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Chapter 21

Tobias

The tension seepingthrough Tobias Ember’s body made his shoulders rise and stiffen.

It was the same reaction he got every time he entered this place. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy seeing everyone at the bunker in Old London, but the confined living set his teeth on edge.

How the hell did people live here every day? Why weren’t they going crazy because they didn’t see daylight? If he didn’t feel fresh air on his skin at least once a day, he got grouchy. That was never a good thing.

Tobias had put off this visit for long enough. If he avoided Sophia any more, she would blacklist him. That meant he couldn’t go on any active missions. There was no fucking way he could be stuck behind a desk. That really would do him in.

He’d argued a dozen different ways with Sophia to get out of yet another assessment. But each time she’d shot him down, her gaze growing narrower and her sentences shorter. She wasn’t even a real doctor. Why did she think she had the right to head shrink him?

Danni had insisted on weekly checkups to see how he was managing his post-traumatic stress. Tobias was sure he didn’t have it. Anyone would be jumpy having been buried alive under a building and left to rot.

Still, Sophia and Danni kept prodding at him, trying to get him to confess his head was jumbled with dangerous thoughts. He’d prove them both wrong. He was fine. It was nothing that a few cold beers couldn’t fix.

Sophia was the worst. That woman rattled him. She was super-smart and could pick up any skill she set her mind to. He’d heard people call her arrogant or cocky. He didn’t think she was either. She just didn’t hide the fact she was clever. She didn’t have time for small talk or polite conversation. That suited him just fine. If her bedside manner was on the abrasive side, it didn’t stop her from being incredible at her job. He had to admire her for that, even if her interference in his life wasn’t welcome.

He stopped by the comms room door, which was propped open. His brother Jude was in there with Octavia. Octavia had run Flame radio ever since the State took over and ended public broadcasts. She’d been their eyes and ears at crucial times. Now, she was here, still broadcasting Flame, but working side by side with Jude.

Her blonde hair, which had been shaved off when she’d been captured by the State, had grown into a cute, wispy pixie crop. The scars on her face had also faded thanks to the dragon serum she’d been using—a serum designed by Sophia. You could still see faint silver scars where the shrapnel had shredded Octavia’s skin, but they were much improved from the jagged red marks he’d seen when they’d met.

“How are things?” Tobias walked into the room.

Jude swiveled in his seat and smiled at his brother. “We’re sorting out the latest broadcast for when we go mobile tonight.”

Tobias leaned against the desk and scrubbed a hand through his dark hair. Octavia and Jude had made it their personal missions to recruit more resistance fighters. They would go out in a Cobra, kitted out with all the equipment Octavia needed to spread the word about their fight. The two of them would venture out several times a week, broadcasting messages to other resistance fighters, encouraging them to join the bunkers.

It was working. They’d been doing it for three months. Since then, over a thousand people had joined the bunker. That kept everyone busy, Tobias included. His main role was to find new, secure locations to house everyone safely.

The work suited him. It meant he didn’t get to spend too much time underground, but he was always on the move. It made it hard to form proper relationships. He enjoyed a few one-night stands, but he was bored with them. He wanted more. His thoughts drifted to Sophia. He shut them down straightaway. There was no way Miss Spiky would have any time for him.

“Are you here for your appointment with Sophia?” Octavia smiled at him.

“If I put it off any longer, I’ll be in trouble,” said Tobias.

“You can never beat Sophia,” said Jude. “Don’t waste your breath trying. If she wants you here, you’ll be here.”

Tobias shook his head. “She drives me crazy. She’s always asking about how I’ve been sleeping, if I’m eating regularly, what my mood is like. I half expect her to ask me what I’m thinking about.”

“She’s trying to help,” said Jude. “Anyone would be messed up after what happened to you.”

“It feels like an age ago.” Tobias inspected a scar on his knuckle. “It’s not a problem for me.”

“Maybe Sophia’s asking you here for another reason?” Octavia raised her eyebrows and grinned.

Tobias snorted in response. “The only thing she wants to do is make sure I don’t go bat-shit crazy on her watch. She’s covering her own ass.”

“And it’s a fine ass,” said Jude.

Octavia slapped his arm. “Are you checking out other women?”

Jude grinned and planted a kiss on Octavia’s lips. “Absolutely not. Whenever I’m around you, you’re all I see.”

Octavia squirmed as he wrapped his arms around her, laughter drifting from her lips as he continued to kiss her.

Tobias smiled and looked away. Those two were crazy about each other. Ever since Octavia arrived at the bunker, Jude had been lost to her. Maybe even before then. The guy was obsessed, but it was a healthy obsession. They worked well together, combining their expertise and passion to make the perfect couple.