Page 47 of Saving Destiny

The goblin makes a strange sound that I realize is supposed to be a laugh, but it sounds like rocks scraping together. “You have just stumbled upon one of time’s greatest lies, ghost boy. Many things become convoluted as the centuries pass. The library’s goblins are the true riddle-speakers, but since only the sphinx and her guardians can hear us ….” He shrugs and allows us to fill in the blanks. His words impart a deeper meaning – many legends and tales have changed through time.

“We were right then,” I tell Kodi. “We have to fully accept your death and stop wondering what might have been. An object needs validity before it can be given a purpose.”

The ghost’s gasp is theatrical as he places a hand on his chest. “Princess! Did you just objectify me?”

I try to swing my tail toward him, but he’s not close enough to the ground, so I open my mouth to argue.

Fin speaks before I can start hurling insults. “I need to show ye one last thing before you descend.” He flutters away so quickly that we have to rush to follow him.

I settle for sticking my tongue out at Kodi, but he just laughs at me. I’m sure it looks ridiculous in my sphinx form, but I don’t have fingers so I can’t flip him off either.

The goblin’s rapid flight leads us toward the opposite side of the building. If this were one of the lower floors, another staircase would lead down to the landing and offer another entrance. Instead, the floor ends with a balcony that overlooks the staircase. The other peculiarity to this floor is that an arched doorway opens into an antechamber. The room is hidden behind the stacks and doesn’t possess physical doors. True to the library’s theme, the physics of its presence make no sense. I’ve almost stopped noticing; I’ve definitely stopped caring.

I stutter to a stop after entering the room. It’s almost too small to contain us, but we manage to crowd inside. These treasures aren’t valuable artifacts, but I’ve never seen anything as priceless. Pictures ring the room, but only a few are recent enough to classify as photographs. The others are illustrations or portraits that appear life-like; I can hardly tell the difference. All of them portray sphinxes. A glass case in the center of the room displays a single feather and an elaborate headdress on ornate cushions. I recognize the jeweled monstrosity from history books and the internet; the sphinxes that lived in ancient Egypt wore something similar.

This room holds all that’s left of my family – a family I didn’t get to meet.

The goblin’s voice is kind as he points to the most recent looking photo. Fin points to the newest looking photograph. “This photo was taken of your mother, Zosia. The one next to it is your grandmother, the last true librarian, and so on into the past. This is your legacy, Zosia Aviram Abram. Welcome home.”

If I’d walked into the room on my crutches, I’m sure I would have collapsed. Even in this form, my legs wobble and my wings tremble. Doesn’t every orphan dream of hearing those words? If I’d been adopted, it would have been a pleasant lie, but he speaks the truth.

This is not just the place where I work and sleep. This building is my home, and I am surrounded by family. Some of those family members are just unfamiliar faces in a frame, but some of them stand beside me. Family isn’t just blood, I remind myself. A legacy isn’t just a family tree or the genetics I carry. As I look upon the women who clearly resemble me, I’m almost hesitant to learn more. Something happened that took me away from this place and my blood family. What if I don’t want to know why?

Chapter 26

Garrett

After the vampire’s mark appeared, my beast was clawing at my insides, needing to claim his mate. I tried to talk sense into him as we ran toward the top floor, but rational calm doesn’t work on instinctive urges. The stubborn griffin can’t understand that Zosia can have another mate and still accept us. It’s difficult for my human brain, too, but I can talk sense into myself. I finally settle on one thing that seems to soothe his beastly urges.We are pack. Griffins understand pack dynamics just like prides of lions or flocks of birds – they usually live in a drift for safety and resource sharing. Our drift isn’t typical by any means, but it’s still a pack, I try to convince him.

The tenth floor’s otherworldliness pushes aside every thought of mates, shifter instincts, and pack dynamics. This is what Addington covets – not necessarily the books below us. The world’s wonders and secrets are contained on this floor. The magical security far surpasses the alpha’s expectations, however. Although the older library goblin doesn’t say it aloud, I think the entire floor could disappear if the library falls into her enemy’s grasp. If the shadow halves of the priceless relics exist elsewhere, so could the library.

I’m humbled to be included, and I’m just beginning to understand the honor bestowed upon me. The wonders on this floor drive home the crucial importance of our protective roles. Another thought strikes me as Bren’s eyes shine with delight. I haven’t properly thanked my brother for dragging me here – against my will at first.

