I wake up to a completely different feel in the air than when I had gone to sleep.
Nox is already out of the tent and his shadow creatures are gone with him. Gryphon is sitting cross-legged with some of the food packages he’d called MREs in front of him. There’s a pissed-off look on his face, one that’s usually there because something big has gone down with the Resistance, but we have no way of contacting the others… not unless they reach out to me, and I would’ve woken up if that had happened, so I have no freaking clue what’s happened.
He’s already packed up and cleared away his bedroll and pulled his jacket back on. I instantly feel lazy for having slept in, and I hope to God that’s not why he’s sitting there looking around like he’s plotting out murder and assassination plots.
I’m sorry. How long have you guys been awake? You should have woken me up when you got up.
He glances over at me and his eyes soften the tiniest fraction, shaking his head as he replies, I didn’t sleep much last night. Nox got up before sunrise and disappeared with his creatures. There’s no reason for you to feel guilty about not waking up with the sun, Bonded.
I shake my head dismissively. It sure feels as though I’ve been lazing around while the two of them have been working hard. It’s frustrating that the two of them have Gifts that can be used at a distance and I don’t, at least nothing that isn’t lethal. I know these people are traitors, but I’m also not sure that we can just kill them all without some sort of legal proceeding. Not without them attacking first… right?
What exactly are the rules in this sort of war?
That’s too much for my brain this early on, so I move as quietly as I can to pack away my own bedroll and slip my jacket back on, attempting to move quickly.
I desperately need to pee, but the thought of Nox being outside of the tent and one of his shadow creatures potentially finding me squatting behind a tree is not exactly how I want to continue with the day.
Gryphon smirks and shakes his head at me, my thoughts clearly being ‘too loud’ again and shouting in his direction. He speaks directly into my mind, Just let Brutus down, and take him with you. He’ll keep everyone away from you while you take care of business.
I blush, stupidly, and grab out the tiny, rationed roll of toilet paper that I had insisted on bringing and head out of the tent. The sun is barely peeking through the trees, only just breaking into the sky, and the air is cold on my cheeks. It’s quiet enough that I can hear the rustling sounds of little creatures going about their lives, the calls of birds above me, and the leaves rustling in the faint breeze.
It’s peaceful, and I hope it’s a good omen for the day.
I don’t actually see Nox or any of his shadow creatures as I walk through the trees, thank God. When I do find a good, sheltered spot, it takes me a second to psych myself up to actually be able to relieve myself. I am very firm with Brutus that he has to turn his back on me while I do, and by the time I get back to where the tent was, Gryphon has it packed away already.
The food that he had gotten out is sitting on a tree stump, waiting for me, along with a bottle of water. I still don’t actually feel hungry or thirsty, but I know that I’m going to need my energy, especially if Giovanna and Riley come back from wherever it is that they’ve disappeared to. I’m hoping I will be of some use today, or at least, more than I was standing around yesterday, and I’ll need the energy for that.
I’m tired as hell for some stupid reason.
I’d slept soundly, far more soundly than I thought I would out here in a tiny tent with Nox only an arm’s reach away from Gryphon and I. Yet my body doesn’t feel as though I had gotten a full eight hours. It sort of feels as though I’d been out to a rave and danced the night away.
Gryphon’s eyes flash up to mine and his mouth hardens a little. That makes me blush harder than talking about peeing behind trees because I don’t want him to trip over my thoughts and think that I am complaining about being out here or whining about how tired I am. I’m here to prove myself, dammit!
For a second, I forget myself and open my mouth to make an excuse. Then I snap it shut again when I remember that we’re radio silent at the moment… or whatever you call this whole not-talking-out-loud thing that we’re doing. I should probably ask Gryphon what the official name for it is.
Before I can figure out what the hell to say to him, his words filter into my head. We’ll talk about why you’re tired when we get home, Bonded. It’s not your fault that you’re feeling tired.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
I frown, but he turns away from me to pull another bottle of water out of his pack and downs half of it in one go. There’s that same weird energy around him, as though there’s something wrong that I’ve missed that happened overnight. Now there’s warning bells going off in my head with what he said.
