Daeva: Black Diamond Chrysalis, Danielle Bolger [best books to read for success TXT] 📗

but also perceived children running over the worn bark, flying arms up into the air as they flew down a yellow slide, bouncing their legs off the ground and high overhead as they shifted up and down on a see-saw and then two young girls pointing their legs forwards and back as they soared through the air on a set of swings. A world of laughter and fun, talking about boys and the silly subjects at school and discussing their aspirations for the future that seemed so far away. So much energy coursed through that playground and it all lit up spectacularly.

Then I looked to my other side, out over the top of the declining mountain towards the buzzing coastal city and still I revelled in its majestic splendour.

Bethanie had followed my gaze and commented, "It's so beautiful it's weird, hey?"

"Weird, I was thinking amazing!"

"Yeah, that too." Bethanie smirked. "You know these eyes are connected to that seed Raziel gave you, that's how you suddenly can see this other sort of light, but even so that doesn't mean your soul is connected to it yet. That seed needs to sprout, that's when it grows around your soul or core or diamond, whatever it is, for you to fully awaken as a daeva and obtain your own powers. This happens by finding your erosreaver and for that to happen you must need to think that you are going to die."

"Oh... that sounds fun."

"That's not going to happen to you." Bethanie stated pointedly. "I want you to promise me that no matter what you don't ever believe that. There's no need to because I will never anything happen to you, got it?"

I recolied from the intensity in her blue eyes. "But Bethanie, don't you want me to fight with you?"

Noticing my reaction Bethanie softened her gaze. "You will be fighting with me. You have daeva eyes now so you'll be able to see and sense trouble just as well as I. That's how you'll be helping, you can scout and when you find something bad you just call me."

"But, that seems like I'll still be leaving all the fighting to you..."

Bethanie shook her head. "You're still a warrior, and scouts are important in any battle regiment. I'm not saying for you to back-off, Abigail, just don't put yourself in unnecessary harm. You can always awaken at a later time, but you can never go back to how you are now."

 I sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. A lot has happened and I think I need a bit of time to process all of it and then, when it comes to the fighting I'm sure I would only get in the way." I giggled. "I have hopeless co-ordination!"

"Thanks, Abigail. You backing my corner means a lot to me."

I nodded as I reprimanded. "I'll take a step back but you have to promise no more secrets!"

Bethanie gasped, taken back by the frustration that leaked into my voice but then just nodded understandably. "Sure, no more secrets. And, Abigail, thanks for being there for me and not letting me take all this on on my own."

I winked. "You better believe that I'm not letting you go nowhere without me!"

Soon after we parted ways and I hurried up to my front door. Then, at the precise moment I crossed my home's threshold I was barrelled into by a small child.

"Sissy's got a date! Sissy's got a date!" A blonde female bowling ball chorused.

Gasping I replied, "You scared me half to death, Cathy! That wouldn't be very good if you had me breaking my promise to Bethanie straight after making it!"

"You're not dying, you're dating!" Cathy's eyes beamed up at me.

"And what on earth makes you think that?"

"Because..." the girl pointed a finger into the air."That's what it says. More or less."

"Hold on!" I grasped Cathy's shoulders and pulled her away from me. "What says that?"

"Oh, it's just so adorable!" My mother emerged from the corner of the hallway, gushing at a piece of paper and torn envelope in her hand. "High school love..."

"Mum!" My eyes almost shot out of my head. "That letter there, that didn't happen to be addressed to me?"

"Oh, this?" As if surprised she even held something my mother stared at her hands with bewilderment but was quickly replaced by a cheeky grin. "Well it appears now that it was."

"And just who opened that letter addressed to me?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Ouch! Abigail, quit squeezing my shoulders so tightly!" Cathy exclaimed as she wriggled back down the hall towards our mother. "It wasn't even me, Mum did it!"

"Mum! What's the deal!?"

"I'm sorry, darling, honestly I didn't mean to. It was just in the mailbox and automatically I just opened it up with the rest..."

"Don't lie, Mum!" Bradley called from the kitchen. "I told you not to! I told you Abigail would be angry!"

"And you know what," I growled, "I am!"

"Oh, but sweet-pea," My mother explained, "It was just too tempting to resist. A letter with your name scrawled on it by what was obviously a boy's penmanship..."

"We knew it was a boy because of the messy writing!" Cathy added with a few proud nods.

"It's a poem, Abigail, such a sweet poem! It's about how you do your art!"

"Mum!" I yelled as I ran up to her to catch the paper but she just backed away and ran into the kitchen. "Mum, get back here!" I ordered as I ran after her.

Turning the corner I saw her reading a line out loud. "A tongue to the side and eyes flicking at a fast pace..." She giggled. "He really got you spot on!"

