Chronicles of Eden - Act 2 (55 page)

“There isn’t anything in all of Eden that could turn me away from him either, Triska, and I do say that I love him the
most
out of anyone,” Specca retorted with a smug grin.

As the two girls stared each other down with cocky smiles Alyssa continued to watch Daniel, seeing him sleep with a bit of drool coming down from his mouth while her heart fluttered with her rising emotions.

‘I’d go through hell itself for you, Daniel. Anything to show you how much I love you, anything for you to see me as the woman I am inside.’

Triska nodded then grabbed the blanket over Squeak and pulled it off to the side, the girls seeing the ant girl sleeping in her ball while wearing her normal tunic. Her boots and gloves were off to the side along with Daniel’s boots, although the girls were only concerned if Squeak had her clothes on still, and were relieved to see that she did.

“She always sleeps in her ball, even during her turn with Daniel,” Triska said curiously.

“That’s how ant girls sleep, it’s just her way,” Specca reasoned.

“I know, I’m just saying. It felt good to sleep in Daniel’s arms when I had the chance too, but she doesn’t even give it a try, just seems like a waste on her part,” Triska pointed out with a shrug.

“Yes, I have to agree, sleeping with him so close certainly makes the night complete,” Specca softly agreed.

Alyssa looked at Squeak for a moment then to Daniel again while remaining silent, then held her hand out and summoned her staff over into her grip. She lightly tapped Squeak on the head a few times with the skull ornament, the ant girl squeaking quietly before slowly opening her eyes.

“It’s morning, Squeak, your turn is over,” Triska said with a slight smile. Squeak sat up with a yawn as she stretched her arms out then looked to seeing Daniel still sleeping while snoring next to her. The ant girl looked to the others curiously as they just watched her inquisitively.

“So, how was it for you last night?” Triska asked.

“What did you two talk about?” Specca inquired. Squeak looked back to her abdomen then shrugged with an innocent smile, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. Alyssa eyed her carefully then glanced to Daniel.

“You didn’t kiss him did you?” she asked cautiously. Squeak turned to her with a dull smile then pointed to Daniel.

“Daniel?” Triska guessed. Squeak nodded then pointed to her own lips. Specca blinked then showed a nervous expression.

“He kissed
you
?” she asked carefully. Squeak nodded and looked to Daniel with a warm smile as the other girls all showed surprise to that.

“He kissed you? But,
why
?” Triska asked with disbelief. Squeak looked to her with a huff and discontent, with Triska then showing a nervous smile and shaking her head.

“I mean… I didn’t mean to sound condescending, it’s just…” she stammered. Alyssa drummed her fingers on her staff then looked to Daniel with a distant gaze, her eyes fixating on the boy’s face as he slept peacefully on the floor. Squeak sat up with an arrogant huff then grabbed her boots and gloves before heading past the girls towards the doorway, avoiding eye contact with them before Triska spoke up.

“Wait,” Triska called out remorsefully. Squeak stopped at the entryway while looking ahead, waiting for the girl to continue. Triska looked to Daniel with concern then to Squeak.

“He chose to kiss you, right?” she questioned. Squeak glanced back to her with narrowed eyes and nodded with a squeak. Triska breathed out then nodded with a worried smile.

“Then… you deserved it, it’s ok,” she said softly. Squeak looked at her curiously while Specca’s eye twitched as she stared at Triska with disbelief.

“It’s
ok
? What are you saying; you do realize that her kisses make ours look horrible by comparison, right?” Specca reminded. Triska shook her head and glanced back to Daniel who was still asleep and snoring.

“Whatever happens during our turns, happens, you know that as well as I do,” she reminded solemnly, then looked to Squeak with a dull smirk.

“If he wanted to give you that kiss, then that’s fine, that was his choice. I don’t have any right to be angry at you for that. Just don’t go thinking you’ve won him away from us that easily,” she said somewhat challengingly. Squeak smiled a bit and nodded while Specca looked to Daniel with worried eyes.

“I suppose you’re right, we did agree that whatever happens during our turns is up to Daniel. Still, I don’t like thinking about her saliva being used to entice him like that,” she pouted.

