I can feel Oli’s exasperation, and I cut in before she does something unintentionally dangerous right now, Oli, who is with you right now? Don’t say anything out loud or react. You need to be discreet.
Unease fills her, clearly thrumming down the connection to all of her Bonded. I can feel the ripple of irritation run through Bassinger, but he stays out of it for now, either sensing that shit is going down or just through dumb luck.
I’m in the medical center, exactly where North told me to be. I have Gabe and Atlas with me. Kieran, Sage, and Felix are too. I’m safe.
I share another look with North but he’s already got his phone out, his fingers flying over the screen as he calls for backup here. “I’m getting her out of there now.”
Sawyer starts to run his mouth at him and Gray gets between them both, but I’m too busy trying to discreetly get into Sage’s brain from this distance without alerting her, or anyone who might be in there, to take much notice.
Tell me now. Whatever it is, tell me now.
If I tell her, she won’t believe me. Fuck, if Sawyer had just told me, I wouldn’t have believed him either.
But I can show her. The moment I do, I feel her shut down, the complete and total freakout that causes her to just empty her brain out the way her Neuro father taught her to. It’s a blessing because only her Bonded will be able to tell that she’s losing her shit right now.
Gray tugs Sawyer away from North and my eyes meet the Death Dealer’s across the room, a million unsaid words crossing between us.
North’s eyes flicker to black and then back to blue, a momentary slip of his control, and he says in a dangerous tone, “Nox is closest. I’m sending him to her now.”
Chapter One
Oli
My chest is on fire. My lungs are screaming for air and my heart is thumping inside my rib cage at a frenzied pace, but I can’t force any semblance of calm into myself as I stare across the room at Atlas, his eyes hard but steady on mine.
I can’t look at Sage right now, not with the sight of her killing Dara still clear in my head even though the image Gryphon had sent me has faded away. Atlas’ eyes bore into mine, his own anger at the betrayal of my closest friend simmering just under the surface, but to say anything right now, with two of her Bonds here with us, is a nightmare sort of situation.
Things could escalate so freaking quickly.
Especially considering that Felix is healing up the scrapes and bruises all over me, so his hands are directly on my skin. Kieran is a highly trained TacTeam operative who has more training and skills than the three of us combined… plus there’s the small fact that he’s a Transporter and could just disappear with her the moment we say anything.
There’s a small part of me that wants him to, that wants him to get her the hell out of here before the consequences of her actions catch up with her because, well, she’s my best friend. Does that make me a terrible person?
Maybe, but the small voice in the back of my mind definitely crosses that line for me, whispering that my bond could take care of all of this for us.
I don’t want it to though, and… strangely, it’s quiet in my gut, as though the feast of the Charge’s soul was enough to put it into a short slumber.
Does that mean I’m safe in this room right now and this is all just some huge misunderstanding? Or does it mean that I’ve finally got a blind spot, a small mistake that my bond has made to let a Resistance spy close to us all?
My head feels as though it’s about to explode with all of the unknowns and betrayals. Why did it have to be Sage, of all people?
Felix’s voice snaps me out of my spiraling thoughts. “Oli, your heart rate is insane right now. Take a breath. Is this a panic attack because your bond came out or something else? Gabe, grab her some water, and, Atlas, you might want to get your shirt off to start a transfer. She needs something.”
My eyes snap back over to them both, but neither of them move at Felix’s commands or attempt to answer him.
Gabe stares at me and I blink back at him, hoping he can read enough of my face to keep his cool here and not question any of the crazy that’s happening right now.
I’ve told him what’s going on, just stay calm. We’re on our way.
I swallow at the tense sound of Gryphon’s voice in my mind, but I can’t find the words to send anything back to him. I can’t figure out how to address any of this without breaking the fuck down.
Sage can’t be a spy.
She just fucking can’t.
“You look really sick, Oli, should we… get you back to your place to rest?” Sage says in her same sweet and caring tone that I’m now doubting and reading into like she’s a criminal mastermind, because what the actual fuck is going on here?
I clear my throat and say, my voice sounding all sorts of messed up, “It’s— I’m fine. I think it’s my bond acting up, nothing I can’t handle.”
Sage gives me a concerned look back, empathy and warmth flooding out of her in my direction like it always does, and my chest tightens even more. Kieran frowns at me and glances at my Bonds, and the lines around his mouth only deepen. He knows something is up but before he can call us out on it, the cavalry arrives.
Thank fuck.
I feel him before I see it.
My eyes flick down to the tendrils of smoke streaming in from under the door, but I look away quickly, hoping no one else notices it.
Of course, Felix does.
His hands slip away from me as he stands, moving towards Sage. He only makes it a single step before the smoke floods the space, a tendril curling around his ankles and stopping him from any further movement. He lets out a yelping sound, like he was thinking coherent words but the fear of the nightmare smoke dried up his rational thoughts, but it’s too late. The smoke wraps around Kieran and Sage, pulling them both apart and rendering them completely immobile. Kieran is frowning but not resisting, his eyes snapping around the room at us all and taking note of the way that the smoke is targeting his Bond Group alone.
When he turns to me, I look away, not wanting him to see my own reaction to what is happening here.
Sage, who is clearly panicking and making my heart hurt even more in my chest with her wide eyes and shaking voice says, “Oli, what the hell is this? What is going on? Why is North—”
The door opens and Nox steps through, one of his creatures at his feet in its savage Doberman form, its sharp and deadly teeth exposed as it snarls at the entire room, and drawls in his most acidic and dangerous tone, “Not North, though he’s on his way with a lot of questions for you, Benson. You might want to start working out your answers, and quickly, because betraying us all in full view of the security cameras wasn’t the brightest thing you’ve ever done.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Draven?” Felix snaps, still struggling against the smoke, but Kieran just stares at him with cold eyes.
“Let me go. I’m going to North now.”
Nox scoffs at him and steps across the room, circling Sage as more of his creatures take form amongst the smoke and fall into line around him. Brutus rumbles under my ear, not as a warning, but as a comfort to me so I know he’s still there and ready to step in if I need it. I have no doubt he will, not a single fleeting doubt has ever filled me about his loyalty to me, and I raise a hand up to pet him, even as it shakes just a little.