Chapter 4
As I reach for the doorknob, I can feel the magic from the wards reach out and wrap around my hands; it feels curious yet familiar somehow.
I turn the knob and there is a quiet click, so I push the door open and the sight that greets me takes my breath away.
The room is decorated in golds, dark greens, and creams, though it definitely has the same ornate and imposing feeling as the rest of the school.
Walking through the door, with Marsh hot on my heels, I make my way to the living room, as if drawn to it by the natural light flooding in from the sliding glass door that offers a gorgeous view of the grounds.
The floor throughout the entire suite is dark walnut, only broken by a beautiful red Victorian rug placed under the coffee table, and a plush-looking emerald green sectional sitting across from the fireplace, facing a large TV hanging above the mantel.
The walls have a dark racing green wallpaper with beautiful gold details.
The curtains are a light cream with a subtle damask pattern in swirling greens and reds.
You’d think it would look like Christmas threw up in here, but with all the little features, it feels more like we walked into an old castle.
“Wow, this place is stunning. Do all the rooms look like this?” I ask Rune, practically speechless.
“Yes, all the dorms have the same gothic feel to them as the rest of campus. Obviously, each room has different color palettes. My dorm–which is right above, but a few floors up, this actually–is lighter, with more creams and whites. This school spared no expense when making sure all their rich students were happy.”
Marsh barks out a laugh. “Well, we are grateful for that! This is amazing. Let's check out our rooms.” He starts whizzing around our suite as though he were a hummingbird.
Turning around, I see Rune still standing in the doorway. “Are you coming in?”
“No, that’s alright. I’ll let you get settled.
Dinner will be in the dining hall at five.
If you go back to Manor Hall through the door we came out of, and take a left the dining hall is there.
Your bags should already be in your rooms and anything you sent ahead would have been transported here as well. ”
“Magnolia! You have to come look at our rooms!” I turn towards my brother's voice but when I glance back to the door a moment later, Rune is already gone. Well, okay then, I guess that conversation is done.
Shutting it with a shrug at our tour guide’s odd behavior, I follow the beating and banging around the corner to the right, where there are two dark doors that nearly match the floors.
The one on the right is open, and I can see Marsh looking around excitedly, but the other is closed with a gold ‘3’ on it, so that must be mine.
Opening the door, I’m even more blown away than I was by the living room.
The wall across from me seems almost like nothing but windows; taking another step into the room, I can see that it’s actually full-length windows on either side of a sliding glass door that seems to lead to a personal balcony separate from the one off the living room.
There is a corner desk unit and a TV on the wall directly to my left, and the wall to my right has two huge bay windows on either side of a four-poster queen-sized bed perfectly situated to lay back and relax while watching my favorite shows.
The dark wood theme of the space is broken up by a beautiful emerald green rug that matches the couch in the living room, and the wallpaper that seems to be the same as well.
The bay windows both have built-in seating that look just as comfortable as the bed.
Those will be amazing to curl up and read in.
On the sides of the bay windows are built-in bookshelves that make up both corners.
The wall across from the balcony has two doors, so I start with the closest one.
Opening it, I reveal a stunning bathroom.
A pocket door on my right leads to what can’t even be called a powder room, since it only contains a toilet.
After eighteen years, I’m so glad I don’t have to share a toilet with my brother anymore.
Just past the water closet is a nook on my right that seems to be set up for linen storage, and from the sounds coming from behind the door in front of me, I’m guessing that Marsh’s bedroom is on the other side.
I make my way past two cutouts on either side of the Jack-and-Jill style doors, and am once again speechless at the sight that greets me.
On the wall adjacent to my bedroom there is a beautiful frosted glass shower with sleek gold hardware and a waterfall showerhead.
On the wall against Marsh’s bedroom is an amazing soaking tub that looks like it has jacuzzi-style pressure jets.
Between them, a long marble countertop with dual sinks and gold accents is separated by a vanity area.
I see Marsh walk up behind me in the swivel mirrors mounted in the counter behind both sinks.
It looks like they move multiple directions, able to angle from behind the sinks to the little vanity area that has two little stools tucked underneath.
The bathroom seems more modern in decor than the rest of the suite, done in crisp whites, with accentuating blues, and contrasting shining golds.
It goes perfectly with the ocean views I can see in the picture window behind the counter.
Going back into my room with Marsh following me, I slide open the last mystery door to discover a walk-in closet containing built-in shelves, plenty of racks to hang my nicer things, and even a spot designated for shoes.
Thankfully, I also see all of my luggage and boxes stacked along the wall to one side.
“This place is stunning Mags, it’s definitely a far cry from staring at the Gulf or a swamp.” He wraps an arm around my shoulder and I relax into him.
“I know. I can’t believe we get to live here for the next six years, surrounded by all of this,” I reply, sweeping my free arm out to gesture at the opulence around us.
Putting my earbuds in and setting my phone to a playlist, I decide to start tackling boxes to make this room feel more like home.
We spend the next couple hours unpacking, and I lose track of time until I feel Marsh walk behind me in the closet and I can’t help but tease him about it.
“I thought you already came out of the closet?” I say over my shoulder.
He throws a sweater off my floor at my head.
“Ha ha, very funny brat. It’s four o’clock now, so why don’t you jump in the shower first to freshen up, that way you can bolus and get ready while I shower, and then we can go to dinner.
When we get back we can keep working on unpacking the rest of this. ”
“Works for me. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” I answer with a grin that belies my nerves at all of the change. I just hope the beauty of it isn’t a heavenly-seeming smokescreen for this place to turn out to be hell.