Page 16 of Gifted Destiny

“Very well,” the mage says as he stands up. I’m going to ask everyone except for you and Ansel to step away from the table. Close proximity causes the energies to intertwine. I’ll also need to separate the bonds you share with your mates.” He squints toward me, but he appears to be looking at my aura. Does Avery see the same thing? I’ll have to ask him later.

“Mates? I’ve only bonded with Avery,” I clarify.

“Your bond with Avery is confirmed and complete,” Tremayne murmurs absently as he crosses his eyes to peer at me. “However, you’ve already begun bonding with the other three. Because you’ve known Kodi all of your life, you have a bond with him as well. This might have been impossible, even for me, if you’d already completed a mate bond with the other three men. Sphinxes are unique in this way.”

The mage’s attention is split between his words and unraveling the energy around me. I’m uncertain that he even realizes he’s speaking.

“Even fated mates don’t merge their magical signatures with the same intensity of a sphinx and her guardians. Your bond is strengthened by the library, and the force it manifests is profound and enduring. This is why the loss of one is so catastrophic.” His gaze intensifies briefly, meeting mine, and I’m reminded of my grandmother’s plight.

“Some researchers insist that the magical signature I speak of is actually the soul. When mates grow so close that their magical energies intertwine, they call it a soul-tie. I don’t use that term because it carries spiritual implications I don’t ascribe to. I admit, however, that the lore surrounding each is similar, regardless of its name.”

I automatically look at the four men I’ve gathered around me. They’ve all complied with Tremayne’s request and moved to hover restlessly near the circulation desk. The mage’s words lend new meaning to the definition ofsoulmate.Even in my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have imagined meeting these men. Sharing a life, or a soul tie, with them is even more unbelievable.

The distance between us also feels strangely uncomfortable. Stars above! My life has changed suddenly and dramatically.

The mage glances at the gathered men briefly. “I can say that Addington is not your father, Zosia. Garrett and Bren share a visible stamp that you do not.”

“I knew it,” Garrett huffs.

Kodi, always the clown, grins widely and gives me two thumbs up – as if I’d had a say in my parentage.

“I’ve separated everything,” Tremayne announces. “Now, I’ll compare your energy to Ansel's. Close your eyes and relax."

I comply without question, and this is a new experience as well. I wouldn’t have left myself vulnerable outside the library orbefore I met my guardians. I don’t have to worry about my safety when I’m here with them.

The second my eyelids drift shut, I struggle against a wave of exhaustion. Is Ansel fighting the same urge?

The mage begins to hum; the burring drone sounds simultaneously melodious and atonal. It reminds me of a Gregorian chant … or a tuning fork – especially when my body responds with a subtle vibration. Science insists that my atoms are always vibrating, but this is the first time I’ve encountered any evidence. The sound seems to shake the intended energy free of everything else my body and magic emit. My skin prickles, and the fine hairs all over my body rise in unison.

Just when I think the mage will run out of air, his hum concludes with a grunt of satisfaction. I open my eyes without permission, and his expression reassures me before he speaks.

“Zosia Aviram Abram, you are the daughter of Ansel Horus Briar and Karasi Imala Abram, granddaughter of Atanea Rae Abram, descended from Lama, the very first sphinx.” Tremayne’s booming voice lends importance to the proclamation.

My gaze moves from the mage to the man opposite me. I am more similar to my mother’s photo, which suggests that my sphinx heritage overrides other input.

Ansel studies me in return. Is he looking for a resemblance or seeing my mother? The recounting of his past had been saturated with the pain of lost love. Does he wonder why she left after they’d already conceived? If sphinxes can control their fertility, did she seek to carry on the lineage even though she felt no obligation to the library?

I’ll likely never know what my mother was thinking, and the unattainable knowledge is distressing. Death is so final and dramatically alters the search for answers. Sometimes, we’reonly left with more questions. It’s nearly impossible for me to accept.

After several minutes of silence, the shifter sighs heavily. “I am truly sorry, Zosia. Karasi must have known I wasn’t strong enough to protect both of you.” The regret in his apology is apparent, but it doesn’t change anything.

“It is what it is.” My reply is followed by a wince as its callousness echoes in my ears. “What I mean to say is that we can’t change the past. Considering everything I’ve been told, you weren’t the only reason she fled. Her mother had just died, Addington was harassing her, and she feared becoming the librarian. My grandmother’s enemies lured her from safety by threatening her mate, and she must have known a child would create an exploitable weakness.”

I force another shrug. The blame doesn’t lie solely on his shoulders. I couldn’t hope to understand Karasi’s reasoning, but her decision protected me for a short time. I wasn’t captured until I was six or seven. I can’t remember those years, but they might have been the happiest of my life. I’d also shifted during that time because Kodi said I arrived as a sphinx. Wherever I was and whomever I was with doesn’t matter.

“I believe you did your best to protect me after you realized my identity. This is what matters most because it’s what brought me here. And now that we’ve determined the truth, you can become a gargoyle.” The moment feels anticlimactic, but I’m certain this is due to the dramatic movies I’ve watched. It’s my personal Darth Vader moment, but I’m not as whiny as Luke Skywalker was, and I don’t intend to call him Dad. He didn’t raise me; he didn’t even know I existed until I was twelve.

“The transformation will remove your physical pain and exhaustion.” The burden of his guilt will also be taken from him, but I keep this to myself. If I say anymore, I won’t be able to disguise my envy. Because I endure physical pain on a dailybasis, I recognize it in others. Would I willingly become a stone statue if it relieved me of my physical pain and guilt? I wouldn’t, I decide quickly. I’d also lose the pleasure I experienced last night in Avery’s arms.

“I’m grateful to finally know the truth. After my transformation, I will relate all of my memories regarding your family. Tremayne will also be a valuable resource and ally. I encourage you to rely upon him.”

I offer the mage my sincere gratitude as I release the brakes on my chair and wheel myself from the table. I hope my voice conveys my appreciation for his assistance. The paternity test was incredibly helpful, but he also provided us with answers regarding the BSP and he originally called Ansel here to help my mother shift. In addition, his connection to my family is less emotional.

“Sage trusts you. She says you can return as often as you wish, and you have permission to explore the tenth floor. Finatan, the guardian goblin of the arcane level, is looking forward to making your acquaintance.” Although the library feeds me the words, I might be as surprised as Tremayne looks.

“Truly?”

The expression on the mage’s ancient face fills me with joy. He resembles a child whose wish has been granted. Very few people earn access to the top floor, but Tremayne deserves it several times over. I suspect Tremayne has done more than I know of, but that is between him and Sage.

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