Blood Bonds(The Bonds That Tie #3)(92)

“Holy shit,” I whisper, and Sawyer doesn’t look up from his keyboard to answer me.

“North is clearing out the first five zones, his creatures have it under control. I’ve never seen someone last this long but every time it looks as though he’s flagging, something happens and he gets a kick back.”

Atlas glances at me and I raise a finger to my lips.

I already knew it was happening, I could feel it. The more souls I take, the more power there is for me to send his way.

“Gryphon and his TacTeam are moving through six to ten. Nox is with them, but he’s in full Draven nightmare mode and torturing everyone he comes across.”

I nod and step forward to stand right behind him. “And Gabe? Where’s he holed up?”

“The schoolhouse. He got out of the house early, grabbed everyone he could, and got them over there. He’s protecting at least a third of the town population there. North and the others have been finding people and sending them over to him, escorting when they can or just getting them to make a run for it. We’ve had casualties in the civilians, but it could have been a hell of a lot worse. Kieran found Sage early on and has her holed up in one of the trucks, and Felix is barricaded in the medical rooms.”

I take a breath, a deep one, and then he finally looks at me. “Oli, I need you to find Gray. Everyone else is accounted for. I can’t see him, but he was in the kitchens helping out with the changes with the water supply, please just find him—”

That I can do. Sawyer has been here the whole time keeping my men safe, there’s no way I’m leaving family behind. “I’ll get him here, don’t worry about it. Sawyer! You keep my Bonds safe, and I’ll get your man here safe, I swear it.”

He looks at me for a second longer and then nods, turning back to the computers and putting on his earpiece again to listen in to the Tac chatter there. I know he’ll keep everyone as safe as he can, but I also know that he’s going to prioritize our family.

Our family, because that’s what we do.

So now I have to get Gray back here safely. I already know he can hold his own, but the Resistance only ever sends in their biggest and best fighters, so he needs some goddamned backup.

Atlas, who is standing at the door, cursing under his breath, mutters desperately, “Oli, please stay here with Sawyer and let me go. This place is a fort and you can just guide me—”

Absolutely not. “No. I’m the biggest weapon we’ve got. I’m not running scared anymore.”

Atlas scoffs and lets his head drop back against the wall behind him, muttering under his breath, “You never did. You never fucking did, Sweetness.”

Atlas grabs another gun from the cabinet next to Sawyer, and throws the holsters over his shoulders. There’s a full Tac uniform in there but it’ll be too small for him, and I refuse to change now. I don’t need the superhero outfit, I need the range for my arms, but I do take an earpiece. Sawyer does too, shoving an extra one in his pocket, and then we get our asses out of there.

I keep the net out and kill every Resistance soldier that I come across the second I hit them. Word that I’m here and that I’m hunting seems to spread quickly, and through the comms I hear comments of Transporters making speedy exits. They haven’t taken anyone with them so far, but we’re on guard nonetheless.

We get through the debris and corpse-filled streets easily enough and find Gray in the kitchens, exactly where Sawyer had last seen him, holed up in one of the walk-in fridges along with the chef and half a dozen other kitchen staff. Atlas gives him the spare comms and then we all regret it when Sawyer cusses him out very openly and unabashedly for daring to be somewhere that wasn’t covered by the cameras.

I have no doubt that North will be finding room in the budget for more in the very near future.

We make the choice that Gray is safer here than us trying to move him, and with a way to get intel from Sawyer and a gun from Atlas, he’ll be able to protect himself and those with him.

He’s also Telekinetic and could for sure kill a man if he needed to, we have no doubts.

I take the risk and open up to call out to my Bonded, praying that I’m not going to get either of them killed.

We’re going to find Gabe now. Do either of you need anything?

Gryphon answers first, Come grab Sage and get her over to the schoolhouse. She’s a distraction for Black, and he’s useless to me with her here.

Easily done, I definitely want her out of the firing line anyway. On my way.

North takes a second longer to reply and I feel the tendrils of guilt in my stomach at his words. Should I expect my power to go on forever? Or just until the Soul Rending is done? Exactly how strong are you, Bonded?

Atlas glances at me again and shakes his head, more than happy for there to be secrets for only us to keep. I already know we can’t live like that.

There is no limit. Or at least, I’ve never found one.

Atlas curses under his breath again, but I move forward, taking all of the right turns towards zone six. I might be freaking horrendous at directions, but my bond is good, and it can follow the invisible strings that connect me to my Bonded easier than breathing.

It almost becomes soothing, the sounds of the bodies dropping to the freshly poured pavement. I become completely numb to the meaning of it, my bond quietly pleased as we take the energy and funnel it to our Bonded. Atlas’ skin begins to glow softly next to me, but he’s too focused on protecting me to notice it.