Broken Destiny

by Serena Lindahl

  The man at the door, Garrett, shuffles his feet and draws my attention. His nostrils flare, and realization pummels me. He’s a shifter; he can smell my arousal. How embarrassing. As Bren stands, I carefully wheel away from him toward the table I was headed to when they barreled into our sanctuary. There’s food on the table, and my stomach wants to growl embarrassingly.

  “I’m your guardian because I’ve seen it,” the handsome man says as he pulls out a chair next to me. He’s sitting so close, my butt shifts in my chair as awareness seeps into my senses. He smells wild, like a free wind capable of soothing or gusting like a hurricane. Magic fills him, but it’s not a steady source. It’s unpredictable.

  “You’ve seen it? As in a vision?” The question comes from Avery as he follows just a step behind me. He’s on guard as if one of these men might attack me. I’m not so sure about Garrett, so I’m grateful for the comfort he provides, although I don’t believe any harm could come to me while I’m in the library.

  “Ah, the blind-born vampire. Hello, fellow guardian.” Bren waves at Avery before craning his neck to search the building. “Where’s the ghost?”

  The food is forgotten as I gape at Bren. Either he’s telling the truth and he’s a very talented seer, or we have a spy in our midst. That seems impossible considering the amount of time we’ve spent here without seeing anyone else. His actions are so out of tune with his appearance. There’s none of the smug arrogance which accompanies men who know they could have anything they wanted. I narrow my eyes as I study his open, earnest face and he returns his gaze to mine. Intelligence greets me.

  “Bren.” The growl makes me jump as the statue in the doorway finally moves, stalking toward our table like he’s a lion on the hunt. His muscles ripple and bunch with each movement, and I find myself captivated for a very different reason than his brother. He’s immensely powerful. Strength exudes from every pore. Avery steps in front of me as the man approaches.

  “He won’t hurt her. He may look and act like a beast most of the time, but he won’t hurt her.”

  Bren’s words seem to surprise even Garrett. He looks vaguely confused as he switches his attention from his brother to me. I tug on Avery’s sleeve, settling my hand over his wrist to convey my wishes. “It’s ok, Avery.” I hope, I add mentally.

  The vampire shifts, but he doesn’t leave me. He places his warm hand over mine on his forearm and remains by my side.

  Garrett takes a rallying breath, revealing that he’s just a man under the aura of supreme confidence. “Bren. What is going on?”

  “This is why we’re here, brother. It’s her. She’s the one I’ve seen.” At that, Bren hops up from beside me and peers down the nearest aisle. “I’d like to meet the ghost.”

  I’m certain this amuses Kodi, but he doesn’t show himself yet. Bren seems unconcerned, though. He walks toward Avery and holds out his hand. “I’m Bren. It’s important that we get along because we’ll be sharing the same woman.”

  Shock courses through me, and I choke on my own saliva as I jerk back from Avery. “What?” I squeal. Avery glances at me briefly, his silver eyes sparking. Even though he can’t see my expression, I’m sure my outburst clearly conveys my emotions.

  “You mean we’ll be sharing protection detail over the same woman, right?” Avery asks, his face turning away from mine.

  Bren squints at him as the vampire holds out his hand, waiting for Bren to take hold of it and shake it. After a second, in which I swear the two men are communicating wordlessly, Bren nods. “Of course,” he replies with a shrug. “Where’s the book? I want to sign.”

  Bren’s brother snaps abruptly. He growls again, irritation crossing his face. It frustrates me that I find his growl sexy. He’s kind of an ass from what I can tell so far. “Bren. Seriously. We came here to go to school. I have plans.”

  “Don’t you see, brother? This is the best way. The libraries of Alexandria hold more power over the supernatural community than any business or delegation position. The librarian can be a powerful ally, one of the best. This is what I’m meant to do.” Bren’s tone is filled with conviction as I try to decipher the hidden meaning behind his words. Garrett stares at his brother like he’s seeing him for the first time. “Your path is not necessarily predestined like mine, Rett. You know the school won’t teach me. You can still choose.”

