Tragic Bonds (The Bonds That Tie #5)(55)

“I’ve already heard the stories of that new girl from Gray. He said she's walking chloroform. I'd rather not go up against her,” Aro says, and I nod my head.

“You don't have to go up against any of the new people. Just stick to your normal training. I'm going to deal with Zoey myself.”

“Deal with her?” she replies, her eyebrows rising. “Aren't we supposed to be training all together as one big, happy family?”

“As if I could ever be family with a Soul Render.”

We turn to find Zoey standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips and a savage look on her face. Sage groans under her breath, but she's quick to turn around and step a little closer to my side, very much having my back no matter what. We both already know that I can't exactly kill the girl unprovoked, and, unfortunately, the majority of my powers are lethal. Even the one thing I can do that isn't lethal would eventually kill her.

Sage could definitely set her on fire though.

Is that considered too far? Fuck it, I don’t care!

“Wow, Zoey. I didn't think you would be so vocal about your own limitations, but more power to you, girl!” I say with a smirk and a shrug as she takes two more steps into the room, dismissing Aro and Sage completely as though both of them are beneath her.

Mistake number one.

“You know, everybody was aware that the Draven Monster Bond Group would have to have some really fucked up Central Bond to call all of those men her own, and it all seemed like one big cosmic joke when you showed up with no Gift. To think that they would be cursed for the rest of their lives with some useless, Giftless bitch was hilarious and exactly what they all deserved… But now, finding out that you're a bigger monster than the rest of them? Well, you should all be put down before you can become a problem.”

Mistake number two.

Her words wake my bond up from where it is slumbering in my chest. It doesn't need any sort of encouragement in wanting this girl dead, but hearing her discuss the killing of our Bonded so casually—as though she wasn't discussing the murder of a councilman and other respected members of our community—my bond is pretty keen on disposing of her as well.

It doesn't take too much to convince it to let me deal with her though, especially once it knows my plans.

“Well, come on then, Zoey,” I say, flicking my hand out. “Come and show me exactly what you think should be done to me then. I'll even let you get the first shot in. A freebie, for old times’ sake.”

She smirks at me and steps forward, crossing the last few feet before she's standing in front of the single row of benches, her eyes flashing to white in front of us. My bond doesn't bother tensing or seeming concerned at all. I know why, as her power washes over me without causing so much as the slightest of yawns.

This is when I really feel like a god.

Her brow furrows just a little before she aims it at Sage and Aro. To my delight, it washes over the two of them as well.

“I’m fully Bonded now,” I say as I let my Gift out to play. “Sage and Aro too, you know. You probably should have taken that into consideration before you decided to follow me in here. But like I said, I'll let you take the first swing.”

I step forward, planting my feet shoulder width apart and letting my body relax the way that Gryphon had drummed into me a thousand times.

Relax and let your opponent show you what they're capable of first. Watch them and be ready, but don't show them your hand until you're ready to crush them with it.

She might have been taught sparring at Draven, but she hasn’t had the personal lessons that I have, and when she takes a swing at me, it's easy enough to deflect. I dart out of the way and at the same time, take a swing at her, my fist connecting with her cheek hard enough to send her stumbling back, and a red mark blooms against her skin instantly.

Beyond the dull ache in my fist, there's no sign on me that she even attempted anything, and a cocky smirk stretches across my lips, one I don't intend on losing anytime soon.

“Seriously, that's all you've got? That’s pathetic! No wonder Gryphon was so ready to throw you out.”

She pushes up onto her feet again and darts at me faster than I want to give her credit for but, still, I'm quicker. And I'm ready for it.

I sweep her legs out from underneath her and take her to the ground, enjoying the screeching sound that bursts out of her. As I grapple with her on the cold, concrete floor, Atlas’ voice floods into my mind.

Do I need to come in there? Gabe told me to leave it to you, but now I'm hearing things that make me very sure that I should be in there with you right now.

I grunt a little as her knee connects with my side, but I get a forearm across her throat and press down to restrict her airway, sending back to him, I’m kind of busy at the moment, Atlas, but I'll be two more minutes. No need for a rescue team.

I'm true to my word, and in two minutes Sage and Aro hold the doors open for me as I drag Zoey out of the girls’ changing room by her feet, her unconscious body a dead weight as I move her across the training center.

The conversations around us die out as I get her all the way to where the General and Vivian are having a heated argument. They both stop to turn and stare at me as I drop her in a heap at the General’s feet.

“You should really vet your recruits a little better,” I say with a bite in my tone. “She has shitty technique and thinks that her Gift is enough to get her out of any situation, but anybody with a brain knows that you can't rely on that in hand-to-hand. I just wiped the floor with her. If your teams are just going to be a dead weight, then I'm not going to allow you to come on missions with us.”