Blood Bonds(The Bonds That Tie #3)(6)

How the hell am I going to get him to play along here?

“You stood there and watched him get beaten. You expect me to believe you’re Bonded to him?” Davies’ voice drips with derision but when I glance back at him, he’s tense, his body practically vibrating at the carrot I’m dangling in front of him.

How long had they tortured me for the names of my Bonds?

How many times had he promised me things, evil and glorious and kind things, if only I’d tell them who my Bonds were?

It’s another piece of the puzzle that makes no sense to me, especially now that I know that someone in the Resistance has been messing with the labs and the Bonded groups, but it’s clear that they still don’t know about my Bonds.

I wonder why that traitorous bitch Giovanna hasn’t told them? And how could Atlas’ dad be here, very obviously a part of the Resistance, but hasn’t told them?

Too fucking confusing.

Davies snaps his fingers in front of my face, and I shift my eyes away from the scowl on Kieran’s face to mutter, “You said it yourself, you have to be cold-hearted to rip the souls out of people and watch them die. Besides, we’re not Bonded yet, and you weren’t killing him. My bond was happy to watch you test him out a little. The rack is too much. If you break him, you’ll break me, and I’m not signing up for that.”

I watch as the feverish glee fills his body. Me, his beloved weapon, back in his grasp and now with one more round of ammunition with me. A Bond.

He straightens up and turns on his heel to stalk towards the entrance of the tent, his usually fluid movements jerkier with his excitement, and I take the moment to do something incredibly risky. Risky but necessary, because Kieran looks like he’s a second away from chewing me out for lying about him like this just to save his freaking life.

My eyes shift to black, and I send up the tiniest of prayers that Davies really is too busy having his world rocked by getting me and one of my Bonds that he won’t notice what the hell I’m doing.

I need you to tell Kieran to play along.

Gryphon’s response is immediate and desperate sounding, WHERE ARE YOU?

I take a good, hard look at Davies as he turns back to us, my breath catching in my throat, but he’s too busy eyeballing Kieran like he’ll find my name branded on his skin if only he looks hard enough at him, so I take the chance to keep the conversation going for a moment longer. Life or death situation here, Bonded. I need you to hack into Kieran’s brain RIGHT NOW and tell him to play along, or your second is dead. Do it. I’ll contact you again the moment it’s safe. I swear on our Bond.

There’s a slight pause and then Gryphon says again, his blinding rage at me and this situation we’ve found ourselves in making my ears ring, How did you know I can reach him? How did you know my Gift had grown that much?

I want to slump in the chair against my restraints in relief but that would be too obvious, so instead, I send one last message before I block him out entirely again. A lucky guess. I’ll keep him safe, Kyrie too. I’ll let you know the moment it’s safe for you to come get us. I’ll come back to you all, I promise. Tell North I didn’t run.

I don’t know why it’s so important to me to tack that onto the end there, but I do, stupidly thinking that at least if Silas loses his mind and kills me off, at least North might… believe that I wasn’t the worst choice for a Bond.

God, what a depressing thought.

I see the exact moment Gryphon gets through to Kieran. His shoulders square up, ever the obedient second in command. It’s a much better look on him than the pissed off, bloodied TacTeam member who wants to murder me, that’s for damn sure.

Davies finally decides to actually do something and walks over to Kieran, grabbing him by both arms and pulling him onto his feet. His bad leg doesn’t support any of his weight, lolling out, and he grunts a little as he’s probably blinded by the pain. I wish so badly that I could heal him, or take his pain away from him, but he’s not actually my Bond, no matter what I tell Davies, so there is nothing I can offer him.

Davies doesn’t notice his leg, or doesn’t care, and starts one of his usual honeyed monologues. “A Transporter. I’m a little disappointed at how mediocre that is. I was expecting something magnificent, to be paired with a beauty like you. I suppose I’m stuck with a Healer, so it makes sense that we can’t all be once-in-a-lifetime powers. Still, I can’t say I wasn’t hoping for more.”

My bond flashes to the forefront of my mind again, not liking the way he’s speaking about our Bonds, even if he’s got the wrong guy. It doesn’t throw a tantrum or act spoiled the way it has for weeks back at the Draven mansion, and for once, I feel safer with it taking the reins for a bit. It always did do whatever was required to keep me alive, whole, and sane.

Kieran stares at Davies blankly, nothing showing on his face now that he’s playing the good soldier and following Gryphon’s orders. I feel oddly proud of him for not cowering in the face of this terrible man… but he also probably doesn’t know the extent of his evil.

Not the way I do, anyway.

Davies shoves him to his knees at my feet again and though he grimaces, Kieran doesn’t make a noise at the pain that’s very obviously shooting through his body. I look at him now that my bond is at the helm, safer now that Davies can see the cold and aloof look of my void eyes because he’s never seen the hungry look in them before… he’s never seen me look at my Bonds and make demands of them.