“I fucking hate you. I hate every little thing about you, and if you weren’t in this Bond group, I would snap your fucking neck and hide your goddamn body in a dump where you belong.”
Gabe snorts with laughter at the vitriol dripping from Atlas’ words but the look Gryphon gives him shuts him up fast. I don’t have the energy or the oxygen available to talk shit at either of them, so I just focus on getting my breathing under control.
I spent an hour on the treadmill, then Gryphon got me on the free weights with Gabe while he trained with Atlas, one-on-one. It became very clear that whoever had gone over training with Atlas on the East Coast had let him coast on his form, thanks to his gift.
Gryphon isn’t that type of trainer.
I’ve never watched him use his ability before, other than his lie detection and the pain blocking, and there’s something oddly humbling about watching him hack into Atlas’ brain and shut down his gift at every turn. Seriously, every time Atlas thinks about using it to win in their sparring, Gryphon just shuts him down.
And so now we’re all watching Atlas rage about it.
“If you can’t beat me without cheating, then you’re useless to me. If you’re useless to me, then you won’t be trusted to protect Oli and you’ll have a chaperone with the two of you at all times outside of this manor, so go right ahead and get angry about it. I’m not risking my Bond with an amateur. I’m sure Gabe will be happy to take over your shifts with her,” Gryphon says as he readjusts the tape on his hands.
Gabe is practically glowing with pride at his words. I’m sure his cheeks are going to be aching soon with how hard he’s grinning, but Gryphon has never been quick to throw out the compliments with me either, so I’m sure it’s just a great feeling to know he thinks so highly of Gabe’s skills.
I never doubted him. I’ve seen him fight enough to know he’s unmatched in our TT class. It’s been years of hard work to build up to where he is, not just the abilities, but the control he has over his gift.
He’s a real asset to not only our Bond, but to the community as a whole.
Atlas grinds his teeth but Gryphon just shrugs at him, unrepentant. “Oli has only been doing this a few months and her footwork is better than yours. Your parents should be demanding a refund for whichever overpaid, lazy trainer they sent you to.”
Atlas glances over at me and I keep my face blank as I lift the weights again, Gabe hovering behind me as a spotter. I don’t enjoy this at all, but I’m progressing through the sets Gryphon assigned me well enough now that I’m terrified he’s going to switch things up and kill me all over again.
Gryphon watches us all carefully and when Atlas takes another deep breath, he raises his eyebrows at him expectantly.
“You’ve done a great job with Oli. I’ll work harder.”
Huh.
Not the answer I was expecting, but I’m quietly pleased that Atlas has… okay, not backed down exactly, but he’s willing to admit that Gryphon is the best at this.
That says a lot about a person.
Gryphon doesn’t say anything but when Atlas turns to work his way through the stances again, slower and more carefully, I can see that my scarred and surly Bond is actually impressed with him as well.
Gryphon keeps us there for twice as long as usual, but it’s Saturday and we don’t have classes to get to, so we have no reason to ask him to let us go.
Atlas also becomes insanely focused on getting a handle on what he’s being taught and by the time Gryphon finally tells us to stretch out and disappear for the day, he’s consistently holding his gift back. Gryphon is still muttering critiques at him the whole time he’s going through the stances but at least he’s not rummaging around in his brain anymore.
Stretching is my favorite part of these torture sessions because I do it sitting on my ass on the mats and it requires zero cardio or effort, so I take my time with it. Gabe just barely does the basics and then starts bugging me to get up, but there’s a sharp pain in my back that I want to roll out, so I ignore his pleading looks.
When Gryphon finishes off wiping down the machines, he packs his bag and stalks out with barely more than a curt nod at us all. He’s got a lot on his mind, I knew it the moment he’d come to collect me from Nox’s room, so I’m not even a little offended that he didn’t come say goodbye to me properly.
Okay, maybe my bond is a little pissy about it but my rational mind is cool.
The moment the door shuts behind him, Atlas leans over to kiss my cheeks and murmur to me, “How was your night, Sweetness? You look okay but I have to check.”
I knew it was coming, so I just shrug. “It was fine.”
He squints back at me. “What the hell does ‘fine’ mean? I feel like I need to follow you into the shower and check you for bruises or any extra tracking devices he might’ve stuck to you while you were sleeping.”
I shake my head at him and then stretch back out on the mats because I have no reason to be in a rush. I have a shift at the cafe later and an assignment I need to finish up, but I have all day to organize that stuff.
Gabe walks over to us with more water, handing a bottle to me and then squatting down to brush my hair back from my neck, revealing Brutus’ hiding spot. “He’s still there, so I’m sure you were fine and Bassinger just needs to get the stick out of his ass about it.”
