Chapter 19 #2
With the way things are at the moment, Aro doesn't even want to send him to the school in case he gets targeted for being so close to our Bonded Groups.
It was something else I felt a small sprinkling of guilt about until Sage pointed out that it was as much about her own Bonded Group as it is about ours.
Kieran and Felix are notable players, as well as Sawyer, thanks to his job doing security.
Not everything is about me and my void eyes.
That was a quiet dose of reality I very much needed. As we approach the dining hall, the only structure big enough to house the entire population of the Sanctuary, if everyone stands, I remind myself of that again.
Not everything is about me.
But this meeting just might be.
* * *
It doesn't matter how prepared we are for the situation. There are always hiccups, the first of which is Nox's complete meltdown about where everyone is going to stand. I can see how much it grates on Atlas until he realizes what exactly is going on here.
Nox is concerned, of course, that someone is going to try to attack North as he's speaking. It would be a stupid idea, but it’s also a very real possibility now that we know about the god-bonds and their ability to mess with things even inside the safety of the Sanctuary walls.
He also knows that I am the bigger target here.
So Nox finds himself split between who he is going to protect himself, the only person he truly trusts to do the job properly. I think we’re going to have to watch the Draven brothers fight it out over canceling the meeting, except then I witness a minor miracle.
“I’ll stand with North. I can project my Gift onto him the entire time, and if you guys all stand closely enough, I can project it over Oli as well, that way you can stand with her but know that I have North covered, as well as our Bonded,” Atlas says in a very firm and confident voice.
I watch as the cogs turn in Nox's brain.
He doesn't answer him right away, but it's also not a disrespectful thing, he’s figuring out whether or not this situation feels safe enough for him.
Whether or not he feels as though his brother is going to be guarded enough.
I can tell that North is having to physically restrain himself from getting involved, but we leave it to Nox for a moment until finally, he turns to me, three shadows falling from his body as Mephis, Procel, and Rahab appear.
“Stand right here with me, Oleander,” he says, pointing. I do as he says, ignoring the shortness of his tone.
It's all the answer that Atlas needs as he steps up beside North and gives him a nod. Gryphon flanks my other side and talks to Gabe quietly as they figure out exactly where best to position themselves. If anything happens, Gabe will need the room to shift into a dragon if the Draconis takes over.
Gryphon has a good point of view from where he's standing, able to not only reach out with his mind to see where everyone is but also to check for any discrepancies within the crowd.
As I prepare myself just in case we require Soul-Rending today, though I sincerely hope that isn't going to be the case, Nox’s fingers wrap around my wrist like a bracelet, holding me as though he thinks I'm going to attempt to run away from him. Or maybe he thinks I’ll run head-first towards any danger that might appear.
I'm not sure, but I don't attempt to pull away or move from him even as the room begins to fill up around us.
I hate the feeling of all of their eyes on me.
I never did enjoy being the center of attention like this, and my sarcastic nature wants to kick in, to deflect away from the situation. Unfortunately, I promised North I'd be on my best behavior.
Something I kind of regret now.
Sage’s Bonded Group comes to stand at the front with us where Kieran can watch over his Bonded as much as he watches over the room, and Sawyer’s Bonded Group comes in shortly after, having waited outside until their parents had arrived.
The Bensons stand close to their children, looking well-dressed and confident as they throw their support behind us as well.
Vivian, Unser, and Adella shepherd in their own children as they join us.
North had taken a very calculated risk when he called the meeting, and he and the others had spent quite a lot of time making sure that security was in place, knowing we were all going to be in one spot for however long this takes.
I don't feel as concerned about it.
Not with my Gift cast out like a net over the entire building and knowing that Gryphon is doing the same, our eyes both glowing black with the use of our power. I'm sure it's making some people here uncomfortable, but I'd rather be sure we're all safe.
Nox’s fingers tighten around my wrist, and I glance up at him, but his eyes are fixed on the end of the room as more people fill the space.
What is it? I send to him, and he doesn't react as he answers me.
I recognize some of the newcomers from Draven. I don't like them, and North should have warned me.
I nod and flex my fingers but there's nothing I can do to fix that situation, something for the brothers to work out amongst themselves. Instead, I stand there with my void eyes surrounded by my beloved Bonded Group as the entire town watches us. I stand there with my back straight in the beautiful dress North had picked for me, my white, ghostly hair curled to perfection, makeup on, kitten heels, and red lips stretched into a smile as though I’m not a monster in disguise.
