Page 76 of Saving Destiny

I’m about to tell him that he and I won’t work based on simple mathematical or geometrical principles. I want to wipe the smug look from his face, but Sage sends me a mental message. It erases the desire from my mind for the moment. I’m certain it will return later.

“Ansel is here. Avery just let him in,” I tell the brothers.

“Duty calls,” Bren says with a frown, and I can tell his mind has already moved on too. “He’s probably really sick by now.”

My shoes still sit in a puddle of water on the floor, and I glower at them as if it’s their fault they aren’t dry. Garrett swings me into his arms without warning, and I turn my glare on him.

“You need to warn me when you do that,” I hiss at him. Behind us, Bren gathers the wet towels and clothes. Sage could probably do it, but I’m glad that he does. She’s feeling overwhelmed today, and we should help if we can.

“Sorry. I’ll warn you next time,” Garrett replies but his mind is elsewhere. Halfway down the fifth flight of stairs, he pauses and allows his eyes to meet mine. “I know you’re worried, but you don’t have to be.”

I’m confused because I’d succeeded in not thinking about it, but he’s referring to my freak-out in the stairwell. “You’re joking, right? How can I not be worried? There’s no freaking way that is going to fit.” My cheeks burn, but I’d made a vow to myself that I’d try to communicate better even when embarrassed.

The shifter’s facial expression wavers between laughter, embarrassment, and a tinge of worry that makes me realize it’s not really his fault. It’s not as if he pumped that muscle like he did the others; he was simply born to be large. A comical image pops into my head – a scrawny guy with a massive appendage. My imagination never ceases to amaze or frighten me.

“I won’t hurt you,” Garrett says in lieu of a direct answer, and the sincerity in his gaze reveals more than his words. He also seems to think that us having sex is inevitable. I’ve considered the possibility, but his words make it more likely. I bite my lip to prevent my mouth from speaking my mind. I want to know if he desires me, but he’ll probably kiss me to shut me up, and we have other matters to attend to.

The question of his desire stays in the back of my mind, though, combining strangely with the safety I feel in his arms. When Garrett holds me, I feel like nothing can hurt me, and I let my body relax as he makes his way down the remainder of the stairs. Once we reach the bottom, I need to be a sphinx and a librarian again. A different man awaits. Ansel isn’t my mate or lover, but he needs my help. He’s a reminder that my life is not only sex and romance. I have a duty to Ansel, the library, and the world.

Chapter 38

Avery

Zosia doesn’t understand the depth of our bond yet, but I’ve been marveling at it since I awoke. I can discern her emotions at any point in time, but they occupy a different space inside me than my own so I’m not confused about who feels what.

I’m also more attuned to the library; the connection is unbelievably beautiful and unparalleled in its strength. I hope the other guardians will experience the same awareness because the experience is all-encompassing, and I can’t manage it on my own. I don’t know how Zosia coped before she shared the burden with me.

I felt Bren’s distress this morning, but it had piled on top of dozens of other sensations, and I didn’t react in time. I accept my fault in the matter and plan to apologize to everyone for the lapse in judgment. I’d been too reluctant to abandon Zosia because the influx of customers had overwhelmed her as well.

My enhanced link with the library doesn’t offer me the same knowledge as the librarian. She knows the location of every single book and feels the library’s mysterious sentience. I can see the location of individuals within the library, and the gargoyles warn me of approaching patrons.

The gargoyles see Ansel from a distance after the rain stops. Before they inform me, though, I conspire to give Zosia time alone with the brothers. Garrett’s beast is less threatened by Bren’s presence, and Zosia needs confirmation and security in her connections to both men.

I monitor the scope of our mate’s emotions while distracting Kodi at the same time. Not only is he far too curious to give the trio space, but he’s also unable to separate himself from Zosia for long periods of time. I don’t blame him for continuously needing to be by her side, but his interference makes it more challenging for her relationships with the brothers to evolve. While I didn’t mind the ghost’s presence during my time with Zosia, the shifter feels differently. I assist Kodi by turning pages in books about paranormal spirits and the afterlife while keeping half of my attention on the my mate.

The shock Zosia feels while they’re still on the roof worries me until desire follows. Glancing through the gargoyles’ eyes briefly, I ascertain that the shifter just informed the sphinx that she is his beast’s fated mate. Finally, I think. Perhaps now, she’ll accept that Garrett is meant to be here with her.

My body still physically reacts when memories of last night seep into my consciousness. She’d shared her vision with me, quite literally, and it was the greatest gift I have ever received. I plan to show my gratitude until my body is no longer capable.

I didn’t mourn the loss of my sight until I met Zosia. Her aura was so magnificent on its own that I longed to see her as others did. That I couldn’t gaze upon her beauty seemed like a cruel fate, but she’d bypassed that misfortune. My mate mark is as wonderful as she is. I feel like I’ve been remade during my time here, and I hope that I continue to grow and evolve.

When the library doors opened, I registered the potential threats to my mate. My enhanced hearing logged every slight and insult the entitled students threw in her direction. They equally disparaged me, but I dismissed their paltry words as nothing; I didn’t care what they said about me. When anyone uttered disbelief that Zosia had earned the title of librarian, silent rage seethed within me. When Bren exploded, I almost joined him. I wanted to rip the head off the woman for attempting to trap one of my fellow guardians.

I noted Vanderbeek’s foul stench the minute she approached Bren; she’d smelled like a corpse. I hadn’t understood why, however. The stench was so powerful because I have a mate already, but I wish I’d known the nature of Bren’s magic. I hadn’t realized his tie to the atmosphere, or I would have stepped in sooner.

Now that I know, I’m unsurprised the library chose him. Combined with his farseeing ability, he’s as much a wonder as the library itself. Addington must have been clueless of the treasure he’d sired, or he would have caged his son underground with the others.

Immense power comes with disadvantages, however. He’s a threat because mere mortals aren’t meant to access, much less master, the level of power he can attain. It’s best for everyone that no one knows, but the Vanderbeek woman might have destroyed that possibility.

When one of the front door sentries alerts me that Ansel nears, Zosia’s desire reaches a fever pitch. A moment later, the desire holds fear. It’s not fear for her safety, but its presence makes me more inclined to interrupt the group’s interlude. I trust both men to protect Zosia, but Garrett’s shifter and Bren’s magic are both unpredictable. Complete trust will only come after they’ve fully bonded.

The library tells me she’s fine and soothes the worst of my concerns, but I don’t allow myself to breathe a sigh of relief until I see her strong, intact aura. She’s almost enveloped by Garrett’s aura, and I assume he’s carrying her. Zosia’s chair is already positioned at the bottom of the stairs because I’d noticed the hum of pain that accompanied her other emotions. She’d insisted on standing or using her legs to propel the office chair since we’d opened that morning, but something must have happened on the roof that increased the constant ache of her old injuries. Bren precedes the two shifters. His aura seems subdued as if he’s not really present, but this isn’t abnormal.

Garrett places Zosia in her chair. When his energy finally detaches from hers, I lean close and reach out to her. My hand meets her shoulder and the thick rope of hair that still feels wet. I’d heard the storm and felt the shift in the atmospheric currents that Bren’s magic fed, but I hadn’t realized how much rain fell in the short time.

“Are you well?” I ask her in a low murmur.

“Quite fine,” she reassures me.

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