nodded but was far from convinced. I did not doubt that Abigail was a smart girl but when it came to understanding underhanded behaviour she was clueless. If they had said something against us then she would be oblivious to it which would only put us at a disadvantage if they had suspected she heard anything that she shouldn't have. In any case, whether they were friend or foe we still needed to convene with them so I did not alter our course from the soccer oval. However when we reached there it was dismally vacant.

"Oh, I guess they're not meeting up this afternoon." Abigail ascertained.

With a groan I began to walk away. "Come on, there's no point hanging around here."

"Um... okay." Abigail meekly responded. Then after a few minutes of leaving the school grounds she asked, "Hey, Bethanie, so what's the goss between you and Kieran? You all made up and friends now?"

I smirked. "I should be asking the same for you and Eric, except instead of making up I should say, have you made out?"

"Oh, Bethanie!" She pushed me weakly. "Of course we haven't! We're taking it slowly. We don't want to ruin our friendship by jumping into this relationship too quickly."

I laughed. "I've heard that before! What? With my brothers, I mean!" I explained to her confused yet horrified expression. "They always talk about dating some girl and taking it slow before wham! I hear way too much..."

"Oh, dear!" Abigail exclaimed. "Well rest assured, we'll be keeping it steady and slow!"

"Like I said," I grinned, "I've heard that before..." Just then I received an impressive thump to my shoulder blade, only this fist skidded up to the top of my shoulder and grazed the raised flower design embossed under my sleeve.

"Oh! I'm... I'm sorry!" Abigail stammered apologetically.

"It's... okay." I murmured as I realised that this time her blow did not hurt the raised lesion. "You only hit me physically, not emotionally so it doesn't hurt..."

"Really?" Abigail frowned. "That's really bizarre, but I guess, so long as you can control your emotions, that kind of makes you invulnerable then, doesn't it?"

"Yeah..." I responded pensively. "I guess it kind of does..."

Still Abigail's frown had yet to cease. "I don't know whether that's cool or sad."

"Neither do I." I admitted.

Then with alarm Abigail surveyed her surroundings before turning to me as we walked. "Bethanie, this isn't the way home, we're going in the opposite direction!"

"I know." I responded stiffly. "It's because there's things I need to check out. You don't have to come if you don't want, actually it's probably better that you don't, but I need to learn a few things about what it means to be a daeva and if I can't meet up with those girls then I guess that just leaves one other route to find my answers."

"Bethanie..." She murmured. "You sound like you're about to do something dangerous!"

"I laugh in the face of danger..." I quipped before Abigail suddenly ran out in front of me with her arms outstretched.

"No!" She declared. "I forbid you from doing anything reckless!"

"Abigail," I sighed. "It's not reckless..."

"Yes it is!" She interrupted. "I can see that look in your eye which says your about to get up to mischief, am I right!?"

I grabbed Abigail's shoulders. "Hey, maybe it's not the safest thing but I think the most dangerous thing is doing nothing. This is what I need to do, Abigail. It's up to you whether or not you come but I will be going. You just need to trust that I'm doing the right thing here."

Abigail's scowl fitted her so poorly that it looked comical but eventually she let it dissolve as she lowered her arms.

"Okay." She relented. "I won't stop you but I'm not going to leave your side, not for anything!"

I smirked. "Why thanks, I always wanted a girlfriend."

Abigail placed two fists on her hips. "This isn't a joke, Bethanie, I'm serious! I care about you so I don't want you doing anything dangerous by yourself!"

"Yeah, I know you don't, Abigail. And thank you, for understanding."

As we continued walking the mood had changed from light-hearted and teasing to stiff and quiet. Abigail was upset but I wasn't sure whether it was entirely my fault for it seemed like there was something else plaguing her mind. But I did know one thing, that if I pushed her away now she would be even more distressed. So I didn't and we walked down that path in silence.

"I've just noticed something." Abigail murmured after a while. "The world's auras doesn't look so pretty when we're upset."

I looked down at the footpath that seemed greyer than usual, as did the flanking grass, just as the blue overhead did not seem to twinkle so brightly.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." I responded.

"Why do you think that is?"

"I guess..." I answered thoughtfully, "When we're upset we don't allow as much light in. Maybe there's times where all we want to see is darkness. In a way that can be more soothing than all the light and colour in the world."

"Sadness begets sadness." Abigail analysed. "I wonder then, all that light, the brightness, the rivers of colour we see in the sky at dusk, do we only see them because we want to? And then, does that mean that that beautiful display