Page 14 of Daughter of Garnet

My nose wrinkles. “Knot chaser?”

This time, he looks at me, but it’s fleeting, only long enough for me to see him roll his eyes. “Yeah, there are some Betas who will do anything to get with an Alpha, including wearing perfumes that are meant to mimic an Omega’s pheromones. We can always tell, and it's pathetic, really. Desperate." His attention flits back to me before he addresses Warren. "Just take whatever Aide they assign to you. I doubt it’s that big of a deal.”

He turns and stalks out of the room.

Ray does not like me. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t matter. I would never say anything to Viv or ask why. I don't want it to push her away if she hasn't realized yet that he dislikes me.

I do wish I knew why, though.

The library is massive. It takes up the entire second floor of the Hub, with stacks of books stretching to the ceiling and crowded rows.

It’s quiet here, and not in the way libraries usually are. It’s empty. There are tables for studying clustered in the middle of the entry space, but no one sits at them, and I don’t see people perusing the stacks.

Cliff wasn't joking when he said you could easily forget you're not alone here.

Friday evenings aren’t exactly prime time for studying, but I have a lot to catch up on. I skated through university, and I can already tell it’s going to bite me in the ass. People are asking questions in classes that I don’t even think to consider.

There is a strong likelihood that I will need a tutor to get me up to speed. My Menagerie study group met for the first time yesterday, and I was shocked by how much they know about the Gods. I never took any classes on them except for the basic introductory ones, and my family wasn’t particularly devout, so I’m starting from scratch. Everyone else, even Warren, has studied or worshipped these Gods for years.

The only class that I don’t feel out of place in is calculus. Math makes sense. Numbers follow rules, and it never changes. My other courses, the ones that focus on or emphasize our designations, make me uncomfortable.

Maybe I’d feel differently if I didn’t have this Omega-shaped axe hanging over my head.

I need to forget it.

I need to move on from that stress-induced auditory hallucination.

Scanning the directory points me to the aisle I’m looking for. I almost sought out Cliff, but I don’t need him to know I need books that teenagers use to study for tests in secondary school.

I load my arms up with books, one on each God and their history, and find a quiet corner in the back. I do not want to be sitting alone on display in the middle of the room.

Earnings of Earth

Sensibilities of the Sea

Wonders of the Wind

Fate of the Fire

All four books, with their childlike, alliterative titles, delve into the benefits of being Blessed by each of the Gods and detail their involvement with Kestia. Except, of course, for the book on Ilota, the Goddess of Fire. That one explores theories on what happened to the Goddess to result in her withholding her Blessing.

It’s where I start.

It has been so long since someone was Blessed by Fire that there are no records of what beast forms the Blessed would take. She must have Blessed someone at some point. Otherwise, why would anyone write about her? There are vague mentions of people's ancestors being Blessed, but for all intents and purposes, her Blessing has been withheld since before records were kept.

What would her beasts even be? There aren't beasts that live in flames. The other Gods bestow beasts that thrive in their domains. What could Ilota give someone?

The book says her garnet is set out at ceremonies in the hope that she will one day return and bestow her Blessing on someone, but it is more of a formality than anything at this point.

After reading through several pages of the book, I’m more convinced than ever that I hallucinated during my ceremony. I didn’t feel anything different when I touched the stone. That voice I heard was just my brain reacting to a stressful situation, whispering my worst fears in my ear.

“Fate of the Fire.” The words startle me in the empty room, and I whip my head up to lock eyes with a stunning, delicate man. “It’s a good one. I've always been fascinated by the disappearance of Ilota and her Blessed.” He gestures to the spot on the floor in front of me. “Can I join you?”

I don’t know what to say to him, so I nod, crossing my legs underneath me to give him more space. Despite how slim he is, his presence takes up a lot of space.

He plucks the book from my hands. “There is so much to be learned by what is not said about our history. Maybe the reason why we don't know what beast she Blesses with is that they are too powerful, and someone doesn't want the people to know, for what if one were to rise against them? Power corrupts, and it inspires envy." His eyes flick to my lips, and he leans closer to me. I find myself holding my breath as he rubs his thumb down my cheek. "People get a taste of it, even if it’s someone else’s, and they take and take and take to ensure they're the only ones with power left.” He turns the book over in his hands and looks up at me with startling green eyes.

His hair is a deep shade of brown that makes mine look dull in comparison, and the top is curly, with a piece that doesn't want to obey and falls in his eyes. His cheekbones are even more dramatic in his thin face. He's beautiful and strange, captivating in the way music is, making me want to sway with his words. He must be sweating like crazy in the sweater he’s wearing, with its high collar, but maybe he gets cold easily.