The Golden Chalice

✰✦✰ Chapter 26 ✰✦✰

✰✦✰ Chapter 26 ✰✦✰
" Eche & Lyasa "

I ATE THE last of my dinner up with the others in the dining room, illuminated by warm lanterns, when Luna and Jacks made their way over to us. She was cradling the pearl and he held a glass of water in his hand, sitting down beside an irritated-by-his-face Sarinne.

"So," said Luna. "I think it's time we had a look at this next clue, don't you think?"

Everyone agreed and she placed the shimmering pearl in the middle of the floor we surrounded. She then got to her knees before it and began harmonising again, exactly like she had in the Holy Gardens. I was glad to know that I wasn't the only one completely entranced by her voice. Miles, especially, gazed at her as if there were a million confessions he wanted to spew her way.

The pearl gave a little pop and cracked open without even breaking. We all jumped slightly at the sound but kept our eyes focused on making out what was inside.

But all that we heard was a euphonious and almost angelic voice singing in a low tone, "Come seek us where we first were worn. We were stolen from the Olympian of the Sea and will not rest until we are freed."

It repeated the same verse another three times before the pearl closed with a clap and suddenly hurled itself in the air, only to then fly away from us, through the ship to disappear. A pearl was flying away from us, over the sea and back in the direction that we'd just fled from. How the hell was a pearl flying?

"What. . ." I muttered in confusion.

"It must be going back to where it came from," Jacks guessed, staring at it over his shoulder. "One must probably only be allowed to listen to it a certain amount of time before it locks itself."

"Yes," I said with a slow nod, wondering why he wasn't equally freaked out. "But a pearl just flew away from us."

"Fucking weird. . ." I heard Miles mumble.

Determination was etched into every one of Rinne's features. "So what did that mean?"

"We were stolen from the Olympian of the Sea. . ." Jacks repeated to himself. "Whatever they are, they were valuable enough to not only belong to Eche but also be stolen and never found."

"Not at all vague," Sarinne criticised.

"Can't be that hard," Darius declared.

"Hey," I said, remembering something that even shocked me. I was terrible at memorising things—let alone important facts. Everyone glanced over at me and I felt rather nervous all of a sudden. Especially if I was wrong about this. "I read something the other day, in one of your books, Jacks, whilst you were translating that letter."

Sarinne's eyebrows flew up in pure shock.

I shot her a look. "I'm not illiterate."

"Sorry."

I went on, "Didn't Eche own that. . .that one special pair of earrings?"

Jacks's eyes glistened with realisation.

"Earrings?" Miles grimaced, rolling up the sleeves of his ruffled navy shirt. "What would a pair of earrings have to do with this?"

"They were diamond earrings that were owned by Eche when she fell in love with Lyasa—Diamanda Isle's Olympian—and Lyasa gave them to Eche as a present."

Jacks snapped his fingers at me. "Her earrings!" And he jumped to his feet only to rush away moments later.

Darius appeared to be fighting a laugh. "What was that about?"