Atlas nods and shrugs again. “And yet, Silas is still our biggest threat. Maybe, and I really mean maybe, the Draven nightmares could deal with him. If North or Nox’s ranges are as good as they seem to be, we might be able to use one to take him out.”
I already know their range is phenomenal, Brutus came to the camp with me, and while Nox couldn’t tell where we were, he could still see through his creatures’ eyes. Gryphon had told me that and told me how worried they’d all been when I’d given him to Kyrie.
Still the best decision I’d made in that stupid camp.
I glance up at North, but he’s still scowling at the road like he’s expecting trouble, so I take a small breath in and call on my bond.
Let me out.
I internally roll my eyes. I just need to know if there’s danger. I don’t need you going full death god on this mission.
I can feel the ripple of frustration and then it speaks again, Let me out and I’ll keep them safe. All of them, even the non-mine ones.
Is it strange of me to be jealous about my bond being that possessive over my Bonds? Probably. Maybe I do need that therapy.
My eyes void out and the Everlasting One stiffens in his seat, his hand on my thigh tenses but doesn’t move. He’s not scared, just ready to move should he need to.
The Dark One doesn’t react, just turns to speak to me. “Is there danger? Is she safe?”
Still very devoted to the girl.
I like that.
“Not yet. She’s going to be fine, whatever that takes.”
He nods and makes a hand motion at my Bonded. My first Bonded, the one I finally got to taste. The one who unlocked more of my power, more of the potential living inside the girl, until I could access more and keep her safe and alive.
I want more.
“No more of that thinking. You’re not going to keep her safe like that,” he says in a tight voice, and I smile back at him, all teeth and sharp edges.
“You’re no fun. Give me my Bond instead.”
The girl disagrees with me. She attempts to wrestle back some of the control as the driver curses under his breath, hitting the gas and getting the vehicle moving faster underneath us. I look out, but there’s nothing there. Nothing but miles of farm land and livestock around us. This place we’ve been brought to is somewhere remote enough to barely exist on a map.
“How far away are we?” the Everlasting One says.
The driver snaps back, “Too far with her doing that back there. Can you get Oli back now?”
The Dark One cuts in. “No. If her bond is out, then she’s taking this seriously. Just get us there and don’t worry about her. You’re on her safe list anyway. Rockelle is the only one who needs to be sweating.”
There’s quiet in the cab for a moment, only the roar of the engine to be heard, and then the Gifted in the back says, “How do I get on that safe list? Is there an application process, or do I just have to break my own leg? I’m not against it or anything, just not exactly my first choice.”
I turn to look at him and smirk at the sheer terror that flits over his face before he regains control of himself, tightening his grip on the gun.
When I turn back to the front he mutters, “Fuck. It’s so much worse when it looks at you.”
The Everlasting One turns to snap, “Stop calling my fucking Bond an it. She’s Oli, and she’s trying to keep your worthless hide alive, so keep your mouth shut.”
I don’t feel the need to show affection or prove my connection to any of my Bonds, but I cover his hand with mine on my leg as a form of praise. His loyalty to me and our Bond has never been in question. It’s not his fault he was born in a pit of snakes. He came home the moment I called to him. He came for the girl and offered her comfort when she needed it.
The Everlasting One leans down to kiss my cheek, murmuring to me, “You’re glowing. It’s cute as fuck, but Black is sweating in the front over it, so you might want to work on it.”
I shake my head. “He can work to get over it. I’m perfect as I am.”
The Walmart parking lot we pull into is in the middle of nowhere. Literally, there’s fields full of cows surrounding us on all sides, and then a massive superstore just appears out of thin air.
When we park, Gryphon gets out first, doing the initial sweep. It takes a lot longer this time, mostly because he’s vetting the hordes of people who are here shopping, and filtering through that many brains the way he does takes longer than searching out an empty warehouse or a road ahead of us.
When he meets my eye and jerks his head at me to join him, the Dark One gets out to open my door, his body shielding me as I work. There’s no one here from the Resistance. There’s no danger here at all, which I feel is more of a warning than a relief.