“She’s got her tricks, and we’ve got ours, this isn’t over yet,” Triska said crossing her arms. Squeak smirked and shrugged to that before looking at Alyssa curiously, with Triska and Specca noticing that Alyssa was just staring at Daniel still.

“Alyssa?” Specca asked.

“You’ve been quiet this whole time, what’s up?” Triska asked. Alyssa slowly glanced to her then looked back to Daniel.

“Just thinking about my turn with him tonight,” she said plainly.

“Yes, your turn is with him tonight,” Specca remembered while watching the witch carefully. Triska nodded while watching Alyssa with a stern smile then pointed to her accusingly.

“Yeah, that’s right. Just remember, Alyssa, no-”

“No magic, no potions, no trickery. You think I’m like those other witches out there in Eden?” Alyssa snapped at her with anger. The other girls watched her curiously as the witch looked at Triska with frustration.

“I’m going to win his heart, fair and square, you can be damned sure of that,” Alyssa said sternly.

“Oh really? And what’s your plan for doing that?” Triska challenged while raising an eyebrow at the witch. Alyssa looked back to Daniel with a distant gaze, remaining silent as the other girls watched her and waited for an answer. At that moment Daniel snorted a bit then slowly started to wake up, his eyes opening while he stretched out on the floor with a yawn.

“Alyssa?” Triska asked. Alyssa looked down to her staff then glanced to Triska with a sly smile.

“You’d better hurry up and get our breakfast ready, we have a lot of ground to cover today,” she said calmly.

“Now you’re ordering me to make breakfast? Since when do you ask me to make food us, I thought my cooking skills weren’t up to par with your high standards,” Triska retorted with annoyance. Daniel slowly sat up while Specca and Squeak looked to him with small smiles, with Alyssa turning to him with a giddy smile of her own as she started to form her plan of winning the boy’s heart that night.

“They’re not, but I’m going to save up my magic today for a real treat for Daniel tonight, so we’ll have to settle for your cooking the best we can,” she said with a shrug.

Daniel yawned again then looked to seeing the girls already up for the day.

“Hey, good morning, everyone,” he said happily.

“Alyssa!” Triska yelled as she lunged over and tackled Alyssa to the floor, the two rolling around in a struggle while shouting at each other, the others just watching them with blank expressions. Specca then turned to Daniel with a smile and waved to him.

“Good morning, Daniel,” she said while Triska and Alyssa rolled over behind her. Squeak squeaked at Daniel with a bashful smile and waved to him, with the boy glancing to them then back to the two bickering girls with a raised eyebrow.

“Um, what are they fighting about this time?” he asked plainly.

“Does it even matter?” Specca asked tiredly as the three watched Alyssa and Triska rolling around on the floor, with Triska pulling on Alyssa’s hair and Alyssa biting into Triska’s arm.

*****

Outside on the grass seated around where the fire pit was the group was eating sandwiches of sliced ham, cheese, and lettuce while having an apple and cup of water each, all being served on small tin plates with napkins and a small piece of chocolate as well. Everyone was sitting on small red cushions as the magical vines and roots used last time were not being resummoned by Alyssa, the witch saying she wasn’t going to use any magic during the day if she could avoid it. Even Falla was allowed to sit with the group after having been released from her magical vine, the butterfly girl reluctantly eating while maintaining a dull expression on her face. Jovian and Jacqueline however were not eating, both having declined any food or water from the group and both still wearing their masks out of personal preference.

“Why don’t you two want anything to eat? We have plenty,” Daniel inquired before taking a bite out of his apple.

“I believe a more prominent question to be answered is how in the world did Triska pull all of that out of her duffel bag?” Jovian asked while looking to the duffel bag that Triska was sitting on. Triska glanced down to it with puzzlement then to Jovian.

“What are you talking about?” she asked. Jacqueline tilted her head with a puzzled expression while staring at the bag.

“You just kept reaching into that thing and pulled out all sorts of containers of food and water, not to mention these cushions for us which, although are very comfortable compared to sitting on the ground, should have taken up even more space in there,” she said with bewilderment. Again Triska merely looked to her duffel bag with confusion before around at everyone else.

“I don’t see what they’re getting at, do you?” she asked simply. Specca opened her mouth to speak, looked around at all the cushions, then to their food, then to Triska’s duffel bag, and then just glanced to Triska with a raised eyebrow.

