Gabe gets to setting the table, and by the time the girls get back—cackling with laughter between them both that makes all three of us guys smile like idiots at them—the entire feast is waiting on the table for everyone to enjoy.
Oli reaches out to the rest of the Bonded Group to let them know that we're all set for dinner, but only Gryphon answers, saying that they have all been caught up with something at the council offices and they’ll be home when they can be.
When Oli tells Sage and Felix this, Sage frowns and mutters, “Kieran said the same thing. I wonder what the hell's happened this time.”
None of us really want to think about it.
Instead, we dig into the food. Oli tries to play it off as though none of this is worrying her, but as time ticks on, she gets more and more agitated as she watches the clock. I don't blame her. My own leg is bouncing under the table as I try to keep my cool and stay calm, for her sake more than my own, and Gabe is chewing on his lip more than he is chewing on his steak.
Finally, when I think I can't take it anymore, Gryphon reaches out to Oli again, but does it so that we can all hear him.
We have a new prisoner in the cells back at the council offices, and we need you guys to come down so that we can all go in for the questioning. Kieran is on his way to you now.
Oli sets down her fork and murmurs this to Sage.
Who is it? I ask as I stand, reaching for the plates of food to get them put away before we leave. North answers for me.
Jericho. Your sister’s Bonded handed himself over to us in search of asylum and his Bonded.
Chapter Ten
Oli
I'm not expecting much from the interviews with Jericho, but I hurry to get changed into my Tac gear just in case. I had luckily left a set of the standard issue pants and shirt in my room, so we don't have to waste time down at North's offices.
Sage and Felix both leave and head back to their house together hand-in-hand and looking a little bit more peaceful now that we had gotten to hang out for a little while.
I'm worried about my best friend.
The amount of setbacks and situations she’s had to deal with in such a short amount of time is scary. I know that her mental health isn't the best right now, especially since Riley has returned and the full extent of healing the damage that Giovanna has done to him is setting in.
Felix isn't sure he will be able to make a full recovery.
Sage is freaking devastated.
Once I’m fully dressed, my boots laced on my feet and the few weapons I am allowed to carry strapped to my body, I head back out to the kitchen to find Kieran now standing with Atlas and Gabe.
Both of them give me a funny look at my outfit and I shrug. “I’m prepared for anything to happen tonight. I'm surprised you two aren’t.”
Atlas shrugs and flexes a little playfully. “Like I care if my jeans get shredded. Nothing can touch me anyway.”
Gabe shoves him and then gives me a sheepish grin. “Any clothes I put on just get taken off the second I need to shift, so who cares?”
Kieran rolls his eyes at them both, but when I step up to him, he gives me a firm nod. “This isn't how I was planning on spending my evening.”
I cringe for him, thinking about how excited Sage had been for us all to eat together and just hang out, for once. She’ll be missing her Bonded because he’s working late, once again. “Sorry that you're having to drag us around again.”
He holds out his arm for us all to grab and snaps back in his usual, snarky way, “It's not you, it's the fucking Resistance. Do none of them have shit going on besides ruining our lives? Can they not take a fucking nap instead of sending people over to us? At some point, I would like to see my Bonded’s face again.”
My chest warms just a little at that, knowing that even though he’s usually pretty quiet about his Bonded, he’s still just as devoted to Sage as she is to him.
I always knew Kieran was a good guy… except for that one time he tackled me in a cafe and dragged me back to my Bonds, kicking and screaming. That one time, he was a complete dick.
When we pop into existence at the old council buildings, I take three deep breaths to stop myself from losing the delicious steak sandwich I had just eaten and try not to whimper when it becomes clear that I'm not going to be able to save myself from vomiting. Thankfully, the cool palm that slides over the back of my neck is my saving grace as Gryphon eases the motion sickness for me.
“You're really never gonna get used to that, are you?” Kieran says with a dry tone, and I swipe a hand over my forehead to clear away the sweat that is beading there as I try not to turn green.
“I don't know how anyone is supposed to get used to being transported. It's unnatural,” I croak, and Kieran rolls his eyes at me.
“It's about as unnatural as ripping souls out, Fallows, so pot, meet kettle.”
He’s enjoying this way too much. I shrug and then take Gryphon's hand as he leads us down to the elevator, a frown still over his face. Whatever has been said already in this interview room has him concerned, and I don't like the sound of that.
When the elevator doors shut behind us all, he tugs on my shirt. “Going on a mission I was not clued in on?”
I shrugged back. “You tell me. If Jericho has told you where Davies or his Bonds are right now, feel free to instruct Kieran to take me to him. I have a score to settle, and I made sure I’m dressed for the occasion.”
Kieran shakes his head at me but Gryphon smirks. “Hell hath no fury like your bond when someone touches something that belongs to it.”
Damn straight, and I'm not going to apologize for it either.
We'd come so close to losing one of our own and, though there's a part of me that is grateful for the soul-bonding and for the chance at gaining Nox's trust, a fragile and fearsome thing, I still want to rain down bloodshed and violence on the person that had done this to us. As well as on Davies for facilitating it. Fuck, I don’t even care about what he did to me anymore. I care that he went after these men who belong to me.
He tried, and succeeded, in killing Nox.
I’m not going to take that shit lightly, and neither is my bond.
When the doors open again, I find North and Nox waiting for us, their heads together as they mutter heatedly to each other about something, only stopping when they see us all standing there.
North barely looks at me before he turns on his heel and stalks off towards the cells.
Instantly, I want to cry.
But he always could read me like an open book, and even without looking at me, he says to me through our mind connection, just between the two of us, I can’t right now, Bonded. Not with everyone here, because if I look at you right now, after what you did for my brother… after what he did for me… I will make an absolute fool of myself. I’m supposed to be the strong one for us all.
I have to blink away my own tears at the broken tone of his voice, the raw edges of it tearing at me. He just said he needed space, but I need him like I need air right now. I need to hold him close and ease away the guilt and pain that he’s feeling, to reassure him that everything is okay now.
We’re all going to survive this, no matter what it takes.
As we make our way through the hallways, I find that there are more people than I expected there to be in the holding cells. The last time we had come down here to speak to Atlas’ sister, she was the only one that was left after the processing but, as we walk down the long hallway together, every cell is occupied.