The Golden Chalice

✰✦✰ Chapter 22 ✰✦✰

✰✦✰ Chapter 22 ✰✦✰
" Those Pure of Heart "

"THE HOLY GARDENS are where my father used to take me when I was ill," Luna reminisced all as we made our way through the streets of Atlantis. We'd only just arrived and were all following Luna—she seemed to be the only one with even a hint as to where we were going. That, in no way, meant I was complaining—Atlantis Isle was exactly how I pictured the heavens to look like. Canals ran through the city, with intricately unique bridges to cross over to the hundreds of places, seeing as it floated above water. People, ironically, said it would sink some day, but it just looked so stable. So safe. And I felt it wherever I looked: mermaids. You could just tell by looking at them that they were mermaids. Because of their sweet eyes and their sensitive natures and auras. They had to be some of the kindest creatures on this planet. This was where mermaids spent most of their time above the surface. I knew this because my little sister, Clara, who'd once loved mermaids so very much told me so, elucidating that mermaids felt safer surrounded by their own, in a place made for them.

"He believed it would heal me."

Darius rolled his shoulders. "How do we know this is the place?"

Luna explained, "It's one of the two places of worship to Eche."

"But I thought you grew up in the ocean," I remarked. "How come you're from here?"

"Because mermaids," she expounded, "don't merely descend from the ocean. Our gifts are charged by the power that Atlantis offers them—the power Eche designed for us by building this isle. We don't need to be on Atlantis Isle to utilise our gifts, but it does amplify our abilities and offer us more possibilities, like communicating with deep sea creatures. Oh, and Eche was a half-mermaid herself."

Sarinne's eyebrows flew up. "Really?"

Luna nodded proudly, like she'd known the Olympian personally. "Yep. And she was raised in The Blue Sea, much like the rest of us. But when she made Atlantis her isle and claimed it, her powers drew us all here as well. It's sort of like our capitol."

"Huh," I heard Darius murmur. "I had no idea."

Luna smiled at him reassuringly. "Not many do."

Sarinne smirked. Then glanced over her shoulders at the three boys walking behind us, and flicked Jacks's cheek, making his jaw clench in abundant irritation. "Bet that pisses you off, huh? Not knowing something for once."

"Why don't you just keep your mouth shut, Astor?" snapped Miles.

I scoffed, turning. "She wasn't talking to you."

"Tough shit," he said. "I was talking to her."

Sarinne rolled her eyes. "Like a bloody child. . ."

"Like a bloody child—?"

Darius ran a hand through his dark hair. "You're giving me a migraine. It's like having to look after two toddlers."

"You should be used to it by now," I blurted out before I could stop myself, walking backwards now. I should've known better than to provoke him like this but. . .oh, well. "Since you act like one most of the time anyway."

Sarinne and Miles laughed—the sight of the two of them finding the same thing funny definitely threw me off—and Luna's eyebrows rose as she pursed her lips. But Jacks seemed exhausted from all our arguing.

Darius blinked at me. "Really, Princess?" he said. "That's hardly what you were thinking yesterday in the photo booth."

He. Did. Not. Just. Say. That.