Page 38 of Gifted Destiny (Hidden Libraries #3)
Zosia
D id destiny provide the time storm for a reason? Although Bren doesn’t agree with my description of the phenomenon we unknowingly created, I can’t deny its suitability. The electrical energy and unpredictable nature of the swirling magic remind me of a storm. My hair stands on end, occasional tremors of power roll across my skin, and my past injuries ache like an impending pressure front.
I tentatively attempt to contact Sage and the goblins again, cloaking my query in secretive silence to avoid disturbing Bren or upsetting the others. Before we arrived on the roof, my efforts didn’t yield anything. This time, the nebulous response lacks words, but its inherent nature calls my sphinx form.
The transformation happens before I truly understand what’s happening, but I take it in stride. The nature of the surrounding magic captures all of my attention when the shift is complete.
My sphinx senses increase the strangeness of the ambient magic. Unfamiliar scents taunt my nostrils. Voices whisper, but they’re too muffled to interpret, and my ears twitch with aggravation. I barely notice the difference between my human and feline vision the majority of the time, but the fog looks different as well. Flashes of light paint images into blurry photos or skipping movie reels. I can’t make sense of anything.
“What just happened?” Kodi asks. “Why’d you shift?”
Another whisper of intuition, perhaps Sage’s, brings me to all fours. I rise, extend my wings, and shake my fur and feathers to prepare my muscles. At least the fatigue has abated.
“Bren.” I growl his name to capture his attention. It works. “We’re about to receive a visitor.” My mates, lacking any further explanation, gather to either side of me with our backs toward the dome.
Garrett’s muscles ripple, and he manages to ask a question without words. Should he shift?
“Not yet,” I whisper along the mental link.
I have no idea what to expect, and the figure that greets me is so surreal that I think I’ve entered a parallel universe. At this point, it wouldn’t be the craziest scenario.
The woman is plain and nondescript. If I met her on the street, I probably wouldn’t remember her the next day. She’s wearing a pantsuit – the kind of apparel I only see on television. It’s not perfectly tailored but not overly large, and the fabric is a dull brown. Her eyes and hair appear to be the same color. The short bob is probably intended to be low maintenance, and it’s neither flattering nor off-putting. The only interesting thing about her was a thin computer tablet that appeared more high-tech than anything I’d seen at the orphanage. Corporate lackeys generally prefer phones, in my experience.
Nothing about her suggests magic, but she just appeared out of nowhere in a space that should be impossible to trespass. I can’t let my guard down.
When she first appears, I smell nervous confusion before she dispels it and straightens her shoulders. Glancing at the tablet balanced on one forearm, she reminds me of the health inspectors who would occasionally visit the orphanage – the younger ones who weren’t so disillusioned by their careers that they still cared.
“This is highly irregular,” she mutters after another glance at her tablet. The eerie glow of the electronic device makes her appear sallow. The comment isn’t intended for us. I grasp every clue and trickle of emotion that leaks past her tight defenses, and I hope my mates are doing the same. If we survive this, I definitely want to discuss it. It has to be one of the strangest occurrences of my lifetime, although that degree of evaluation doesn’t hold the range it used to.
I wait for the woman to make the first move, and my mates follow my lead. The library’s wordless warning advocated preparation. Sage hasn’t implied that the woman is a threat, but I feel like she could be.
When the stranger clears her throat, my ears twitch with anticipation. “As a messenger sent on behalf of the Cronos Corporation, I have been ordered to issue a citation. This anomaly is in direct violation of the time code as stated in Statute 3, Chapter 11, Paragraph B. This serves as a warning to cease and desist.”
Although her words have shaken all of us, my sphinx intuition is distracted by something other than the drivel she’s spouting. With her first word, I noted something wrong . My nostrils flare, but I can’t identify a single scent that might have been added alongside her appearance. This is impossible. All humans carry scents – their cleaning products, their last meal, or their specific, individual pheromone and chemical odor.
“Zosia?” Garrett inquires along our link.
Our uninvited quest interjects before I can formulate a response. “Mental communication is not allowed when in the presence of a Cronos representative. This is a violation of Statute 11, Chapter 6, Paragraph 15.”
My body stiffens, and I halt halfway between her and my guardians. I hadn’t realized that I’d taken several inquisitive steps toward the woman, and she’d given no indication either. She hasn’t shown any sign of fear or trepidation that a predator prowls toward her, but this revelation sits behind the other. Can she hear our bond? Or is she just aware that we’re communicating?