  Except that he can’t. My stomach tugs with a fierce sense of protest when I think of Garrett walking out of those doors and never returning. I felt the same with Avery, and I recognize it with Bren now that the shock of his presence has worn off. He’s meant to be here; they both are. But I’m not telling the scary muscle man that. He needs control, even if it’s an illusion.

  Several minutes pass. I practically hold my breath as I wait, wondering what Garrett will do. When he turns to me, I know the decision isn’t made, but I’m satisfied that he hasn’t walked out yet. I must be crazy for wanting him to stay. I don’t think I even like him, but it would make Bren happy. And he’s intimidating as fuck. With one of my guards non-corporeal and two others lean and unimposing aside from their good looks and magic, Garrett would make an excellent addition. He reminds me of the gargoyles perching on my walls. His body looks hard as a rock, straining against a thin tee and black jeans. His face is rugged and has its own beauty, once I get past the intimidation factor.

  “Who are you? And what is my fool brother talking about?”

  Bren makes a pleased sound in the back of his throat and skips off to the nearest bookshelf as if his brother has just declared his undying allegiance. As he’s scanning the books, I swallow and return Garrett Addington’s fierce look.

  “My name is Zosia Abrams. I’m the new librarian. I have two guardians currently, but I’m supposed to have four. That’s about all I know.” I shrug. “I’ve only been here a couple of days.” I glance toward Bren. “Your brother is meant to be one of my guardians.”

  Garrett leans over, his knuckles on the wooden table, but the library doesn’t seem bothered by his threatening stance. She likes him and agrees with Bren. He won’t hurt me. “And me?”

  I swallow against the dryness in my throat. “I cannot force you into anything,” I murmur, my gaze meeting his dark eyes for just a second before flitting away.

  “You’re a sphinx?”

  I shrug again. “So they say. I haven’t actually shifted yet.”

  “Who are they?”

  I have to give credit to Garrett. He’s not the brainless brute he appears to be. I nibble at my lip as I consider whether to mention the goblins. I’d thought they would have shown up by now if it was safe.

  “No time for that. Ansel is coming. The one who tethered me is with him.” Kodi floats down from the ceiling behind me, alarm ringing through his voice. I wish for my crutches. I don’t want to sit in my wheelchair if there’s to be a confrontation. The library senses my wish, and they appear beside me suddenly. I push my chair back hastily, my hair getting in the way as I struggle to swiftly cuff them onto my arms.

  Steady, reliable hands are suddenly helping me. Pleasure nearly halts the breath in my chest as I realize that Avery has my left and Bren has my right. Both are helping me to fasten the crutches around my forearms. Bren gathers my thick hair and pushes it over my shoulder, his fingers lingering. My nerves light up at their touch. Garrett watches the scene with intense interest as Kodi floats down beside us, his gray arms crossed over his chest.

  I waver for a second once I’m on my feet and moved away from the chair, trying to see through the gargoyle’s eyes again. Kodi was right. Ansel is trotting to keep up with an older man. He looks similar to the one who tethered Kodi at the orphanage, but it’s not the same guy. They must work together.

  When I reopen my eyes, Garrett is no longer facing me. Instead, he stands just to the side, facing the door with his brother and the rest of us. The stones beneath me tremble. It surprises me so much, I stumble. Bren stabilizes me. His hand stays just under my elbow, offering comfort and solidari
ty. I glance at him, but a mask has fallen over his face. Now he looks like the arrogant man I suspected him to be, but his gaze flickers with amusement that seems to be entirely for my benefit. It’s gone the second he faces forward again.

  The library is worried. This is nothing like Dighit. For some reason, this man worries her, and that scares me. Who could possibly threaten the great library? How?

  The front door bangs open, and I wince as I feel the wrongness echo through the floorboards. The unknown interloper hesitates only a second when he walks in and sees us facing him, hopefully providing the illusion of a united front. Two of these men aren’t mine, even though they’re acting as if they are. But either could choose to defect at any time. Kodi stands behind me. His familiar static buzz comforts me as much as Avery’s unflappable calmness.

