Page 43 of Broken Destiny

When Zosia settles back into the couch, her hands clasped over her stomach and her eyelashes fluttering across her cheeks, I’m immediately on guard. I wish she didn’t have to do this alone. I want to slip into her memories, shift, and rend everyone who ever hurt her limb from limb.

Bren hops up from his chair and perches on the arm of the couch next to me. “She needs to do this for herself,” he says calmly, but he’s anxious as well. I’ve never seen my brother relate to someone as completely as he does Zosia. So far, I’ve been the only one in his life that he’s shown all of himself to, the quirky and serious sides. My gaze shifts to the ghost. He’s hovering nervously in the corner like he’s so apt to do. The vamp is as motionless as a statue, except for his breathing, which still freaks me out. I’ve never seen a vamp breathe before. I’ve heard of born vampires but never met one; they’re very rare. I don’t trust either of them yet, regardless of their signatures alongside mine in the same. They haven’t proven anything to me.

I swipe a hand across the short hair on top of my head with a heavy sigh. I know she has to do this alone, but I don’t have to like it.

Zosia doesn’t stir. It’s as if she closed her eyes and disappeared straight into her past. Her body twitches, and I want to reach out and hold her. She’s everything the women I’ve met are not: vibrantly alive, authentic, and perfectly imperfect. Bren was right. In just a day, I’ve seen how magnificent she is. She’s taken on this important role within a few days and is acclimating like she was born for it. She was, but her childhood should have made it more difficult for her to assimilate. Not Zosia. She’s already queen of the library, and it appears that she already has the four of us wrapped around her finger, regardless of how long we’ve known her. That might usually make me wary, but she doesn’t have any ulterior motives. She didn’t use artifice or manipulate us into liking her. It’s one thing I’ve become so good at detecting, I consider it an extra sense. She doesn’t need to manipulate us. She’s just herself: strong, brave, fiercely determined. She’s a force of nature, and we’re being dragged along for the ride.

“I’m glad that you’ve accepted your fate here,” Bren continues; he knows I need to be distracted.

I shrug. “Better than sitting in on some stupid lectures.” I hadn’t really been looking forward to school, especially not when every tutor repeatedly called me dumb and stupid. But I’d figured it was the only way to become as powerful as my father. A man capable of his level of cruelty shouldn’t be in charge. It doesn’t matter that he’s in charge of a primal faction ruled by their instincts. His position requires a steady and caring hand, not a man who does regrettable, impulsive acts in a temper, things that could change worlds or start wars. I considered it my duty to overthrow him since the moment I realized I could. If I have to take a backseat to do so, I will, but I’ll ensure someone worthy takes his place. He will fall.

The library is silent, but it always feels alive. The building breathes, something I hadn’t noticed until I’d signed the book. There’s magic here, different magic than the enchantments that transform me from human to beast. It’s ancient, powerful magic, far superior to any I’ve encountered before.

Zosia whimpers, drawing our attention, and we all turn to her as one. I reach out, wanting to touch her, but I’m worried she’ll react the wrong way if she’s entrenched in her memories. Her eyelids flutter as her eyes move, and a worried frown lines her beautiful face. Frustrated growls rumble deep within my chest. I hate feeling so powerless.

There’s one other matter that keeps me here and urged me to sign the book. From the moment I scented the shifter, I knew her significance. It’s another primal instinct of our race. She’s my beast’s mate, and he yearns for her. But her sphinx doesn’t have the same unavoidable fate. She’s a hybrid. She can choose to listen to her human heart over the primitive yearnings of her beast. I’m uncertain whether my brother knew she was my mate when he led me here, but he must have suspected. I don’t blame him for not telling me. I would have denied it more if he’d told me than if I’d realized it myself. Grim determination settles within me as I look around the room. My beast doesn’t want to share, but that’s a fight for another time.

Bren stands and paces behind the couch, betraying his anxiety; he doesn’t usually display such human tics. Nothing ever appeared to faze him…until we met this woman. Avery sits with his chin perched on his hands and his elbows on his knees. I don’t doubt that he has Zosia’s best interests in mind, but I question his motives. I’ve never trusted anyone but my brother. He may worship her because she saved him from a life of slavery, but gratefulness fades. He can decide this isn’t how he wants to spend his life, although the contract made the repercussions of betrayal appropriately vivid and threatening. My beast still doesn’t trust him.

