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

Why would he care about her well-being at all? How does he know where she lives? Nothing about this makes sense, and everything about it seems wrong.

“Warn me about what?”

His one good eye locks onto hers. “Don’t use your powers right now.”

White hot terror flashes through her, and beads of cold sweat practically jump out of every pore. Brielle tries to feign ignorance, scrunching her brows in a way that feels like confusion, but she knows she can’t remove the fear from her wide eyes.

“P-powers?” A nervous giggle trips out of her throat, then quickly dies. “What are you talking about?” She shakes her head.

He looks down at the ground. “It’s okay. You don’t have to admit anything to me. I just need you to know that it’s not safe to use your powers right now. They’re looking for you, and you can’t do anything to call attention to yourself. That is all. Have a pleasant evening.”

And just like that, he turns around and walks off the lawn and down the sidewalk like he’s just taking a nighttime stroll.

Brielle sits there, unable to slow her heart down as questions race through her mind. How does he know about her curse? No one knows, not really knows. Marie, Cassandra and Suki only suspect, with no real proof. So how does this guy, who might as well be a stranger, know anything about her at all?

And who does he think is looking for her? Her imagination really runs wild at that question. She entertains every idea from Shield Agents from the Marvel Universe to witch hunters who want to burn her at the stake. Or maybe scientists who want to dissect her and find out how her visions work.

Or could Eye Patch Guy be referring to Tristan? Tristan had noticed Brielle right from the get-go, had asked her out five minutes into meeting her. None of that made sense at the time, but if he’s part of this, his interest would actually have an explanation. What if he’s the danger that the crazy librarian warned her about?

And if so, does she have the restraint to stay away?

15

Tristan

“Chardis has been looking forward to meeting you,” sneers a voice close to Tristan.

All the moves Tristan would use right now flash through his mind. An uppercut to the grinning man’s jaw. He could swing his legs around and wrap them around the guy’s throat. He could pummel the crap out of him like he was a punching bag.

But all Tristan can do is lie there. Waiting. Wondering if Tess is okay.

The Skin moves in closer, his voice sliding over Tristan. “One down. Twelve to go.”

Suddenly, there’s a gasp and a gurgle. The Skin grunts and his body thumps on the ground.

Tristan curses the still, silent blackness he’s trapped in. What just happened?

“Fool,” Zarius mutters. “Your impatience to get to a Zodiac Heir blinded you.”

Zarius is here! And he killed the Skin! Relief floods Tristan’s consciousness. A fist pump sure would be nice right about now…

“Tess? Tess! Are you okay?”

Zarius’s voice is full of panic, something Tristan’s never heard. Zarius invented cool, calm and collected.

But Tess has never been directly attacked before. The Skins have never come to their house.

Splintered wood crunches under Zarius’s boots as he rushes to her. Please, Tess. Please be okay.

“Tess! Can you hear me?”

The softest of groans is the sweetest sound Tristan’s ever heard. “Zarius?” There’s a sharp movement. “Tristan! The Skin—”

“The Skin is finished. He never got to our boy, thanks to you.”

“I didn’t do anything—” Tess stops, gasping. “Zarius! There’s an antidote! The Skin said there’s an antidote!” There’s more sounds of shuffling. “No, don’t worry about me. I’m fine. We need to find it!”

They scramble closer to Tristan, then there’s the quiet rustling of material being shifted.

“He’d have it in one of his pockets,” says Tess.

“I’ve got it!” cries Zarius triumphantly.

“Quick, we need to get it into Tristan.”

If Tristan’s breath could spike with excitement, it would. An antidote! He listens as Zarius and Tess move around the room. They’d be getting a syringe from the monster-sized first-aid kit on the bench. Drawing in the liquid.

Then they’re beside him.

“Hold on, Tristan,” says Tess. “This is going to work.”

For the first time since he was shot, Tristan believes her. He can’t feel the prick of the needle or the sting of the antidote as it’s injected into his veins, but he knows it happens. Both Zarius and Tess move back, releasing their breaths.

“How long will it take?” asks Tess.

“I don’t know. I haven’t come across this sort of poison before. It seems Chardis is becoming innovative.”

“He’s not moving, Zarius.”

“Give it time,” he soothes. “Tristan could be like this for a while yet.”

A while? How long is a while? Tristan scans his body. Well, he thinks he does. As he reaches out with his mind, he finds he still doesn’t know where any part of him is. There’s nothing to feel. No sensations to experience.

Except… Was that a tingle dancing across his fingertips? Focusing everything he has, Tristan waits. Yes! Like a fairy is nibbling on his nails! Tristan tries to move them, except the link from his brain to his hand is still severed.

Feeling as if he’s trying to move a mountain, he concentrates on where his fingers should be.

“Zarius! His hand!” Although Tess’s voice is hushed, it’s full of excitement.

Tristan didn’t feel any movement, but Tess’s words tell him he must’ve twitched. He tries again, this time sensing the flex of muscles and contraction of each knuckle.

“It’s working,” breathes Zarius.

Tristan gasps. And he feels it! He draws in a deeper breath and it’s like air is being sucked into his lungs for the first time. It feels cool as it hits the back of his throat, the sensation dissolving as his chest expands. Man, that feels good.

He turns his head, finding Zarius and Tess exactly where he thought they’d be—right beside him. “I never want to hear about the body fold defense again.”

Tess’s