The Golden Chalice

✰✦✰ Chapter Twenty-Four ✰✦✰

✰✦✰ Chapter Twenty-Four ✰✦✰
" Give Us Your Best Acting! "

DIAMANDA ISLE WAS truly heaven on earth.

A week had passed and we'd finally arrived. The sun shone brightly around us as we made our way to the city centre and the light beamed off of the diamond buildings. Everything here looked and was so clean, not even a single speck of dirt could be seen. It was unbelievable. I'd been here before, as I said, but I'd only ever stared at myself because I was so in awe of everyone and everything here that I hadn't spent enough time actually taking in my surroundings.

But it was just as stunning as I had remembered.

I walked up to Jacks and fell in line with his quick step. "So," I drew the word out.

Jacks sighed. "What?"

"You never actually told me that you were from here. I had to guess it."

"So I was attractive enough for you to stare at and wonder if I was from here?" he asked me amusedly.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, don't put it like that, you make it sound creepy."

"Hardly."

"Whatever," I said. Taking a look around, I was finding it hard not to fall in love with everyone here. Everyone's beauty was unreal. Unfair. Incomparable. "I can't believe you'd ever leave this place."

Jacks laughed dryly. "We don't all gawk at pretty people all day."

"It's not my fault," I said. "Just look at them!"

"If I spent my days looking at beautiful people I would never be able to take my eyes off your best friend."

I turned my head. Blinked at him and when I realised he wasn't cracking a joke, I gagged. "Oh, my God, tell me you're joking."

Jacks stared at me, puzzled. "No. Why would I be?"

"Because that's my best friend," I scolded him in a hushed tone. "I didn't even know you liked her like that."

"It's just attraction," he said with a shrug.

"Well," I said. "Not that I'm dismissing her beauty—because she's gorgeous, obviously—but you're not. . .her type."

Jacks frowned. And it was so funny, because his frown reminded me of that of a child's when it didn't understand what was going on and remained forever confused.

"What?" he grimaced. "Of course I am."

"Never," I assured him. "I mean it, she's totally into dark-haired guys. Ones that arent necessarily always good for her. Like, she's never slept with them before but she loves it when they're sort of. . .how do I put this. . .evil? I don't even know why, but she loves them."

Jacks folded his arms. "What, so men like Darius?"

"I—" I stopped myself. Mostly because I wasn't sure what I was going to say and also because I'd never even considered that possibility. I guessed it was thinkable. He did have dark hair and warm eyes and everything that men she usually went for had. He even had that evil, twisted nature that she loved so much.

"Ah, you don't like thinking about that, do you?" said Jacks.

I shoved him a little. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He gestured to my face. "Your face said everything: you were disgusted at the thought of it. Does the prospect of the two of them together not seem very enjoyable to you?"