Baby Aethra Evera Erjon had become the new sweetheart in the Daeva household as everyone dotted on her. Anan had sent word to his family about her delivery and they had come bearing gifts for the mother and the newborn. It was obvious that this baby girl was going to be spoiled silly. It was tradition in Vadina for a new mother be nursed back to full strength and capacity by her birth mother for three months. Normally Grandma Daeva was supposed to journey to the far West end of Vadina to be with her but since Quintina had given birth there, she was going to be staying till the nursing period was over. Anan had to go back to watch over the family's work and fortune.
"Papa me want to go with you" Aither cried as he saw Anan packing up to leave.
" Papa has to go and Aither has to stay with Mother and Aethra to protect them. When they are strong enough, I'll come pick you three up and reward you for protecting them. You are my strong breeze now aren't you?" Anan playfully nudged the child who was laughing now forgetting his woes.
Anan kissed his wife and daughter goodbye before stepping out.
Grandma Daeva held a cup that had smoke oozing from it. She put some powdery substance in it while murmuring some words that Amora thought in her head to be a spell and the smoke turned to a fine blue color with sparkling shine. She was never going to get used to the spells and raw magic going on here or so she thought.
"Here, take this to your Ilya Quintina. Don't look into the cup or you'll ruin the charm" Grandma Daeva instructed.
"What's in it?" Amora asked very much tempted to look at the cup's contents.
"It's an elixir for rest. Your Ilya needs it to relax and calm her stretched nerves" The older lady said as she continued grinding something in a mortar and muttering more spells. Grandma Daeva was a very powerful witch and a fierce mother. Amora took the cup and walked face up till she got to Quintina's chambers. She gave her the cup and bent to watch the baby in her cradle. She was surprised to see that the baby had opened it's eyes in just two days and could in fact see. It made her wonder if fast growth was one thing the Vadinians possessed. Aethra had beautiful grey-blue eyes and her facial features matched that of Quintina while Aither, looked exactly like his father Anan. Amora thought it was an even distribution of nature.
She soon headed to the learning halls with Bloom while Aquata headed to the emporium where she was an apprentice. Amora could feel the difference in the Vadinian air.
"It sure is the season of balls" she said to Bloom as they passed lots of people carrying decorations here and there. The learning halls was abuzz with talks about Amora and Bloom's dance with Aenan Asturias. They were getting glares from majority of the females that Amora had called "The Aenan fan club"
"One dance with a noble, she thinks she's a noble" one of the females said as they walked past. Bloom knew they were throwing those shades at her but Amora helped her stay in check, telling her she and Aenan were a match made by the gods.
Aenan and his friends were walking towards them and Aenan greeted both girls which sent Bloom's heart into cartwheels. She was finally being noticed by the one person she had been in love with all her life.
They had dance lessons in the etiquette class and Amora was really getting used to their boring dance.
"Good grace Ulanni, keep your chin up" The tutor said as she used a cane to lift Amora's chin. Amora's style of dressing hadn't changed one bit as she still wore sneakers, denim and tank tops. She sometimes dressed like a Vadinian when she felt like playing dress up. Amora's favorite part of going to the learning halls was the defense class. They were taught how to harness their energies in defense and also use some weapons. Amora had fallen in love with swords and had requested for one. Grandma Daeva had one specially crafted for her, bearing the double diamond Daeva insignia.
As Amora and Bloom went to the cleaning chamber to wash off sweats from the defense class, Amora could sense an unusual uneasiness within herself and then Bloom saw her eyes go black as she stood transfixed to the spot.
"Amora? Ulanni?" Bloom tried shaking her but Amora had become as stiff as a statue. Amora could see different visions of Leslie crying and hurting and she could somehow feel the pain. She didn't know why or how she was getting the visions or why she could suddenly sense Leslie's pains.
Amora got hold of her consciousness and then fell to the ground shivering.
"Amora! What's wrong? What happened to you?" Bloom asked as she helped her up. Amora was still shivering. "I.... I..." She was stuttering now.
"You what? What just happened?" Bloom asked. "I could see Leslie Bloom, I could feel her and she is in pain. She has been in pain" Amora said.
"But how's that possible? She's in the other realm"
"I do not know Bloom, I do not know" Amora replied.
"We'll figure this out Mora, come now we have to make it to potions class" Bloom helped her to stand but Amora fell to the ground, passing out.
"Amoraaaaaaaa" Bloom yelled.
...
SAN GENEVA HIGH;
Leslie sat in the principal's office with bags underneath her eyes. She was clutching the stone she had picked the other night she saw Amora in her dreams. She had been trying to figure out where her friend was but everything she tried never worked. Amora didn't have any other relatives asides Mrs Louisa Jackson and she didn't know if Mrs Jackson had parents somewhere. Everything dawned on her that Amora was a hazy mystery that she had been blind to notice. Her grades had been falling since she didn't have enough time for herself as her father forced her to do numerous and tedious chores and beat her up when she tries do other things that weren't chores. At least that was better than getting raped every night. The raping had stopped since her father found a new toy to play with. One night,her father had brought in a blonde lady cladded in almost nothing and they had been living together, making her life miserable but she was thankful for the blonde lady.