I open my mouth to attempt to stop them both from starting up another argument but then there’s a loud bang and the house shakes a little on its foundation.
Atlas is on top of me in an instant.
Gabe shoots to his feet and steps in front of me, ripping his phone out of his pocket, but there’s already a message on there that has him cursing viciously.
“What? Spit it out!” Atlas snaps as he pushes up to his feet and drags me up with him.
They’re both so close to me, shielding me with their bodies even though there’s no danger in this room yet, and I have to wriggle out from between them to drink down the water Gabe had handed to me.
If we’re going to be fighting someone in a minute, I need to be hydrated.
“Sharpe is here. He’s just openly attacked a member of the council and now he’s here for North.”
I’m striding across the room before Gabe is even finished and Atlas curses him out as he jogs after me. “You can’t just go out there without a plan, Oli. North can take care of himself.”
Gabe runs after us both. “North said to just stay here. Sharpe’s woken Nox up as well, now he’s dealing with two tired and irritated Dravens.”
I try to stop but my bond is not having it. Not at all. If people are here after our bonds, then they’ll pay. They’ll all have to learn what we’re capable of. I feel my eyes shift and it’s game over for any chances of rational thought.
“Fuck. Call Shore and tell him we’re coming in hot,” Atlas snaps, but I’m moving too fast for them to give the other bonds any warning.
I might not know how to get through the house but my bond doesn’t hesitate to get straight through the warren-like hallways and then we’re out the front door.
The front lawn is gone.
There’s a giant hole in the driveway that’s going to be a bitch to sort out. It takes a second for me to realize why Atlas is clutching at my elbow, but with North’s black smoke everywhere, they can’t see a thing.
Thank God for the void eyesight because my feet don’t falter.
There has to be at least a dozen people here, standing around the front of the house in various different Gifted forms. All of their eyes are shining white as they call on their bonds to fight, and I’m hit with the need to destroy them all. How dare they come here for my bonds?
Sharpe is right at the front and center, a sneering, vicious looking man, and three of his Bonded are with him. Fuck, okay, I recognize one of them as the telekinetic who was stirring her drink with her finger at the freaking council dinner North had dragged me to, so she’s one to watch. The other two are both glowing but I can’t see anything to indicate what they can do.
I don’t know what the other two women are capable of but Gryphon is watching them all keenly with his Tac gear on, the goggles giving him visibility. He must have gotten the call the second he left us and dressed on his way down here.
Nox is still in the same clothes he’d slept in on the couch last night and he’s sneering at the little crowd of Gifted behind Sharpe. I have no clue who any of these people are, but my bond doesn’t really care anyway.
They’re all on that side, so they’re a threat.
Threats will not be tolerated.
I really need to reason with my bond but it’s not fucking around today. I think there’s been too many injuries and talks of my Bonds being hurt lately and it’s decided enough is enough.
Kill them all.
Sharpe calls out in his arrogantly cutting voice, “There she is! The little runaway Bond you’re destroying our community to protect. You dare to come after me and my family just to protect some little girl? Some worthless little low-born Bond who won’t submit? She should have stayed gone.”
North’s eyes flicker in my direction and Sharpe’s telekinetic Bonded uses the advantage to throw a giant boulder at him. Two things happen simultaneously; a nightmare creature, more smoke than form, bursts out of his chest and bats the boulder away as though it’s nothing.
And my bond takes the woman to the ground.
Her scream is short but loud enough that the entire group of people around us all stop to gape at her in horror as her eyes roll back in her head. I feel nothing, not a single emotion as she falls to the ground and writhes.
Brutus decides that he doesn’t like the sound of that scream and jumps down to the ground, multiplying in size so that he reaches my waist by the time he’s snarling in every direction.
Sharpe’s hand shakes as he reaches down to his Bonded. There’s already blood starting to drip out of her eyes, and if he knows anything about me at all from his time on the council, then he knows there’s no saving her.
He looks at me and my voice is all cold, merciless bond, “You should know better than to touch mine. It’s the least I could do to her.”
His lip curls and his eyes flash white again, but I already know I’m stronger than him. My bond is smug in my chest as his gift scrambles at me and gets nothing. Losing your Bonded and having them injured definitely makes you irrational though and he jumps to his feet, ready to come after me, but he only makes it one step before North’s creature gets to him.
There’s that damage of mine though because I’m not scared or grossed out as he’s literally ripped apart, limb from limb, right in front of me. Brutus watches it all happen without joining the fray, his void eyes keen as they take it all in, and I crouch down to wrap an arm around his neck to nuzzle him.
My bond likes him a lot.
“Oli, please, come inside. Let the others clean this up,” Atlas murmurs from behind me, two steps away from me where he’d fallen back when my bond came out. I’m glad he did, even more so when North shouts at us both.