Sleepwalking? Sleep talking? Hell, what else could I be doing while unconscious?
Calm down. It’s nothing you’ve done. We have a job to do today, get your head back into it.
I duck my face back down to stare down at my boots and nod, shaking myself off mentally to get rid of all of the bad feelings. He’s right. If I go into today off-kilter, then my bond is more likely to come out at the smallest provocation. Gryphon had relayed a lot of what Nox had been telling him about the people here, so it wouldn’t be, like, catastrophic. But the potential for the Resistance to retaliate and come after more innocent Gifted, just because I couldn’t control myself is high.
I can’t let that happen. Not now. Not ever.
Nox is silent and broody as we move through the trees towards the line of perfect houses on the lake. It’s a different sort of silence than yesterday, and I catch Gryphon watching him with a calculating intensity more often than not. I’m very aware that my most vicious and private Bond is probably gearing up to start a riot over the scrutiny and whatever the hell sparked it. I hope like hell that it has nothing to do with me.
The sinking feeling in my gut is a definite warning that it is.
Brutus walks by my side, snapping and snarling soundlessly if any of the other shadow pups get close to us. I don’t think any of them mean us any harm, it’s more like they’re curious about me and want to see what all of the fuss is about, but Brutus is very territorial.
It’s so freaking cute.
All of the practice and observation I got in yesterday means that my feet are much quieter on the ground than they were at the beginning of the mission. Don’t get me wrong, I still sound like a herd of elephants compared to either of my Bonds, but it’s a major improvement.
Nox is going to send the shadow creatures in their smallest forms first, and once we have confirmation that they’re back in there, then we’ll move in.
I don’t usually startle at the sound of Gryphon’s voice in my head anymore, but I was so far into my own head that it has me tripping over my feet a little. Not enough that Nox hears it and turns around to see me being incompetent, thank God, but Gryphon gets a hand under my elbow to catch me, pulling me to a stop as we reach the area where the trees begin to thin out.
Gryphon’s hand drops away from me as he takes a half step towards Nox, watching him closely as he widens his stance a little and rolls his shoulders back, preparing himself for the work he’s about to do.
Watching Nox’s eyes void out completely is way more unsettling than it had been with North, mostly because I don’t know if his bond loathes me as much as Nox himself does… or if he even has another entire being living within him. I’m only assuming that he does because his eyes turn black the same way ours do, and I’ve only ever shared that experience with North before.
The shadow creatures around us all immediately start to mobilize until there is a circle of protection around us once again. Then two of his bigger and fiercer looking creations, both of them in the forms of snarling Dobermans, begin to shrink down until they are barely visible streams of dark smoke wisps that are little more than air as they move, and I watch as they disappear into the trees in front of us.
Gryphon shifts on his feet, crossing his arms as his eyes narrow. A white ring of light circles his irises as he calls on his own Gift to listen in on what’s happening around us. It’s incredibly frustrating to not be able to do the same. All that I can say for sure is that my bond doesn’t feel any danger aimed in my direction that it’s concerned enough about to want to take over. It’s awake and taking up space in my chest at the moment, but it’s mostly content that we’re here doing something with two of my Bonds.
There’s the ever-present longing for Nox in my chest as well, but it’s strangely quieter than it was yesterday.
I find myself side-eyeing Gryphon once again, but he is completely focused on the mission.
They’re back, he says directly into my mind, and Nox turns to face us, his lip curled a little in my direction.
Well, that answers that question. There’s too much humanity on his face right now, so I know that his bond is not actually in control at the moment, if it ever could be. I don’t know if I should be upset about it or relieved.
Something to think about later when we’re not about to abduct two full-grown, fully powered Gifted.
We need to move; they’re packing to leave. We’re following Nox’s lead. You go in after him, and I’ll take up the rear. Just follow Nox and try not to make any unnecessary noises.
I give Gryphon a curt nod and move in towards my other Bond, careful to keep my feet quiet and a reasonable distance between the two of us still.