My phone buzzes in my pocket again. I know who it is. My father has been calling repeatedly since his crony reported back to him. He wants to yell at me, and he wants me to bring Bren back. I know everything he’ll say without needing to answer the call. I’m tempted to break the damn electronic device; it feels useless at this point. Everything I want or need is right here, but Zosia admitted her ignorance of the outside world and diplomatic issues. The phone will be a way to get information without leaving the safe walls of the library, and I haven’t seen any method of external communication in the building except for the magical, interacademy message system.

When the little goblin pops into the air across from us, I’m not surprised. At first, it unnerved me, but I’m starting to recognize the shift in the atmosphere right before they appear. It’s the male that gave me the book - Duggar. His face is drawn into harsh lines.

“There are men outside the library,” he states in a calm voice, but the twitch of his wings shows his agitation.

“Who?” I demand, rising from my seat.

His eyes travel up to me, beady black in a leathery face. “Ansel, Walthers, and your father.”

My fists clench at my sides. I hadn’t expected dear old Dad to actually take time out of his schedule to come here. He must think there’s still time to stop me before I sign my life over to the library. He fears its power. The knowledge might have given me more satisfaction if I weren’t worried about Zosia. His timing, as always, is horrible.

“Can he enter with Ansel? Can anyone enter?”

The little goblin shifts, his eyes tracking the distance between Bren and me. “Ansel is no longer the interim protector, and he can’t admit anyone. No one is supposed to be able to enter, but if Zosia wakes and uses the gargoyles to see our visitors, it might upset her.”

There’s something he isn’t saying. I glare at him menacingly, but he shows no fear. He knows I won’t hurt him; it would be akin to attacking the library.

“Besides the obvious problem of intruders intent on entering, why would their presence disturb Zosia?” Avery asks, picking up on the same peculiarity I have. His insight increases my respect for him.

The goblin sighs. In some ways, they’re so human. In others, they’re more alien than every other supernatural I’ve ever met. “Right now, Zosia is living her memories. If she wakes to find one of her captors outside, it may prove overwhelming.”

Everything within me stills. “Walthers or our father?” My body is so tightly wound with tension, I’m surprised the movement of my lips doesn’t crack my face. The goblin simply stares at me, and it’s answer enough.

“The children will pay for the sins of their fathers,” Bren murmurs. His voice is sad, but I turn on him because it’s the only thing I can do.

“Did you know about this?”

He shrugs. “I believe I assumed. Like I said, though, I don’t see the past. I see the future. Father will be our greatest enemy, not just to the supernatural world, but also to the library and our woman. I didn’t realize he was continuing the work of the past.”

I stare at him, ignoring my beast. The griffin wants to growl at him for referring to his mate asourwoman. Instead, I focus on the facts. Zosia is younger than me, roughly Bren’s age. If this is correct, it means that when we were just children, when my father went away on extended business trips, he was actually torturing little girls? Bile rises within me. Optimistically, I’d hoped he still possessed some good in him, a speck of humanity I could appeal to, but this shatters every hope of that happening. My goals change. I won’t settle for just toppling him from his seat of power. He will die for what he’s done.

“How do we get rid of him?” Avery asks, ever intuitive. He understands now is not the time for a fight. Although it irritates me, he’s correct. Zosia needs to be stronger. She should also have the choice to take part in her vengeance.

“I’ll go.” Kodi’s voice breaks the silence. “If everything we believe is true, he’ll know me but he can’t hurt me.”

I roll my eyes. “No need to play the hero, Ghost. What exactly do you intend to do? Talk him out of it? Reminisce about old times? You don’t even know what part you played unless your memories have miraculously returned?” He shakes his gray head. “What will you accomplish by going out there?”

Kodi doesn’t reply as he hovers, and Avery speaks into the brief silence. “It’s not entirely true that he can’t hurt you. They’ve already tethered you once. It can happen again. They can drain you of everything that keeps you here and you’ll cease to exist. Worse still, a tether can force you to act against Zosia. She’ll never recover from a betrayal of that magnitude.”

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