Page 66 of Saving Destiny

“This mark would indicate that it takes the bearer’s wishes into account,” the vampire says smoothly. “Last night, I mentioned to Zosia that I’d love wings like hers. She imagined this tattoo and transmitted the image to me. The magic altered the color, but the mark is what I wanted.”

I turn my wrist over to inspect the lotus again. “I didn’t pick mine.”

“True, but it’s specific to your heritage.”

“I didn’t pick it, but I love it,” I amend quickly when I feel Avery’s hesitation. He senses my honesty. I’ve never considered getting a tattoo, so I don’t know what I might have picked. I love the lotus’ meaning, though, and I think it’s beautiful.

“Fascinating,” Bren breathes. He appears deep in thought as he swoops down and presses a firm kiss to my lips. “I’m thinking about what I want,” he whispers. My body heats when I hear the promise in his tone.

Fudge waffles, I inwardly curse. I’m not sure I’ll survive them. In an attempt to distract myself, I gulp half of my coffee. I haven’t started eating my food yet, but the library prevents my cereal from turning soggy. Kodi finds my obvious discomfort funny, and Avery’s eyes glimmer when he senses my desire.

Garrett doesn’t look amused or delighted, though. Sudden fear grips me when I wonder whether he’ll decide he can’t share me after all. He downs his unappealing drink with abnormally jerky movements, and his body seems to vibrate with stress. While some of his tension can be attributed to his worries about opening the doors, I’m positive that our unconventional relationship contributes. Although he’s tried to reassure me, I still worry that I tricked him into signing the contract.

A decade of negative thoughts sabotages my intentions to remain positive. When I imagine him leaving, I also imagine his brother breaking down and my disappointment. I didn’t plan for these four men, but I want them now that they’re here.

What if he realizes that he’d rather have one of the women he sees today? They won’t come with our complications. How will Bren cope with his absence? How will I?

Chapter 34

Bren

The doors will open and people will enter … so many people. Constant, confusing visions of the future alternate with the present in random bursts, and I have difficulty determining what is happening now. This irritating overlap of my abilities only happens when I’m under extreme stress.

I’m worried that I’ll screw everything up today. I’m bound to disappoint Zosia, not to mention the other guardians and the library, because the situation will prove too overwhelming. My magic will explode and destroy everything I’ve worked toward. I feel overstimulated before the doors even open.

When the opening bell rings, a crowd already waits on the outer steps. Although I have permission to hide in the archive room, there’s no time to consider the option before a swarm of people flood through the doors. The library attempts to scan each individual, but she’s been on vacation for years and was half-dormant when a non-Abram sphinx managed the building. I doubt she realized so many people would enter at once, either. The difficulty the library faces as she reaches capacity deflects onto her employees.

Kodi flits around so rapidly that he appears to be nothing more than a wisp of smoke against the backlight of the sun through the dome. My brother presents an immovable mountain as he attempts to screen every entrant and study everyone who exits. Although the library possesses several safeguards against theft, we decided Garrett would serve as sentry when she’s overwhelmed. One of the goblins’ most feared scenarios is the loss or ruination of materials that can’t be duplicated. While the library focuses on the preservation and protection of its assets, Garrett helps monitor students and bags.

In contrast to the rest of us, Avery appears calm and collected, and I assume the completed bond has helped him achieve this state. He’s able to lend the library and Zosia a portion of his unflappable stability as he facilitates the handoffs between the goblins and the librarian. He also has the wherewithal to prevent a hoard of customers from pestering Zo at the same time. I’m thankful they were able to complete their bond last night. If they hadn’t, the day would have started with decreased success and more problems.

From the little attention I can muster, Zosia appears to be handling her new position with admirable skill. Although she has no experience, she performs many tasks like a trained professional; it’s in her blood. I notice her falter when faced with difficult customers, though, and I suffer alongside her.

I can follow simple directions, retrieve materials, and uphold the library’s rules. However, my calm starts to unravel when the patrons begin pestering me with personal questions about Zosia, the other guardians, and the library. We’ve been open for less than two hours, and five people have already propositioned me. The sixth occurrence makes my temper flare.

I want to attach a sign to my chest that states my title. Maybe it will stop the students from asking me which supernatural house I belong to and whether I’m available tonight, or offering me their phone number. My appearance has always drawn attention. Addington forced my mother to give me advice on using my looks to my advantage, but it’s never been this bothersome. I usually have Garrett to buffer me. He fields questions and turns the cowardly ones away with a single glare.

Despite being across the room from him, I can sense my brother’s worry. He’s too busy to intervene, though, and he doesn’t want to leave his post. The students are probably bothering him with similar questions, but he’s adept at ignoring them or acting like an asshole. I try to ignore people, but my behavior simply encourages them to ask louder as if I can’t hear them. Why? Why can’t they just walk away when I refuse to engage?

A bevy of professors accompanies the students, but age is the only trait that differentiates the two groups. The majority of the older supes haven’t been to the library when it’s under a sphinx’s control, and the increased access to materials makes them as giddy as children. I don’t blame them, but their excited chatter just adds to the stimuli.

For the first time since I entered the building, I question my choice to be a guardian. I’m minutes away from plugging my ears with my fingers and retreating to the back room. I hate being in the middle of this many people. My visions made this feel inevitable, but I hadn’t realized it would be this difficult.

I’m trying to hide behind the first-year literature books when a fake fingernail trails down my arm. I fixate on this, unable to understand what it is at first. The polish smells like poison, the nail is an unnatural shape, and little diamonds wink on its surface.

I’m still glaring at the offending object when a voice speaks and my other senses begin to contribute. The scent of toxic chemicals and something … wrong … makes my nostrils burn. The unwanted touch, the whiny voice, the repulsive smell, and the noise around me finally break me. The speaker’s words are incoherent at first. They sound like a static buzz in my ears. When my mind starts to comprehend, I wish it hadn’t.

“Can you believe they made a cripple the figurehead of the only bookstore at Apocrypha Academy?”

Cripple? Bookstore? I focus on the two words. I only realize that the speaker is talking about Zosia after the words continue.

“I mean, look at her.” Contempt drips from each word. “Maybe I should be all woke and say she’s differently abled, but I prefer to call a toad a toad. There’s no use in trying to make it look like a prince or princess. She doesn’t belong here.”

My gaze automatically swivels toward the circulation desk, and I look like the person suggests. I see Zosia and decide that she’s the most beautiful woman in the entire world. She’s exhausted already and wisps of hair frame her flushed face. She’s not flushed with embarrassment this time. Her cheeks are rosy because she’s performing a high-energy task that brings her joy and excitement. Although she’s tired, she’s clearly enjoying herself. I would definitely consider her a princess. Her spine is straight and her eyes twinkle as she occupies the office chair behind the desk. Her wheelchair and braces aren’t hiding, and it’s obvious they belong to her. Whispers and comments have been flying through the air all morning, but this is the first blatant insult.

The words aren’t a whisper or a rumor. This … creature … is invading my personal space. She doesn’t know I’m an employee, so she spits her venom directly into my face. Her cruel words regarding the woman I’ve promised my life to echo in my ears.

A storm begins to churn inside me. Thunder and lightning thud and spark under my diaphragm, and the room darkens when a blackened cloud drifts over the dome and appears to hover there. Just minutes ago, the sun had filtered through the glass and brightened the entire library. Several people glance around in confusion, and the creature next to me also looks for the source of the changed atmosphere.

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