Page 20 of Broken Ties

Surveying the rest of the table, I leave no question. “I won’t hesitate to act onanythreats accordingly, with every power under my control and with the full backing of the law.”

I can practically hear the blood draining from their heads, the faces around the table turning white in a split-second.

If my bond were capable of being reasonable, the fear thickening the air directed entirely at me should be enough to satisfy it. Even Sharpe has a tremble run down his spine, his chin dropping the moment I glance in his direction, but my bond onlycraves the chaos and bloodshed of unleashing my shadows on them all.

I’ve spent decades cultivating an icy relationship with the voice within me. I heard it—of course I did—but I ignored it as much as you can ignore a voice within your own mind that doesn’t belong to you. After decades of this, it barely bothered to speak to me at all, only coming out in times of extreme danger, and I almost forgot there was somethingnot rightthat shares my mind and body.

Now, it won’t shut up.

Demands to go to her, to be with her, to give her everything within our power—which, as a Draven, is practically the entire world. Even now as we sit here and watch the most revered families of power within the Gifted Community tremble in our presence, the litany of demands run at the back of my mind until I’m driven to madness. Eventually, I snap back at it.

She left us, abandoned us, and by her own admission, she wants nothing to do with her Bond Group. Going to her will do nothing to change the hell we’re stuck in.

When I intend on turning back to Alexander and directing the meeting back to topics far from my bond, I find I have lost control of the action. A shot of panic runs through my bloodstream, but my head only turns toward Sharpe, and nothing more, a ripple of frustration working its way down my spine. My bond refuses to look away from the threat to Oleander, even without her in the room. When I relent, it releases my body back into my control with a whispered warning to me.

My Bond would never run from me. Do not doubt that for a second.

I want to carve my own chest open and pry this fucking monstrous bond out of me. Keeping my face carefully blank is a reflexive action, but I want to mutter out a curse when I shift in my seat, fidgeting to stop myself from cussing my own bond out.

Well, she did, and you’re a fool if you don’t believe it.

Hannity proves to have some use and starts yammering on about funding for an up-coming event he's holding under the pretense of reassuring the Gifted community that we’re doing everything we can to stop the abductions. The man loves nothing more than throwing a party he can drink at and be praised for his charitable work while sending the bill to someone else to tidy up.

My bond whispers to me again, fury ignited within every word.The only fool here is you—clinging to your human weaknesses while threats circle my Bond.

It's been saying that a lot lately but my gut still churns every time I hear it.

It cares far too much about the distinction between Gifted and non-Gifted—more alarmingly, it calls everyone other than us and my Bond ‘human’ as though such a thing is disgusting and forgetting the fact we arealsoin fact human; being Gifted doesn't change that fact. The idea of my bond holding the same elitist ideals of the Resistance is so abhorrent to me that my skin crawls with shame.

The door to the conference room snaps open, my assistant rushing through with a vacuous look on her face, but when I open my mouth to chastise her for interrupting the meeting, she fumbles out her reason and my heart stops dead in my chest.

“There’s been an incident. Your Bond is in the medical bay—and so is half her class.”

Draven’smedical center is a fifteen minute drive from the council offices, thanks to the parking nightmare I can neverreally solve, or a ten minute walk across campus if you maintain a brisk pace.

I make it in six.

Gryphon’s TacTeam are out in full-force, covering every inch of the building, and despite our usually casual interactions, no one cracks a joke at my harried state. No, they all keep their eyes on the perimeter with little more than a respectful head jerk in my direction, which isn’t as reassuring as it should be.

Only the feel of her, alive and safe within the building, keeps my head together as I weave through the bustling hallways. A few staff attempt to speak to me but I ignore them, brushing everyone and everything off until I have some fucking answers.

Gabe is leaning against the wall outside of the private medical suite, his eyes on his toes and misery rolling from him like waves. There’s something sickeningly gut-wrenching about seeing the youngest member of my Bond Group look as though he’s living through his worst nightmare right now, and my blood freezes at the sight of him.

Gryphon is standing in front of him with a downright vicious look on his face, one I haven’t seen him wear for years. I’ve certainly never seen him look atGabelike that, and my own hackles immediately rise. Gryphon has been seething mad at me since I stupidly pushed him for answers, my overwhelmingly exhaustive list of threats and dangers making me snap, but that’s no excuse to be acting like an asshole to Ardern, who’s only ever stepped up and pitched in.

Stalking over to them both, it’s only when Gryphon’s head lifts to meet my gaze and his stance shifts to cover Gabe’s miserable form from me entirely that I falter. I’m clearly misreading everything, looking for threats where they don’t belong, and I force myself to take a breath.

“What’s happened?”

With a curt head shake, Gryphon projects his answer directly into my mind. The medical building is overflowing with Gifted right now, and it’s standard practice for us to have these sorts of conversations in a way that no one can overhear them, but my stomach clenches at the action regardless.

Oli was found unconscious on the Delta Training Course. The camera covering that section was mysteriously malfunctioning at the exact moment the incident occurred. I was on my way to her when Gabe realized she was taking too long to get to the finish line. He went back in for her, along with others from his team. When he found her, he Shifted.

My eyes immediately flick to Gabe. If he feels my gaze, he doesn’t lift his head, but it doesn’t matter anyway because Gryphon instantly responds by shifting to block him from my sight once more, as though I’m the threat here. Frustration claws at me, forcing me to take another deep breath before it takes hold of me but, fuck, does it rankle me that he’s assuming I’m blaming Gabe for this at all. I remind myself that it’s been a very long day; clearly for both of us.

How many casualties?

The depth of fury on Gryphon’s face somehow deepens.Are you going to ask if my Bond is okay?