Unbroken Bonds (The Bonds That Tie #6)(7)

Procel steps out of the dark cloud and drops down to sit on my feet, his unblinking void eyes fixed on Gryphon’s bond. Azrael hasn't left my side since the fighting had first started at the Wasteland, but he shifts a little to let his brother join him in guarding me.

It feels as though they’re both spoiling for a fight.

Don't provoke him, I send to Nox through our mind connection, hesitating for a second before sending it through to all of them except for Gryphon, I don't think he means any harm. I think it's the same as when Gabe’s dragon came out to play. He’s just… introducing himself.

Gryphon’s void eyes flick to Gabe and then back to me, proving once and for all that it doesn't matter whether or not I'm trying to block him from the conversation, my mind is an open book to him in this state.

They all see it as well, but when Atlas replies to me, he keeps it within the mind connection. I think it’s more out of habit than secrecy anyway.

If he calls you a vessel one more time, starts Atlas as though he’s beyond over this shit, but North just flicks his hand at him dismissively.

I’m more worried that he won't give Gryphon back. I’m more concerned that he is planning on keeping control and getting rid of his own vessel. He's already said that he is as devoted to Oli as the rest of them are. I think the god-bonds are most dangerous to whoever they live within.

My heart clenches painfully in my chest. I take a step forward without meaning to, everyone in the room protesting in their own way, but Nox’s hand locks around my wrist as he holds me back from going any further. I can’t stop myself though. I can’t just stand by and watch Gryphon's bond get rid of him any more than I could let Nox sacrifice himself for North.

“My bond already told me that I’m the perfect vessel for it, and it won’t hurt me. If you do anything to Gryphon, I will reject you until my last breath. I don’t care how much it hurts me, I won’t accept you. I will have you both or I won’t have you at all… Do you understand that? Look at me and know that I’m telling you the truth, Soothsayer.”

Even as its head cocks to the side a little, he knows I’m telling the truth. He knows that I’m as devoted to my Bonded as he is to me.

He stares me down for a moment before he finally speaks again, his monotone voice sending chills down my spine. “That is the difference between this time and last. This time, we’re going to survive this. All of us. I’m not going to kill the vessel. I’m going to use it to keep you forever.”





Getting Gryphon’s bond back to the mansion should be as easy as calling Kieran here to Transport him but, because for some reason, the universe hates me, it’s not.

After getting Sage safely back to their house, a situation in one of the other Wastelands had arisen, and Kieran was pulled away to evacuate the TacTeam personnel. As much as North would love to call him back here, he would never risk any of the other community members, not unless it were actually an emergency. So instead, we’re forced to make a game plan.

It’s not exactly going to be easy to smuggle him out of the building without anyone catching a glimpse of his void eyes and unnaturally expressionless face.

There’s too much potential for panic around here already.

Instead, we call Sawyer to bring us down some bandages and wrap those around over his brow like a large headband, not quite covering his eyes but obscuring them enough that anyone who thinks they might see inky blackness could be convinced otherwise. Okay, so it might take every last inch of North’s charm and maybe a little of Nox’s intimidation techniques to really make it work, but we’re willing to do whatever it takes here to get Gryphon home.

I mean, what could go wrong?

“A variety of things, Bonded. Don’t tempt fate,” North drawls at me when I’m stupid enough to say it within his earshot.

I keep one eye on Gryphon’s bond and the other eye on Atlas, who is still staring at it like he’s planning on doing something drastic to get it to give Gryphon back. It would be a very sweet moment except that I know it has exactly nothing to do with the budding friendships that are finally forming between him and the rest of the Bonded Group and everything to do with the potential here for me to get hurt.

Okay, it’s still kind of sweet.

North also shoots Atlas a look as I answer him. “If anyone tries to ask questions, we both know you’ll be able to spin a story here. That’s kind of what you do, right?”

I’m mostly giving him shit just to get a smile out of him or Nox, and the smirk that the younger Draven brother sends me has my heart skipping a beat in my chest. Being in on his twisted and dark jokes is my new favorite position to be in. It’s a good distraction from the twisting pile of nerves that my stomach is in at the mere thought of Gryphon’s father, the General, finding out about this before we’ve even had the chance to speak with Gryphon himself.

That situation is pretty far up the ‘no, thank you’ list.

We convince the god-bond to play along with us, but only if I agree to stay at his side the entire time. Gabe is happy enough to trust my decision, thank god, because Atlas and North both hate that. Nox agrees to stay with the two of us as a buffer and, begrudgingly because he hates this idea all the way to hell, Atlas does as well. He’s poised to dive in front of me the moment things might take a turn for the worse.