The Golden Chalice

✰✦✰ Chapter 23 ✰✦✰

✰✦✰ Chapter 23 ✰✦✰
" Awkwardness "

FINALLY, WE SAW that Luna had led us to what seemed to be an average well, just like all the others. Except this one had a special kind of character to its iceberg blue water. Like someone had gone to the heavens and stolen a portion of their water, then brought it back to us.

Miles slung out his sword, scanning the small number of people joining us in the gardens. "Right. Who's our target?"

Darius lowered his sword and shook his head slowly.

Jacks's lip twitched. "You think we're here to kill someone?"

"We're not?"

Luna's curled hands pressed to her chest in horror. "Of course not!"

Sarinne sat on the cobblestone well, supported by her palms. "Who raised you?"

The sword almost slipped from Miles's hands, except his grip tightened along with his jaw. "Says the ex-criminal with no parents."

Tension erupted in the air. My best friend swallowed and blinked at him. I saw her knuckles whiten and my heart dropped for her.

"What the hell, Miles?" I seethed.

Miles ran a hand over his short hair and let go of his weapon. It hit the ground the moment he started pacing.

Jacks blew out an awkward breath.

Both Miles and Rinne had always been especially sensitive to family topics. In fact, I'd seen both of them—on separate occasions—briefly abandon social gatherings when parents were mentioned.

Luna was the only person here with a caring family.

The rest of us had yet to discover such a phenomenon.

Jacks rubbed his hands together and questioned the group, "Who's going?"

"I think it's safe to say I should go," Luna raised her hand like this was some kind of vote. "I can create an air bubble for whoever comes with me. I've learned to make them last at least twenty minutes."

I blinked at her. "I'm so glad you're here with us."

She broke into a big, girlish, giddy smile.

"I'll go, too," I told them. "I mean, we're here because of me anyway, so I might as well be the one to put myself in harm's way, it's only fair."

"I'll have to agree with that," Darius muttered and I could've swung my fist directly into his jaw but decided against it, already hearing my best friend's scolding in my ear. If I touched even a hair on his head she'd roll her eyes and insist we were children again—that statement alone always made my blood boil. And it was so hypocritical, what with her and Miles—

Whatever. It didn't matter.

Darius and I didn't get along for very adult, grown up reasons.

"Be careful," Sarinne said to me and squeezed my hand gently.

I smiled softly at her before taking in and noting everyone else and their expressions. Hey, I didn't know what was down there but I knew it couldn't have been anything good. Especially because of Eche's warning in her letter. So maybe these would be the last faces I'd see before I died. Well, theirs and Luna's. And I figured Luna's wasn't even a bad one to look at before dying. She was the most bewitching out of all of us. Although, I had to admit, I didn't want the last image in my mind to be Miles Gyatar's face.

"Do you have a swimsuit?" Jacks directed his anxious-sounding question at me, reminding me a lot of a worried father for a moment there but I wasn't going to point that out and have him roll his eyes at me again.

"She won't need one," Luna claimed. "My magic will let her dry off the moment she surfaces from the water."

We interlinked each other's hands and shared one cautious look before facing ahead again and jumping right into the water. My feet floated freely in the air for a moment or two before I plunged into the water. When it hit me, it was like I wanted to drown right there and then. It felt so clean and cool as it engulfed my skin, like ice cubes chilling every sweltering inch of my body, my yellow sundress trying to float away from me. In that moment, it was as though I understood exactly why they called it The Holy Gardens; there was nothing about this water that didn't feel totally and wholly blissful. If I died here, I wouldn't have minded.