"Mum! Give it to me!" I called as I ran to her but she just dashed around the breakfast bar so that when I moved left, she moved right, then when I moved right she moved left, maintaining a steady distance that I was hopeless at closing.

"Comon, Abigail, let me have it a little bit longer! I love the title of the poem - the master-piece! My, how this boy must be precious!" Then suddenly she yelped as the contents of her hands were stripped from her possession.

"Thomas!" My mother cried, aghast. "You're meant to be on my team here!"

"Quit antagonising the girl, Charlotte. You remember how embarrassing our own high school romance was." My father rationalised as he handed the papers to me with a knowing smile. "Besides, you'll just make it harder to organise a meeting with this boy if you keep teasing her this way."

As I grabbed the two sheets and envelope I froze. "Meet...ting? Um... I'll get back to you on that!"

"See." My father stated pointedly to my mother. "You've already scared the boy off before we even had a chance to check him out. We gotta make sure he's the right sort for our Abigail and that he's worthy of mixing his genes with ours!" He barked with laughter.

"Dad!" I protested. "Ew! It's nothing like that!"

"I know that, but of course that's why I need to meet with him." Then there was a dark glare that erupted from his eyes that caused me to retreat many feet with my letter.

"Oh, Dad!" Cathy complained. "You're no fun! Mum was just about to read the whole poem to us!"

"Give it up, Cathy!" Bradley groaned. "You're always so rude!"

Then, with a slam to my bedroom door, all sound behind was shut away.

"My word." I muttered. "They need to respect my space. Mum and Cathy especially!"

Then I collapsed onto my bed and pulled the letter before my eyes with an excited grin.

 

Hey Abigail,

I really had fun today and I'm really excited that we're going out now.

But there was something I actually wanted to show you too but I was too embarrassed before with all those people looking at us and well, I didn't want you to read it in front of me so that's why I'm putting it in a letter for you to just have a look at if you get a chance. I know it's pretty corny and stuff, but I wrote this poem a little while ago and have been really wanting to show you so... here it is.

If you don't like it you can just throw it out and pretend it never existed. I don't mind.

Anyway, here goes...

 

The Master-piece

 

Little fingers dance over a blank page

They itch and twitch then a line is made

Concentration is etched hard on your face

A tongue to the side and eyes flicking at a fast pace

But as the paper fills with graphite

It is plain that you are revealing your inner sight

For in the depths of your mind is a great beauty

Which you transform into reality

Soon what you have in front is a master-piece

And with your last stroke I see that strain cease

You appraise your work with a smile

Never realising that all the while

That all the creations that you view

Will never be as beautiful as what I see in you

 

Then my smile deepened as I brought the pages to my chest and hugged them fervently. I realised my mother was right about one thing, that this boy was very precious indeed.

Chapter 13

 

Bethanie

"I want these ones!" A young boy of only three years of age, cried excitely as he pointed a stubby finger up at one of the many tubs of lollies in the store.

"You can't have teeth, Kyle, they're bad for your real teeth!" I reprimanded gently.

Kyle flashed a pout before a wide-eyed zeal erased it. "How 'bout these!?"

"Bananas?" I gasped as I stared at the yellow curved lollies. "But they'll make you go bananas!"

This time his pout was more pronounced and lasted longer before pointing at another lot. "These!?"

"But you can't have worms in your stomach, those will make you awful sick!"

Then as he pointed to another container it was with fierce determination in his eyes.

"Oh, no, Kyle! I'm afraid I just don't think you could bear those bears!"

"Sissy, you're not being fair - you won't let me have any lollies!" My half-brother whined. "You promised you'd buy me some, you're a liar!"

Laughing I tousled fair blonde hair that mirrored my own.  "You can have them, you little sook! I was just teasing!"

Then as if I said magic words his blues eyes lit up. "Really, I can have the worms, they won't make my bully hurt!?"

"Well eat enough of them and they will, but... meh!" I shrugged. "That's what being a kid is about so go nuts!"

"Urgh!" He exclaimed sticking his tongue out of his mouth. "I don't like nuts, they're gross!"

"Alright! You can just have lollies then."

"And chocolates!?" My brother added hopefully. "I want those ones there!"

Following where his finger pointed I couldn't help but bark with laughter. "Those are picnics, they have hazel... oh never mind, get what you like!"

After my brother filled an almost spilling bag and I managed to negotiate the size down a little we headed to teller where I paid an exuberant amount of money. Then we skirted outside and crossed the road to a small park filled with wooden tables and chairs and a couple of barbeques. There we selected a bench and merrily stuffed our faces full of the sugery delights.

"Bethie?" Kyle asked curiously. "Why don't we live together? My friends at play group have brothers and sisters