"Your grades are falling Leslie, are you under stress? What is going on with you?" The principal asked.
Leslie wasn't someone who would talk about her problems with anyone but Amora. "Amora where are you when I need you?" She asked silently as she squeezed the stone harder.
"I'm fine ma'am, I promise I just need to rest and I'll be back on track" Leslie forced a smile and hoped that the principal wouldn't probe further or send her to the annoying school counselor who would probe her life. The principal believed the young girl and dismissed her.
Leslie left and went to the bathroom to weep some more blaming Amora for leaving her behind.
....
Amora could see Leslie crying in the bathroom blaming her. She tried touching her but couldn't. It felt like something was pulling her out of the vision.
"Amora? Ulanni" she could hear Bloom and Aquata's voice although it was faint.
Her eyes began to open and she saw both of them staring down at her with concern written all over their faces. She blinked twice and instantly felt a throbbing headache. She sat up groaning and looking around. She was in her chamber in the Daeva house. How she had gotten there, she didn't know.
"How did I get here?" She managed to speak as she winced now and then from the headaches.
"You fainted and the hall's mistress had to send for Lady Olette to bring you home. Grandma Daeva left you some potions and asked that you take them. She says it must be the stress from the name day celebration" Bloom explained in a breath.
"I do not think it's stress. Something must have happened" Aquata raised an eyebrow, expecting Amora to speak.
"I saw Leslie and I could feel her pains. The visions felt real" Amora explained. "Why am I having visions?" She asked.
"I think it's some kind of remnant from the Feldar happenings" Aquata said. "You spent too much time in the dream realm and perhaps left something with the said person that's why you can see visions of them"Aquata explained.
"How do you know all these?" Bloom asked.
"Well, let's just say I know my magic lessons well" Aquata boasted with a smile.
"I didn't take anything with me into the realm" Amora said still wincing from the pain.
"Perhaps you did. Now sit up so I can help with your head and you can take the potions. There's no space for illness, the ball is in a few days. There's going to be a lot of activities you don't want to miss" Aquata began to conjure bubbles of water from her water pouch and then fused them into one and motioned it to wrap around Amora's head. She then began to sing a song silently and within seconds, Amora's headaches disappeared.
"What did you do?" She asked.
"It's just the healing process of water nymphs. The healing song" Aquata explained.
The three girls talked about the coming balls and how their gowns would be exquisite, thanks to Grandma Daeva who was generous.
Jesper came announcing to the girls that there was a caller for Cascade. The three girls peeped from the window and saw Laech holding an ice rose that had been forged by his cousin Aenan who was hiding in the bushes so Cascade won't see him.
Amora and the girls saw him and he waved at them laughing. Bloom felt the breeze stopping as she saw Aenan's beautiful smile. She was mesmerized by him and always has. They had been playmates as children and had done a fake wedding under a giant flower that Bloom had made to grow.
"I'll always be yours Bloom, I love you" Seven year old Aenan said to six year old Bloom who smiled.
"I'll always be yours" she said to herself.
"Bloomie Woomie" Amora called her back to reality, her face flushing red. She wished Aenan would remember those days and say those words to her again but well, he was a noble and she wasn't . It would take the intervention of the gods especially the goddess of love to make her and Aenan's love work. Aenan had never looked at her that way, he had not even looked at her for years and she thought perhaps she wasn't maiden enough.
Laech finally got Cascade to laugh at his jokes and walk with him. Laech's happiness knew no bounds as Cascade slipped her hand into his as they walked the grounds of the Daeva house.
"I will definitely be with you at the ball. I will go with my family,but I'll be with you" Cascade said with a smile.
"Thank you so much Cascade, it's an honor to have a priceless beauty like you by my side at the ball" Laech said smoothly. He was obviously applying the tips Aenan had been giving him.
"The pleasure is the same" Cascade gave a small curtsey. She moved closer to Laech and whispered into his ears " I know Aenan sculpted this for you but I'm going to ignore it because you are charming"
Laech reddened at her words and wanted to apologise but Cascade stopped him with a finger on his lips and then she kissed him on the cheeks and walked away. Leach's heart melted the more as he watched her walk away.
"I know Aenan is in those bushes too" she said before stepping into the house and laughed.
Aenan came out and have his cousin a pat on the back and with one last long glance at Amora, he waved and then he and his cousin left.
Lucretia was getting highly impatient with her demon henchmen as they were making preparations for her grand magical entrance.
"The ball season is starting soon my lady, the distractions are falling in place. Just a little patience" Gregory assured her as he read through an ancient scroll.
" My patience is running thin make haste" she said bluntly and walked away slamming the library door hard. Gregory gave a loud sigh and continued burying his head in the scroll he was reading.