“We do, however we’re having the utmost difficulty getting you to see it,” she answered shaking her head. Triska just looked at her with puzzlement while Daniel smiled weakly with a small laugh. He then looked to seeing Alyssa sitting next to him eating her sandwich while watching him with a curious eye.

“Alyssa? What did you mean you don’t want to use any magic today if you can avoid it?” he asked, with the group then looking to Alyssa as she smiled playfully at the boy.

“Because I want to be able to use as much magic as I need to for our night tonight, Daniel,” she answered.

“What? Hold on, you can’t use your magic to charm Daniel into loving you, that’s cheating!” Triska barked out.

“I always thought all was fair in love and war,” Jovian mentioned.

“Yes, isn’t that right, Squeak?” Jacqueline added with a giggle while looking to the ant girl. Everyone turned to Squeak as she smiled bashfully and shrugged while glancing to Daniel with a blush. Triska looked between the two carefully then at Squeak with an accusing stare.

“What’s she talking about, Squeak?” she asked. Squeak shrugged again before eating her apple with closed eyes, with Specca and Alyssa watching her carefully.

“Daniel, she said that you two kissed last night, that was intentional on your part, correct?” Specca inquired. Daniel jumped a bit then smiled nervously at her as all the girls watched him curiously.

“What? Oh… well, yeah, we… did kiss, but that shouldn’t be a problem with any of you, I thought anything was allowed on our nights like that. Right?” he reasoned with concern.

“Yes, its ok, you can relax, we’re not mad at you. We just wanted to make sure she didn’t do anything against our rules last night,” Specca reassured. Triska glanced to Jovian and Jacqueline with a raised eyebrow.

“What did she say to him last night anyway? What did they talk about with you two?” she asked.

“Sorry, that’s none of your business,” the sisters replied while shaking their heads in sync. Falla glanced to them again as something poked her mind about the two girls, however after a moment she shook her head and resumed eating again. Triska started to open her mouth to yell at the girls before Daniel quickly raised his hand up.

“Ok, before any of you start another fight, let’s acknowledge that what happened last night, whatever that may be, was within the rules that you girls set forth, and is supposed to be a private matter between me and Squeak, alright?” he called out. Triska and Specca slowly nodded while Squeak smiled in content as she ate her sandwich. Alyssa rolled her eyes then looked to Triska with a dull stare.

“Anyway, I’m not going to be hexing or charming Daniel into loving me with my magic, and I’m a bit hurt that you’d suspect I would do such a thing,” she scolded. Triska gave one more dull glance at Squeak before looking at Alyssa with a careful eye.

“Then what’s this about you saving all your magic for him tonight?” she questioned.

“That’s something which is a private matter between me and Daniel,” Alyssa quipped with a sneer. Daniel looked at her curiously as the witch winked at him with an innocent smile.

“I promise tonight will be magical for you,” she said sincerely. Daniel smiled and nodded as he wondered what the witch had planned for that night.

‘I still need to think of what to do or say with her tonight as well; although it is good to know she has something in mind already.’

Triska held in her grumble as she gave the witch a dull glare before she resumed eating again. Specca dipped her hands in her cup of water then started to rub the moisture over her hands and scales while glancing to Alyssa with a careful eye.

“If you use one charm or hex on him in any way, Alyssa, then you’re finished,” she warned. Alyssa looked to her with a small scowl.

“Are you saying I’m just like those other witches we came across? You think I’m going to try to win Daniel’s heart with some sneaky, underhanded scheme? You think I’m going to put a spell over him so that he’ll choose me no matter what?” she snapped with discontent.

“Well, you
are
a witch,” Falla mentioned flatly. Alyssa growled and grabbed her staff from the ground, glaring at Falla as the butterfly girl glanced to her nervously. Falla blinked then smiled weakly and shook her head.

“But there’s nothing wrong with that, right?” she said defensively. Alyssa’s hand trembled as it held her staff, the witch holding in her growl as the group watched her curiously. Triska glanced between the two then smiled amusedly.

“So, no magic means you can’t throw anyone around anymore, huh? What are you going to do now if someone upsets you?” she innocently questioned. Specca rubbed some of her water on her neck while looking at Alyssa curiously.