Page 66 of Gifted Destiny

I’d sensed Bren’s approach, and Zosia’s lack of surprise suggests she’d noticed too.

“Agustin? My grandmother’s mate? Why?” Confusion seeps along our bond, and I realize she’d been with Kodi when we learned more about the vampire’s disappearance.

“Fin told me that his disappearance was sudden and unexpected. The library didn’t sense his death or his betrayal. They couldn’t feel his soul anywhere.” Bren’s explanation is terse, but it includes the main points.

“Oh.” My mate’s shocked understanding quickly progresses into horror. “Oh! Could his soul be the one trapped in the book?”

“I think so. The prospect just occurred to me.” Bren’s tone is softer as he enters the room and moves closer. I stand, noting the tension in his aura. Is it just this discovery that plagues him, or something else?

“My visions have never included the book. I think the magic surrounding it protects it from my foresight just as it does from any tampering or detection. I agree with this course of action. Contacting your ancestors might be the best way to get answers.”

Bren’s energy moves toward the wall. “This one is your grandmother?”

I try to recall the photo in my mind, but I’d been more focused on Zosia at the time. I remember that she’s an older version of my mate. Zo nods. She hasn’t retreated from my touch, and her desire for comfort permits me to keep my hand on the scruff of her neck.

“Avery, are the vampire elders considered shades? They’re different than Kodi, right?”

My hand pauses in Zosia’s fur as I consider the question. “Very different. Kodi isn’t a shade. Shades are typically irritable and unwilling to cooperate. They can’t accept that they’re just an echo. The vampire elders aren’t shades, and your grandmother shouldn’t be either.” The words hang in the air, and I wonder if they realize I’ve intentionally singled out the woman. Zosia’s mother would be different, but I fear saying this aloud.

“Why?”

“I am not an authority by any means, but the difference is intention before death,” I muse aloud. “The vampire elders understand they might be contacted when they create their totems. I believe you told me that an aspect of Sage is your ancestors. They become a part of her?”

“That’s what the library told me. Their bones are actually placed into the building itself, although I don’t understand that part.”

Her magicless upbringing is again urging her to think in terms of the tested sciences. Magic is also a science, but it hasn’t been fully explored and is constantly evolving – similar to quantum physics or string theory. “Fascinating,” I murmur. “Bones carry memories and magic. Many vampire totems are carved from bones.”

Zosia’s aura flinches. “But you said they were created before the people died,” she protests.

My grimace is immediate, but Bren saves me from an unnecessary explanation. Zosia can form her own conclusions.

“Your ancestors aren’t shades ….” Bren’s interjection returns us to the proper conversation. “But if they are part of Sage, contacting one might create a separate problem. Your grandmother, Atanea, became one with the library and existing sphinxes after her death. If you focus on her alone, will it be confusing?”

He pauses, but it’s because he’s thinking. He doesn’t expect my mate or I to provide an answer.

“Then again, each sphinx might retain a concept of individuality. The great Buddha wrote, ‘Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two.’”

Zosia’s feathers ruffle as she shifts her weight. Her tail thumps the floor behind us. “Why does that sound so confusingbut also make sense?” Her question is as rhetorical as Bren’s earlier inquiry.

Silence falls. I continue to stroke her neck in rhythmic motion, concentrating on the tension in her muscles. She rises from her haunches but continues to lean against me. I am honored to offer her strength and support.

“Is this really our best, or only, option? Why isn’t there a book that explains what to do?” A small whimper follows her words.

“I have another quote, little lioness.” Bren’s voice carries a smile that I can’t see.

Zosia chuffs, but her aura lights up at his playful tone. “Evidently, I need to hear it.”

“It’s not technically a quote but a Lakota proverb. The rough translation is ‘knowledge is rooted in all things; the world is a library.’”

Zosia’s dramatic sigh would make Kodi proud. “Which means that sometimes doing is required before knowing.”

I nod. “Or that knowledge must be acquired before it can be written down. It’s a very fitting proverb.”

“Yes, it is. Thank you, Bren. I always appreciate your words of wisdom.” The tentative bond between the mage and sphinx flickers. It will be beautiful – her gold combined with his bright blue. “Where do I start?”

Courage and resignation overtake her doubts. My mate is both heroic and tenacious. She’s never shirked from her duties despite her fears. Destiny has surely blessed me, and I shall spend every breath proving I am worthy of the gift.

Chapter 30

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