I stand there and hope that they all believe me, because it's true.
Then North starts the meeting, carefully stepping up to the microphone as he smooths a hand down his tie and buttoned jacket. Atlas shadows him the whole way with his own void eyes as he calls on his Gift to ensure that our Bonded Group is safe.
“Thank you for joining us here tonight. I know that this is unexpected, but there have been a lot of changes here in the Sanctuary over the last few days that we need to discuss. I am happy to be the one to go over it all with you and keep you up to date. Please save all questions until the end.”
* * *
The meeting with the entire town goes about as well as we were expecting.
Half of the room can't believe that North would want to give up control of the place, and the other half feel as though they're being thrown out to sea without a life raft, though we do everything we can to reassure them that this isn't the case.
“The council cannot continue. It is an outdated form of control, and as a community, we have moved past it.
Ranking everybody's Gifts into Top Tier and Lower Tier is a sign of elitism, and it only serves those in power,” North says, and I hear the ripple of disgruntled voices at the front of the group.
I'm quick to look over at them, using the haunting sight of my void eyes on each of them as a deterrent for the grumbling, and it works swiftly.
I see members of the now-defunct council swallow roughly and shift uncomfortably on their feet. Unhappy as they might be with no longer being at the top of the food chain, they aren't willing to take me on to get their status back.
“It's been a breeding ground for Resistance recruiters, and we all know it.
Look around. There are only four families from the council here in the Sanctuary, only four families could make it through the vetting process.
It's unacceptable. We can't continue that way. We know this already; only a madman would continue trying the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.”
I feel my bond’s pleasure inside of my chest, and I'm careful not to let the smile show on my face.
We were those ‘mad men’, of course. The bonds chose to live over and over and over again until this time, finally, we all live together, but there's no need to be fussy over the way that North is wording things right now.
We're here to show our support of him and his decisions, to show a united Bonded Group, along with our friends, as we attempt to make things better.
“You really think this is going to work as a democracy?” someone calls out. Although North had asked for the questions to be held off until he finished, he's happy to answer.
“I think that's exactly what we need. I think that a voice needs to be given to members of many different Bonded Groups, from all upbringings and experiences. Then we can come together to make decisions that serve us all, not just those who have always held power.”
“That's easy for you to say, Draven,” someone else calls out, and I tug a little at the net I've cast out to figure out exactly who it was.
Unsurprisingly, it's a family member of one of the councilmen; a son who had hoped to someday hold the chair his father currently sits on.
North is a lot more kind than I feel when he addresses the kid.
“I have made it very clear to every member of the council over the years and every person who has come into this town that they are more than welcome to question my stances on things, but to question my integrity over something like this comes with only one answer.
You show me where you have funneled all of your resources, your wealth, your privilege, the things that you were given by birth and not just worked for yourself; you show me that you have funneled them into something that is purely for your community, without any payment or expectations.
Then you can speak to me on such issues.
I built this town for my community. I have fed this town.
I have provided utilities and supplies, and I have done it all without ever asking for a single thing in return.
I did so with my father's money, my grandfather's money, and my great-grandfather's money.
I did so with the seat on the council that was given to me by birth and by blood.
I did so without ever expecting so much as a ‘thank you’, which is a good thing, because most people haven't thought to thank me for a damn thing.”
He takes a breath and looks down at me for a second before looking back up, using a single moment to square away his own feelings before continuing.
“My father started this town with my uncle. My father, who you're all so terrified of for a single moment of extreme anger and emotion that he had no control over. Every last one of you villainized him for a single moment of his life that wasn’t his best. Let me make one thing very clear to you all now—my mother deserved the death she got.”
The entire room goes silent.
I refuse to look around at anyone or make a face that might give away how I feel about what North is saying. Nox’s fingers are cold around my wrist, but he’s not surprised by this admission.
North must have warned him that it was coming.
“I will not speak on this issue any further. I won’t tolerate any gossip about it either.
My mother transgressed on such a level that I feel nothing towards her death but gratitude to my father for doing what was right, even at the cost of his own life.
I have borne the brunt of the hatred and distrust for my family name because of an act of real love from a father, and I did so because it’s no one else’s business.
My father died with a clear conscience, and I have always intended to live up to his legacy.
Dissolving the council and setting up a new one does so. ”
No one dares to speak, no one moves, and no one in this room dares to question the honesty or integrity of North Draven again.