contacted Opal using telepathy.”
“The voice also sent me some images,” continued Opal. “First, a vision of a city. I’m certain it was Nathyrnn. And then, on top of all that incredible pain, I started to feel unbelievably sick. Then the voice said, ‘We will meet in this city.’ Next I saw anenormous book with gold letters stamped on it: it was called
The Prophecy.
It was covered in blood. The voice invaded my mind and said: ‘The Prophecy will not come to pass the way others would have wished, but on one point, it tells the truth: you will die! As for the Chosen One, he will fall as well. But you will be the first to succumb, and it will be you who betrays them all. You are in my power and you will obey me automatically.’”
“It has to be a lie!” cried Amber.
Suddenly Jade felt she couldn’t hate Opal any more, and she didn’t want to humiliate her with a cutting remark. Perhaps Opal was not as unfeeling as she tried to appear; in fact, at that moment, Jade found her almost touching, for Opal was quietly crying.
“I know that every word is true,” she said in a muffled voice. “I’m convinced of it.”
“Not at all,” replied Amber reassuringly. “Opal, you know perfectly well that voice wanted to hurt you and was certainly lying to you.”
“No. I’d like to believe that, but I know it was all true. The voice told me even more things.”
Opal’s tears were flowing faster now. She hadmanaged to calm down a little, but she was too terrified by the message to be completely in control of herself.
“The rest of it!” demanded Jade brusquely. “Tell us what else the voice said.”
“If it doesn’t upset you too much,” added Amber quickly.
“The rest of the message was absolutely true. The voice tried to use a softer tone, but it was hoarse and rough. It told me that it knew me better than I knew myself and that I had never excelled in anything at all, that I’d never felt love, or sadness, or joy, or compassion, or fear. It added that I had never been considerate of other people, or taken an interest in anything. That I had only been a burden for those around me, that I was nothing. Nothing! Its last words were that no one had been able to love me and that no one ever would. And all that is completely accurate. It’s the truth.”
Surprisingly Opal did not burst out sobbing. On the contrary, she choked back her tears and held her head up with dignity.
“I won’t be that girl,” she declared. “If no one loves me, that’s too bad! But at least now I don’t need to pretend any more that I have no feelings.”
Impressed and a little embarrassed, her two companions said nothing. Jade’s earlier compassion had vanished, and she had almost laughed at the whole scene, but Amber had silenced her with a warning look.
Unable to keep quiet any longer, Jade finally said, “It doesn’t change a thing — we’re still going to Nathyrnn! And we should get going again right away We’ll deal with this message later. In any case, there’s nothing we can do about it now.”
“I’d like to consult our Stones,” replied Amber. “I don’t like this business with the voice.”
“You’re scared!” said Jade mockingly.
“Yes, I am — so what? Don’t you reckon I should be? I think I have good reason to be scared, and anyway I’m not like you.”
“Like me?”
“Yes, so high and mighty that I never admit how I feel.”
“Excuse me? Are you criticising me, or what?”
“No, I’m simply making an observation. OK, OK, let’s get out the Stones. End of discussion.”
Jade’s green eyes flashed for a second as her fury began to kindle, but then it quickly died down. Eachgirl took her Stone from its purse and held it tightly. Nothing happened. Disappointed, Amber and Opal wondered what had gone wrong, but Jade’s anger flared up again.
“We have no choice: we have to go to Nathyrnn,” she insisted.
Amber agreed, but Opal protested immediately.
“No! Absolutely
“The voice also sent me some images,” continued Opal. “First, a vision of a city. I’m certain it was Nathyrnn. And then, on top of all that incredible pain, I started to feel unbelievably sick. Then the voice said, ‘We will meet in this city.’ Next I saw anenormous book with gold letters stamped on it: it was called
The Prophecy.
It was covered in blood. The voice invaded my mind and said: ‘The Prophecy will not come to pass the way others would have wished, but on one point, it tells the truth: you will die! As for the Chosen One, he will fall as well. But you will be the first to succumb, and it will be you who betrays them all. You are in my power and you will obey me automatically.’”
“It has to be a lie!” cried Amber.
Suddenly Jade felt she couldn’t hate Opal any more, and she didn’t want to humiliate her with a cutting remark. Perhaps Opal was not as unfeeling as she tried to appear; in fact, at that moment, Jade found her almost touching, for Opal was quietly crying.
“I know that every word is true,” she said in a muffled voice. “I’m convinced of it.”
“Not at all,” replied Amber reassuringly. “Opal, you know perfectly well that voice wanted to hurt you and was certainly lying to you.”
“No. I’d like to believe that, but I know it was all true. The voice told me even more things.”
Opal’s tears were flowing faster now. She hadmanaged to calm down a little, but she was too terrified by the message to be completely in control of herself.
“The rest of it!” demanded Jade brusquely. “Tell us what else the voice said.”
“If it doesn’t upset you too much,” added Amber quickly.
“The rest of the message was absolutely true. The voice tried to use a softer tone, but it was hoarse and rough. It told me that it knew me better than I knew myself and that I had never excelled in anything at all, that I’d never felt love, or sadness, or joy, or compassion, or fear. It added that I had never been considerate of other people, or taken an interest in anything. That I had only been a burden for those around me, that I was nothing. Nothing! Its last words were that no one had been able to love me and that no one ever would. And all that is completely accurate. It’s the truth.”
Surprisingly Opal did not burst out sobbing. On the contrary, she choked back her tears and held her head up with dignity.
“I won’t be that girl,” she declared. “If no one loves me, that’s too bad! But at least now I don’t need to pretend any more that I have no feelings.”
Impressed and a little embarrassed, her two companions said nothing. Jade’s earlier compassion had vanished, and she had almost laughed at the whole scene, but Amber had silenced her with a warning look.
Unable to keep quiet any longer, Jade finally said, “It doesn’t change a thing — we’re still going to Nathyrnn! And we should get going again right away We’ll deal with this message later. In any case, there’s nothing we can do about it now.”
“I’d like to consult our Stones,” replied Amber. “I don’t like this business with the voice.”
“You’re scared!” said Jade mockingly.
“Yes, I am — so what? Don’t you reckon I should be? I think I have good reason to be scared, and anyway I’m not like you.”
“Like me?”
“Yes, so high and mighty that I never admit how I feel.”
“Excuse me? Are you criticising me, or what?”
“No, I’m simply making an observation. OK, OK, let’s get out the Stones. End of discussion.”
Jade’s green eyes flashed for a second as her fury began to kindle, but then it quickly died down. Eachgirl took her Stone from its purse and held it tightly. Nothing happened. Disappointed, Amber and Opal wondered what had gone wrong, but Jade’s anger flared up again.
“We have no choice: we have to go to Nathyrnn,” she insisted.
Amber agreed, but Opal protested immediately.
“No! Absolutely
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