I turn to see his creature heading our way.
With every step it takes on more of a solid form until I’m staring at a fully grown Doberman-looking creature, with void eyes and a vicious set of razor sharp teeth in his jaw on full view as it appears to pant like a real dog. Gabe’s description of them all being rabid runs through my brain and Gryphon starts towards me at a run, but I just hold out my arm to him.
How did I know the creature just wanted an ear scratch like Brutus is getting? I have no clue, but he whines and vibrates in pure pleasure when I do, his tongue lolling about as his void eyes shut in pleasure at all of the attention I’m giving him.
I mumble at him as we hear the sounds of a fight behind us but my bond is completely zeroed in on the gorgeous, fearsome creature in front of me. “You are so pretty, thank you for helping out. Don’t nip at your brother, he’s my favorite, but you can be my favorite too, if you want? Oh, belly rubs too? Okay, you can have belly rubs too.”
Brutus nudges at my shoulder because he doesn’t like sharing my attention and I have to work overtime to give them both equal pets.
“What, and I cannot stress this enough, the fuck is happening right now?” Gabe mutters in absolute horror. I glance up to find all of the Bonds standing there watching me love on the puppies.
Okay, they’re both in full-sized Doberman forms right now, but they’re still just sweet puppies.
Gryphon very slowly squats down to be at my level, eyeing North’s creature the whole time like he knows it’s dreaming about sinking its teeth into his throat, and speaks in a low tone to me, “Oli, I need you to stop scratching the creature and back up a little so North can get him put away.”
The creature doesn’t like the sound of Gryphon’s voice and he turns his head to growl at him.
Brutus growls back, knocking me a little to get in between us, and I have to wade back in to stop them from fighting. There’s a lot of cursing around me but I ignore them all as I grab North’s creature by the muzzle and turn him to look at me. “No growling at my Bonds. That’s naughty, none of that, and if you do, I’m not giving you any more scratches.”
He drops his butt down to sit and his tail does that sad sort of wag that tells me he knows I’m not impressed with him right now.
I look up at North who is sweating a little and say, “What’s his name? Again, if it’s lame, I’m going to judge you.”
He takes a slow breath and holds out his hand to the creature, his palm turning black as he summons him back. Before I can say a word, the creature is gone.
I throw my hands up and snap, “I didn’t say take him away! Now he’s gone home thinking I’m pissed at him! Don’t be an asshole, bring him back!”
His hand curls into a fist and he snarls at me through clenched teeth, “Calm down. Your eyes are still black and we’re about to have more TacTeams here for a clean up.”
Brutus knocks at my legs, unhappy that I’m ranting, but I’m pissed he’s taking the creature away. “Give him back to me. If I can handle Brutus, I can handle… what the hell is his name?”
North just turns on his heel and walks away from me.
I want to murder him.
The moment I start after him, ready to rip him a new asshole for just bailing on the argument like I’m some underling to him, Gryphon steps into my path and holds his hands up at me. It’s a very placating sort of move and it’s so unlike him that I do actually stop.
“Your eyes, Oli. Take a breath, calm down, if you can’t, then you need to go inside because I can’t have you losing your shit and taking out my team just because you’re pissed at North.”
I stop and look around again, taking in my surroundings a little more now that I’m not completely focused on the creatures and, sure enough, Gryphon’s TacTeam is standing around looking at me like I’m the most horrifying, terrifying monster that ever existed.
It makes no sense to me.
All I did was protect North against one woman who should’ve known better. They’re all trained to kill Resistance and protect the Gifted community and they’re going to stand there judging me for protecting my own damn Bonds?
Gryphon reads my mind again, the asshole. “No, they’re staring at you for hugging a nightmare creature that they’ve all been trained not to ever approach or get in the way of. They’ve all learned a million times over to never, ever touch a Draven nightmare and you were just loving the scariest goddamn bastard North has. That’s what has them fucking quaking in their boots.”
I feel my eyes finally shift back to normal as I flick him a look and mutter, “Get out of my head. Besides, he was cute. You might need a new TacTeam if that’s how easily they all scare.”
Kieran, who is stalking over to us both with just the tiniest bit of hesitation, stops in front of Gryphon and raises an eyebrow at me. “You just watched it tear a man apart, you can’t pretend that they’re docile now.”
I wave a hand back at him. “Yeah, because Sharpe threatened North! That’s not killing someone, that’s taking out the trash.”
He shakes his head slowly and as I walk away from them, calling Brutus back over to my side, I hear Kieran mutter to Gryphon, “You’re in so far over your head, she’s going to eat you all alive and I’m going to enjoy the show.”
I decide that I might like Gryphon’s second in command, even if he is a little bit of a dick.