That niggling sense that something is wrong with her grows with each minute. “What are you?” The question flies from my brain to my lips before I can reconsider.
The messenger, who I’m now positive isn’t human, doesn’t blink in response. “I am a messenger from the Cronos Corporation,” she repeats in a flat tone. “We oversee this planet, and I am personally assigned to your string. Headquarters has ordered me to address the illegal time anomaly that has manifested in this time and place.”
Her explanation is confusing, but I believe the strange words are intended as a distraction. My nose lowers, and I evaluate her with something more than my own senses. For the briefest second, I understand that I’m drawing on all of my mates’ abilities. What I find is unnerving, but it’s also nearly irrelevant.
Oblivious to my inspection, the creature fashioned to look like a woman, gestures to the blue fog around us. It grew still and stagnant when she arrived; the scents and images have disappeared. Another spark of intuition suggests that it’s not exactly pleased about her presence, though. I hadn’t considered it might be sentient ….
“You’re one of the time meddlers,” Bren mutters. It’s the first word any of them have spoken aloud since the woman arrived.
The woman’s chin tilts into the air, but I don’t believe she fully understands who – or what – she is defending. “The Cronos Corporation is dedicated to the populations of Gaia, Pangaea, and the lost world. Its messengers and representatives adhere to strict instructions to achieve this end. Unsanctioned time magic is a threat to the fabric of time and space. Our actions and duties are devoted to preservation.” Her speech is wooden and reminds me of a professional’s rote recitations.
“Pangaea? The lost world?” Kodi echoes.
“Are you a robot? An android?” I prod, feeling an inexplicable desire to shatter her composure. I understand we have more urgent problems, but I can’t shake this compulsion to free her. Just like the book downstairs, there is a soul trapped somewhere within the shell standing before me.
“I am a messenger from the Cronos Corporation. My title is Timekeeper,” she retorts. I see a fissure in her demeanor, however, signified by a brief glimmer of uncertainty in her blank gaze. She’s never questioned her existence before; she’s never wondered who , what , or why she is. Even calling her a woman or affording her feminine pronouns is incorrect, but she hasn’t suggested an alternative.
Bren’s sudden appearance at my side prevents me from cracking the fissure further. “What is this time anomaly? Whatever we did, it was an accident.” Although he’s also curious about our visitor, he’s more interested in uncovering the mystery surrounding us. I cede the moment to him. My magic played a part, but this is ultimately his creation. Besides, pressing further will only cause the woman to shut down.
“And why have we never heard of this so-called Cronos Corporation?” Garrett growls. He steps alongside me while Avery and Kodi remain right behind me. The messenger doesn’t react differently in response to our nearness.
The woman takes a deep breath, seemingly relieved at the change in conversation. Unlike Kodi, she appears to need the breath, but it’s carefully regulated. “The Cronos Corporation operates covertly, and your lack of knowledge is understandable. The Corporation manages the business of time and safeguards its secrets. This includes interacting with the planetary populations only when necessary.” Her gaze slips to the tablet at the end of each sentence. It’s barely perceptible, but I notice because I’m watching for it. She isn’t reciting now; this is new territory for her.
“The anomaly that has manifested here is an exception and required an exceptional response. The proper term is time slip. Time slips are folds in the continuum. These folds draw the timelines closer together and subvert the natural order.” Her gaze darts more rapidly toward the tablet during the last portion of her explanation, and her fresh uncertainty is intriguing.
“So, we can time travel?” Kodi asks eagerly. In addition to acting unconcerned for her personal safety, the woman also doesn’t appear interested in my guardians. Her gaze doesn’t linger on any of them in a less than clinical manner. I can’t expect all women to flush when confronted by their various charms, but her reaction supports my assumption that she isn’t human.
When she looks at Kodi, she appears appraising. “You are another anomaly because you only exist in this timeline.” Her observation isn’t from the tablet, and I believe these comments are truer than the ones she reads. “Time travel is forbidden,” she adds as she glances at the digital aid again. “Using Gaian terms, this time slip is a misdemeanor. Time travel is a felony.”
“Is ours the true timeline?” Bren asks. He cranes his neck as if trying to read the text on her screen.
The messenger doesn’t seem to notice as she swipes the screen. I imagine she’s following a flow chart that gives her the correct replies. The ambient light projected by the screen appears less … pure when compared to the blue miasma of roiling magic.
