my head, and then I watch as North stalks forward to open the door, his body blocking the way, but I can see just enough of the carnage out the front to wince a little over the damage bill.
I should’ve just kept my mouth shut. I should’ve never texted Atlas and confided in him.
The moment North steps aside, Atlas stalks into the foyer, clearly intent on pulling me into his arms, but I’m barely holding my bond at bay and I step away from him.
The mood in the room gets malevolent.
I realize what I’ve done immediately, and because the world is against me, Nox chooses this exact moment to arrive, walking out through the door from the garage, the smell of whiskey clinging to his clothes.
He glances up to look right at me, his mouth twisting into a sneer, and I instinctively lurch forward to grab Atlas’s arm. With one action, I probably saved Nox’s life.
The smirk stays put as he looks over Atlas, his entire body radiating smug dickhead energy, but it falters a little when he sees North standing there in all of his half-naked, sleep-rumpled glory.
“What’s going on?”
North glances over at me and this is the moment where I want to run screaming from the room and away from the shame of this moment, but still I can’t figure out how the fuck to explain anything going on in my head.
Atlas doesn’t wait for any of the careful family politics that is very clearly happening around us. “What’s happening is that you attempted to force a bond with Oli, and you think being a fucking Draven means you can get away with it. I’m going to torture you and then kill you.”
Well, fuck.
I cringe a little because I’m expecting an immediate scathing retort or for a punch to be thrown, if not some sort of gift use, but the room goes strangely quiet again.
North stares at Nox for a second and then says, "Did you do it?”
I’ve only seen them interact at the dinner table and North always just leaves him to tear strips off of me with his words, never once interrupting or telling him to leave me the hell alone. This seems… weird. He’s acting as though Nox is a broken man, kid gloves and calm words in his direction. That’s not at all the man that I know and loathe being around.
Nox smirks and raises an eyebrow back at him. "She didn't say no. Not once. She came on my hand so no, brother, I didn't rape her."
Could the ground just open up and swallow me whole? That would be great, thank you. I don’t want to live through this at all. Nope, give me death’s sweet embrace because fuck this.
I’m expecting Atlas to turn some of his anger onto me, to demand an answer or just storm out of here, but he doesn’t. Nope, he takes a step in front of me until he’s covering me entirely, a very obviously protective move.
“You literally teach Gifted 101, we all know that you used her bond against her. You knew exactly what you were doing, and I’m not going to let you treat Oli like that. You’re not so fucking intimidating when you’re facing someone with a gift, asshole.”
A smirk stretches over Nox’s face and his eyes turn entirely black. “You sure about that? C’mon then, try me.”
My brain shuts down for a second because his eyes are black. Black. I’ve never seen someone with the same depthless voids as mine are, and then Atlas’ turn white and the danger of the situation finally hits me. I’m about to find myself in the middle of a fucking Gifted fight with no way to protect myself.
Atlas smirks back at Nox and I start to look around for something to hide behind or an exit to magically appear.
“If either of you throw a single attack at one another in my house in front of my Bond, I’ll be finishing this and neither of you want that.”
I glance over to North and almost pass the hell out, because not only are his eyes black, but his hand, which is outstretched and ready to throw whatever the hell he can do at them both, is slowly turning black too.
I really should’ve been more insistent about finding out what the fuck they can all do because… well, what the fuck is he threatening them both with that even has Nox hesitating? What other gifts would give them both black glowing