Page 51 of Fractured Souls
“Good thing I can swim.” I flashed a smile, trying to seem lighthearted about all of this, as if the entire group wasn’t still worked up about the dream.
After Zander briefed me on a few more things, I stayed in the bathroom for a few more, changing into a swimsuit with a pair of shorts and a tank. By the time I made it out, everyone seemed a bit more relaxed, so while I offered hugs and held Dean’s hand as we left the plane, I didn’t bring up the memory.
It wasn’t to avoid it, it was just the simple fact that nothing could be changed—the past was the past. I was pretty damn sure that realizing that, without having a full panic attack, was a step in the right direction on the path of healing…or maybe it was a step backwards. Who the hell knew.
“Wow,” I whispered as we stepped off the plane and into the tropical air. The blinds on the jet had been closed, and my first view of Bora Bora,not high, left me absolutely breathless.
Despite it being early morning, you could hardly call this dawn—instead the moonlit landscape and clear starry skies had me examining the landscape with a new eye, wondering how one place could contain so much beauty. The normally pure, clear turquoise waters were a deep sapphire shade at this time of day, and the white sand beaches seemed to glow silver in the moonlight. That warm tropical breeze had the palms swaying, and the soft scent of sea salt filled my senses.
It was absolute perfection.
The airport was right next to the coast, and I couldn’t help but stop and appreciate the view of the main island, the ocean, and the smaller, distant islands covered in lush greenery. The sound of waves crashed against the nearby shoreline, and much like a siren call—yes, the irony was obvious to me—I felt drawn to the ocean.
I hadn’t felt nearly this intense of a draw last time I’d been here.
“You’re more connected to your magic now,” Desmond explained, walking next to Dean and me as we walked to the waiting car.
It was a bright yellow vintage looking van that I doubted could hold all of us comfortably…but we would make it work. My siren nodded eagerly, already throwing up images of sitting in my mens’ laps into my head. I completely agreed—it was a pretty perfect solution.
“I’m also not high,” I pointed out as we climbed into the car, my butt landing right in Dean’s lap as he wrapped a muscular arm around me. I settled against him happily as Rhett started the car and pulled up some directions on his phone.
“Where are we headed?” I asked curiously.
“There’s a marina where we rented a boat to take us across to the island we suspect is the one that has the portal,” Desmond said.
As the car began to move and the guys settled into conversation, my gaze followed the rich tropical landscape and winding road we drove down, a few shops and smaller boutique hotels popping up as we neared town. I couldn’t remember where I had stayed last time I was here…and I really didn’t want to.
“Wait, I thought we were going to swim?” I asked Zander.
“We are—the boat is for them.”
“We aren’t swimming until necessary,” Draven countered. “I want Lorcan rested and relaxed. Plus, I have a feeling once we get to the Old Realm of the Ethereal Sea we will have plenty of opportunities to swim.”
I had a feeling he was right. Luckily, everyone was a fairly good swimmer from what I could tell.
We made it to the marina in quick time, the streets mostly empty at this hour. The marina was fairly lively for this early in the morning, fishermen already preparing their vessels, and I sat back, relaxing while Cash and Draven handled the reservation. I had no doubt that to convince anyone to take us out this early, considering they assumed we were tourists, had taken a fair amount of persuasion and cash. That wasn’t even including what they had chosen for our rental.
I nearly snorted at the ‘boat’ they had rented to take us all of a few miles towards the islands. It was less of a boat and more of a yacht.
“Come on.” Desmond got out of the car and I followed with Dean, my eyes and body moving towards the harbor as I looked at the islands surrounding us, most of them large, shadowy masses. When I didn’t see any that particularly caught my attention, I went towards the boat and boarded it before walking onto the deck, my gaze moving towards the piece of ocean that had been blocked by all the other ships.
Thatwas when I saw it.
Dominated by a green mountain highlighted directly in moonlight from above, the white sand beach gently sloped upward except for one side where the rock met the sea in a cliff with jagged edges. It was small but held my attention as I felt a pull of magic I’d never sensed before, almost like a calling.
“The portal,” I murmured and nodded towards the island. “That’s where it’s at.”
Draven laid his hand on the railing next to me, and I leaned back into him, keeping my eyes on the island. Not only was the portal there…that was where the other prophecy holder was.
It was the place where I would have to face my destiny.
CHAPTER18
Lorcan
“There’s no dock,so we’ll have to swim ashore,” Desmond said. I eagerly looked over the side of the boat and into the waters that were becoming more and more blue as the skies barely began to lighten into an indigo and lavender shade
The boat ride was as short as I’d expected, but it was honestly invigorating after having such an intense star call and memory resurface. So instead of overthinking anything, especially embracing the fact that I had no idea what would come next, I savored the feel of the tropical air on my face as the captain of our boat took us towards the island. Now that we were here, I was excited about getting in the water.
