How he ever thought he’d be able to convince me to sell out my own Bonded with this is unfathomable. Is this all it would take for him to sacrifice mom? Cold fingers of dread creep down my spine. Thomas would never. I take a deep breath, secure in the knowledge that even if my father has fallen this far from what is right in the world, at least mom’s other Bonded wouldn’t.
He’s loyal to the Resistance, but not above her.
I can hear someone trying to get through to me while I listen to dad’s voicemail one last time, hoping for some indicator of what he’s got planned, but I let it go to voicemail as well.
The moment I play the newest recording, I wish I’d picked the damn thing up.
Mom’s voice is strong down the line. “Call me. Your father is coming for you, and he’s not thinking straight. Peter is with him. Neither of them are thinking straight, Atlas. Call me back and… keep the girl away from them. If they get her, they’ll use you both.”
Peter.
My sister’s asshole Bonded that I once caught slapping her. When I confronted him about it, he laughed at me, told me she was indestructible and could take a hit.
I broke his skull in four places.
It took three Healers hours to stop his brain from being permanently damaged. Aurelia didn’t speak to me for a month. She told me I’d understand when I found my Bonded, but the very idea of anyone raising their hand to Oli makes me sick.
There’s no way they can find us, no way that they can actually make it through the Shields, but I hit dial on North’s number anyway, my loyalties firmly with the beauty over there on the floor of the cave with me.
In the distance, with the sun rising slowly over the wall, I see the massive gates swing open right as Draven picks the line up. All the security measures in the world mean nothing when they have someone on the inside.
“They’re here, and someone has just let them in.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Oli
I wake to Atlas’ stern voice, my brain taking a second to process exactly what he’s saying.
“Oli, get up and get dressed. The gates are open, the Shield is out, and we need to get moving right now.”
I jolt up out of bed as he hands me my clothes, his jeans on but still unbuttoned and his shirt tucked under one of his arms as he throws himself together.
Unfortunately, it’s not the worst joke Atlas has ever told because North’s voice floods my head in a demanding sweep. Stay where you are, Bonded. Stay there until we have this taken care of. Stay safe with Bassinger.
I wrench myself to my feet, stumbling a little on the blankets and stuttering over my words. “How? Someone had to let them in, have you called—”
He cuts me off, shoving his shirt over his head before he starts helping me with my clothes. “Sawyer and I both called North at the same time. The TacTeams are already mobilized. We just need to get dressed and be ready if we need to move out. You heard North, we’re staying put.”
It takes me a second to realize he’s heard North talking to me, that he is also a part of the mind connection I share with the other two, which is both daunting and a relief.
I like the connections, but he’s the most likely to argue with the other two about the things that they say to me using that form of silent communication.
The moment I’m completely covered, I follow Atlas back to the mouth of the cave to look back over at the town. If I had any doubt about what Atlas was saying to me before, I certainly can’t deny what’s happening right there in front of my eyes. We watch in horror as the Resistance pour through the open gates, dozens of trucks and more than a hundred armed and lethal Gifted soldiers here to kill, abduct, and maim.
Our Shield has betrayed us… or someone has taken them out. Either way, hundreds of enemy Gifted are here and the entire town are sitting ducks, sleeping in the early morning in the so-called safety of their new homes.
There’s children in the town.
A lot of the lower families who had come along were mostly Bond Groups with kids who were rattled after the last raids, none of them are prepared for this sort of thing.
“We can’t just… sit here and wait. I can’t do that.”
Atlas turns to me, but my eyes have already shifted to the black voids. My bond hasn't fully taken over and it won't unless I am in pain, but I'm not going to run away from this fight. No matter how much my Bonds would like me to.
Good girl, my bond purrs to me, and I feel all three of my Bonded have very strong reactions to that.
“Oli, if we go back to the town, you’re only going to be a distraction to your Bonds and Bonded. We need them all focusing on taking out the Resistance—”