Tragic Bonds (The Bonds That Tie #5)(13)

The names given to them by that little boy with a dark halo of curls around his head who sat far too still when there were adults around. The boy who used the library of that dilapidated house as his only escape, reading whatever books he could get his hands on to keep his mind busy and away from the abuse he faced when his mother came calling.

No wonder the names of avenging angels called to him.

Azrael bumps my chin again, and I bury my face into the soft wisps of his shadowy fur, my tears falling straight through his body as though there’s nothing solid that I’m leaning into even though I can feel the warmth of him against my face.

“If you don’t open this fucking door, I will take the whole fucking wall down, Draven! This is your last warning.”

Oh shit.

Atlas really does sound as though he’s going to start with the demolition, and I tear my face away from Azrael to shoot a look at Nox.

He’s back to staring at the ceiling as though this is all so boring to him and not at all troubling that his life and the integrity of this room are being threatened. I groan a little more as I move to the edge of the bed, trying to lever myself up and into action, and he looks over at me.

Keeping eye contact with me, he calls out to Atlas to egg him on like a complete asshole. “Gabe will be furious if he has to fix your mess, Bassinger. You might want to rethink that plan of yours.”

Oh my freaking God, that is not helpful.

My brain feels as though it’s going to explode, but I reach out to the rest of my Bonded Group, casting out my bond to feel them all and speak to them all at once. Gryphon, Gabe, and Atlas are all at the door, but North is in the kitchen with a bottle of bourbon, no glass.

That’s deeply troubling.

I’m fine. Please don’t take out a wall, because I’m not in any danger.

The relief from them all is overwhelming, and when it floods through the mind-connection to me, I groan again and clutch at my head. Whatever I’d had to do to get Nox’s soul back into his body, it has messed me the hell up. My Gift feels exhausted inside of me, my bond is still sleeping, and every inch of my body feels heavy and achy.

If anyone attacks the Sanctuary right now, we’re screwed.

Nox’s eyes are still bright on mine and he nods at me, already completely aware of this fact, and his shoulder bracing the door suddenly becomes just a little bit more sweet.

He’s guarding us both right now.

North needs to sober up; we’re exposed right now.

I hate thinking it. I hate that it even crosses my mind, because he’s always the responsible one for us. Clearly watching his brother die in front of him has rocked him, but the fact of the matter is that we’re being targeted, hunted, and our Bond Group is already two Gifted down.

We can’t afford to lose a third to inner demons.

I’ve already spoken to him, there’s no getting through to him right now. I’ve… never seen him like this.

Nox speaks directly to me, keeping the others out of this because it feels like something within the family to deal with. The family I’m very much a part of now, in Nox’s mind, and though I get the feeling he’d allow Gryphon to help him with North, there’s no way he’d open up to Gabe and Atlas about this.

Progress, not perfection, I guess.

Oli, come back to your room where we can all be with you and know you’re okay.

I feel a pang of guilt at Gryphon’s words, but I also don’t want to do that. I’m absolutely sure of where I stand with each of them, even North in his spiraling freak-out. It’s Nox that I need to be with right now, it’s with him that I need to find stable ground.

It’s him that I need to be with.

I’m staying here tonight. We’ll come out tomorrow and debrief.

I feel Gryphon hesitate, but he accepts it. Gabe is the same, happy enough to hear my voice and let me do whatever I need to do.

Atlas does not want to leave me here.

In fact, he raises a fist like he’s going to get to work tearing the wall down, and I have to take a calming breath to not get angry about it. The last… however many hours this has been going on have obviously been hard on them all.

I work at keeping my voice level and calm. Am I not allowed to make my own decisions about MY Bonded?

There’s a very uneasy sort of silence in my head back to that, and I glance back over at Nox to see something wondrous and magical.

He smiles at me.

An actual smile stretches over his lips without a hint of sarcasm or derision. He just enjoys the hell out of me calling my other Bonded out on his hypocritical actions.

You are, but I’m not sure you’re thinking straight right now, Sweetness.

I huff at the sound of Atlas fussing over me and stretch back against the pillows. I’m a big girl; I can get up and walk out of here the moment I choose to. Now, leave me alone for a bit so I can sleep. I feel as though I was hit by a bus.

It takes them a minute, but eventually, they all move away. Gabe and Atlas both head back into my room to sleep, each of them grabbing one of my pillows and surrounding themselves in my scent just like I do with theirs. Gryphon, though, heads to the kitchen to sit with North in silence, watching over him as he gets royally wasted.

Please don’t do anything dumb while I’m sleeping. I need you whole and happy, Bonded.

He doesn’t answer me except to send through a snapshot of what he’s feeling. Regret, devastation, and a lot of pain at the thought of losing Nox and I. I think that’s all he’s capable of saying to me in his current state, and even though I’m desperate to go to him, I know there’s nothing I can do for him right now.