I’m not even sure I could.
“Soothsayer. It's been an age, or maybe even three, since I last saw you. I was kind of hoping I wouldn't run into you in this lifetime. I'd rather deal with the shadow boys than you.”
A very inappropriate giggle tries to burst out of my lips at the very idea of someone calling North and Nox ‘shadow boys’. I know that if I look at either one of them right now, I will lose the fight and dissolve into a fit of laughter.
Maybe my brain was scrambled by the fight with Davies?
I shouldn’t think about that right now, not unless I want to lose my shit in a completely different way.
I’m distracted from my own spiral of doom by Nox stepping forward, his eyes shifting to black as his bond takes over and his voice echoes through our mind connection to everyone.
My bond agreed to share the helm to get it talking and this shitshow over with.
He always did have the best relationship with his bond. I can feel Gabe and North's approval through the mind connection, and while I'm sure Atlas also thinks this is a great idea, he's not exactly going to say it, thanks to their animosity.
“I don't even have to guess or hear your voice to know which one you are. You two always did come in pairs, as much tied to each other as you are to the Eternal. What stroke of insane luck did you all have to arrive together? Or was it some sort of black magic you’ve found and won’t share? How does it feel to be the luckiest sons of bitches to ever cycle?”
I have no idea what any of that means, but Nox's bond clearly does.
It cocks its head in that same way they all have. “Patience and unerring devotion is all it took. The rest of you have spent too long fighting amongst yourselves and not enough time looking for what you really need. The Eternal is mine. I return for my Bonded.”
A shiver runs up my spine at the sound of his voice and the very public declaration of love that might be coming from Nox’s bond, but it’s still about me, here in front of everyone, in his voice.
I’m careful not to turn to look at him, because I’ll probably make a fool of myself if I do.
The god-bond inside of Sage throws her head back and laughs. “You say that like I want to fight with the rest of them! You already know I have no choice. None of us do! They always come calling.”
Nox’s bond shakes his head. “What do you want? Why bother coming here, because all you have done is paint a target on yourself. We’re all together now, protected, and growing stronger by the minute. You think we're just going to sit here and wait for your next move? We're going hunting. We're not going to stop until every last one of you are thrown back into the cycle and we're left alone here to finally live out a lifetime together.”
My heart clenches in my chest and, finally, I look back to meet North’s eyes. He’s already watching me, and when our eyes meet, I want to cry at the longing there. It’s all him, the desperation he’s felt his whole life to find me and protect me, to have me for himself.
He doesn’t need his god-bond to feel that way.
Sage’s head cocks to the side once again, a mirror of Nox’s, but this time, the expression on her face is more human than I have seen any of the god-bonds act. It’s scared of whatever others are out there, and I think it might just be telling the truth here.
“I’m not on their side. I know you don't want to believe that because I helped some of them get in here, but I was trying to keep them away from my bond.”
Gryphon's arms slip around my waist. “It didn't work though, did it? You endangered the rest of us for no reason, and now you've come crawling back here for our help.”
“Are you happy to hear that it didn't work and they killed my Bonded? Do you get some form of sick enjoyment out of that?”
Its eyes flick back to Nox as she continues, ”No, you don’t. You just hate that I'm still here even without it. You think that your form of devotion is the only one. I've lost this cycle, but I need to do what I can for the next one. I'm not just going to throw away a chance at finding some allies.”
Nox’s bond turns to look at Gryphon, then its eyes flick down to me, devotion and obsession in them as it traces my face. “We don't need allies. We need you all dead.”
I feel as though if I leave it up to the bonds, we’re going to be stuck here forever talking about who is the strongest and what nefarious plans they all have for each other. And no matter how possessed and unrecognizable Sage might look at the moment, I can't stop thinking about my best friend and her body being used right now.
I reach out to my own bond where it’s slumbering somewhere around my spleen, but it merely yawns and stretches before rolling over and going back to sleep. Fighting in the Wasteland has worn it out enough that without direct danger to our Bonded Group, it's just not interested in coming to the party.
I cast another fleeting look in North's direction, only to remember that the last thing he would be willing to do would be to let his bond out to finish this off, so instead, I focus back on Nox.
I haven't spent a huge amount of time with his bond, or any of the bonds really, but I have a level of comfort and familiarity with it that I just don't have with Gryphon’s yet.
I want this to be over, I send through our mind connection to it, and though Nox hears it, he knows it isn't for him and leaves the two of us to speak.
The bond doesn't look at me, but I feel its presence in my mind straight away.
Do you want me to end it?
I scowl and answer quickly, I don't want you to hurt Sage… but I want that bond out of her, and I want it never to get back in again. Can the Soothsayer really do that?
With you, he can do anything. Now that we're all together, I don't doubt his limitlessness at all.
I tilt my head back until I'm staring at Gryphon’s bond, upside down and a little confusing, but I can tell he likes that I haven't tried to step away from him, that I have just allowed him to be close to me for now.
I'm tired, and this all feels like it’s for nothing. I'd rather be done with it and go back to the house together. If you can get it out of her head, do it now, please. For me. Just don’t hurt her.
Sage's mouth opens again, ready for the next litany of insults and sharp barbs, but Gryphon's eyes flash again, that same eerie, unnatural, blackness that they get when the god-bonds call on their power, and Sage collapses back to the bed, a groan ripping out of her chest that definitely sounds like one of her own.
Gryphon’s bond looks down at me with that same expressionless face. “I closed her mind to the god-bond. It cannot use her again, Bonded.”
CHAPTER TWO
Oli
Felix goes inside the cell to check Sage over, but the god-bond didn’t do any damage to her that he can find. North agrees to let her go home for the night under her Bonded’s watchful eyes. Kieran hovers over her like the god-bond is going to physically fall out of her and he’ll have something tangible to fight, something to murder with his bare hands. Felix is also staring at her like she might drop dead at any second, so really, they’re just as bad as each other.
Wick doesn’t say a word.
Neither does Riley.