Inked Sapphire (Dear Dahlia Season 3)

15

The autumn leaves crunched beneath Dahlia’s feet. Her hand strayed to the sapphire pendant that rested on her collarbone. Above, birds flitted about the trees and called to each other in melancholy tones. Winter was setting in.

Dahlia wrapped her jacket tighter around her. It had been two weeks since the fire. She and Saida were healing fine, but Dahlia wanted to find the Shadow Girl alone. So, she’d stepped out with the intention of taking a stroll, then made her way to the forest when she was out of Wadi’s sight.

It was cold. There was a rustling of leaves, and Dahlia spun around to find an orange cat staring at her. Dahlia tried to approach it, but the animal hurried off. “Aw,” she said, sad that she didn’t get to pet it, then resumed walking.

Visiting the forest in autumn was different to spring. In the warmer months, it felt inviting. Now, as the trees’ leaves became brown, red, yellow and green, the forest seemed like it was getting ready for winter’s onslaught, like it wanted to block Dahlia out.
Well, I’m not going anywhere, the nineteen-year-old thought.

When Dahlia got to the clearing where she’d first seen the djinn, she found her standing there. Dahlia immediately stepped back.

“I won’t hurt you,” the stranger said. There it was again: her voice sounded like music. She looked otherworldly, ethereal, in her lilac dress and black shoes. Dahlia didn’t say anything.

“You probably said that to Laiyana,” Dahlia muttered.
“How are you sure I’m that djinn?” she asked.
“You have that voice,” the otkazat’sya said.
“Really?” The stranger then smiled. It was infuriating.

Dahlia made a grab for her. The djinn immediately vanished, and she stumbled.

“What do you think will happen if you manage to hurt me?” Her voice came from everywhere. There was no breeze before, but now the wind blew across the forest, so hard that Dahlia had to put her hands over her now painful ears. She looked around wildly, trying to find the djinn. “That library would still be burnt,” she continued over the din of the wind. “Naima would still be dead. The entire world would still hate you.”

Dahlia faltered. They would. People would still stare at her family in the streets, hate her for being Muslim, and try to wipe out her people. But then she remembered the fairytale, the reason why she was here.

“You’re a monster,” she whispered.
The djinn appeared again. “No, I’m Asra.”

Dahlia stared at her. Asra merely gazed back. The nineteen-year-old watched the djinn hover a little above the ground, then stuck her hands in her pockets and turned away. A second later, she swore she sensed the djinn smile.

Dahlia spun back around, but Asra vanished again. The otkazat’sya took a deep breath, blinking back tears of frustration, then began to make her way back towards the house.

_

“You talked to her?!” Wadi asked whilst Dahlia looked down at her lap. “Are you crazy?”
“I just bumped into her-”
“Oh, oh, you just happened to meet in the place you first saw her. Isn’t that convenient!” Wadi snapped. Dahlia looked up on hearing the anger in her mother’s voice.
“You don’t get it!” she exclaimed. “She’s infuriating! Tried to turn it on me when I tried to attack her.”
Wadi stared. “You-”
“‘People will still hurt you’. She doesn’t even know what being Suli’s like.”
Dahlia looked away. Wadi slammed her hands on the table.
“You don’t do that ever again, you hear me? You could’ve gotten killed. I mean,” she laughed slightly, “she could’ve followed you to our house.”
She wouldn’t do that, Dahlia wanted to say, but she knew it would sound like a lie on her lips.

“Go to your room. Do not come down until dinner,” the inferni said quietly.

Dahlia didn’t argue. She got up and left the room, trying to blink back her tears. Nineteen, and she was grounded. Serves me right, the girl thought as she opened her bedroom door. I should’ve just taken a walk.

Sunlight filtered through the room, casting Dahlia’s face in a warm glow. She stared out the window. She suddenly wished Alina was here. She didn’t know why. Alina was a very pretty girl who had been nothing but kind towards her. Maybe she felt like the sun summoner; trapped and trying to get out.

“Last I heard, she was with the Cult of the Sun Saint,” a voice said. Saida was leaning against her door. “Not sure that turned out well.”
“How did you-”
“You had your face towards the light, Dahlia.” Saida sat down beside her sister. “You know, I’ve been thinking about what I want to do in the future.”
“Okay…” Dahlia responded, not sure why she brought it up.
“Remember those experiments I did?”

_

“I don’t like this,” Dahlia said as Saida shook the bottle. An hour after dinner, the sun was beginning to set.
“Come on, it’s literally the simplest thing. The blue creates the mist. The green has an explosive quality.”
“That’s what I’m worried about!” Dahlia hissed.
“Relax,” Saida groaned. “It’s not going to kill you.” The beaker started to fizz and shake. “Okay okay, let’s go,” the heartrender said excitedly, pulling Dahlia away.
“What?” Dahlia started laughing. “Why are you-”
“Come on!” Saida exclaimed. Dahlia stumbled after her.
“We’re at the end of the garden!” the younger sister exclaimed. “If this breaks the fence, I swear-”
“Ssh! Get down!”

Dahlia couldn’t help giggling as she and Saida lay on the ground. The two watched as the chemical fizzled, then created a small explosion.

Despite being awed by the colours, Dahlia couldn’t help but poke fun at her sister. “You’re such a nerd,” she laughed.
“You read,” Saida shot back.
“Reading is reading! This is-”
“Amazing? Fun?” Saida grinned.
“Ugh, fine, I guess,” Dahlia muttered with a smile.
Saida nudged her shoulder. “Come on, let’s do it again,” she said, before getting up and jogging to the beaker. Dahlia followed.
“Do they have turquoise?” the nineteen-year-old asked.
“No.”
“They should have turquoise.” She suddenly rushed towards the kit laying on the ground. “I want to make turquoise!” 
Running after her, Saida groaned, “Dahlia, Saints!”