Page 12 of Broken Ties

Walker shoves his phone back into his pocket before I can finish my full assessment of the photo, but we’re only a minute away from the building anyway, so I take a breath and try not to look as though I’m rushing to get there.

The moment the courtyard and front steps of the politics building come into view, it’s clear Draven is still there by the way the students instantly subdue the moment their gazes hit him. They all tiptoe past him, leaving a wide perimeter around him as though they’ll be taken out by one of his nightmares if they get too close, whispering and murmuring among themselves like they can barely believe he’s here.

My bond is calm, a miracle considering how violent it’s felt all morning. I roll my eyes at the terrified overreaction of the other Gifted, but when I turn back to my so-called friends to snark about them, Kyle and Walker are both pale and Zariah looks like she’s about to vomit. I glance back to the small cluster but I can’t see anything about the man that would warrant their reactions.

North Draven stands self-assured and unbothered by the interest he's attracting, and I'm half tempted to scoff but my gut is too busy clenching at the sight of him. Not at the man himself, because he’s not as formidable looking as everyone says he is. No, I’m close to losing my shit because there’s no way this isn’t going to end terribly and the risks to my Bond are endless.

When I woke up this morning, it was impossible to tell that my entire life was about to take yet another dramatic turn, but the moment North Draven’s gaze collides with mine across the courtyard, I feel my whole world shift on its axis.

If I didn't already know how much influence my mother has within the Gifted community, the fact that it’s taken the Death Dealer Transporting to my college campus for me to find out that they’ve found my Bond leaves no room for arguments.

I senda scathing message to my mom for not telling me that the Dravens have not only found my Bond, but that they’ve dragged her back to Oregon with them. Instead of an apology, or even the half-hearted excuses I’m used to hearing, her reply is a stern warning. She's already concocted her usual brand of lies for my father and his people, the twisted web she’s constantly weaving, and when I get back to my parents’ mansion after classes let out, I’m subjected to hours of his raging fury at North’s presumptive actions.

My mother told him, years ago, that North has kept our Bond a secret from the community to keep her safe, that she’s holed up in his mansion waiting for me to go to them, and that the only reason they won’t go public is the fact the Bonded Group isn’t complete without me. My father already hated North, but the idea of that monster trying to steal away his heir?

Unconscionable.

There’s no way of excusing myself from his seething breakdown without raising suspicions, so it’s almost midnight by the time I get back to my room. The moment the door is locked behind me, I grab my phone to finally type out the text I’m most desperate to send.

The file Draven handed me is already burned to ashes, no chance I’d risk anyone catching so much as a glimpse of the information there, but I took a second to memorize everything he gave me, including her schedule and address. It takes me half a second to get a secure browser up to figure out an idea of where my Bond will be and, thankfully, the time zones work in my favor.

With the danger my Bond is in, I can’t leave anything to chance.

She’s probably barely gotten back to her dorm room… or Draven’s house if he’s lying about where he’s got her holed up.

Fuck, he might even have her locked up. The West Coast Council are renowned for using underground cells for their prisoners, reinforced with tech the Resistance haven’t been able to crack yet and capable of keeping Top Tier Gifted incarcerated indefinitely. My father snarls and spits about them at every chance he can, especially given the tech is far beyond anything he has his hands on, and there’s nothing the man hates more than being outdone.

These days, it’s hard not to point out to him that there’s a reason his chosen side doesn’t have that tech; they’re never really inclined to lock people up humanely, so there’s never been a need for them to develop cells like that.

Pressing send on the text, I hope it’ll distract me from the bleak and enraging path my mind is taking again.

I think we should meet here first. The name is Atlas Bassinger, and I live on the other side of the country. I’m finishing out the semester and then coming to you, my college wouldn’t let me transfer mid-unit, otherwise I’d be there now. Hope you can understand that.

The problem is,the more I reread what I’ve written, the stupider it sounds until I almost unsend it and start again. When I see she’s read the message but doesn’t message me back straight away, I tell myself that the violent lurch in my gut is at the thought of spooking her, and not that she’s about to rejectme for real this time. Not that I’d blame her, of course; she was tortured for years by the side that raised me and here I am fumbling around her like a moron.

My phone finally buzzes in my hand and I take a deep breath before I open it.

Have you spoken to the other guys? I’m sure they have plenty to say about why you don’t need to drop everything to come to me.

Fuckthe rest of the Bond Group.

Honest to God, I’d do anything to get her away from them all right now so Silas Davies doesn’t find her. My fingers fly across the keyboard without thinking too much about my answer, the truth spilling out in every word to her with ease.

I don’t give a fuck about their opinions on my Bond. I spoke to them when my bloodwork came back and they told me you ran. I’m not a dumbass like the rest of them, you ran because you had to. I know it. I’ll be there as soon as I can, and if that isn’t fast enough for you, I’ll come now and start the semester over again.

I might not beable to tell her everything right now, but I will not lie to my Bond. That’s the line I’m drawing, and I hope it’s enough to gain me her forgiveness when I can finally tell her… everything, I guess.

This time, she answers me back in an instant.

You can’t do that! I made you wait for long enough and, honestly, I’m still not too keen on sticking around.

Warmth spreads through my chest,a giddy sort of smile tugging insistently at my lips. This girl is perfect. I already knew she’s the most incredible person I’ve ever hoped to know after seeing those fucking tapes, but even now she’s soothing the violent hum in my bond I’d almost forgotten about without even trying.

I’ll burn the world down around us both before I give a fuck about anything but her. I shift the focus away from the rest of the Bond Group, not wanting the Dravens to ruin this moment for me.

Introduce yourself, Bond. I don’t want to talk about anything but you and me. That’s what’s going to get me through the next two months.

I knowa lot about her already, thanks to my mom and the Dravens, but all the files in the world couldn’t possibly hold enough in them to really know my Bond. I want to know how she sees herself, what she thinks of the world, what she makes of me. I want to know her so well I can guess her reactions to things, how to surprise her, what makes her squirm in pleasure. I want to know every inch of her from the inside out, and I want it all to be mine.