Page 34 of Gifted Destiny

The goblin’s strange eyes seem to pierce my soul. My intuition suggests he’s not instructing me to force the bond like everyone else. “Everything happens for a reason,” I murmur. I believe the Bible is credited for the original, but it, like many other quotes, has become more cliché than wise saying.

Fin spins away from me and zips down the aisle. He turns the corner so rapidly that I run to catch up. My feet slide on the wooden floor, but the planks are smoothly polished. There aren’t any splinters to snag the fabric of my socks.

“We worried Zosia would inherit issues from her mother. Karasi was different from the moment she was born. She didn’t like to read.”

I’ve caught up to the goblin now, and I sense the note of disapproving horror in his tone.

“Atanea was the perfect librarian, just like her mother before her, until Agustin disappeared. A part of her soul faded with him, and she couldn’t find this piece in her child.” Fin’s tone is thoughtful, but it doesn’t lack compassion. I’ve never heard the goblins speak of the guardians outside the archives.

I pounce upon the opportunity to learn more. The guardian’s disappearance haunts Zosia and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn’t imagine a guardian leaving, although Kodi’s recent departure provides the perfect example. “You must have met Agustin? Why did he leave?”

Fin shrugs, but his speed and direction don’t waver. Like many flying creatures, these muscles are entirely separate. “One day, he was here; the next day, he was gone. He didn’t act differently the day before; we had no warning. Atanea became obsessed over why he left. She lost interest in her duties and spent hours evaluating her memories for evidence. She couldn’t accept that she hadn’t realized he’d intended to betray her.”

The goblin seems to find this a mystery, but I understand. Zosia would do the same if one of us left after several years of happiness.

Fin whirls in midair, forcing me to stumble to a stop. His intent gaze makes me feel like he’s confiding in me. “The library can’t feel him any longer. Technically, his bond hasn’t been broken because we can’t prove his betrayal, but his soul is … absent. It’s different from those who have passed on to death or sentry duty.”

“What?” Kodi yells as he pops into the space beside us. I stumble backward into a sturdy bookcase that doesn’t appear to register my collision. I’d felt the ghost approach, but I’ve become so accustomed to his lurking presence that I’ve stopped paying attention. “Is Zosia’s grandfather still alive then?”

The goblin remains stoic, suggesting that he’s been aware of the ghost’s presence this entire time.

“Should we tell her?” Kodi turns to me when Fin doesn’t answer.

“We can’t exactly lie if she asks us about him.” My response is murmured absently because my mind is considering something other than our mate’s response. “Gone means no sign at all? Not dead or alive in this world?” I pause. “What was Agustin?”

“A vampire.” The goblin still holds my gaze, ignoring Kodi. My question was vague, but he knew precisely what I was asking.

“Don’t tell me that Avery might be related to him.”

I’m tempted to ignore Kodi too, but I answer while my brain processes something more important. “Relatives among vampires are a non-sequitur, Kodi, regardless of Avery’s natural birth. In addition, Avery wouldn’t have been able to mate with Zosia if they had any familial ties.” I hadn’t been the least bit concerned that Addington might have been Zosia’s father, either. Mates are bound by destiny, and destiny is driven to survive; the strength of the next generation keeps destiny relevant.

Fin nods in agreement, but he’s clearly as distracted as I am. While the ghost focuses on Zosia’s mates, the goblin and I contemplate the mystery of the past. We’re still capable of answering, however. “Correct. The vampire and sphinx are clearly mated, and mates don’t form true among relatives of the first or second degree.”

The goblin’s wings fold behind him as he lowers his body to the floor. It’s a rare position for them, and I sink to my knees to join him. I don’t know if he registers the movement because his eyes are glazed in memory. I haven’t heard him stumble into an accent at all today, and I wonder if he realizes he’s lost it.

“No one saw any signs that he was disgruntled. At the time, they’d been mated for about fifty years. Although relationships soften after many years, I’ve never seen it translate into a desire to leave. Happiness and joy evolve into contentment. I’ve seenit happen thousands of times, and nothing about this bond was different. None of Atanea’s guardians were unhappy despite the difficulty with Atanea’s pregnancy.”

Kodi melts into the floor next to me. I hope he’s more adept at memorizing the goblin’s words because Zosia will love hearing them. “I was closer to Agustin than the others, as often occurs with a group of guardians. Vampires sleep as little as goblins. Agustin had a knack for solving riddles, and he uncovered many of the library’s and the universe’s secrets without any help from me. I’ve often wondered if this made him a target, but he was equally safe.”

The goblin’s features are hidden by shadow, but his hat droops strangely. I’ve never seen their hats in any position but pointy and erect. Are they extensions of their bodies somehow? Is the object reacting to his mood? I want to touch it or ask questions, but I clamp my lips shut. The past is more important – for now.

“One winter’s night, I felt a bizarre ripple in reality – as if space-time were being altered. After that singular second in time, we could no longer feel him. Sage, Atanea, the other goblins, and his fellow guardians were similarly bereft.”

Sadness infuses the goblin’s voice, but I’m distracted by his choice of words. They echo repeatedly through my brain … a ripple in reality … space-time? Is he referring to the ones who meddle with time?

“Could he have been tethered?” Kodi asks. Considering his personal experience, it makes sense that he jumps to this conclusion.

Fin shakes his head automatically. “The tether wouldn’t hide him from us. Also, placing a tether on anyone inside these walls would be impossible, and Agustin never set foot outside. Tethers are invasive magic; they cannot combat the power of a contract.”

And yet, he is still gone. Have the so-called time meddlers found a way to circumvent the library’s power? A chill shivers down my spine at the possibility. If this is true, we’re not as safe as we believed ourselves to be.

I want to ask more questions, but Fin’s sudden flapping interrupts me. He rises to the topmost shelf. I lean backward to stare up at him.

“As you requested, young mage, I have led you to the tomes that mention magical transference. I’ve already conveyed my reservations regarding their value. Magic is the result of combining the will, skill, and intention of its user, making the user the most vital element. Instincts are a gift from Destiny, and sullying them with other’s knowledge might actually hinder you.”

My jaw drops open. Although I assumed he knew more than any book, I hadn’t expected to receive such clear instruction. Since he’s still a goblin, though, he ends the conversation with a riddle. “You must retain control while simultaneously surrendering it. Don’t fear for your librarian. The library will protect her.” Fin glances at Kodi. “She can’t do the same for you, ghost. You are the first spirit she’s allowed into her ranks, and there’s too much we don’t know about your physiology or existence.”

The depth of the goblin’s uncertainty is unsettling. The prospect that they knew everything had given me comfort and greater confidence. Lost in these thoughts, I barely notice it when Fin’s wings draw him back into the air. His calm tone draws my attention to the runes’ reflections in his glossy eyes. “There’s no joy in knowing everything, young mage. Once ye know everything, ye might as well be dead.” The brief resurgence of his accent is almost distracting. “Knowing almost everything can also be a curse. The information we crave the most is often that which eludes us.”

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