Libra Ascending: An Epic Urban Fantasy Romance (Zodiac Guardians Book 1) by Tamar Sloan (adult books to read .TXT) 📗

doesn’t want any of Suki’s rage to fall on him. “What does it matter how I found out?”

Suki is quiet for a few seconds too long, and Brielle glances at her. She’s staring at Brielle with a look she knows all too well.

“And I thought Cassandra was just paranoid,” Suki says, shaking her head.

Now it’s Brielle’s suspicion that piques. “What do you mean?”

“She said you know things about people. That you’re psychic or something. You really are a witch, aren’t you?”

How has this situation so quickly turned against Brielle’s favor?

Brielle scoffs and rolls her eyes as she continues checking out the book, pretending the accusation is foolish.

“You’re not just an orphan, you’re a freak!” Suki’s voice gets louder with each word, and Brielle’s aware that the few patrons in the library are now staring at them. Even Eye Patch Guy has stopped his stacking.

“I don’t know what Cassandra told you, but that’s insane.” She has to put a pin in this now. “You seriously believe in that stuff?”

“Then tell me how you found out,” Suki insists, the snarky curl returning to the corners of her thin lips.

“No.” Brielle isn’t sure how much longer she can keep up the pretense. She just wants to finish checking out and leave before this gets any worse.

“So what, then? Hmm? If you’re not a witch or whatever, then you must go around stalking people, and that’s way worse. Either way, you’re a freak and—”

“Shut up!” Brielle snaps, and just like the other day with Marie, the guilt from Suki’s vision is gone.

Suki gasps, her hands rushing over her mouth. “Omigod! He’s going to hate me.” Her face pinched and reddening, she runs out the library doors.

Right past Frank and Beatrice Pierce.

Who are staring at Brielle with confusion plain on their faces.

How much did they see?

Brielle snatches the checkout receipt for her book, puts on a fake smile and goes up to them, feeling like a dog with her tail tucked between her legs.

“Is everything okay?” Frank asks.

“What was that all about?” Beatrice points in the direction Suki went running.

“Yeah, everything is fine,” Brielle struggles to say through the stricture in her throat. “Just a misunderstanding with a girl at school.” The air is so full of tension that Brielle feels she may suffocate. She almost wishes she would. “I’ve gotta get home to finish a paper for school, but I’ll see you both tomorrow for dinner?” She means for the last part to come out as a statement, but it becomes a question instead.

“Of course.” Frank smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Brielle nods and skips away before the two most important people in her life can see her features crack into a deep frown.

She should have just let it go. Why did she have to go after Suki? She thought it would feel good to stand up for herself, to even the scales on the popular girls. But it's only made things worse. Not only does Suki now think she’s a psychic or a witch or whatever—and will surely spread that rumor around school—but Brielle may have also damaged any hope of being adopted by the Pierces.

She gets on her bike and races home, desperate to get to her room and disappear into her despair.

There’s something else, something that’s even more frightening than the threats to her social and family life.

Brielle had been able to control her curse today. She’d willed it to happen with Suki. And then when she snapped at Suki, she’d unloaded the guilt back onto her and amplified it. It’s the same thing that happened with Marie the other day. Marie was right. Brielle is the cause of her obsessive guilt.

This curse is growing, getting more powerful.

And Brielle is terrified to discover what else she’s capable of.

13

Tristan

Tristan knows he’s being carried by Zarius because he can hear the thumping of his heart pressed against his ear. The sound of Zarius’s breathing is just above. The scent of grass and outdoors registers a few seconds later.

Zarius is getting the both of them the hell out of here.

Except Tristan can hear and smell, but he can’t see. And he can’t feel a thing.

He has no idea where his limbs are or what they’re doing. It’s as if he’s nothing more than a floating brain.

“Zarius?”

It’s Tess. And that one trembling word says it all—she’s scared.

“He’s alive, but out of it. He was shot.”

What? No! I’m here! Tristan struggles against whatever’s holding him down. He needs to give them a sign—a moan, a flutter of the eyelids, flick the bird to the Skins they just whooped.

But he can’t. Feel. A. Thing.

“Oh, Tristan,” Tess moans.

“We need to get him home.” Zarius’s voice is strained. “You sit with him in the back. I’ll drive.”

There’s the sound of rustling, of car doors slamming, of an engine starting. Tristan pictures his body sprawled across the back seat, his head in Tess’s lap. Zarius would be driving like a demon.

“His breathing is regular,” Tess states calmly. “Oh god, his pulse! It’s so slow, Zarius!”

Tess’s voice hikes up and Tristan wishes he could grip the hand that would be wrapped around his wrist. He’s not about to kick anyone’s ass right now, but he’d give anything to tell Tess he’s not two steps away from death.

Whether that’s the truth or not, doesn’t matter. Reassuring Tess does.

“He’s going to be fine, Tess.”

Tristan hopes the steely determination in Zarius’s voice is enough to dial down Tess’s fear. Tess freaks out with the same intensity that she does everything else—baking, fighting, loving.

“Then why isn’t he waking up?”

She’s holding her comatose son in her lap. They haven’t had to deal with anything like this before, but Tess has devoted her life to this little family, one not connected by blood, but woven together by something far stronger—love.

“Tell me a story, Tess.”

“What? Now isn’t the time to—”

“Now. Tess. Make it a good one.”

If Tristan could relax, he would. Zarius’s idea is genius. Tess loves