Inked Sapphire (Dear Dahlia Season 3)

4

"What about this?" Wadi asked, holding up a blue dress.

"Uh, I dunno. Doesn't feel very...autumn-y," was Dahlia's reply.

Saida huffed, "it doesn't have to be autumn-y." But she put it back, and Dahlia, her and Wadi kept looking.

"What about this?" Dahlia asked. Saida watched her sister hold up a white blouse and a flowy pink skirt.
"You like that?" Wadi asked, taking it.
"I love it," Dahlia said quietly.
"Alright." The inferni put it in the bag. "That's sorted. Anything more you'd like?"

Dahlia shook her head. Her mother paid for the clothes, then the three women walked back home.

"I'll bake the cake," Dahlia said suddenly.
"No, you relax. I'll bake it," Saida said.
Dahlia stared at her. Her sister suddenly became defensive. "What? I'll be fine."
"Do you have any recipe?"
"Uh...no, but I can always get one from that book we have."
"We have a cookbook?" Dahlia asked, surprised.
"...Yes? Top drawer," Wadi replied.
"What the hell," Dahlia muttered to herself. Saida laughed.

The birthday celebration went well. Dahlia had supervised Saida's baking, then the rest of her family sang happy birthday whilst Dahlia cut the cake. After that, Wadi, Rahim and Saida all fed Dahlia a piece of the slice she'd cut. It had been quiet: just how Dahlia liked it. Or maybe she'd gotten used to quiet over the years. She didn't know.

Later, Dahlia took a walk. It was late afternoon. She'd left Saida and Wadi talking, and Rahim resting. The otkazat'sya was worried about her father and his arm, but she couldn't worry too much. That would only hinder him, and she knew what that was like.

The woods were a bit quiet, but the niche'voya had probably caused that, and they were gone now, so Dahlia didn't mind. It felt peaceful, the way the trees swayed in the light breeze and the birds tweeted.

Half an hour later, it started to lightly rain. Dahlia continued to walk, though she put her hood up. By the time she'd started on the worn path leading into the woods, the sun was peeking through the clouds, and the birdsong sounded sweet.

Suddenly, her foot hit something.

Dahlia looked down. She gave it another little kick, and a clink was heard. "What..." The otkazat'sya kneeled down to inspect it. She picked it up, then brushed the mud off of the object. Her eyes widened.

No. It couldn't be.

The deep blue pendant was intact, the gold chain almost shining. The smell of copper still lingered. Dahlia stared at it, trying to think. Hadn't Saida lost this at the Little Palace? How had it ended up here?

Dahlia's mind whirred. She was about to get to her feet and walk back home when the atmosphere suddenly changed.

The otkazat'sya paused. She looked down at her body and concluded it was fine. Then, she looked behind her, squinting. The only intruder was a little rabbit, which when meeting her gaze, seemed alarmed and darted away. Dahlia looked upwards, but there was nothing there. Finally, her gaze locked on the scene ahead of her, and she froze.

Someone was standing there. No, not standing - hovering, just a little above the ground. She had diamond-shaped hazel eyes, long black hair, and light brown skin. She couldn't look older than twenty two. Dahlia watched her, wary. The woman was looking at the necklace. Then, her gaze slowly shifted to Dahlia's face.

The otkazat'sya froze. She could only hear the sound of her breathing and the rustle of the leaves as she forced herself to stand. Dahlia was glad she did, because the woman then began to walk towards her, still hovering, like there was an invisible platform that only she could see.

"This is a trick," Dahlia whispered.

"No," came the nonchalant reply. The stranger's voice sounded like music. Her eyes were still fixed on Dahlia's face.

The nineteen-year-old stumbled backwards, unable to stop staring at the woman in front of her. It was only when the stranger stopped walking on air, that Dahlia turned and ran. She nearly slipped in the mud, ruining her skirt, but she didn't care. The sun was setting now, and she didn't want to be left alone with whoever, or whatever, that was.

Dahlia flung the door open.

"Where were you?" Saida exclaimed. "You were gone for more than an hour!"

"I..." Dahlia trailed off. Everyone else was staring at the sapphire necklace in her hand.

Wadi stepped forward. "Where did you find that?" she gasped.
Dahlia blinked. "The...the woods."
"The woods? I didn't lose it there," Saida muttered.
Rahim stared at it, awed. "How did you find it?"
"It was just...in the dirt," Dahlia shrugged.
"...'In the dirt'?" Saida repeated.
"Yeah, but I picked it up and um...saw someone."
"Who?"
"A woman who could..." Dahlia swallowed. "hover. And walk in the air."
"What?"

Dahlia was surprised by her father's sudden ferocity. "It was just...just a trick." She suddenly felt small. "Probably a squaller or something. It was only a little above the ground-"

"A squaller doesn't walk on air," Rahim cut in, agitated. "And no human can hover like that, grisha or not."

Something must have dawned on the durast, because Rahim suddenly grabbed Dahlia's shoulders. "Did she look at you?"

Dahlia tried to get out of his grip, bewildered. "What?"
"Rahim, stop," Wadi insisted, grabbing his good shoulder. He shook her off.
"Did she look at you?"
"...Yes," Dahlia said finally.

A shadow came over Rahim's face. The father suddenly looked resigned. He let go of Dahlia and sat down. Dahlia frowned.

"What is it?"
"Tell me what you know about Laiyana."
Dahlia looked at the book sitting in the corner, tucked away like something forbidden. "From the-?"
"Yes, from the fairytale. Tell me."
"Well, the Shadow Girl-"
"No. Not her. Laiyana."

Dahlia chewed her lip. She'd read the Shadow Girl so many times, focused so much on the ending, that she hadn't really thought about the girl that had started it all.

"...She had a necklace," Dahlia said finally.
"And what was it?"
"Sapphire."

It took Dahlia several moments to realise. She dropped the necklace, but Saida caught it.

"No."

Rahim wasn't looking at her. Saida touched her emerald necklace.
"No," Dahlia repeated, stepping back.

It's just a fairytale, the otkazat'sya thought franctically. It didn't happen. It didn't happen.

Wadi gave Dahlia a sad smile. Tears came to Dahlia's eyes.

For so long, she'd loved that fairytale. The anger in Laiyana's eyes, the deal, the ending she'd once wanted Saida to have because she'd hated her that much.

Rahim finally looked at his daughter. Dahlia stared back.

"I'm sorry," Rahim whispered. "I should have told you."

Mistakes on top of mistakes. Dahlia felt the space where her necklace used to sit.

"Give it to me," she said quietly. Her voice cut like a knife through the silence.

Saida handed the sapphire necklace over without a word. Dahlia took it and fastened it around her neck. The jingle of the chain echoed throughout the room.

Before anyone could stop her, Dahlia snatched the book and made her way up the stairs.