Forced Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #4)(3)

My head feels as though it’s about to explode with all of the unknowns and betrayals. Why did it have to be Sage, of all people?

Felix’s voice snaps me out of my spiraling thoughts. “Oli, your heart rate is insane right now. Take a breath. Is this a panic attack because your bond came out or something else? Gabe, grab her some water, and, Atlas, you might want to get your shirt off to start a transfer. She needs something.”

My eyes snap back over to them both, but neither of them move at Felix’s commands or attempt to answer him.

Gabe stares at me and I blink back at him, hoping he can read enough of my face to keep his cool here and not question any of the crazy that’s happening right now.

I’ve told him what’s going on, just stay calm. We’re on our way.

I swallow at the tense sound of Gryphon’s voice in my mind, but I can’t find the words to send anything back to him. I can’t figure out how to address any of this without breaking the fuck down.

Sage can’t be a spy.

She just fucking can’t.

“You look really sick, Oli, should we… get you back to your place to rest?” Sage says in her same sweet and caring tone that I’m now doubting and reading into like she’s a criminal mastermind, because what the actual fuck is going on here?

I clear my throat and say, my voice sounding all sorts of messed up, “It’s— I’m fine. I think it’s my bond acting up, nothing I can’t handle.”

Sage gives me a concerned look back, empathy and warmth flooding out of her in my direction like it always does, and my chest tightens even more. Kieran frowns at me and glances at my Bonds, and the lines around his mouth only deepen. He knows something is up but before he can call us out on it, the cavalry arrives.

Thank fuck.

I feel him before I see it.

My eyes flick down to the tendrils of smoke streaming in from under the door, but I look away quickly, hoping no one else notices it.

Of course, Felix does.

His hands slip away from me as he stands, moving towards Sage. He only makes it a single step before the smoke floods the space, a tendril curling around his ankles and stopping him from any further movement. He lets out a yelping sound, like he was thinking coherent words but the fear of the nightmare smoke dried up his rational thoughts, but it’s too late. The smoke wraps around Kieran and Sage, pulling them both apart and rendering them completely immobile. Kieran is frowning but not resisting, his eyes snapping around the room at us all and taking note of the way that the smoke is targeting his Bond Group alone.

When he turns to me, I look away, not wanting him to see my own reaction to what is happening here.

Sage, who is clearly panicking and making my heart hurt even more in my chest with her wide eyes and shaking voice says, “Oli, what the hell is this? What is going on? Why is North—”

The door opens and Nox steps through, one of his creatures at his feet in its savage Doberman form, its sharp and deadly teeth exposed as it snarls at the entire room, and drawls in his most acidic and dangerous tone, “Not North, though he’s on his way with a lot of questions for you, Benson. You might want to start working out your answers, and quickly, because betraying us all in full view of the security cameras wasn’t the brightest thing you’ve ever done.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Draven?” Felix snaps, still struggling against the smoke, but Kieran just stares at him with cold eyes.

“Let me go. I’m going to North now.”

Nox scoffs at him and steps across the room, circling Sage as more of his creatures take form amongst the smoke and fall into line around him. Brutus rumbles under my ear, not as a warning, but as a comfort to me so I know he’s still there and ready to step in if I need it. I have no doubt he will, not a single fleeting doubt has ever filled me about his loyalty to me, and I raise a hand up to pet him, even as it shakes just a little.

I can’t look at Sage right now.

I’ll either break down or start screaming.

Nox takes another step into the center of the room, the smoke thickening until my eyes have to shift to see clearly through it. He answers Kieran, “I just said he’s on his way and that none of you are going anywhere. If I had things my way, you’d all be locked up until Gryph can sift through every little second of your lives and find out whether it’s just Benson, or if you’re all in on this. I thought more of you than this, Black, but nothing here will really surprise me. Not even you betraying us all—”

Sage makes a noise like she’s struggling for air, but it’s more of an outraged sort of thing, and I still can’t force myself to look her way yet.

Kieran makes his own sound of outrage and strains against the ropes of smoke, even though they don’t budge. “Betraying you? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Just because you have your own little bullshit mission here, trying to psych out your Bond because you’re absolutely fucked—”

Oh, I don’t like that.

Neither does my bond, waking up finally to the absolute mess we’re in, but when I poke at it, expecting a whispered threat or something, it’s silent. Wary and watchful, but silent.

I mean, I know that we have our problems, a whole fucking pile of problems. But they’re our problems to deal with. Someday. Maybe.

They’re not up for public discussion.

Atlas’ voice is sharp as it cuts through the haze and through Kieran’s tirade. “She murdered our Shield. Sawyer just showed the evidence of it to North and Gryphon. This isn’t some inside job, Black. This is us keeping everyone in the Sanctuary safe, not just our friends and family. If her brother was the one to start this, then there’s absolutely nothing you can say to Draven about this being a witch hunt. Besides, look at what this is doing to Oli… If you believe nothing else, do you think I’d be standing here and letting him do this to her if I hadn’t just seen Sage murder that woman myself?”