  Ansel isn’t speaking, but his eyes flare a warning as they meet mine. An icy chill falls over the front hall, and I almost expect my breath to fog as it escapes me. My spine is aching again as it has since the night before; the scars over my shoulder blades itch.

  “The ghost is mine,” the man says in a dark tone. I suspect he’s immortal and powerful. He’s a vampire and a mage. The combination has to be a rarity, and it gives him advantages other created vamps don’t possess, like allowing him to be here in the light of day.

  I square my shoulders and lift my chin. “Kodi is my guardian. He entered my service of his own free will yesterday. I have a contract to prove it.”

  The man steps closer. Garrett shifts, almost standing in front of me. The stranger seems to realize he’s there for the first time. He hasn’t even acknowledged Kodi, his supposed property, or Avery. His eyebrows lift as his gaze flickers from Garrett to Bren. “Jonathan Addington’s boys? What are you doing here? Your father is expecting you to sign up for classes this morning,” he says directly to Garrett. “I don’t think he’d be pleased to hear you brought your addled brother with you.”

  Garrett crosses his arms over his chest, and his stance widens. If this man wanted to appease him, it’s obvious he shouldn’t have insulted Bren. The shifter’s irritation is palpable. He’s twice as broad as the older man and nearly half a foot taller. “Who are you?”

  Redness creeps under the stranger’s skin, barely there, but I can sense his anger rising. “Jerome Walthers. I am the delegation’s liaison to Apocrypha.”

  I school my face to indifference. The name means nothing, but the title is everything. He’s a man who could destroy the school and professors with a word if he so chose. Can he do the same to the library since it’s on academy grounds? I wish I knew more about the supernatural world because I’m woefully unprepared to understand the political undercurrents happening right in front of me.

  “Well, Jerome,” Garrett drawls with impressive indifference, “I don’t see that it’s any of your business what my brother or I do.”

  Walthers’ face continues to redden. “Your father sent you here to get an education so you could follow him in his business.”

  I don’t know how this conversation morphed from a ghost to the desires of a father, but Garrett doesn’t seem surprised at all. “And how would you know that?”

  “I was just in contact with Jonathan. I didn’t think you’d be here.” He sneers as his gaze flickers toward me. “You’re to send your brother back home and attend your classes. If you don’t, there will be repercussions.”

  Garrett shrugs. “Dear old Dad will just have to be disappointed. We’re both guardians of this library.”

  I barely keep the surprise from showing on my face, but his brother smiles next to me. “You can go now. The library isn’t open yet,” Bren says without a hint of hesitation, as if he’s already signed the contract and knows everything there is to say on the subject.

  Walthers’ attention lingers on the brothers. “I’ll tell your father of your poor decisions.” He turns his blank face to me. “I want my ghost back.”

  Kodi shifts behind me, and my lips tilt in a smile to match Bren’s. “He’s right behind me. If you can’t see him, that means he’s no longer yours. He never was to begin with, by the way.” Anger hardens my voice. This man enslaved my friend, albeit with help. Walthers’ gaze travels over my shoulder in a look I’ve seen a million times before. He can’t see the ghost.

  Vengeance sparks in the depths of the liaison’s gaze. “This isn’t over.” He perfects the dismissive ridicule I’ve seen so many times as he looks me up and down. “You’re not fit to run this place. The library shall soon realize that.” He spins on his heel and leaves just as chaotically as he entered.

  My legs buckle the second the front door slams shut, and I might have fallen if Bren and Avery didn’t reach for me at the same time. Kodi’s electric static tingles along my back like he tried to do the same, but all I hear from him is an irritated snort as the other two help me back into my chair. The vamp-mage, although he didn’t do anything this visit, managed to voice my greatest fear.

