Page 240 of Caelum

That had her blinking. “I’m eighteen.”

“So? You can still feel old. Don’t tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

She scrunched her nose. “When you all play on that Xbox thing, I feel very wise. Not old. Does that count?”

I snickered and hugged her to me, grateful she hadn’t clung onto Eren as was becoming a habit of hers but had come to me for some lovin’. “Yeah, that counts. But we’ll get you hooked on that shit one of these days. We just have to find the right game.”

Her snort said she didn’t think that would ever happen, but hell, she’d yet to playGrand Theft Auto. I could imagine her getting a buzz out of the car chases in that game.

Making a mental note to buy the latestGTAso we could play it at some point, I murmured, “This is such a normal place, and it’s been a long time since I’ve been anywhere that reminds me of how removed we are.”

A hum escaped her. “You’re right. We don’t fit in here.”

“No.” I blew out a breath. “We don’t.”

When Eren appeared at her side, I shot him a look, surprised to note that the shadows under his eyes were there, but a little less black than usual. When he cocked a brow at me, I shrugged.

“You look less exhausted than usual,” I commented.

A giggle escaped Eve, and I knew right then and there that I’d pay a fucking fortune to hear that over and over again until the end of my days.

Fingers crossed that was when I was old and gray. Well, older and grayer than the Anheims, at any rate.

“I made him sleep.”

Eren grunted. “You cheated.”

I blinked. “How did she cheat?”

“She sang to me.”

“Oh.” My lips twitched. “It worked, so why are you complaining?”

“He didn’t even have a nightmare,” Eve butted in, sounding proud of herself.

Considering she had reason to be, I gaped at her and told her, “That’s fucking brilliant news!” Then, as it hit me, I whispered, “Hang on, you used the Lorelei to sing him a lullaby?”

She winced. “It’s getting easier to call on each creature.”

Her admission couldn’t have come at a worse time because we weren’t alone to discuss it, and we were about to enter the university. We’d been walking down a graveled path at the side of an epic building that towered a good forty feet over us. Windows lined the wall, each one made up of a tiny rectangle of glass that glittered in the morning light. At her words, however, we approached a curved step that led to four more and an entrance portico.

After being scanned by security with wands, we crossed a floor made up of black-and-white checkerboard tiles. It kind of reminded me of Caelum, truth be told. With its tall ceilings and walls loaded with different paintings, mostly oil, and of a variety of subjects.

There wasn’t much to look at, though, before Bartlett had approached a door. He opened the carved mahogany and waved us in.

Eve wasn’t the only one who released a hiss at the sight of his office. It was like nothing I could have imagined. Wall to wall bookshelves that were over three times my height, and on the ceiling, a bright blue cupola made the room feel as though it were outside.

Well, outside if angels were peering over the molding like innocent Peeping Toms.

In front of a bay window, parallel to each other, there were two large desks that were overflowing with paperwork, and two thin laptops buzzed into being as the two doctors sat behind their desks and logged on.

When Frazer cleared his throat, Bartlett waved a hand. “We’re used to people gaping at our office. Let us just check our emails and you can absorb it.”

His interest faded before he even finished the sentence, and Ihad to hide a laugh at Frazer’s disgruntled expression—he definitely wasn’t used to being ignored.

But the doctor’s reasoning made sense. It was impossible not to be impressed with the office. Thousands of books gleamed with vitality as they were stacked between rich, golden-brown shelves. Certain segments, sometimes two or three stacks, were topped by a crest that was loaded with a letter, and the room was so tall, it had two floors with a mezzanine landing!

Overhead, the blue ceiling was decorated with gilt and lighter blues so it felt like the sky, but also, as though it were an extension of the library itself. Painted books were drawn above the shelves and were stacked around the angels as though they’d been reading before someone had rudely interrupted them.

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