Page 20 of Gifted Destiny (Hidden Libraries #3)

Avery

T he bond forms the moment Zosia relaxes in her best friend’s nonjudgmental presence. It’s completed before they have sex, which isn’t surprising. They already loved one another. Zosia just needed reassurance and Kodi needed the possibility of a future. Bren’s magic made both possible.

When the ghost’s emotions become part of the bond, they’re muted and more difficult to decipher. I don’t need to worry about my mate, however. Kodi’s love for the sphinx is so great that he refuses to let his soul rest, preferring to stay at her side.

Less than ten minutes after the bond is secured, Zosia’s climax rocks the building … and me. It shakes me to my foundation as I struggle to contain my pleasure. The brothers don’t feel her pleasure as a powerful wave of energy, but they still sense it. Garrett’s aura darkens with frustrated irritation while Bren’s pulses with delight.

My fellow guardians joined me on the rooftop after Garrett finished yelling at Bren. Although it’s been a tedious day, none of us felt like retreating into sleep or solitude.

The shifter has barely spoken. His anger was primarily driven by worry and fear, but he hadn’t realized Bren’s circumstances. He couldn’t see the volatile magic swirling in his brother’s aura and only saw his sibling’s actions as reckless and dangerous.

Garrett was also shocked by Kodi’s solidity. Although the plan was agreed upon, I don’t think he realized what the magic would do for Kodi. Is he still jealous? He and Zosia shared a brief connection during their therapy session, but I’m worried that everything has reset.

I feel a duty to broach the difficult conversation with the shifter. I want to strengthen our relationship and uncover whether I should be worried about his jealousy’s negative effects on our mate.

My words are typically articulate and precise, but I struggle with the beginning question. “Your energy is more chaotic than usual,” I observe aloud as I turn toward him. Even without sight, I’m not worried about falling off the roof. The library won’t allow it.

“Are they bonded now?” Garrett’s inquiry is terse and not an answer to my implied subject.

I nod and tip my head back, enjoying the way the light breeze sifts through my loosened hair. Moonlight feels different from sunlight, but it’s equally pleasant. While I’m thankful that I can experience both, I prefer nights. This is partially because I feel it connects me to my brethren but also because auras are easier to interpret. Bright light confuses my already limited sight by distorting the energies of objects and people.

“They are. Their bond only required a slight nudge.” I pause as I gauge his reaction to my words. “They’ve loved each other for years.”

Garrett grunts, and I give thanks for the hints his aura reveals. I doubt his expression reveals anything; Addington would have taught him how to hide his emotions.

“What if it’s a mistake?” The question explains the worry I see in his energy. “What if Kodi fades? Ghosts and spirits are so rare that no one knows why they exist or how they function. One theory is that they have unfinished business. What if …?” He stops, and I hear the rasp of skin against stubble. I don’t know if he’s scratching his head or his face.

“You think sex is Kodi’s unfinished business?” Bren asks as he rejoins the conversation.

“I’m not saying that exactly, but think about it. If he loved her before he died, he might be satisfied to see her happy and protected. If she’s forgiven him for his involvement in her past, it might be even more likely. But what if her love for him stems from something more … questionable?”

Although his last question is confusing, a greater understanding soothes my apprehension. Garrett might still carry a little jealousy, but he’s more concerned with Zosia’s well-being than another man in her bed. While I’m grateful for this, I can’t provide him with answers. What he said is true. No one understands the true nature of ghosts and spirits.

Bren’s aura doesn’t adopt his brother’s concerns. His energy after the successful transfer might be the most relaxed I’ve seen since he arrived. If anyone attributed his silent, aloof nature to self-absorption, they’d be sorely mistaken. His actions indicate the opposite.

“I have a theory.” Bren’s words immediately pique our attention; his farseeing abilities inject possibility into his theories. “I think Kodi’s presence will persist as long as Zosia’s love for him. They might have met under the dubious relationship of captor and captive, but their friendship was cultivated after his death when neither remembered their previous circumstances. So the idea of Stockholm syndrome or latching onto someone because of trauma isn’t valid.”

Somehow, Bren understood what his brother didn’t say. The idea hadn’t even occurred to me. Garrett and I remain silent, sensing that Bren isn’t done yet.

“I’m not saying you don’t have a point about unfinished business, but Kodi could have slipped away the moment Zosia became the librarian if it were true. He didn’t.”

“Point taken,” Garrett grunts. “You didn’t give him your abilities, did you? Two weather mages is a recipe for disaster.”

“Magic of that magnitude can’t be gifted,” I say with strange certainty. The library classifies my words as true.

Garrett sighs loudly. “Ok. I don’t know why I’m upset.”

I hope it’s not his beast’s jealousy. Will the griffin ever accept that we share the sphinx? Zo’s affection for the man grew tenfold today, and it’s clear that the library needs him because of his political influence and diplomatic knowledge. If he is jealous and decides to leave, we don’t have a replacement.

