Page 54 of Fractured Souls
I really fucking appreciated that he wasn’t playing any games.
“Now, while we wait for your counterpart, please follow me. Let me show you everything we have to offer here at the Institute.”
I had a feeling that it was a lot.
CHAPTER19
Lorcan
I wasn’t wrong.Even after a relatively small part of the tour, or what I had a feeling was small compared to the whole of the institute, I was feeling a tad overwhelmed. Mostly by the amount of information that he was throwing at us, from the official name of the Institute—The Institute of the Ethereal Sea of Knowledge—I know, very fancy—to the amount of information that this institute housed. That wasn’t even including all the sensory elements that were catching my attention.
Like the perfectly intact coral reefs that framed every archway from the main entrance on. Or the scent of the ocean, sea salt and brine, that filled the air, leaving me with the illusion that this place was normally filled with water despite being perfectly dry. Then there was the odd lack of silence considering the absence of others inside the institute. The place never felt quiet. In fact, it was pretty much the opposite.
I felt like I could hear everything from pages of parchment being turned to conversations that were out of reach but still skimmed my ears. I didn’t really understand how this place functioned or this man’s—whose name I had learned only moments ago was Bayton—place in it, but it was very clear that he was in charge and knew everything.Literallyeverything.
Something he proved seconds later as we turned down another hallway.
“I was pleased to hear that you’ve met your counterpart.”
I came to a full stop. “What? I’ve met her?”
Bayton turned and looked at all of our surprised expressions. “The Descendant? Of course you two have met, although neither of you realized at the time the fate you would serve together.”
Oh.
“I have no idea who you’re talking about,” I said bluntly. “But I would appreciate a bit of a heads up.” Talk about awkward. I had no idea who I was even meeting with, and now I was wondering if she knew who I was…
“I see.” Bayton frowned. “Well, I suppose that makes sense. You being a siren is far less common than being the descendant of a god—or in her case, three gods.”
“Nova?” I asked. She was the only god descendant I had met, as far as I was aware. She was also a complete badass and pretty damn cool. In fact, if it was Nova, that would be one hundred percent preferred over most people I knew. At least I had met her while sober.
Plus, then I could explain my preference for cupcakes over donuts now.
“Yes.” Bayton smiled. “I’m glad you look happy about that news. She will be here very soon, and then we can get to work. Now come on, all of you look exhausted. I’ll show you where you can rest.”
I would absolutely not complain about that. Although, I wouldn’t lie, I felt a little bit stunned at the realization that Nova and I were in this together. I mean, shit…it would have been somewhat helpful to talk about that last time we were together, wouldn’t it? Instead I had completely frozen up while talking about Broken House as my siren got super possessive.
Crap—that was going to be way more of a problem this time. My siren offered me a shrug as if she wasn’t in control of her own actions.
“You good?” Rhett asked, running a hand over my lower back as he brought me out of my thoughts. He gently prodded me towards Bayton, who was leading us through the main foyer and towards a separate hall. I let my eyes roam over the grand library, which featured six story high ceilings, gilded artwork, and floor to ceiling shelves of books. It was fucking gorgeous.
“Just surprised about the Nova thing,” I offered quietly, and he hummed in understanding.
“At least we know their team won’t hold back on doing what needs to be done,” Desmond said from my other side. I nodded in agreement because I remembered just how fucking crazy her men were. Not that I should be talking…
“Alright, your chambers are right this way. In a few hours, after you get some rest, I would ask you to join me for breakfast. We have a very busy day ahead of us.”
Oh, I believed it, and I believed it fell in the category ofworld ending shit.
“Shit,” Draven murmured under his breath as Bayton opened a set of hand-carved wooden doors that he motioned us into.
“Is this our room?” Shock permeated my very being.
“Yes, it even has a large pool—”
“Yeah, I can see that,” I whispered, taking in everything at once.
The high arched windows, nearly six stories high, on the back wall showcased the ocean, light from the surface making the entire room appear to be bathed in waves. Fish swam past lazily, and my eyes moved down to the marble floors that glinted in the light. In all four corners of the room were sunken spaces that led to what appeared to be beds, except they were massive king size mattresses pushed together to make mega beds that could fit several of us. They looked plush and luxurious, something that would have normally had my attention, along with the huge doors leading to the bathroom suite, most likely…if it wasn’t for the pool.