“There is no such thing as a true timeline. All timelines are valid. The different threads exist to accommodate every soul in existence.” The explanation could be a company motto with how easily it rolls off her tongue. She frowns again as she presses the screen several times. “Highly irregular,” she mutters again.
“Do you always talk to yourself?”
The Timekeeper jolts, but I don’t know if it’s in response to Garrett’s deep voice or the question.
“Yes, I suppose I do. No one ever notices,” she muses before pressing another button. “My orders have changed. Instead of issuing a citation, my superiors wish to aid your cause.” She seems more confident now that she has clear-cut instructions. I doubt she ever questions her orders.
“My superiors have the ability to replace your enemy, Alpha Jonathan Addington, with a separate Jonathan Addington. The replacement poses less threat to your timeline and has agreed to the terms of answering for his counterpart’s crimes.”
“Say what?” Kodi breathes.
At the same time, Garrett issues a terse, commanding, “Explain.”
The woman’s brow furrows as she continues to read. “The man in question has violated the laws of time in both timelines, but he proves to be difficult to capture and subdue in this timeline. Because there are several timelines in which the culprit exists, Cronos Corporation has agreed to assist.”
I remember her comment about Kodi – how he only exists in this timeline. “How do multiple copies of the same person exist?” I ask.
“What is the price of this transaction?”
I’m grateful for the shifter’s level head. I am focused on how and w hy, but he is paying attention to what . His diplomacy will save us from the innocent agreement that always places the main character in trouble in every fable and fairy tale I’ve heard. I wish the library were more interested or capable of providing guidance, but she seems content to remain silent. I can sense that this Timekeeper’s arrival has caught her attention, however, which is more than she’s given me all day.
The woman studies me for several seconds before returning her attention to her tablet and shifting through several screens. “I can only offer you the information I am given and there is no mention of gathering anything in return.”
“Everything has a price,” Garrett grumbles. “How is this exchange to occur? Where is this doppelganger?”
The Timekeeper glances at her tablet again. “I have been authorized to permit linear travel to the timeline my superiors designate. All of you, excluding the ghost, may travel.” She lifts her gaze to Kodi, and my gut churns with dread. “Your soul cannot travel safely.”
“No,” I snarl. “I won’t leave him.”
Dark brown eyes meet mine, but they seem strangely hollow. I can’t sense her emotions or character. “Then you must stay too,” she says matter-of-factly. “A strange magic supports his survival in this time and place. If he leaves, he’ll be lost.”
I’m silent as I contemplate her words. As much as I hate her decree, it makes sense. The library rises for the first time all day, barely there but soothing. She doesn’t use words, but she validates the Timekeeper’s words and reassures me that Kodi will be safe while I’m gone. It’s possible, however, that I imagine all of this because I desperately want it to be true.
“There must be a price,” Garrett grunts. He and the others don’t react to the library’s touch, and I start to doubt its presence.
“Your timeline is important.” The Timekeeper’s gaze slides to Bren and away again. Earlier, he’d asked if our timeline was the original one; this seemed important to him. Is she answering his question in a different way? “The one designated for extraction is already considered nonviable. Removing a key player will simply hasten its demise. I’ve seen other timelines die when a key player dies unexpectedly or the libraries don’t have a proper caretaker.”
“Does the Cronos Corporation seek to aid the libraries?” My question is deliberately blunt. I still know very little about the Eastern Library because we’ve been focused on our crises. Is it a sentient being with similar ancient magic? Are its caretakers, the book dragons, also struggling?
“The Cronos Corporation is dedicated to the populations of Gaia, Pangaea, and the lost world. Its primary goal is creating a thriving future alongside the magical libraries.” The quickly spoken words remind me of a retail worker saying customer satisfaction is number one when prodded because it increases sales.
The Timekeeper’s expression adopts the first real emotion I’ve seen – alarm – when the tablet emits a mechanical beep. “The time slip will close soon, and your options are limited. I will hold the anomaly in place to facilitate your return, but using the ghost as your anchor will also help. Will you accept our help?” An edge of frantic impatience has entered the messenger’s voice.
My head whips to each side as I evaluate my men. Avery is cautious but hesitantly acceptant. Garrett is suspicious and Bren is excited, but I’m still concerned about Kodi. What if we’re separated again? For good this time?
Kodi’s lips firm into a thin line as his eyes meet mine. “It’s the best option to get that bastard, so don’t refuse because of me. I’ll be right here waiting for you.”
