The Golden Chalice

✰✦✰ Chapter Nineteen ✰✦✰

✰✦✰ Chapter Nineteen ✰✦✰
" Conversations In The Dark "

WE HADN'T EVEN been docked on Toritrus Isle for a whole day and I was already fidgeting and unable to clear my thoughts of the ones that panicked me the most. Memories were cruel, like weapons pointed at my deepest hurt. My heart took no pity on me, neither did my mind.

"Hey," I heard someone knock on my door and I flinched, turning my head and saw Sarinne. Her brown locks were damp and she smelled of salt. Of the sea. A grey towel was wrapped around her as she shivered.

"What were you doing outside?" I asked and jumped slightly when thunder clapped in the sky above. "Are you insane, Sarinne Astor?"

She smiled. The kind of smile that was somehow meant only for her—troubling yet sweet at the same time.

"Darius and I thought it would be fun," she explained. "Even Luna joined in after we convinced her too."

"Okay, I'm going to need you to rephrase that because it sounded incredibly dirty."

Sarinne snorted, making her way over to me. "We swam in the sea while the weather remained thundery and rainy, okay?"

"Excellent," I said. "Now I know you truly require psychiatric help."

Sarinne shoved me gently as she sat down across from me, her towel slipping from her shoulders. She quickly backed away and tightened the towel's spiral around her body. Her teeth chattered. "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm here?"

My lips rose into a weak smile. "Why are you here, Rinne?"

She cleared her throat and sat a little straighter. Then asked me, "I'm here because I'm worried about you. What's the matter? You've been acting strange ever since we left Oblecus Isle."

I swallowed and my smile faltered into nothingness. Of course I knew the exact reason as to why I was feeling so miserable and confused. I knew exactly what had caused my mind to throw itself on its back a dozen times and throw me off.

I just didn't know if I was ready to tell Sarinne yet. I was worried about what she'd think of me. Then again, I thought myself stupid for ever dwelling on what her opinion of me would be once I told her. It wasn't as if she wasn't understanding—quite the opposite.

Plus, we'd been through worse together. No one could persuade me that she would be unable to look at me the same way if I told her about the kiss.

Sarinne nudged me with her foot. "Come on, tell me."

I shrugged. "I don't—"

"Unacceptable," she interrupted. ""I don't know" is a ridiculous excuse. Now tell me before I start asking everyone else if they know."

That was the moment that I felt true terror. I would've rather died than have Darius tell her some misconstrued, twisted story of how it happened.

"Darius and I kissed." I blurted out.

Sarinne looked as though she might've choked on her food had she been eating. She wouldn't stop blinking at me, stammering unsure words as she wore probably one of the most perplexed expressions I'd ever seen.

"What?" she said.

My stomach dipped when I whispered, "Please don't hate me. . ."

Rinne's face was a mix of wild emotions. "Wha—explain—?"

I ran a hand through my hair and clarified, "It wasn't an actual kiss. Well, it was, that's a lie, but not, like, a romantic one that we shared because of love or anything. It was because we were trying to hide from these assassins that were disguised as Guards."