Diabolus: The Lost Phoenix

Chapter Nine

BEVERLY GREENE

PRESENT TIME

Falling asleep is like being caught in a carousel of thoughts. Every idea, notion and event from my days are replaying in my mind, demanding analysis before I'm allowed to sleep. Sometimes I just lay down, thinking, not even trying to fall asleep.

Ever since we reached Jacksonville my thoughts are only about Brent. Avery, whom I haven't met. The way he was talking about her made my eyes cover with a thick layer of tears; I haven't seen their love, but I could actually feel it. Feel his heartbreak, his loss. And hope to see her again.

But what if that will never happen?

I know he has hope, we all do. After all, Brent was living on hope for thirteen years. Listening to the voice from the brightness, telling him to look beyond the darkness - to the bright light of hope. It's so inspiring to see how he truly loved someone, but also, it's heartbreaking and sad.

He was living in the past for thirteen years.

I keep wondering, if Avery is still alive, what is she like? Is she still has that teenager's entity, or if is she a completely different person? What if she's bad, and Brent's heart will be broken even more? What if she doesn't love him like he does?

I feel really nervous about him. He's our friend. He's our family. One of the most important people to Kai; it was so heartbreaking to watch him losing Brent, how much pain it caused, how it changed him. We can't lose him again. We'll do everything to find Avery, even if she's just a ghost.

I glance at Kai, sleeping next to me; looking so handsome, so calm, so innocent. Looking at him, his chest rising and falling repeatedly, his eyes closed, you could never guess there's a ruthless assassin hiding under those eyelids. This just Kai, exactly who he is inside. Sweet. Honest. Devoted. Loving. But as soon as those emeralds fill up with anger, the Diabolus comes out. With no mercy. No feelings. The humanity is gone.

But looking at him sleeping in the blue moonlight in another hotel's room, I finally feel how my body is relaxing, how I can finally stop thinking. I finally feel my consciousness ebbing, my mind going into free fall, swirling with the beautiful chaos of a new dream.

A dream about her.

I dream about her every week, sometimes even more often. Af first I was afraid, but slowly I began to trust a girl in my dream, no matter how weird it sounds or feels. I never talk to her, like my mouth was glued, like I forgot every word I once knew, no matter how much I want to talk to her, to find out why do I keep seeing her.

But tonight, something in my guts told me that I'll see her again.

The cool water laps at my feet, fizzing and bubbling like brine. Even though the sun is beating on my back, beaming in my eyes, I can't help but smile as the wind caresses my face. I'm at the beach. Oh, how much I've missed the beach.

I turn around on hot sand to take a walk around the long beach; the weather is the most perfect I've ever seen. It's warm, but not too hot. Light breeze, stroking my hair.

And a girl, standing right in front of me.

She looks at me with coldness in her face, but somehow, there's warmth in her eyes. I always adore how beautiful she is, her long, thick golden hair, deep chocolate eyes. And for the first time, a little smile plays on her lips, like it was afraid to come out.

I swallow as her hand slowly rises up and her lips slightly open; every time she speaks, I wake up. I'm getting ready for a thunderstorm, for a hurricane as soon as she tells me something she wants me to hear.