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

in, but Brielle can’t see past the thick curtain of fluorescent light between her and the shadows they’re moving through to tell what that something is.

Then they come into the light and drop their cargo with a flop.

It’s Cassandra!

Mirror Point High’s queen bee is covered in scrapes and bruises, her once beautiful eyes swollen shut by purple flesh, and the hair she’s always so proud of is mussed and tangled.

Despite their history, Brielle can’t bear to see her this way.

“What did you do to her?” Tristan asks, his voice gravelly.

Adalind sways her hips to one side and waves a hand. “Well, we suspected her of being an Heir, so we subjected her to a series of…tests. But no matter what we did to her, she did nothing but cry and scream and beg for mercy. No powers whatsoever. Pity. We were hoping to kill three birds with one stone, so to speak, but Cassandra’s no more a Zodiac Guardian than I am. Oh well.” She shrugs again, and Brielle’s insides twist with a cocktail of hatred for Adalind and deep sympathy for Cassandra.

“She’s not breathing,” Tess gasps. “You killed the poor girl and she wasn’t even an Heir?”

Dead? Cassandra’s…dead? Every tender moment they ever shared in their childhood replays in Brielle’s mind, and a resonating regret for not making amends saturates her to her core. Cassandra didn’t deserve to die like this. She may have become somewhat of a bully the past few years, but she didn’t deserve to be tortured for powers she didn’t even have. Brielle’s eyes well up with tears.

“I wouldn’t worry about her. You’ll all join her soon enough.” Adalind closes in on Tristan and gets down to his level. Her back is to Zarius and Tess.

This is Brielle’s chance. She can cry for Cassandra when this is over.

If they make it out alive.

“You may have been wrong about Cassandra, but you were right about my bestie,” Adalind says as Brielle hunches low and creeps toward the captives.

Tess catches her approaching, and at the sight of the suit, she purses her lips and nods to her. Brielle swiftly gets behind the beam and works her fingers quickly and quietly to unravel the restraints. When Tess’s release and fall around her, Brielle moves over to do the same for Zarius.

“So tell me, Prince Gem, who else do you suspect of being one of you?” Adalind asks, tipping his chin upward with her index finger.

Adalind is so busy reveling in her victory, she never sees the ambush coming.

Zarius swings a thick two-by-four right at the back of her head. “He prefers Tristan.”

27

Tristan

The brief moment of surprise as the Skins watch their leader crumple is all Tristan needs. He leaps, somersaulting through the air and landing behind them. One sweeping kick and they’re both knocked out cold.

Tristan streaks toward Zarius and they both form a defensive line in front of Tess and Brielle.

“Nice suit,” Zarius comments.

Tristan lifts his fists as the Skins start fanning around them. “What were the chances it was going to be my favorite color?”

Three Skins run at them at once, but they don’t stand a chance against Zarius and Tristan. Like two gears in a well-oiled machine, Zarius quickly dispatches one while Tristan’s fist ploughs through the other two.

“Adalind?” Tristan asks quietly, noting the pool of blood circling her head from the corner of his eye where she lies beside Cassandra’s dead body.

“I doubt she’ll be getting back up again,” Zarius states flatly.

Tristan can’t bring himself to feel sad for the loss of the girl. She betrayed Brielle. She killed Cassandra and Alden.

She wanted to kill Tess.

The next punch aimed at a Skin is powered by the rage that thought sparks. The Skin sails through the air, landing in an unconscious heap a few feet away.

“And the girl?” Zarius asks as he rams his elbow into the next fool who comes at them.

“Brielle. She’s the Libra.”

The words slice straight through Tristan, the suit being no protection from the truth. The next kick slams straight through three Skins like a battering ram. Just as he lands, a piece of wood cracks across Tristan’s back. The sound of it splintering is like a gunshot.

Tristan straightens and turns to face the man. “That could’ve hurt,” he growls.

Using his fists like pistons, he pummels the Skin’s chest. The man jerks and grunts over and over, before finally collapsing.

“Tristan!”

Brielle’s panicked voice has him spinning around. Two Skins have used the distraction to work their way around and come up behind. One grabs Tess by the hair as the other sets his gaze on Brielle.

“Use your powers,” Tristan calls.

The bastard will never stand a chance.

Except Brielle’s stepping backward, shaking her head. She whispers the next words, but they’re undeniable as they slide over Tristan’s ear.

“My powers. They don’t work on the Skins.”

There’s no time to ask what the hell she’s talking about. To try and get his head around what that means.

Zarius is already running toward Tess. Tristan leaps into the air, covering the distance in a flying arc. He lands behind the Skin, relishing the sound as his armored fist slams into the side of his head.

And then, there’s no time to talk. To think. The Skins have finally figured out they need to rush them at once if they’re going to stand a chance.

But there’s no way they’re getting through Tristan and Zarius as they come to the forefront again. Tess is behind them. Brielle with her.

And it seems Brielle’s just as helpless as Tess is, armed with less than basic fighting skills.

Tristan and Zarius fight like they’ve never fought before. At times back to back, others side to side, they form an impenetrable barrier. Father and son. Guardian and Zodiac.

As Zarius grabs one Skin and shoves the guy at Tristan, he almost finds himself smiling. An uppercut and a kick to the chest, and the man’s no longer a threat.

This is what being a Zodiac’s about.

Being a team.

And winning because of it.

Suddenly,