One of the many advantages of my bond finally coming out to help deal with the Wasteland is that I wake up the next morning feeling energized and ready to take on whatever the world throws at me. It’s a far cry from what life used to look like after I’d used my Gift, but now that my body has adjusted, I no longer need to take three-day naps.
I bounce out of bed easier than any of my Bonded and, God, is it freaking magical.
North and Gryphon leave to travel to a meeting with the non-Gifted, and my bond and I take a good hour to come to terms with that fact. North assures me before they leave that Kieran will stay on high alert, ready to go after them should he need to. In the end, my bond makes the call that they’re safe enough for now.
The Resistance will want to fight back against us, and we already know that North is one of the highest targets, but Gryphon reassures me that he will hear them coming from a mile away and will return home to us immediately if he needs to.
Instead of spending the day freaking the hell out about them both, I text Sage. We agree to meet at the Tac Training Center for an early morning workout. Gryphon had made a comment about sticking to my training just in case before he’d left and, despite Atlas’ protests, I convince all three of my Bonded left behind to come train with us for the day.
There’s still no love lost between Atlas and Nox.
Gabe is bouncing like a schoolboy as we leave the house together, and I insist on jogging down there to warm up, sending a quick text to Nox to make sure that he is still meeting us down there after his night of research at North’s offices.
I’m not sure how there could possibly be anything that he hasn’t gone through at this point to research what has been happening to Gabe’s dragon, but he’s been relentless nonetheless.
The newest wave of Gifted who have been allowed to join the Sanctuary had brought with them more textbooks and ancient tomes, relics of their families, and everything had been passed over to Nox.
I feel bad and as though we should be helping him, but North had reassured me quickly not to be concerned when I’d mentioned it to him last night after Nox had left the house.
“He would want to read them himself no matter how thoroughly you were explaining it to him. So, honestly, you’d just get in his way.”
It doesn’t make me feel any less guilty, especially when we arrive at the Tac Training Center and find Nox standing at the front with a coffee in one hand and his phone in the other, looking as though it’s been days since he last slept. My bond tugs in my chest, unhappy as it reaches out to him, and he glances over at me when he feels it caress against his own.
“You have to sleep sometimes,” I say, trying not to sound too displeased or commanding, but it comes out more like a whiny teenager than anything else.
He dismisses my words and pushes through into the building, a move that I know sets Atlas’ teeth on edge, but I see through his grumpy demeanor.
There’s nothing really that he can say back to me right now that won’t be too revealing or piss my other Bonded off. So instead, he says nothing.
I can respect that.
Gabe slips his hand into mine with a gentle squeeze of my fingers. “Maybe we should make sure those two don’t end up sparring, because we both know they will egg each other into a fight.”
I raise my eyebrows at him and peg Atlas with a look. “Neither of them would dare, because my bond would get involved. None of us want to be dealing with the aftermath of that situation.”
Atlas shrugs, a grin tugging at the edge of his lips. “I don’t know… I think it’s been a while since we’ve shown this town what we’re capable of. There might be some people here that need the reminder.”
Something deep in my gut clenches as I look around, finding the General standing over one of the sparring circles, his arms crossed and a sour look on his face. When his eyes glance up to us, his face transforms into that of a man who’s just stepped in dog shit.
Nox’s teeth grind a little before he murmurs, “I hate agreeing with a Bassinger.”
The door opens again behind us, and Kieran steps through, slapping a hand on Nox’s back as he nods at me in greeting.
“Are we ready to show the new blood a thing or two about the sparring mats?” he says with a grin, and Nox scoffs at him.
“I have no faith in any of the new recruits the General brought with him. Half of them were rejected by North and Gryphon, only for them to go simpering after that old fool. He might choose to build his teams with only his ego and nepotism, but I’m not going to let that get us killed.”
I glance around at the crowds of TacTeam personnel, a lot of new faces amongst them, and it only takes me a moment to spot Zoey.
“Fucking perfect,” I mutter, and Gabe frowns at me before he spots her as well.
“Why the fuck would the General let her in?” he snaps, as though Kieran or Nox will have an answer for him.