“I do,” Bren replies. “You didn’t have any control over my transfer. Not having control means you can’t protect me.” The younger brother doesn’t pull any punches.

I listen silently. It feels slightly intrusive, but I remind myself that we will be a family unit once the brothers bond with Zosia. Not every group of guardians seeks to create a tight, familial relationship, but it’s what our souls crave. We’re still relatively young and our childhoods didn’t provide any sense of kinship; our inner selves require strong connections.

“Did that sound harsh?” Bren asks when Garrett doesn’t respond. “I didn’t mean to.” Although the mage regrets making his brother worry, he doesn’t regret the impulsive transfer. He’s ultimately more invested in the outcome than the possibilities. Garrett could learn from him.

“Everything is ok, though. I’m safe. Kodi is bonding with Zosia and he’ll be part of the library when the detectives show up, like we promised them. Jackie Joyner-Kersee said, ‘It’s better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.’ I felt like we were running out of time.”

A couple minutes pass as Garrett absorbs Bren’s words. Just when I think one of them will go inside, Bren’s energy pulses with excitement. “I forgot to tell you! I talked to Fin before the transfer. Remember the guardian that supposedly betrayed Zosia’s grandmother? Fin says that he and the vampire were close companions. He didn’t note any indication that the guardian was thinking of leaving or that his relationship had faltered. Fin said that when he disappeared, he really disappeared.”

Garrett asks the question on both of our minds. “What do you mean he really disappeared? Isn’t that what happens when you die?”

“The library and the goblins didn’t sense his death. Because we’re contracted to the library, she should have felt it when he died. She felt the others pass on, even though they were miles away.”

“Agustin was a vampire?” I muse aloud as I conjure a list of ways vampires can die. Killing one wasn’t as difficult as the magicless believed, but a true death is when the soul leaves the body. Vampires might be classified as undead or semi-dead , but these qualities only refer to their physical shells. The ancients believed that any entity harboring a will, sentient emotions, or a soul would be considered alive. According to that definition, this building and Kodi would also be alive .

“Yes. Kodi asked if he was tethered, but Fin said that was highly unlikely. Although his bond with Zosia’s grandmother would have been erased by her death, his contract with Sage remains valid until he truly dies or betrays the library. If he’s done neither ….” Bren’s murmured words fade into the night. In the trees that border the campus, an owl greets the night with several echoing hoots.

“Can he still access the library?”

Garrett’s question carries a chilling idea. I had hoped, for Zosia’s and the library’s sake, that the battle with Addington would be waged entirely through political and social channels. If we expose the alpha shifter’s atrocious deeds and provide proof, the supernatural community will demand an investigation. Subjugating the will of another being is the worst crime either race can commit.

He deserves death after he suffers utter humiliation and loss, especially if he’s also behind the recent attacks against the vampire clans. At the very least, he’ll spend the rest of his miserable life in a dungeon like the one that imprisoned my mate. The vengeful vampire inside me hopes for the most horrid outcome.

However, if Addington has allies that could infiltrate the library …. My mind considers the threat. Can the guardian breach our defenses if he has betrayal in his heart? If he were inside the library already, wouldn’t Sage know?

Did the missing vampire have a connection to our kind before he transferred his loyalty to the library? Turned vampires typically belong to a hive. They prefer to monitor their own instead of relying on supernatural law enforcement, which is predominately composed of shifters. The vampiric tendency toward isolation and mistrust has widened the rift between the two factions for centuries. Did Atanea check in with his family after he left? I have to assume she exhausted all other avenues before leaving.

“I’ll need to get out there sooner rather than later,” Garrett mutters. I assume he gestures toward the campus beyond as he does so. “We need information from outside – the kind we can’t obtain in here, but I know he has people watching us. The next OSC delegation is three weeks away, but I can’t attend in person unless I’m armed with knowledge and evidence. One of us needs to make a move before then.”

“You need full protection before you leave the library. This means bonding to Zosia and making your beast accept her other mates.” Bren’s tone is laced with a rare note of command. I hope it works; Garrett might actually listen to him.

Garrett shifts his disgruntled energy toward his younger sibling. “I know. My griffin accepted Avery once he was marked. I think Kodi will be similar.” He pauses intentionally. “Bren?”

The mage’s aura pulses with anxiety. “I just need a little more time. Being with Zosia requires me to forget the past and everything Addington forced us to do. I was making progress until that woman ambushed me this morning. She had similarly selfish motives, and everything about her screamed of deception. It reminded me too much of the women Addington brought to us.” His aura shivers with remembered fear and agitation. Garrett’s energy strains toward his brother in a protective manner, but I can’t determine whether it’s a physical or subconscious action.

“Kissing Zosia made me feel better,” Bren continues. “I’m just afraid something will trigger me and she’ll misinterpret a reaction as rejection. I can’t do that to her. My heart has always belonged to her and my body desires her in a way I didn’t believe possible. I just need my brain to cooperate.”