I want to show that I am following Gryphon’s orders but also respecting the fact that Nox would rather crawl on his belly across glass than to ever be near me. It’s a delicate balance to get right, dammit.
We move out as one.
It’s harder to keep up with Nox than I would like to admit. His legs are easily twice as long as mine, and he doesn’t really seem too concerned about making sure that I’m keeping up. Brutus stays at my side the entire time, and the stealthy way that we all have to move takes up most of my concentration.
It’s early enough in the morning that there aren’t many people out, thankfully, and we only have to take cover once on our way to avoid being detected. Surprisingly, we don’t skirt around the O’Neill property this time. As we get close to the boundary of it, Brutus grows a little bigger at my side, and another shadow creature of the same size flanks my other side as we move through the property.
I glance around and find that the other shadow creatures are doing the same with Nox and Gryphon. It takes a second for it to click in my mind, but then I remember all of the photos that I have attempted to take of Brutus and August over the last couple of weeks. Every last one of them turned out to have light flares or some other sort of lighting problem, so I assume that they are messing with the cameras for us as we move. Since we are moving in on the targets, we no longer have to worry about being seen.
When we get to the lake house, Nox heads straight for the back door. One of the shadow creatures jumps up to slither straight into the keyhole, unlocking it instantly for us.
That’s freaking handy.
It only takes me half a breath to start feeling the flushes of nervousness in my gut, but I push it away as Nox looks over my head to meet Gryphon’s eyes, one last check that we’re ready to go before he gives him a decisive nod.
Nox reaches forward to push the door open and enters the lake house with his gun drawn, his eyes still that same eerie black color that’s so unsettling to the other Gifted, and he’s moving with the rapid, practiced ease of a professional who has done this a thousand times.
I have no real concerns that anything is going to happen to him, even as he takes the lead, because his shadow creatures all move as one to follow him in, streaming into the house like a swarm from the deepest pits of hell. They’re all snarling and snapping silently, as though they’re eager to find a throat to rip out. I hope the maid hasn’t arrived since we started moving in, although these shadow creatures are not like North’s at all. There is no part of me that is worried about them attacking us, or anyone else, unprovoked, because Nox has such a firm control of them all.
I move in after him just as quickly, proud when my feet are still silent as I work my way up the steps, even though it no longer matters. Brutus is quick to stay at my side. I can hear Gryphon moving behind me, but we have done training for this enough times that I know not to slow down or turn back for him. I’m here to protect Nox’s back and to help sweep the house until we are sure that we have both Giovanna and Riley captured.
With Gryphon and Nox’s abilities, I’m almost completely sure that there’s only the two of them in the house. If there was someone else, Gryphon should be able to hear them or the shadows would have sniffed them out, but it’s still part of Tac procedure for us to do this, so we’re sticking to it.
The lake house is luxurious, and it’s very clear that Giovanna’s family doesn’t just have money, but that they’re the deep-pockets sort of old wealth that the Dravens and the Bensons are also a part of. Everything is perfectly designed, and even though there isn’t anything particularly flashy or extravagant, it all still oozes money. There’s something about scattered decorative pillows in neutral, coastal colors and cashmere lap blankets that really screams money.
The shadow creatures don’t seem to notice it the way I do though.
Nox moves through the house with the type of precision that can only come from knowing the layout intimately; the hours and hours that he had spent yesterday seeing through his shadow creatures’ eyes have given him an edge by mapping this place out. In under a minute, we are staring Giovanna and Riley down in one of the many parlor rooms on the first floor.
I haven’t seen Riley since the football game that Sage and I had run into him at and then promptly left, but he is almost unrecognizable now.
His skin looks tight over his bones, and he’s lost so much weight that he’s practically a walking skeleton. His eyes are sunken into his skull, and the sallow pallor of his face makes him look at least thirty years older than he actually is. There’s a small smear of dried blood under his nose and a frantic look in his eyes as they dart between us all that’s almost animalistic.
The horror at what he’s gone through without anyone knowing he’s a victim is, well, horrifying.
