“Your bond is not going to like the way that my dad speaks to the Dravens,” he murmurs to me quietly enough that I'm sure no one else around hears it.
I let my eyes slip shut and I check in with my bond to let it know that we're not in any real danger, that this is family politics and it’s nothing that requires death or destruction. It's not happy about it, but I think it's still tired enough from the soul-bonding with Nox that it agrees to sit this one out. Small miracles.
“I’ll be fine.”
Gryphon pulls back to stare down at me and scoffs a little. “You won't be fine. I'm not fine. North isn't fine, and in a shocking turn of events, Nox is not fine, though I think he enjoys finding ways to horrify and enrage my father more than the last time that he had to be around him.”
I smother a smile—not wanting anyone to think I've gone insane at how much I'm enjoying the attitude that had once driven me so close to insanity—before I shrug again. “It’s up to you. I am happy to head home if you would rather me not meet them.”
Gryphon shakes his head at me slowly, the corners of his mouth downturned. “It's not about you meeting them. It's about them pissing you off. I don’t want anyone upsetting you, and your bond just adds an extra layer of ‘bad idea’ into the mix. It doesn’t matter how much we warn him to keep his mouth shut, my father can’t help himself.”
Atlas moves towards us, linking his fingers in mine and tugging me towards the meeting room. “Then let's get it over and done with so we can get Oli back to the house. She shouldn't be on her feet so soon after the soul-bonding anyway.”
I don’t want to point out that I’ve never felt so alive or in control in all of my life, because a nap with him and Gabe actually does sound amazing.
If only this meeting doesn’t spoil it for me.
Chapter Eight
Oli
Gryphon's father looks a lot like you would imagine a man who is nicknamed ‘the General’ would look like.
I’ve seen him before, thanks to the framed photo of him in Gryphon's room back at the Draven mansion, the family shot of Gryphon, Kyrie, and his parents smiling and looking so happy in it, but there’s none of that smiling man sitting in front of me right now.
North had insisted on wedging me between himself and Gryphon, and for once, Atlas doesn't argue with him at all about it. It occurs to me that he is playing into the same game that the rest of my Bonded Group always do, showing nothing but a united front in front of anyone who might use any weaknesses against us, and for a second, I feel a little bad for Gryphon that we're treating his family this way.
One look at the General tells me that he would definitely use any weaknesses to harm some of my Bonded Group.
His face is impassive and a lot like Gryphon’s when he looks at his son, that blank slate that is almost impossible to read as he assesses the situation, but the moment he looks at Nox or North, there is a loathing there that he doesn't even attempt to mask or hide.
No wonder they both struggle to act civilly with him.
The moment we’d walked in, he had blanked Gabe out as though he wasn't even important enough to acknowledge, something that had set my teeth on edge. The look of disgust that he gives Atlas is the final nail in the coffin, as far as I'm concerned.
Thank God I’d spoken to my bond before we had entered this room.
If it hadn't gone to sleep in my chest, continuing the recovery process it needs after so much power expended, we would probably be cleaning intestines off of the walls or something, because I doubt it would have even made it a clean, soul-tearing sort of demise for this man.
No, it would’ve called Azrael and August out of our Bonded and asked them sweetly to deal with this problem for it. They would’ve done it with their sweetest, toothiest grins on their little shadowy faces too. I know it.
“Another Death Dealer,” the General mutters loudly enough that we all know he's trying to piss us off.
It’s probably a test for me to see how my temper handles his assholeness, but I don't rise to the bait. Instead, I look at the two women sitting on that side of the table with him, trying to figure out which one is Gryphon’s mother, though it's pretty easy to guess. She has the same eyes as Gryphon and Kyrie, and there’s a maternal warmth in her gaze as she stares at her son as though he's the only person sitting in this room.
The other woman gives him a quick assessing glance before she stares back at me as though I am dirt beneath her shoe.
It's going to be a long day.
North acts as though the General never spoke and shuffles some papers in front of him. “Is there anything else you need to report?”
He glances between us and then his eyes fall on his son, dismissing North’s question. “Just because they are your Bonded Group doesn't mean they have clearance for this sort of information. I'm not going to just hand over our intel, that we lost so many good men to get, in front of a Bassinger just because he showed up in a blood test.”
I don't need to look at Atlas to know how this will be pissing him off, but Gryphon doesn't give him the opportunity to lose his temper. “Every person in this room has the same level of clearance. If you don't think that our screening processes are rigorous enough, then you'll need to discuss that with the council.”
“Luckily, we have a representative in the room,” Nox tacks onto the end, and he leans forward in his chair to gesture to North. “Go right ahead and make your case.”
The General doesn't react to his words, just continues staring at his son as though the rest of us don't exist. I find it fascinating how a man could have loved his son so deeply but loathed the people he loves most like this, because it's clear to me that he is hurting Gryphon. He might not show it on the outside, and I don't have the ability to read his emotions or his mind the way that he can with the rest of us, but I'm his Bonded, and I know it just as well as I know how much it’s pissing me off.
“Funny you should bring up the blood tests,” North starts, leaning back in his chair and smoothing a hand down the front of his suit in a very leisurely way that I'm sure sets the General’s teeth on edge.
He looks as though he is a playboy sort of councilman when he does it, the type who doesn't have any skin in the game and couldn't really care less about those underneath him, the exact opposite of who I know North Draven to be, another weapon he is wielding against this man.
“While you're here, you should stop by the medical office and have your bloods redone.”
All three of them frown at us, and Gryphon’s mom is the one to reply, “What's that supposed to mean? Why would we need to do something like that?”
Gryphon clears his throat and looks between the three of them. “We have recently uncovered a Resistance plot to break up the strongest Bond Groups.”
The General rolls his eyes and waves a hand. “Of course they are, that's what they've always done.”
Gryphon nods and speaks through gritted teeth, barely holding onto his own temper. “Yes, but we found out their long game. They've been messing with the blood testing and the Bonded Groups, specifically. We uncovered that they had specifically miscategorized a Central Bond and had one of her Bonds assaulted by a Resistance member and had him thinking that she was his Bond.”