During the tour, my brain overflows with questions as my attention bounces back and forth between the arcane treasures and the sphinx. Zosia carries herself with evident pride and confidence while in this form, and I wish she felt similarly in her human state. I’ll glimpse rare moments when she forgets all of the hateful lies and pushes aside the weight she carries. This is when I see why the ghost nicknamed her princess. The title of royalty suits her because she does sit in her wheelchair as if presiding over a court of subjects; in those brief moments, even a stranger can see that her mobility aids don’t lessen her power. The longer I’m around her, the more I see the strength that feeds her inner light and enhances her beauty in my eyes.

Griffins continuously appear in the top two ‘most beautiful shifters’ when the tabloids publish their ridiculous annual rankings, but I doubt the judges have ever seen a sphinx. The magicless might consider the hybrid combination disturbing, but I’m positive I’m not the only shifter that envies the sphinx. She can communicate like a human and be one with her beast while still being strong and lethal. The advantages are too numerous to count. Vampires have similar privileges, but they’re supposedly balanced by their weaknesses. This is the real reason why supernaturals kill born vampires, however. They’re scared of them.

The ghost still confuses me. His continuous whining is irritating and I haven’t forgiven him for leaving the library’s protection – it had been selfish and reckless. Besides those caveats, I might like him as a person. If he possessed a corporeal form, he might make a good workout partner, unlike Bren or Avery. His body still shows the muscular definition he exhibited in life. While I doubt the occupation of jailer provided adequate leisure time, it made him physically fit.

Accepting death isn’t easy for anyone, and I’m as confused by the goblin’s riddles as everyone else. Bren might solve the mystery because his mind works in a puzzling way, and I’m surprised to realize I want him to. Even if it’s temporary, Kodi’s solidity will make Zosia happy. She’s earned happiness because of the pain she’s endured.

The circular antechamber doesn’t match the square building’s dimensions, but I stopped questioning the library when she gave me a gym. Then, I realize what’s in the room, and the expression on Zosia’s face causes me physical pain. As she gazes up at the family members she never knew, displayed in photographs and paintings, the depths of her longing and sadness fill the small room. Behind her distress are hints of happiness and foreboding. We lapse into a silence befitting a funeral, and it feels appropriate.

When the older goblin points out Zosia’s mother in the first photos, her attention lingers. The resemblance is striking, perhaps more than it might have been because the subject is Zosia’s current age. Photos of the woman in her human and sphinx forms are portrayed side-by-side. The slightly upturned nose, the almond shaped eyes, and her bronze coloring reveal obvious likeness. Their hair is the same color as well although the photo’s subject has it cut short. There are a few other minor differences as well. The woman in the photo wears a mischievous smile that Zosia would have difficulty imitating. The sphinx form bears dark brown markings on her shoulders that her daughter doesn’t, and the overall color of her wings is darker.

As I study the array of portraits, I realize that the sphinxes’ genetics are dominant; the women all appear similar. The exception to this is that the oldest paintings portray darker skin tones and more Middle-Eastern influences in their features.

Several silent minutes pass before Zosia manages to ask a question. “Is there a picture of my father?”

I’d forgotten Fin still accompanied us. He’d perched on a shelf in the corner, and his unbelievable stillness turns him into a statue. I’d noticed the moment I met him that this one isn’t like the others. He might be the same species and similar in appearance, but there’smoreto him, and I wonder if the copious amount of magic on this floor has affected him.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any verified documentation of your father’s identity. As ye can see, the sphinx genes are dominant regardless of which mate contributes to the babe. The first child born to a sphinx is always a female sphinx. Very rarely, a sphinx might bear a second child. That child might take after the father, but it’s uncommon. This is why your lineage is nearly extinct and so precious. It only takes the death of one to end the line forever. As ye might have realized, it’s also the reason why ye’re encouraged to have more than one mate. The extra protection is vital.”

Zosia’s wings flutter and her ears twitch backward at the mention of conceiving and carrying a baby. I expect her to blush, but she doesn’t and I realize that I’ve not seen the beautiful rosy color in her cheeks while in this form. Is she physically incapable of flushing? Do her wings and ears take over the job of displaying her embarrassment? Her tail twitches as well, and I wonder if she has the same issue as my griffin. He can’t control the damn thing.

Speaking of the beast, he likes the idea of getting her with child. He tries to rise to the surface, but I scold him and push him away. It’s definitely not the right time to make her aware of his interest in this.

“Can a sphinx bear the supernatural traits of the father?” Avery asks from his position just behind me. “For example, if Zosia’s father was a mage, would she bear mage abilities?”

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