Atlas looks between us both with a question, and Nox carefully slides in front of me, as though he doesn’t want Zoey looking in my direction either. Even Atlas can’t deny that the move is protective, and my heart flutters a little at the action.
“Her family went straight to the Shores after Gryphon tossed her out. They’re high enough up the food chain that it wasn’t hard to convince the General to let her in.”
“And what exactly did she do?” Atlas says through gritted teeth, shuffling a little closer to my side as he says it.
I don’t really need all of these protective moves of his, but it does have my bond purring in my chest with pleasure.
“She enjoyed torturing me when I first arrived at Draven. She used her Gift against me a fair bit, and it got her thrown out of the TacTraining classes because of it. She dropped out shortly afterward.” I glance around Nox to see her smirking in our direction now she’s finally spotted us here.
Her eyebrow quirks at me as she starts to stalk over to us, ready to start shit, and I find myself grinning back just a little maniacally, because that dumb bitch has forgotten one vital thing. I’m not powerless anymore.
Her Gift can’t touch me.
Sage and I head into the girls’ locker room together to change into sparring gear, leaving our Bonded to deal with the confrontation with the General’s new recruit. I was totally ready to just knock the bitch out, but Kieran had shoved at us both, and then Sage had decided to play the peacemaker and drag me in here.
It doesn’t matter.
I’ll just beat her on the mats if I have to.
I don’t want to distract Gryphon from what he and North might be dealing with in the non-Gifted community right now, but I also would love to explain to him just how much of a dick his dad is for allowing that girl to join after she’d already been vetted and found wanting by his own son.
“God, things never stop getting interesting around here, do they?” Sage mumbles as she strips out of her shirt and fumbles around in her locker for the standard issue tank top.
I groan a little under my breath and glance behind myself as I hear the doors swing open again, exhaling sharply when I find Aro walking through, her footsteps a little hesitant until she sees the both of us.
“I doubt that even after we’ve dealt with the Resistance and we’ve found ourselves in peaceful times, that we’ll ever stop dealing with this kind of crap. Unfortunately, just because we’re on the same side doesn’t mean we’re actually, you know, all on the same side.”
Aro is a little hesitant and slow as she opens her locker, given to her by Gryphon only a few days ago when she’d expressed an interest in joining us here, but she remembers the code well enough and is quick about getting into her own Tac uniform.
“I’ve already heard the stories of that new girl from Gray. He said she’s walking chloroform. I’d rather not go up against her,” Aro says, and I nod my head.
“You don’t have to go up against any of the new people. Just stick to your normal training. I’m going to deal with Zoey myself.”
“Deal with her?” she replies, her eyebrows rising. “Aren’t we supposed to be training all together as one big, happy family?”
“As if I could ever be family with a Soul Render.”
We turn to find Zoey standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips and a savage look on her face. Sage groans under her breath, but she’s quick to turn around and step a little closer to my side, very much having my back no matter what. We both already know that I can’t exactly kill the girl unprovoked, and, unfortunately, the majority of my powers are lethal. Even the one thing I can do that isn’t lethal would eventually kill her.
Sage could definitely set her on fire though.
Is that considered too far? Fuck it, I don’t care!
“Wow, Zoey. I didn’t think you would be so vocal about your own limitations, but more power to you, girl!” I say with a smirk and a shrug as she takes two more steps into the room, dismissing Aro and Sage completely as though both of them are beneath her.
Mistake number one.
“You know, everybody was aware that the Draven Monster Bond Group would have to have some really fucked up Central Bond to call all of those men her own, and it all seemed like one big cosmic joke when you showed up with no Gift. To think that they would be cursed for the rest of their lives with some useless, Giftless bitch was hilarious and exactly what they all deserved… But now, finding out that you’re a bigger monster than the rest of them? Well, you should all be put down before you can become a problem.”
Mistake number two.
Her words wake my bond up from where it is slumbering in my chest. It doesn’t need any sort of encouragement in wanting this girl dead, but hearing her discuss the killing of our Bonded so casually—as though she wasn’t discussing the murder of a councilman and other respected members of our community—my bond is pretty keen on disposing of her as well.