Giovanna, on the other hand, looks like the picture of good health, which instantly has me ready to rip her soul out my-damn-self, no vengeful bond required.
Her long, perfectly bronzed legs are exposed, thanks to the teeny tiny mini skirt she’s wearing, and her halter top barely contains her tits. She stares Nox down with a look of contempt for a second, which also gets me fired up, but then her eyes flash white as her Gift kicks into gear.
“Give it up, Jordan,” Gryphon snaps from behind me. “We already know that you’re using so much power on Riley that you don’t have any left for us.”
A smirk slowly stretches over her mouth and her hand rises to tap one very manicured fingernail against her chin. “That might have been true a few weeks ago, but I’m fully bonded now,“ she gloats, and without another word, Riley’s eyes also shift to white.
My bond moves my body before I have the chance to move myself, flinging me from where I’m standing and into Nox’s side, taking him to the ground until I’m splayed out on top of him. For a second, I think that maybe Giovanna has taken control of me somehow before I see the fire poker lodged in the wall behind us both.
It would have gone straight through Nox’s chest.
I stare at that iron bar for a second before my bond flares to life and I’m pushing up off of the ground, brushing myself off and raising a hand of my own to the manipulative bitch. She’s ready for me though, as ready as you can be when facing someone who can literally rip your freaking soul out, and furniture starts floating all around us.
She’s trying to get me to focus on Riley and kill him first. Now that she’s been outed and she has no use for him, he’s nothing but cannon fodder in her plans.
Even my bond has some rage feelings about that, and it never really gives two fucks about anyone outside of our Bond Group.
An arm chair comes flying at me but Brutus bats it away like it’s nothing, and I keep my eyes on Giovanna, absolutely confident in his ability to keep me safe. “Bad move. You could’ve been taken in nicely, now you’re going to be dragged back, braindead.”
She laughs at me, stupidly, and when Riley’s eyes flash, I don’t need my bond or Brutus to protect me, side-stepping the couch that gets flung my way. I feel Nox step in closer to my side, his eyes still voided out, but there’s a blankness over his features now that sends a thrill up my spine.
My bond stretches inside of me, spreading through my limbs as it reacts to seeing his.
My transfixion on Nox is broken by the sound of Gryphon firing at Riley, shooting him in the leg and taking him down to the ground with a scream. His eyes flash back to their usual honey color, and the coffee table that was hovering in the air drops back down to the ground.
What the hell was that for?! He’s not the danger here! I snap and Gryphon doesn’t hesitate to reply.
You got distracted and were about to be taken out. Besides, he’s the one throwing shit at my Bonded, and I’m not going to stand around watching that shit happen. We can heal him when we get them back.
I huff but Nox steps forward and takes over the situation again, directing his shadow creatures. Now that Riley is out of commission, thanks to a freaking bullet, his focus is entirely on Giovanna.
Her eyes flash a brighter white as she focuses on him, but his face remains that same blank slate, nothing there but a cold, emotionless being.
It has to be his Bond.
Three of the shadow creatures jump on Giovanna at once, their forms shifting and morphing until she’s cloaked in darkness, writhing and screaming in frustration as she tries to fight them off. It’s no use, she’s trying to struggle against sentient smoke that can change its own density at will.
I feel her Gift skit across my mind, bouncing away uselessly. Even after being bonded, she’s nothing compared to me and my power. There’s something very satisfying about that.
I smirk down at her, not that she can see it underneath all of the dark smoke covering her, but she can hear me well enough as I drawl, “Honestly, I was expecting more out of you. After so long of worming your way into a high profile Bond Group and messing around with them… I was expecting you to give us more trouble than this. Pathetic, really.”
She lets out a strangled scream and then snarls at me, “I might not be able to get into your head, but Silas will. There’s nothing you’ll be able to do to stop him. You or your cursed Bond Group. It’s only a matter of time, monster.”
My blood runs cold in my veins.
I already know she’s right. I’ve spent more than enough time being tortured by Davies to know just how much power he has, but the idea of him getting into Nox’s head? Or any of my Bonds and Bonded?
I’d rather die.