I hold my best friend’s gaze for a few precious seconds, relaying how much I love him in the brief time we have. He nods, understanding, and I whip my head back around. “If I am separated from any of my mates, Cronos will pay,” I snarl ferociously at the messenger. She is innocent, as far as I can tell, but she’s the only one here to receive my threat.
The nameless Timekeeper nods, but she still isn’t afraid of me. She’s either immortal or carries no interest in the length of her mortality. Instead of addressing my threat, she extracts four silver devices from her tablet. It might be a clever sleight of hand or illusion that they emerge from the smooth surface, but the trick reminds me so much of the library’s materialization magic that I shiver.
“Place these behind your ears. They will protect you during your travel through time and space. As for you, they will also offer you sight,” she adds as an aside to Avery. “The substitute Addington already has one for travel to this timeline. When you are ready to return, simply press the device once, wait two seconds, then remove it.” The Timekeeper doesn’t have these instructions memorized. She reads every word from the tablet as if referencing a manual.
She hands the devices to us, and Garrett brushes aside my hair to find the proper spot on my sphinx head. It feels cold and metallic against my scalp. With no more time to waste and Garrett assisting me again, we depress the center of the small buttons. I’m dubious that such a small device could protect us or facilitate time travel in any way, but the world shifts before me.
The blue fog lifts almost instantly as my stomach flips. I’ve heard others talk about this sensation during exhilarating, thrill-seeking moments, but I’ve never experienced it before. I stumble and barely prevent myself from vomiting my small lunch, wondering why anyone would purposefully pursue the horrible experience.
When my guts settle back into place, I’m struck by Kodi’s absence. Although he’s still included in the mate bond, I can’t access his presence or emotions. I feel … disconnected, and it’s more devastating than the physical symptoms of travel.
The others step closer, and Avery crouches to my level. Although the appearance of his eyes hasn’t changed, the addition of sight is obvious in the way he looks at me. His concern is evident on his face, though. “The bond with him has been muted, but it’s still there,” he reassures me.
I force myself to breathe deeply and realize he’s correct. The library is still here, too, albeit muted in the same way. In fact, it isn’t much different than she’s been all day. My eyes narrow as I glance toward Bren and Garrett.
Sensing my suspicion, Bren shakes his head. “Even so, we cannot let down our guard,” he relays along the mental link.
I shiver as he confirms my suspicions, but Garrett’s head swivels between the two of us. “What do you mean?” His mental voice is as gruff as his vocal cords.
“This is not what the Timekeeper said it would be,” Avery says bluntly. I’m unsurprised that he has noticed the strangeness, too. Garrett is intelligent, but he isn’t as insightful.
The roof we inhabit looks exactly like ours, minus the blue fog of magic, but this isn’t my library or a Hidden Library in any timeline. The building is just a building, and the magic it contains is weak. It can’t compare to Sage’s ancient power.
Garrett shudders next to me, his skin rippling as if he’s preventing a shift. “We’re being watched,” he grunts. “I knew this Cronos Corporation was shady.”
I was wrong. The shifter is insightful, just in different ways. I hadn’t noticed the sense of being observed until he mentioned it because I’d been focused on the magic.
“I don’t think it’s the Timekeeper’s fault. I don’t believe she has any power; she’s just a worker drone.” Pity for the woman fills me. Despite her humanity or lack thereof, the evidence points to her enslavement.
“We might not have all the facts, but I think the purpose of our visit is still valid. Let’s do it and get out of here. Honestly, I don’t think we have much choice now that we’re here.” Bren’s gaze is contemplative.
I want to stomp my paws in a childlike temper tantrum but settle for thumping my tail against the stone roof. “We don’t need another enemy,” I snarl along the link, secure in the knowledge that my men won’t think I’m angry with them. I don’t know what Destiny is playing at, but this is ridiculous. I only wanted peace, but I think the rest of our lives will be spent looking over our shoulders.
“Bren’s right. Let’s do this and get out of here. We can deal with everything else later.” Garrett takes charge, and I’m happy he does because I’m too busy feeling sorry for myself.
He takes a step forward, but the familiar sound of the stairwell door opening and closing causes all of us to freeze.
“I swear I heard something up here.”
The voice makes me glance wildly at Bren to ensure he’s still at my side. It sounded like him, but the tone was altered – more arrogant and less nuanced. I completely forget our suspicions that everything we see is just a trick of our minds. Are we about to meet a different version of ourselves? Can I tolerate seeing my life for what it could have been? Can my mates? What if they prefer my altered self?