Libra Ascending: An Epic Urban Fantasy Romance (Zodiac Guardians Book 1) Tamar Sloan (digital ebook reader .txt) đ
- Author: Tamar Sloan
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âBecause Zarius knew,â he says with finality. âZarius worked behind the scenes of the Gemini Court. He witnessed the Guardians in action, and he passed that knowledge down to me. Which is why I should have linked lie-detection to your Libra powers.â
âWhat does lie-detection have to do with Libraâs power?â she asks, desperate for clarification.
âLibra is the epitome of justice and truth,â he explains, locking eyes with her as if to make his words sink in. âLibra is the Judge of the Zodiac. So it makes sense that youâd be able to sense lies, sniff out the truth, and make people face the wrongs theyâve done. And when those wrongs are severe enough, Libra can punish them.â
They sit in silence for a moment, letting Brielle come to terms with this knowledge. If Tristanâs right, once she gains a firmer hold on her powers, sheâll actually be able to fight for herself, to help Tristan. No one will ever have to die for her again. If only sheâd gotten to her stone before Alden showed up. But then, if he hadnât, Tristan would have never figured out how to activate his suit.
âNow, letâs put your stone to the test,â he says, as if on the same wavelength. âLetâs activate your suit.â
Her leg twitches nervously, and she grips her stone tightly. âH-how do I do that?â Again, the fear that she might fail, might somehow be unable to meet Tristanâs expectations, slices into her, reopening the wound that will never heal.
âGive me your stone,â he says, holding out his hand.
She places it into his waiting palm, and he quickly affixes it to a simple black cord like the one around his neck.
âMay I?â He lifts the cord toward her with both hands.
She obligingly gathers her hair into a pile at the back of her head so that he can clasp it around her neck.
He steps closer, a movement that feels so natural. His hands gently lift the cord up, sweeping her jaw as he closes the clasp. His hands linger after, and their eyes meet. His fingertips at the base of her neck raise delicious goosebumps, and the urge to close the small distance and kiss him is hard to resist. His full lips look so inviting, beckoning her closer.
But itâs not to be.
She turns away and lets her hair down, and Tristan removes his hands, his disappointment like a mask on his face.
âNow what?â she asks, her voice cutting through the tension in the air like a knife.
Tristan takes a few steps back, giving her space. âHold your stone and say the word âAkashâ,â he instructs.
Lifting her hand to the pink gem now sitting against her collar bone, she braces herself, unsure what to expect. She wraps her fingers tightly around the stone and shakily says, âAkash.â
A burst of light radiates from her stone, rays shooting from the gaps between her fingers. Something cool and solid starts to cover her chest, her arms, her legs, even her face. The process feels like it takes an eternity, even though she knows it must only take a few seconds. Sheâs so preoccupied with the encasing around her face that she doesnât realize her fingers and feet, her entire body is fully enclosed, until she looks down.
Unlike Tristanâs midnight purple suit, hers is a dark platinum pink.
âExcellent,â Tristan says, his voice crisp. âNow, weâre ready.â
25
Tristan
Brielleâs the Libra.
Three words. And everythingâs changed.
Brielleâs. The. Libra.
As Tristan holds the truck door open for Brielle, he finds he canât look her in the eye. He should be doing a happy highland jig seeing as heâs found the first Zodiac Guardian. He wishes Zarius had been here to see the gem burst to life in Brielleâs hand.
The pink tourmaline.
But the disappointment is heavier than Tristan expected. It seems to weigh down every cell in his body. And not only is it heavy, each shard is sharp and jagged, embedding themselves into the very fabric of his being. It tells him this feeling wonât be leaving anytime soon.
Brielle climbs in, her hand wrapped around the stone at her throat. It wouldâve been good if she had more time to adjust to her suit and newfound powers, but time is one thing they donât have right now. Once sheâd relegated her suit back to its stone, they knew they had to leave.
The Skins have Zarius and Tess.
Climbing into the driverâs side, Tristan clenches his teeth. Obviously, he wanted to find his soulmate so bad that the first Zodiac Heir he came across, he decided she must be it. It was his impatience at its best.
Or worst.
Because now his heart aches as much as the rest of him.
âSo, whatâs the plan?â Brielle asks, her voice a mix of determination and apprehension.
Tristan pauses. If Brielle had been his Gemini Twin, they couldâve combined their powers. There probably wouldnât be a fight. Chardis would be running scared.
But Brielleâs the Libra. Theyâll have to depend on his fighting skills and her ability to nuke the Skins with their own poor choices.
Itâs going to have to be enough.
âThe warehouse is going to be surrounded. Theyâll want us arriving but not leaving.â
Brielle nods, no doubt having thought of this.
âIâve spent most of my life learning how to fight. The suit will only make me stronger. Iâll go in first, you back me up.â
Brielle nods again. âAnd we get your parents out of there.â
Tristan turns the key in the ignition. It all sounds so simple. So straightforward.
But this is the most dangerous scenario heâs ever walked into.
Before he pulls out of the driveway, he turns to Brielle. âIf things get hairy, I want you out of there. I can fight, you canât. We canât afford for them to capture you.â
Brielle tightens the hold on her stone. âOkay. But Iâm going to do what I can to
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