Page 99 of Gifted Destiny

My chest swells with pride, and I want to retract every statement I ever made about Kodi being unintelligent. Garrett appears flabbergasted, but Kodi’s explanation helps him understand.

“Brilliant,” Bren breathes. His eyes are bright with a million thoughts as his brain connects all of the dots. “This might also be how the book existed here, if it did, for a while before it was discovered. As a soul, Agustin has always belonged here so it didn’t feel out of place.”

I nod. “It’s a good theory, and I feel more confident about saving Agustin if this is the case. Let’s do it.”

Without direction, we form a circle around the book. I stand next to Kodi as he enters the strange state of unconsciousness that I awoke to find him in before Bren’s magical assistance. Agitation floods through me when he nearly flickers out of sight, however. Avery is at my side the second my distress begins. His voice in my mind is as gentle as his light touch on the back of my neck.

“There’s no need to fear, mon trésor. Kodi’s energy is still as strong as ever. He simply has the ability to detach himself from our visual senses. His soul is traveling closer to Agustin’s. The guardian is lost and scared, and Kodi will have to coax him free of the binding.”

I’ve imagined my life as a novel, but I’ve always considered the author a sick person with a sick sense of humor. I now realize that our lives aren’t pre-written tales. Our actions contribute as much as the author’s thoughts. Just like the contracts in the library’s book, the words appear as the events take place.

One thing is certain regarding the book that represents my life. My soul is inextricably entwined with my guardians’ souls. When we bonded, we merged into a single tome instead of several volumes in a set. Nothing can separate us as long as we stand united to protect the libraries.

This is clarified when I watch Agustin’s tattered soul reunite with my grandmother’s. His essence, as ephemeral as Kodi’s at his lowest energy level, gains strength and substance once it connects with hers. For a brief moment, the five of them becomewhole spirits hovering over us. Their loving gratitude brings tears to my eyes.

Sage’s sigh of relief vibrates through my entire body once the spirits fade and rejoin her. Will this be us? Seventy or one hundred years from now? Will we fade and become one to join the library’s essence? Until that happens, I’ll live my best life and encourage my mates to do the same. We write our own stories, and ours will have a happy ending.

Epilogue

Zosia

Ithink I’m dreaming ….

After fielding the detectives’ questions, many of which we couldn’t answer, I found myself unexpectedly exhausted. Sage finally spoke, encouraging us all to rest before confronting the questions on our minds.

When I fell asleep, I wasn’t alone. All four of my mates insisted they would sleep in my huge bed, although Garrett warned everyone that nothing sexual could happen while he was there. The majority of us are too exhausted to try, and Kodi remains incorporeal. The massive shifter lies on one side of me while the others occupy the other side of the bed. I doubted my ability to sleep with them so close, but it wasn’t an issue.

This is why I think I’m dreaming. I’m no longer in my bed. My first reaction is fear and suspicion, but these disappear when I sense Sage’s overwhelming presence. Am I in the heart cave again? Why did she bring me here?

Us …, I amend when I glance around. My men are with me. With two on either side, they appear confused and wary. A closer inspection reveals that their reactions are mostly reflexive. They, too, can feel the library’s soothing presence and reassurance that we are safe. Kodi is solid, and Avery’s eyes are less opaque thanusual – his eyes adopt this quality when he can see. With a nod directly toward me, he confirms my suspicion before looking around.

I’m not in the strange place I dubbed the heart cave, although it feels strangely familiar. It’s still an enclosed space, but the walls are sleek and soft instead of rough rock. The lighting is silvery instead of shadowed; it reminds me of moonlight. The five of us are sitting on wooden benches that are similar to the library’s furniture. My legs had been altered in the heart cave, but they are unchanged now.

I absorb all of this information in less than a minute.

“Welcome, Librarian Zosia and Guardians.” Sage’s voice rings in my ears instead of my mind. It carries more depth than usual because of this, and it draws my gaze to the movement ahead of us. The great sphinx appears, her face regal but strangely abstract. The first time I saw her, she resembled a distant ancestor. This time, her features seem to shift if we stare long enough. It’s dizzying until she comes fully into view and adopts a different face – one far more feline than anyone in my lineage. The humanness in her head is nearly absent in this aspect.

“What you see is an illusion of the mind, child,” she says directly in answer to my thoughts – just as she always has. “I can alter this place and my appearance at will. Indeed, taking a physical form isn’t necessary, but we’ve learned that human minds are easily confused and rely on visual input.” Although most of what she says can be considered condescending, none of us take offense.

“You are Sage?” Kodi blurts, his eyes wide with wonder. Avery has his head bowed as if greeting a deity.

“That is one of my names,” the entity responds. “Lift your head, child,” she tells Avery. He does as she says, but his gaze is still reverent. Bren’s expression suggests he is trying to solve agrand puzzle, while Garrett appears vaguely uncomfortable. He must feel Sage’s power. The alpha in both of us struggles against it to some degree.

“Is this a dream?” I ask.

The creature shrugs with her wings just like I do in sphinx form. “You may consider it that if you like. Unlike a dream, however, I am in control. You shall remember everything when you return.”

“Why did you summon us?” Garrett’s voice is curious rather than demanding as he restrains his arrogant nature.

Sage seems to understand this because her cat mouth twitches slightly with amusement before answering. “Because we need to talk, and this is the only place I deem truly safe.”

“From Cronos, you mean,” Bren prods.

Sage inclines her head in something like a nod as she sits on her haunches before us. She’s close enough that we can see the details of her form but far enough away that we cannot touch her even if one of us were to lunge. She’s also raised upon a pedestal that resembles a dais. I doubt it means the same thing, however. It’s more likely to facilitate meeting our gazes without looking up. As a quadruped shifter, I understand this.

“Yes. Tell me, do the four of you believe that you traveled to another timeline as Cronos’ representative implied?” Her question is carefully neutral and hides her opinion of the situation.

“No,” I reply immediately. Bren and Avery echo me while Garrett stays quiet. When Sage’s gaze rests on him, he shrugs his massive shoulders.

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