𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅

chapter thirty-two

Emriana

"W-what?" I said, dumbfounded as I glanced around the chapel, but as I looked more times than I could count, I realized that one person was indeed missing. My eyes went to Jareth, working on the opposite side of the room, expecting to see his dark brown-haired friend, but he wasn't there.

Dana was right.

My mouth was wide open in absolute horror and fear. My attention darted back to Dana, nodding slowly. My heart began beating faster and faster to the point where I felt unwell. I could feel a knot in my stomach growing with each second.

No. It couldn't be. Why?

"I know. I was so horrified when I caught him there. I asked him what was going on, and he said something like he had gone outside to get some fresh air and got attacked by some animal. But between you and me, that's a lie for sure," she explained, and I just stared at her in astonishment, too shaken to do anything.

Millions of thoughts were racing through my mind as I truly began to understand the gratitude of the situation. My friend, or so I thought, had attempted to kidnap me.

"I...This...This isn't possible...you must be mistaken," I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes.

"Emriana, I'm not. I swear I'm telling the truth," I stared at her, my fingers trembling around the paintbrush. The brush dropped to the floor, and I hugged my knee as I hid my face into my thighs.

Dana wrapped an arm around me and drew soothing circles on my back. I cried into her chest, every inch of me grasped by a liquid fear.

"Shhh, it's going to be okay," she whispered in my hair as I pulled away after a long time. I wiped my wet cheeks, sniffling as she gave me a concerned look.

"...Have...Is he here?"

"No, none of us has seen him since that night," she answered honestly as she waited for my reaction.

"Emriana, hurry up! We don't have all day!" Ryenne shouted from the other side of the room.

"Fuck off, Ryenne," I was taken back by Dana when she shouted at Ryenne. By the sudden silence in the chapel, I could tell everyone was too. Everyone was staring at us.

"Does everybody know?" I whispered to Dana, and she shook her head.

"I don't think so. I only told Jareth because I thought he could maybe know where he was. After we spent the night looking for the two of you, we also had to tell Roza everything," she pointed to Roza and Jareth, and I nodded.

I tried to pick up my paintbrush, but as soon as it approached the wall, my hand began shaking. I tried to take some deep breaths, but the knot from earlier was only growing inside me, and I couldn't pretend it wasn't there.

"I...I can't believe it...W...why would he do that? I haven't done anything to him?" My voice quivered as I gripped the side of the stool with shaky hands, suddenly feeling dizzy. In a swift motion, Akira now stood in front of me, his dark eyes looking into mine. Sitting on my little stool, he was easily towering over me, and as he lowered himself behind, sitting up in front of me. He dropped his massive head on my knees, and my fingers instantly found comfort in the animal's soft fur.

"I don't think it has anything to do with how you were with him because you always have the sweetest Emri," she said, trying to reassure me, but it wasn't working. It was bad enough that I had almost been kidnapped, but the fact that I had been abducted by someone who I had stood next to for so long was absurd. A shiver ran down my spine as I lowered my head and let it rest for a moment on the white fur.