Atlantis Academy: The First Element

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The countertops are made of some kind of cool stone. Maybe it's marble. I don't know, but it's the weirdest stone I've ever seen. It's every shade of blue and turquoise, with iridescent sparkles that catch the light.

Then there's the food. Someone has laid out at least ten glass bowls buffet-style on the wooden dining room table. Ethan lifts a few of the lids, checking out dinner, and the delicious aromas call my name. My stomach answers, growling so loudly, I swear it echoes.

"Are we...? Whose house is this?" I try to cover up the sound of my stomach. It's been so long since I said a word that my voice comes out scratchy.

"This is a Guardian house," Chloe says brightly. "It's owned by The Atlantis Society and may be used by any Guardian, as needed."

"But... the food..."

"We texted ahead. Someone on the local Cerberus staff made sure the house was ready for us." Chloe scans me from head to toe. "Let me show you your room. We could all use a bit of freshening up. Then we'll eat."

Rude.

Then again, she's not wrong. I suppose surviving a housefire, running through the woods, and sweating out a few dozen buckets of anxiety weren't working in my favor. Freshening up sounds like a plan.

Ethan has already disappeared down the hallway next to the kitchen, and Chloe leads me past several doors and stops at the very last one.

"You'll sleep here. You'll find all the essentials in there—use whatever you'd like. They get replaced or cleaned for each new guest."

As I step through the doorway, she leaves me, shutting the door behind me.

I drop my backpack to floor, just staring. This room, I swear, is the size of the whole first level of my house.

Well, what used to be my house.

This bedroom has the same dark wood floors that are everywhere else, and the far wall is just one enormous window looking out over the ocean. The furniture matches the furniture in the living room—a low steel-framed bed with pristine white covers and intricately carved wooden dressers and side tables. There's even a desk, and it's not child-sized!

I can't help myself.

I let out a giggle and spin around a few times, taking myself closer to the window.

On the other side of the room, there are double doors leading into a luxurious bathroom.

Bathroom is kind of a joke of a word to describe it, though.

Bathhouse?

Spa?

Seriously, though. The bathroom alone is bigger than my old bedroom.

The floor is real stone, and there are tiny iridescent tiles inlaid in the stone and covering the entire vanity. A giant copper-toned bowl serves as a sink, and a curving, swanlike faucet rises above it.

I wince when I catch sight of myself in the mirror. My visible bruises have deepened to a dark purple, and I look like I haven't slept in months. Luckily, the top drawer of the vanity has everything I need, as Chloe promised it would. I grab the little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash and head for the shower.

It's huge, made of stone and glass.

And it has three shower heads, including a huge disc in the ceiling.

Three!

Who needs three freakin' shower heads?

This girl.