Page 70 of Broken Ties
I shouldn’t, it’s only going to bite me in the ass later, but I lower my tone and let some of the violence I feel slip into the warning as I stare Sharpe down from across the table. “EveryBond in the Draven Bond Group is a target of the Resistance. This fact is not in question, it’s undeniable. Our names have appeared on Resistance hit lists multiple times, and there’s even a bounty on our heads large enough to retire an entire generation of Lower Tier families. I, myself, am pictured in the conversion propaganda given out by the East Coast at schools and community events. Given this, as well as the strength of the Gifts we all possess and the catastrophic damage a slip would cause if something were to happen to her, our Central Bond has been identified as a priority. This decision was not made solely by me, but by the entire Tactical Response Board. I suggest you take your complaints to the Training Center. I’m sure Vivian would be more than happy to share his own assessment.”
The greatest gift Vivian’s loyalty and friendship has ever given me is the ability to throw his name into the mix and watchthe cretins scurry back into their hiding places in fear. I know for an absolute fact that Sharpe would rather sit here and go toe to toe with me every day of the week than sit before that man for a single minute, and that’s what gets the traitorous asshole to finally drop his gaze away from mine.
The clash doesn’t just stop the growing indignation of the council dead in its tracks, but it also ensures the meeting is quickly brought to a close. No one will meet my eye or disagree with a word I’ve spoken, heads bowed and desperate to flee. It would feel more like a victory if I weren’t being forced to attend a social event for the community afterward that everyone at this table will also be at.
As the cars lining the affluent street come into view, the weight on my shoulders seems to triple and my skin begins to crawl with irritation. The benefits my brother’s antisocial behavior affords him have never been clearer to me. He was infuriated when the TacTeams were grounded again because of the abductions, but the moment he found out Toby was one of the Gifted taken, he’d checked out of real life entirely. Right now, he’s back at the mansion, holed up in his office while he maps out the known camp locations to plan a recovery mission, all while I’m here, praying for an emergency to get me out of this.
Unfortunately, one of us needs to be the community-facing Draven to ensure we’re not burned at the stake for the demonic void eyes we’re cursed with- and Nox has already claimed the recluse brother position. I’ll have to attend the party, kicking and screaming, though hopefully I’ll manage to keep that part in my head.
When Rafe pulls into the driveway of the Halliwell’s mansion, I seriously consider just going home, but my door opens before I can make up my mind. “If I have to show my face at this stupid party, then you do too—and before you startwhining, our Bond is already in the building, so wewillbe going.”
I shoot Gryphon a look as I slide out of the car. “I don’t whine, and leaving her here was never even a question.”
He leans down to greet Rafe warmly before he dismisses him, intent on removing any options of escape for me like the complete asshole he’s clearly hellbent on being. Luckily, despite the cars parked everywhere, there’s no one around to witness his jabs at me, but Gryphon has never been the careless type.
Unfortunately, he is stubborn.
“Whatever you say, Draven, but we both know slinging her over your shoulder and making a run for it will only get your face ripped off.”
I scoff at him. “You’re assuming she’s not in there right now hating it as much as we’re about to. We don’t have to see eye to eye on much to agree that this party is pointless. If she doesn’t agree, then… god, things are worse than I thought.”
Gryphon shakes his head with a smirk, stalking ahead of me like a dick. He knows exactly how much I hate it when he does that, which pushes all of my buttons, and I start to think I’ve done something to piss him off.
“You haven’t, but there’s no way I’m standing out on the curb for the next hour while you get this temper tantrum out of your system, so I’m giving you a little push.”
Stalking up the front steps behind him, I throw a look back over my shoulder at his infuriatingly smug expression. “Get out of my head.”
He chuckles under his breath, shoving the front door open without hesitation. “I’m not in it—your face is practically screaming in protest, though. You might want to get that under control before we run into Sharpe or one of his little snakes. Daniella is supposed to be here, isn’t she?”
Fuck.
My footsteps falter, but only because the reminder of what the real battle we’re staring down is and what’s at stake. My Bond is attending, she’s probably already here if the way my blood writhing in my veins can be trusted, and with the entire council here, there are at least a dozen Top Tier Gifted with grudges against me present. She’s already proved to have little awareness of the political games we’re all being forced to endure to keep our Bond Group safe.
Or maybe she knows it as well and just doesn’t care.
Either way, I cannot leave without her.
As if my day needed to get any worse, Gryphon’s eyes flash white and then he’s stalking down the hallway, expertly dodging all attempts to stop him. He can without recourse, and my resentment grows a little more because there are at least five Gifted eyeing me like ravenous beasts, desperate for gossip fodder and any opportunity to gain favor with me.
I make it exactly one step before Maria Benson slides into my path with a tight smile. “Councilman Draven, I’m so glad you could make it. I was beginning to worry. You’re usually not this late to community events.”
As one of the Gifted lawyers employed by the council who specializes in non-Gifted , we’ve worked together for years. Unerringly scrupulous with her work, Maria has always shared similar morals to my own, but on the rare occasion we’ve disagreed on policy, she’s never hesitated to hold her position. I’ve watched her face off against Sharpe, and even Unser, without flinching. I can certainly admit she’s a valuable ally, but not today and not while my patience is already stretched beyond the breaking point.
Whatever work I’d put into my placid mask, it instantly comes undone, and her eyes widen briefly as she sees it, perceptive to a fault. She’s a great lawyer, Bonded into a prominent family who pioneered the discovery of Bond markersin Gifted DNA, and she’s as loyal as they come. She’s also a stickler for doing the ‘right’ and ‘proper’ thing at all costs, only she still hasn’t figured out yet that maybe her version isn’t all that subjective, and she’s a pain in the ass of everyone around her the moment she feels slighted.
I’ve always pitied the children within her Bonded Group.
My own smile as I meet her irritated gaze is full of a seething sort of scorn. “I’ll have to find your sister and her Bonded Group to apologize, Maria. It wasn’t my intention to miss half the night, but the meeting went longer than expected and I had other urgent appointments that couldn’t be rescheduled. Missing out on a social event is unfortunate, but it’s a necessary cost when dealing with security issues.”
Even with the cutting reminder, Maria doesn’t back down, and instead her smile only tightens further. “No need to search the property, North. Caroline is right this way.”
Without Gryphon here to run interference, and with the rumors of the messy council meeting clinging to the Gifted’s gazes that we pass, I have no choice but to go along with Maria’s demands. It takes me far too long to make it outside, the charade of playing the docile councilman raking over every last inch of my sanity, but when the catering staff start moving toward the backyard with giant platters of food, I make my excuses with thinly veiled jokes about the perils of a starved Draven and it does the trick to finally disperse the gossip-mongering crowd.
The back door of the Halliwell’s mansion opens up to generously sized stone steps that lead to the perfectly landscaped entertaining space and beyond to the large pool, complete with a rock slide and spa. As is tradition, while the council members and older Gifted spread out around the tables of food with servers handing out glasses of wine, the college students we’re all pretending this event is actually about areeither swimming or lounging poolside with drinks and tiny plates of appetizers.
I barely get through the doorframe before I’m scanning the area, and as though answering a siren’s call, my eyes land on my Bond.
MynakedBond.