“Fuck,” Gryphon says out loud, and I can't contain myself any longer.
“What the hell is a Trigger? And who the fuck is Unser?”
Gryphon stalks towards the opening of the library, still shoving the last of the books into his clothing as he looks down the hallway. I’m not sure if he really thinks he's going to see a giant hole hole in the thick concrete walls, but there’s been no change in the air pressure, so I’m not worried about it yet.
Surprisingly, Nox answers me with none of the usual sarcasm or vitriol in his voice. “A Trigger is a living bomb. It's a Gifted whose power is literally an explosive. Usually, it's a one time thing. In teenage years, something will ‘trigger’ them and when their gift kicks in, the use of it kills them, as well as anyone close by.”
My gut sinks, and I’m sure my face is horrified, but Nox just keeps laying out the facts. “Unser was the first Gifted to have two abilities, the Trigger itself, and the Regeneration. He's a living bomb that can go off more than once, though his recovery period is a few weeks, so he has to be used in a very strategic way.”
I glance over at Gryphon and then back to Nox. I can’t help but state the obvious, terrifying truth. “There were just two explosions.”
North is quiet again in my head, which raises the panic in my chest a little more, but I try to focus on what Nox is saying because it's important.
He meets my eyes, and that same worried sort of calm is in him as he nods at me. “Which means that the Resistance has a Trigger who has a Regeneration period that’s only a few minutes.”
Fuck.
I swallow the bile creeping up my throat. “Do you think I'll be strong enough to take him out?”
Gryphon looks back over his shoulder, glancing at Alistair for a moment before deciding that whatever he’s about to say, it’s worth saying in front of him so that both Nox and I hear it. “My bet is that if the Bond Group was complete, and you were Bonded to everyone, then yes. Right now? I'm not so sure.”
I suddenly want to look anywhere but at Nox. It feels like more of a call out for him than it is for me. I’ve proven myself to be willing to figure things out between the two of us, whereas he has not been shy about how much he loathes to be around me. What a freaking mess.
There's another explosion and my palms begin to sweat.
Outside of these walls is my worst nightmare and a bunch of his friends, who I doubt will be easy for us to deal with. I was hoping to somehow make it through all of this conflict without ever having to see that man again. Naive, I know, but I’d kind of gotten attached to the very secret hope that North or Nox’s shadow creatures could somehow devour him for me.
Stupid girl.
They're trying to turn the Hail Mary into a Wasteland. That's why they brought the Shields, they want to take it away from us by having it turn into a battleground.
Gryphon’s eyes flick over to Nox, and I know he’s sending that information from North through to him as well.
I glance over to Alistair where he’s clutching at the wall and looking as though he might vomit. The moment our eyes meet, he blurts out, “You can't take my Joseph with you. They're not going to get through the walls. He's the safest here.”
Nox’s head whips towards Alistair and he snaps, “He’s not staying here.”
Jesus Christ, I think we're about to kidnap a kid.
Am I okay with that? Shit. I think I am. The Sanctuary has to be a better option for him, right? Fuck. My morals certainly have shifted lately.
I send through to North and Gryphon, We’re stealing this kid, right? If the guy won’t give him to us, then we’re taking him. There's no chance that we are going to get out of here without all of our powers. If Nox refuses to move without the kid, then we're stealing a kid.
Gryphon looks at me and nods, but North is silent in my head. Another trickle of panic runs down my spine and my bond decides that now is definitely the time for her to make a permanent sort of appearance.
My eyes shift to black again, and though I can still see what is going on around us and I still have control of my body if I choose to, I let my bond take the reins.
Enough of this childishness. When we get back, we're completing the bond. Whether you do it, or I do it.
Oh God.
She then takes control of the situation, walking past Gryphon and out the doorway until she is stalking back towards where we had left North. I send him one last message before I let go completely and let her keep us all safe.
Help Nox grab the kid. We need to get out of here.
Oleander’s bond
The Neuro man who dared to harm me and the girl has returned for us.
This time, I’m ready for him.
Not only has he come here for us, but he has dared to attack this hell-forsaken place that currently houses our Bonded. There is no part of me, not the god living inside this meat-suit nor the girl who I spend my days with, that is going to allow him near those that belong to us. We just need to get out of this prison first.
We find my Dark Bonded in the large chamber we had first moved through. There’s a small group of men with him, all of whom turn and get one look at me before freaking out. I enjoy the look of terror on all of their faces, but their training is such that while they shift on their feet, standing more at attention than they were before, none of them actually flee in terror.
Disappointing.
When the Dark Bonded one sees me, his shoulders roll back and his eyes flicker down to where one of his shadow creatures walks beside me. They’re very well trained, both of my little gifts from my Bonds, and as I approach, he says, “We aren't going to open the doors until we have a clear plan. Are you able to work through the solid concrete, or do you need to be outside with them?”
I tilt my head to one side as I consider what he's saying. “The concrete does dull my senses, but I can still feel those outside.”
I would be surprised if his shadow creatures couldn't walk through the walls themselves and deal with the people outside as well.
He shakes his head. “I’m not as accurate through the concrete. I can send my shadow creatures out there, but I can't control what they do as well as I can normally. If they have any Gifted hostages, there’s every chance that I could accidentally kill them as well.”
A minor inconvenience. “I don't care all too much about the casualties.”
There's a lot of nervous looks around me as the men all take in that statement, but the Dark Bonded one clicks his tongue at me, shaking his head. “You might not care, but the girl does, and you said that you protect her and keep her safe. Keeping her safe by killing innocent people is not doing a good job, Bonded.”
A burning sort of indignation ruffles my feathers, and I find myself pulling at the bond living within him, not wanting to deal with the man anymore. The man with morals and values and a million other useless things.
He gives me a curt shake of his head and turns away from me. “You can't have him, not right now. There's too much at stake.”
One of the men murmurs quietly under his breath, “I always knew that Draven had balls of steel, but I didn’t know that arguing with her was also in his repertoire. You couldn’t pay me enough. She’s fucking terrifying.”