It doesn’t take too much to convince it to let me deal with her though, especially once it knows my plans.
“Well, come on then, Zoey,” I say, flicking my hand out. “Come and show me exactly what you think should be done to me then. I’ll even let you get the first shot in. A freebie, for old times’ sake.”
She smirks at me and steps forward, crossing the last few feet before she’s standing in front of the single row of benches, her eyes flashing to white in front of us. My bond doesn’t bother tensing or seeming concerned at all. I know why, as her power washes over me without causing so much as the slightest of yawns.
This is when I really feel like a god.
Her brow furrows just a little before she aims it at Sage and Aro. To my delight, it washes over the two of them as well.
“I’m fully Bonded now,” I say as I let my Gift out to play. “Sage and Aro too, you know. You probably should have taken that into consideration before you decided to follow me in here. But like I said, I’ll let you take the first swing.”
I step forward, planting my feet shoulder width apart and letting my body relax the way that Gryphon had drummed into me a thousand times.
Relax and let your opponent show you what they’re capable of first. Watch them and be ready, but don’t show them your hand until you’re ready to crush them with it.
She might have been taught sparring at Draven, but she hasn’t had the personal lessons that I have, and when she takes a swing at me, it’s easy enough to deflect. I dart out of the way and at the same time, take a swing at her, my fist connecting with her cheek hard enough to send her stumbling back, and a red mark blooms against her skin instantly.
Beyond the dull ache in my fist, there’s no sign on me that she even attempted anything, and a cocky smirk stretches across my lips, one I don’t intend on losing anytime soon.
“Seriously, that’s all you’ve got? That’s pathetic! No wonder Gryphon was so ready to throw you out.”
She pushes up onto her feet again and darts at me faster than I want to give her credit for but, still, I’m quicker. And I’m ready for it.
I sweep her legs out from underneath her and take her to the ground, enjoying the screeching sound that bursts out of her. As I grapple with her on the cold, concrete floor, Atlas’ voice floods into my mind.
Do I need to come in there? Gabe told me to leave it to you, but now I’m hearing things that make me very sure that I should be in there with you right now.
I grunt a little as her knee connects with my side, but I get a forearm across her throat and press down to restrict her airway, sending back to him, I’m kind of busy at the moment, Atlas, but I’ll be two more minutes. No need for a rescue team.
I’m true to my word, and in two minutes Sage and Aro hold the doors open for me as I drag Zoey out of the girls’ changing room by her feet, her unconscious body a dead weight as I move her across the training center.
The conversations around us die out as I get her all the way to where the General and Vivian are having a heated argument. They both stop to turn and stare at me as I drop her in a heap at the General’s feet.
“You should really vet your recruits a little better,” I say with a bite in my tone. “She has shitty technique and thinks that her Gift is enough to get her out of any situation, but anybody with a brain knows that you can’t rely on that in hand-to-hand. I just wiped the floor with her. If your teams are just going to be a dead weight, then I’m not going to allow you to come on missions with us.”
The room goes from quiet to deafeningly silent, the tension of everyone around us amping up. I feel the heat of my Bonded’s bodies at my back as they stand behind me, ready to pounce on the General as his eyebrows draw down at such a public spectacle.
“You can’t tell me who goes on missions, little girl,” he snaps at me, and that same cocky grin appears back on my face, the one that helped me fake my way through TT and every other obstacle I’ve come across.
“I think you’ll find that I can, and I will. It’s a hard lesson to learn for a man like you, I’m sure, but you’re not in charge here.”
The General glances at Vivian, whose face is very carefully blank, before he turns on his heel and stalks down the hallway.
Vivian waits until the door swings shut behind him before he crosses his arms at me. “What did you do to that girl?”
I shrug innocently. “She took the first swing. She started the fight. All I did was end it.”
His eyes narrow at me before he nods, his eyes slowly glancing around at the room until everybody gets back to what they were doing, normalcy easing back into place around us.
He waits until we’re not the center of attention before he says, “Good job, kid. I’m sure that felt good. I’ve only been waiting months for you to finally put someone on their ass. I already know Gryphon will be furious that he missed it.”
