Libra Ascending: An Epic Urban Fantasy Romance (Zodiac Guardians Book 1) Tamar Sloan (digital ebook reader .txt) š
- Author: Tamar Sloan
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She canāt see his eyes, only a black glass-like cover over where they should be, but she knows theyāre blazing with concern.
She nods rapidly, too flooded with adrenaline to speak.
He exhales heavily and lowers his shoulders. āThank pitch!ā He pulls her into a relieved hug, and sheās surprised by how firm yet flexible the metal is against her exposed arms. What could it possibly be made of?
Her motor skills a second behind reality, she hugs him back, a wave of relief and amazement that theyāre both alive washing over her.
When Tristan eventually pulls away, she finds her voice. āI canāt see your face. Are you alright?ā
āI am for now,ā he says. āWe need to get to my house asap before I realize Iām not.ā
She peers down the alley. āDo you think itās safe?ā
āI think I killed every Skin who foolishly stayed behind. The rest fled. Along with Adalind.ā He says her name through clenched teeth.
āIām so sorry, Tristan,ā Brielle confesses, her heart aching with betrayal. āThis is all my fault.ā
He shakes his head. āNo, itās not. Adalind had us both fooled. I should have been able to sniff her out from the beginning.ā
Brielle looks away, knowing the truthāthat if anyone should have been able to see through Adalind, itās her. She never pushed her lie-detection with Adalind. Maybe if she had, sheād have known long ago that the great pretender was just that.
Her wandering eyes fall on Eye Patch Guyās corpse. āSo, he was with you after all.ā
āWhat do you mean, āafter allā?ā
The memory from last night flashes in her mind. āHe came by the orphanage last night, told me I was in danger. It scared the crap out of me. I didnāt know if he was crazy orā¦ā She slowly turns her head toward Tristan. ā...if the danger he was warning me of was you.ā
āI didnāt know until last night that he was a royal Gemini guard sent to help Zarius. He must have come by our house right after he scared you at the orphanage. Alden was a good man.ā
Alden. Much better than Eye Patch Guy.
Tristan kneels near Aldenās face, then looks up at Brielle. āHe cared about you, you know. I know you only knew him as the crazy librarian, but heās been watching over you your whole life, keeping you safe from a distance.ā
Blood floods Brielleās face, neck and shoulders, a fresh heat steaming the sweat beads on her skin. Some deep, longing part of her heart breaks.
This strange man she never really knew was the closest thing to family she had on this planet. How different would things have been if heād gone the route of Zarius and adopted her, raised her as his own? She could have known her purpose all her life, could have understood the powers she always believed were a curse. And sheād have had a dad, or something like it.
Now heās dead and sheāll never get to know him, never get to ask the questions that are buzzing through her mind.
Never get to thank him for watching over her.
Tristan must see her tears building because he turns back to Alden and closes his lifeless eyes with his fingertips. āRest in peace, Alden of Gemini I.ā
Brielle is on the verge of breaking down, succumbing to the sorrow thatās suddenly overwhelming her. And if she doesnāt get a hold of herself soon, sheāll crumble and be useless.
She turns her back on the two, wipes her eyes and sniffles, taking a wobbly breath. āWhat are we going to do with them? We canāt just leave all these bodies here.ā
She hears Tristan stand and come up behind her. āThe Skins will clean this up. They always do. Their secret is as great as ours. Alden will disappear without a trace,ā he says, his voice heavy. Tristan straightens his shoulders. āBut heād want us to get you safe and for you to be reunited with your stone, thereās nothing else we can do for him. Thatās our top priority.ā He offers his hand. āCome on, they might come back with reinforcements. We need to get in and out of my house before that happens.ā
Brielle places her hand in his, hurting that Alden doesnāt even get a proper burial, but knowing that thereās no other choice. Together, they sprint out of the alley and down the road to his house. As they move, she still doesnāt trust the shadows surrounding them, fearing one might jump out at them the moment she turns her back.
They approach his house with caution, wary of any Skins still hiding in the darkness. They tiptoe up the walkway, Tristan using his armored body as a shield in front of Brielle. He grabs the doorknob, hesitantly turns it and pushes the door open.
The house looks fine, nothing seems out of place. Tristan seems surprised by that fact, but proceeds forward anyway.
āEverything is too quiet, too perfect,ā he whispers as he tucks Brielle behind him. āKeep your eyes open.ā
Brielle follows close behind him. Despite the caution that sizzles through every inch of her body, itās anticipation that drives her forward. This is the moment that will truly change her life forever. The moment sheāll find out who she really is.
As they make their way down the dark stairs of the basement, she holds onto one silly hopeāthat she is, indeed, the lost Gemini Princess Tristan has been looking for.
23
Tristan
Tristan opens the door, not sure why heās still so edgy. Maybe it was the fight. Maybe it was seeing Alden killed. But whatever it is, it means he keeps his suit on as he pushes the door open.
That, and heās not entirely sure how to get it off, yet.
Although, the thing is so cool heās thinking it might be his new go-to outfit. A couple of days practice, and Tristanās pretty sure heāll be joining Superman in the sky.
Keeping Brielleās hand
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