They’re terrified of her, of course, but some of that terror is definitely laced with respect.
They all know what she can do, and it's only natural that they're scared of that, but they also understand that their safety hinges on her ability.
In a way, it always has.
The Dravens have been working tirelessly for years. They’ve poured billions of dollars into this town, all of them working towards having a safe community and peace, towards finding a way to deal with the Resistance, but in the end, the shadows can only do so much. They are not all-consuming. They aren't able to stop people dead in their tracks from hundreds and hundreds of miles away.
They can't do what Oleander can.
I meet the eye of one of the builders, and he startles for a moment before he inclines his head at me respectfully, stepping up towards me as he begins to point out more areas that need work. He's respectful enough, but he also knows a hell of a lot more than me. When I listen to him attentively and begin to move as directed, I can feel not only his relief but his approval.
I feel for a moment as if I've suddenly woken up inside Gabe’s body, because this is how they all treat him. Suddenly, it all makes sense to me. He always works with everyone in the community, regardless of what they whisper about him behind his back. He ignores it all, taking the high road, and just gets on with things.
It's never occurred to me to act in the same way or to build relationships the way that he has, but as other builders and TacTeam personnel begin to approach me and speak to me quietly about various different things, I find myself leaning into it.
North has spent so much of his time making the Sanctuary a place of safety for all, so much of his resources and money and time has gone into it. I know Oli has no intention of leaving, even once we've dealt with the god-bonds.
This place is home to her now.
If we're going to continue to live here with these people, then I can't just lock myself in the mansion with her forever, as tempting as that may be. I might not be able to achieve Gabe’s level of friendliness, but I can certainly try and cultivate some form of relationships and goodwill with these people.
This might be what growing up feels like.
As badly as I don't want to admit it, so many of my formative years were spent with my mind being twisted by Resistance propaganda and my parents’ expectations for me. Then my later teenage years were spent planning an escape for my Bonded and I. Now, I suppose, is the time to find and explore a new normal.
We just have to find the god-bond and kill it first.
It’s the last one left that we know of, and then I suppose we'll spend the rest of our days waiting for more to wake up, watching carefully for any signs while we build a life and live it to the fullest. We will learn how to be the best versions of ourselves, for our Bonded and for everyone else.
My eyes drift back to Oli. The pull of her magnetic beauty, both inside and out, is so alluring to me that I find myself once again growing angry that other people are in her presence.
Except then I see what she's doing.
As she fusses with the flowers on the ground, the small memorial for Vivian that has started, I calm myself down once more. We’re working on our next move and we’ve almost got it planned out. Just a few more days of waiting for the next move, of repairing what we can and helping everyone around us.
A few days of giving what we can in the hope that it is enough, that we can build something that will survive all of this death and destruction with us.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
Oli
The physical changesto the Sanctuary after the explosion that took out the Tac Training Center are a glaring reminder of the loss within the community.
I can't walk down to North’s offices without passing through the town center, which has now been turned into our makeshift training area. When we first moved here, I couldn't help but gently poke fun at North's intense need for aesthetic perfection for the areas that he’s in control of, and the town center is no different.
With perfectly cobbled pathways and a large fountain in the center of a landscaped area, it’s the perfect place for members of the community to sit and eat lunch or meet up with friends. It’s something that I’ve always hoped to do but never quite felt comfortable enough to, thanks to all of the eyes that are constantly on me. It’s idyllic, the center point of the entire town, and it faces both the dining hall and North’s offices, with a small road that leads to the Tac Training Center. It has always felt like the heart of the Sanctuary. The very first day that Kieran Transported us in, it was here that I got my very first view of the town. It was a beautiful introduction. Now it’s covered in training mats and bodies, people flooding the areas as they work through their stances and wait for their turn in the sparring ring.
I stand and look over the lines and lines of Tac personnel with a critical eye. With this many bodies, you would think that there would be some dissent or disorganization, but as a testament to how the entire Sanctuary has pulled together since Vivian's death, there is none of that.
More surprising than anything else, there have been lots of new recruits. Dozens of people from Top Tier families have finally come forward to offer their services, adding a huge arsenal of Gifts to our skill set, and I can see the respect in North, Gryphon, and even Nox at the families’ apparent change of heart.
I haven't been brave enough yet to ask Gryphon if there’s an ulterior motive in play.
I'm sure there has to be one, but instead, I focus on what this means for whatever comes next with the god-bond. The god-bond who wields Pain and has reportedly gone insane because of the years of rebirth. The one who killed Nox while targeting North, happily taking out his brother instead.
I get the feeling we will need all the power we can get our hands on.
I watch Gryphon as he scrutinizes the recruits. It’s one of my favorite things to do, to guess how he's feeling about their progress before he opens his mouth. I like to see if I can read him as well as the rest of them can read me. It's surprising to me how quickly I have come to know my Bonded as well as I know myself.
