Unbroken Bonds (The Bonds That Tie #6)(60)

As I walk down the long hallway, still covered in the blood and gore of the Wasteland, I peer into each of the cells at the people that are our biggest issues to work through at the moment.

Gryphon’s mom is in one of them.

Aurelia is in another, and Jericho is rooming next to her.

They stare back at me with varying levels of distrust as I walk past them, their eyes tracing over the filthy Tac uniform I’m wearing, a clear indicator of where I’ve been today and the lives I’ve taken. Gryphon's mom stands from the bed and walks over to the glass, pressing her hand against it as she stares at me with distrust written all over her.

I would rather not have this confrontation with her right now, but I know how much she means to Gryphon and Kyrie. The fact that she had brought Oli's parents’ ashes home without question for her son, even when the General had tried to refuse, also makes my steps slow a little. I bite my tongue and step forward to speak with her.

“Are there any other survivors? Anyone at all?”

I shake my head, the corners of my mouth turned down in disgust, but I try not to let it show, another concession. I shouldn't have to hide the repulsion I have for this woman, but I do it for Gryphon.

“Why did you go? You could have stayed here, just refused to leave the house. He would still be here raging about it, and the rest of those people would be here too.”

It's not fair of me to say. The entire catastrophe that has taken place isn't exactly her fault, but some of the blame can be laid at her feet. With no one else left to share that burden, it’s placed all on her.

She sighs, looking thirty years older than she had only a week ago. “No, he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t listen to me about this. He never did. I can have all the regrets in the world about what happened, but he never would listen.”

Her eyes fill up with tears, and I have a sinking feeling in my chest. I've seen Bonds lose their Central before. I've seen it a lot, unfortunately. They turn into an empty shell. You can see that the person left behind has had everything good sucked out of them. All their past joy is forgotten and every future opportunity is torn away as well. There’s no hope for that light to return, no chance of ever feeling anything positive ever again.

It’s not like this.

This is the regular kind of grief, the grief that says you've lost someone very important to you. Someone you shared a life with and had children with. This is not like losing a piece of your soul, something so vital to you that without it, your life is rendered meaningless.

This is not how Gabe’s mother reacted when his father died.

Trying not to arouse her suspicions, I get out my phone and send a quick message to Nox, something I don't usually have to do anymore thanks to the mind connection. I don't want to force Oli to keep secrets from her Bonded though, and I don't want Gryphon involved just yet.

I'll rely on technology for now.

“Is there anything that I can do? Anything except sitting here in this cell and rotting?”

I give her a cold look and shake my head. “There really isn’t. Everyone that could be spared went out to the Wasteland to fight, but it was too late. You’ll just have to wait here until we can decide what we're going to do with you.”

Her eyebrows dip down low at that, confusion clear on her face. “What are you going to do with me? It doesn't make any sense to leave me in here. I was a victim of the Resistance out there, you know.”

I shrug back at her apathetically. “You’ll stay here until a decision is made. I can’t exactly let you out now that we all know what you think of my Bonded and the rest of the Draven Bonded Group, now can I? We can’t very well let someone who was part of the defection freely roam the streets. If harm came to my Bonded… Well then, you might finally see the monster I can be.”

Her jaw drops open a little as she glances around, but I continue, “Gryphon went home with our Bonded to break the news of the General’s death and what we found in the Wasteland to Kyrie. He deserves to get some rest after everything that’s happened. He doesn't have time to come down here and coddle someone who left him.”

She closes her mouth and opens it again, no sound coming out.

I lean forward and lower my voice, my rage clear in my tone. “You did more than just leave your children. Every time the General snapped his fingers because he was so angry or jealous about something that his son was doing, instead of feeling proud of him, you left. You told Gryphon and Kyrie you were doing it to get him away from them, to give them a break, but you never even tried to stick around. Your son is far more understanding than I will ever be. Loyalty means everything, and you have plenty of it—just for the wrong person. Now you really can rot here for all I care.”

I turn on my heel, and she slaps her hand against the glass to get my attention. “You're never going to pick someone else over your Bonded, Draven. You can't judge me when you haven't been put in that position yourself.”

I turn to look back at her, shaking my head, aware that Aurelia and Jericho are watching this entire exchange and finding that I just do not care anymore. I really have lost the ability to put up with people's bullshit. Something inside me has snapped, and it won't ever go back together.

“I will never have to make that decision because I will never let it come down to a choice between my Bonded or my child. I will sacrifice everything else instead. I will never, ever do that to my children, and I already know my Bonded feels the same way because she’s a good person… The very best. I will never put myself before them. All you’re proving is your weak character. I hope you rot down here, but know that if you do get out, you should stay very far away from me, because it was not at my request. I will let my shadows consume you the moment they see you.”