Silence reigns for several minutes. I’m grateful to Bren for speaking so freely, and I worry that Garrett won’t reciprocate. Although our society has progressed in some ways, men are still discouraged from sharing anything that might be considered a weakness.

“My griffin already considers you part of his family, so it might not be an issue. Griffins form packs called drifts, but this isn’t common knowledge.”

I sense that he includes this information because I’m present, and I nod in appreciation. Griffins are so rare that I hadn’t known this about them. It explains his close relationship with his brother, however.

“The most important thing is that my beast knows his mate is protected. Since he considers mates less capable of hurting each other, existing bonds become a reassurance instead of a threat.”

“I don’t think we have much time. I still have too much magic inside me, and I had difficulty giving any to the library tonight. I assume this will change after I’m bonded.” Bren’s voice quiets. “I hope this isn’t too much for Zosia. The idea that copulation is required to form a bond is archaic.”

Garrett snorts. “The words copulation and archaic are even older. You said yourself that the library is too ancient to comprehend. Maybe this is why her customs are a little outdated.”

Bren huffs in response, and I think he might roll his eyes.

“The bond fully formed between Zosia and Kodi before … copulation,” I informed them after a moment’s hesitation. Garrett snorts at the word, but Bren turns thoughtful. I fear giving him a reason to procrastinate, but a lessening in pressure might facilitate their interactions.

“They already loved one another. I think the library’s terms are specific to our individual needs. Zosia needs to feel desired and she needs a safe conduit for her libido that won’t cause shame.”

Understanding saturates the brothers’ auras as the library transmits an emotion to me that doesn’t belong to my mate. Sage is pleased that I understand.

Considering she and Kodi are still engaged in passionate activities raises a question, though. “Your magic must have aided her in some way, Bren. Her energy was reduced to nothing when she retired, but she seems rejuvenated.”

“It worked? I’d intended for the little energy I managed to force into the library to go to her.”

Our connection doesn’t express physical needs as readily as emotions. Once I tap into them, I realize why they’re not prioritized. The softer, more subtle emotions would be overwhelmed by the hungrier physical needs of weariness, pain, hunger, and lust.

I sift through the affection and love to examine Zosia’s energy. “She is revived. This could be because the library passed on your magic or the bond sustains her, but I think you played a part. Kodi had no difficulty rousing her.”

Garrett grunts. “I agree with Avery that you must have helped her. She was mostly asleep before I finished our therapy session, even though she must have been in pain.”

The shifter’s compassionate empathy and his words ease my lingering worries. Zosia’s relaxation suggested trust, especially while Garrett touched her legs. Her anxiety regarding her injuries is so powerful that it would have overridden her fatigue with anyone she didn’t trust.

“I wasn’t thinking,” Garrett says gruffly. Bren and I wait for an explanation with equal confusion. “About what I said to the detective. If you’d transferred your power to him and he couldn’t complete the bond, the magic wouldn’t have belonged to the library – not entirely.”

The admission of wrongdoing, although a relatively simple misunderstanding, further distances the shifter from his father. My reservations regarding his entrance into our circle lessen more each day.

“I know,” Bren replies, but his words are followed by a loud yawn. When the brothers decide to retire for the night, I wish them a restful slumber but don’t join them. I stay at the half-wall.

Although they’re only soft glows from this distance, each supernatural’s energy presents as a single light. The campus and whatever lies beyond becomes a tapestry for my strange vision – a field of black dotted by stars and interspersed with the ambient glow of other living things. I navigate the world using this strange web of light and an intuitive sense that I’ve cultivated over the years.

Navigating a relationship isn’t as easy as finding my way through physical space. Although Zosia is always with me via the bond, I miss her. I crave her scent and the sound of her soft breaths as she sleeps. The longing is unfamiliar, as is the desire for a stronger relationship with the other guardians. Today’s trial brought us closer, but tomorrow can still unravel all that has been woven.

The newest bond feels strange. Kodi’s energy fluctuates like the strength of his form, and his emotions vary widely in intensity. He cannot die again to protect the library or the librarian, but his bond is not lessened because of this. Most importantly, Zosia is happy. Her delight and contentment are the strongest I’ve felt so far.

I consider the trials we’ve faced together already and the information the brothers have shared with me tonight. Fin’s words regarding Agustin’s disappearance repeat through my mind. They seem prophetic, as if the library is trying to prepare us for what might happen. The intuition I’ve relied upon my entire life suggests that the danger facing us is greater than one man. Additionally, I’m uncertain of that man’s intentions. Is it just a grab for power or something else entirely?

The soul-lights of fellow students wink and flutter as they drift in and out of sleep. This view is my personal night sky. Zosia became my sun – my day – when I met her. As a figural metaphor, keeping her alive prevents the world from falling into darkness. I’ll do everything within my power to maintain this crucial balance, regardless of our enemy. We’ll only succeed if we strive together. Tonight, a crucial element was added to our potential for victory.