Forced Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #4)(11)

Except that fuck, Nox.

“I think it’s an avenue we haven’t tried yet. I’d be a selfish dick if I didn’t at least give it a go.”

It’s the truth and he knows it with a thousand percent accuracy, so in under a minute he’s told Draven we’re leaving and has a Transporter there to move us out. Things happen quickly when you’re Gryphon Shore, apparently.

Shore claps one hand onto the Transporter's shoulder with a firm nod, his mouth downturned as he widens his stance a little in preparation. All of his movements are small signs that he finds this as hard as Oli does, only he’s had years of training and experience to keep his stomach in line now.

She relies on his Neuro abilities to settle hers for her.

The Transporter stares at me like he’d rather pick up dog shit with his bare hands than touch me to do the job and he murmurs to Shore, “Are you positive that he’s not in on the attack? You know what they say about Bassingers.”

Shore stares at me and replies, “Do your job, Godden. I don’t answer to you, and neither does Atlas.”

It’s the first time he’s used my first name, and I know that it’s a very strategic move. I’m not a Bassinger to them anymore, at least not publicly, and they’ve all made their choice to side with me.

Now I just need to pull my weight and prove that I’m worth the risk to everyone, not just to my Bonded.





The Council offices are like a ghost town.

The last time we were here, they had been quiet, but there were still a few employees milling around and other council members here. Those were the ones who had refused to come to the Sanctuary and instead stayed in Draven in their gilded mansions as easy prey to the Resistance. I see their unwillingness to go through the vetting process as a clear indicator of their treachery. I'm sure Gryphon and North feel the same way.

The Transporter steps away as soon as our feet hit solid ground as though he’s worried about being near me, or maybe it’s being so close to Gryphon and his vicious mood that has the guy worried.

It doesn't worry me. Gryphon simply barks out an order to keep careful watch while we’re gone, then we’re stepping away to head to the elevator. There's only one in the building that goes down to the containment area, and it’s here in the underground parking. I’ve already mentioned to North that it’s a security risk for us to always be transported to the same spot. He’d agreed with me, but nothing has changed yet, so I’m careful as I look around, watching out for some sign that we’re about to be ambushed.

Gryphon is less concerned, and when I meet his eyes, he taps a single finger to his temple, a reminder that he can now ‘hear’ when people are around.

Right.

The moment the elevator doors shut behind us, he turns to me and then says quietly, “I will need to be present for the conversations with your sister. It’s standard procedure for me to monitor and assess whether or not she's telling the truth. It's also protocol to have a TacTeam member there with you in case she attempts to harm you or escape in any way, so don't take it the wrong way.”

I nod and shrug at him. “I was expecting you to be there anyway, and it's handy to know whether or not she's lying. I… think I can tell, but I'm also aware that I'm too close to her and can’t be completely impartial about this. I wish I could be. I want nothing more than to just be done with her but… it’s different. It’s different with her than it is with my parents.”

He nods and looks away from me, offering me what little privacy with my thoughts that he can. “Of course it is. You were raised together. You know exactly how they brainwashed her, so you’re struggling because… some of this isn’t necessarily her fault. The problem is that life isn’t fair. She’s an adult who made decisions that she has to face up to now. You made different ones.”

I scoff and mutter, “For Oli. If it weren’t for her then—“

“Don’t go there. You’ll just drive yourself insane. You can front all you want about not giving a shit about any of this, but I saw your face when you saw those kids who’d been killed. You’re not a villain, no matter how much you might wish you could turn your humanity off.”

When the elevator doors open to the long hallway of cells, I find that the majority of them are now empty. The last time we were here, every single cell had at least two Resistance members in them, so either a lot of processing has happened… or there was a raid here that I was unaware of.

I turn and give Gryphon a look and he gives me a dry grin back. “We've been very busy. There's no point in feeding all of these people and wasting our finite resources on them just for the pleasure of their company down here. There’s only so much information any of them can give us.”

I feel a small seed of dread in the pit of my stomach at the thought of them finishing with my sister in the same way and putting her down, but I also know that she has probably been given more leeway in this place than she deserves, thanks to me.

I’m not sure what the fuck I’m going to do about it either. She has made this bed for herself and now has to lie in it. She has to face the consequences of her own actions. It’s just the guilt that’s nagging at me. The guilt that will eat me alive if I let it.

Would I be the same as her if I hadn’t seen that file on my mother's computer and the footage of my Bonded being tortured?