Reborn (Shadow Beast Shifter, #3)(28)

“You gave it the name,” Gaster told me. “It stuck.”

I shook my head. “I don’t remember,” I breathed. “I don’t remember any of this and when I try, my head feels like it’s being pummeled in a knife fight.”

Gaster pulled himself to his feet, needing only a little help from me. “I have the answers you seek,” he said softly. “Just give me a moment to restore my energy.”

Answers! He had freaking answers.

My gut had been right, and I owed Samantha Rowland a fucking house on the beach for her help today. Speaking of… “Are you okay?” I asked, noting how pale she looked.

Her throat moved as she swallowed roughly. “I’m not sure. Who is this being you’ve found?”

I tilted my head. “He said his name is Gaster, a goblin of the demi-fae.”

She stared at me. “And you speak demi-fae?”

It was at that point I finally understood why she looked so pale and confused. Gaster didn’t speak English, and apparently, I spoke whatever language he did. Just like with the Japanese alpha back in Torma.

Gaster cleared his throat and I looked down to meet his eyes. “The universal translator on the library has been destroyed, along with the Solaris System doorways. We’re in deep trouble, and I’m afraid you might be the only one who can help us fix this mess.”

“Holy shit,” I breathed. “Even speaking demi-fae, I only understood about half the context for what you just said. Maybe you can start at the beginning and tell me everything.”

He nodded, wincing as he stepped forward. “I agree, but I’m not sure how much time we really have before it’s too late to undo what has been done.”

Oh, excellent, more ominous forecasting.

“Does he need any help?” Sam asked, still confused as hell. “Food or water or medical attention?”

I repeated her questions to Gaster and he shook his head. “No, I’m fine. My energy is returning faster than expected, and I think I have the strength now to find you some clothes. When you are comfortable, we can quickly catch each other up on what happened.”

I repeated his words to Sam, and she let out a relieved breath. “Yeah, look, I know we’re shifters, but at some point, I prefer not to have all of my body parts greeting the world.”

An actual genuine chuckle escaped me. “Yep, same.”

“Then follow me,” Gaster said, already looking more energized as he moved through the debris. His face fell as he took in the destruction, craggy crevices creasing his cheeks. “I was knocked out during the first assault,” he said sadly. “Unable to protect my charges. I think the only reason I wasn’t banished from the Library of Knowledge like all the others is he missed me in the chaos.”

He? Oh, damn, I legitimately had so many questions, but now wasn’t the time. Gaster had said he would spill everything that had happened; I just had to be patient. Which was clearly a strong character trait of mine. Along with delusion.

When he finally reached the part of the library east of the main entrance, he started to search through what looked like badly dented storage cupboards. I spent the time waiting for him, filling Sam in on everything she hadn’t understood because she didn’t speak demi-fae.

Like a normal shifter.

By the time Gaster finally emerged, with long sheets of white material that he helped us fashion into makeshift togas, my friend was completely up to date. And then, when our naked parts were clothed, Gaster led us to one of the very few spots not covered in devastation, gesturing for us to sit.

“I’ll translate,” I told Sam.

She nodded, looking like a toga-clad goddess. Pretty sure Sam could wear a potato sack and still be gorgeous. “I can wait until the end. I know this is your story and you’ve waited a long time to uncover this truth.”

Technically, it hadn’t been that long, but it felt like a damn eternity.

“Thank you,” I said, before Gaster cleared his throat, stealing all of my attention.

“You arrived here almost two Earth years ago,” he said.

My stomach swirled violently. “Two years?” I repeated, feeling my lips tremble. “When the Torma pack was locked in their stasis?”

Gaster shook his head. “They were in stasis for a few months, that is all. The last two years were normal for them, but clearly, someone has changed the timeline.”

I opened and closed my mouth, no words emerging, because I was too stunned to form coherent thoughts, let alone speech. All of the packs had remembered this new version of the timeline, none of them questioning the small inconsistencies. How was the being who did this powerful enough to change the minds of tens of thousands of shifters?

Sam reacted to the devastation on my face, inching closer to wrap her arm around me. “What did he say?” she bit out. “Are you okay?”

I shook my head, swallowing roughly. “No, I’m really not okay. He told me I arrived here two years ago, and there was no long-term stasis with Torma. Which all boils down to the fact that I’m not missing two months of memories… I’m missing two years.”

Her brow furrowed as she stared at me. “You know,” she said slowly. “I have the memories of Torma being locked down, but a part of me also remembers applying to them during what should have been the stasis. Applying and getting rejected.”