  What if he’s right? What if I’m not worthy?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bren

  My brother is freaking out. At any other time, I’d be enjoying the tumult his usually calm, logical, and crazily determined brain is experiencing, but the woman beside me draws the entirety of my attention. I’ve had visions of her since I first realized I had the ability. I grew with her snippets at a time. She’s been through so much, and she refuses to remember half of it. But finally, I’m here. She never would have accepted me without assurance from the library, so although I knew where she was at all times, I had to wait until she got here. Luckily, this is all my brother has dreamed of - just not in this way.

  “Ignore what that asshole said,” I murmur to her under my breath. “You are beautiful and complete, and the library knows what she’s doing.” Her eyes fly to me, a combination of blue and gold that resemble a sunny day. They’re delightfully alive. Her soul speaks through her eyes, and it’s an old soul.

  She doesn’t know what to say, and I remind myself for the hundredth time that I’m a stranger to her. Regardless of how well I know her through my visions, she’s never met me before today.

  “Bren.” My brother’s control finally snaps. Everyone is staring at us. The ghost hovers nearby, sullen and irritated that he can’t touch the woman he loves. The blind vampire is frowning at me, but we formed a truce in those seconds when we protected her together. It will take him a while to get used to me, but we’ll become the best of friends…like brothers.

  Rett, though; Rett might blow a gasket. While it would be spectacular to see him lose control, I owe him an explanation. The man who entered with Walthers is still here. If things go the way of the majority of my visions, he won’t live much longer. Everything will happen soon. Everything will be tossed into chaos, and only the five of us will protect this spectacular repository of information. My eyes fly around the room, marveling again at the height of the ceiling, the rows of books. It’s a universe in here. There’s an unexplored world in each of these books.

  “Bren,” my brother repeats. Right. I forgot.

  “Garrett,” I respond calmly. He releases a huge breath and loudly pulls out a chair across from us, sitting down with a thump. His large hands coast through the hair that’s just a couple shades lighter than mine. He doesn’t always make as much noise as a mountain troll, only when he’s so frustrated he can’t control his bulk. Zosia is a little scared of him, but that’s okay. She’s already starting to trust him, and that’s all that matters. The rest will come.

  “I need you to focus. I need an explanation.”

  I frown. “Actually, I can’t tell you much more, or it might upset the delicate balance of the future.” That’s not exactly true, but it sounds pretty and it has some merit to it. The fewer people who know, the better. Not everyone is equipped to know their destiny.

  “Bren and Garrett Addington?” The older man asks with a slight frown. “You haven’t signed the book yet.”

  Ah, right. Ansel is the interim
protector. His role and connection to the library will disappear as soon as we sign that book and finish the circle of five. I shrug. “That’s because you interrupted us. The little goblin was about to bring it to me.” I’ve seen this moment a thousand times, and it’s even brighter now that it’s about to happen.

  Ansel’s eyes flash to Garrett. “You’re one of the most powerful shifters of the next generation, possibly the most powerful. It’s said you’ll become Alpha of North America if your father ever steps down.” While Zosia draws in a cute breath of surprise, my brother merely looks bored.

  “Yes,” he replies calmly.

  “And you’re a powerful seer.” Ansel’s brows draw together as he studies me.

  “And that’s all you know about me because my father doesn’t speak of me. Oh, he loves to brag that he has a powerful visionary for a son, but when people meet me, they get the impression I’m not quite right. He’s waiting until he has me under his control entirely before he spreads that information around. If I’m his puppet, it doesn’t matter that I’ll piss off someone powerful with my lack of social skills.”

  “That won’t happen. He’ll never control you,” Garrett growls. It rumbles through the table between us. Zosia’s hands tighten on the arms of her chair before her stomach growls in a sound almost as loud. While her cheeks heat, I push the plate of food toward her.

  “Eat,” I direct her and look back at my brother. “That’s why we’re here. He can’t get me here, Garrett. Even if this pretentious, elitist, waste of space academy were to accept me, I’d still be available for him to taunt. When you’re sent away on your first diplomatic mission, he’ll have me. Not anymore. As soon as I sign that book, I’m free. You won’t have to keep me safe anymore.”