56
TIGER
Bouncing with energy, I’m the last to whip Ezzy around the room like a pro.
I’m touching Ezzy! Wooohoooo! I’m dancing with my Bonded. My skin is on hers!
It’s surreal any time it happens, and my heart always turns into a million fluttering butterflies along with my belly.
I think I may have gone off script a few times, twirling her more than necessary and repeating my favourite part of spinning her in the air one too many times.
And my hands keep being naughty little munchkins and attempting to grab her ass, but I very politely tell them no, and they begrudgingly agree just when they reach the top of those delicious globes.
But still, I don’t fully touch them, so it doesn’t count.
Spinning her out with my arm extended, I reel Wifey back in with a little extra flourish.
“Oh, come on, don’t pretend like my charm isn’t working,” I say in response to a thorough scolding in the form of velvet smoke in my mind, and those sneaky, sneaky hands of mine go rouge—totally not by choice, by the way—gripping onto her ass cheeks and squeezing, my lips parting as my entire body tingles.
Ooooooh, they’re so nice.
“Is your charm pawing at my ass in the middle of a ballroom that is being recorded on live television?” Ezzy says, deadpan.
I gasp dramatically, slapping a hand over my chest as though I’ve been physically wounded by her accusation. “Ezzy!” I gasp with exaggerated offence. “You wound me. I would never be so, uh . . . indiscreet.”
I continue to grope her.
“Be good, and I might give you a treat later.”
Eyes blowing wide, I snap to attention, every sense pricked up. I tilt my head eagerly. “A treat?”
“Holy shit, did you see that? Are you sure your brother isn’t actually a dog? A labrador, to be specific.” I vaguely hear Coops in the background, but I’m too focused on Ezzy to register any responses.
“Mhm,” she utters aloud, before slipping into my mind, her presence filling me up, seeking out every crevice within me until she’s infiltrated me completely. My heart hops like a bunny rabbit. She purrs, You want to be my whore, do you not?
I trip over my own feet.
Luckily we’ve slowed, more just rocking together now, not doing the complicated Bonded dance anymore that the other Players spinning around the room are doing, and so I don’t take us both to the floor.
Oh, my, my, my . . . Ezzy is in a teasy mood.
Licking my lips, I nod rapidly, her figure blurring before me from the frenetic motions.
So behave, and I will make you one of them. You will be such a good whore, will you not?
I smother a desperate whine.
Yes, ma’am. I send her a picture of me saluting, lids stretching wide in anticipation as I wonder if we’re able to do that—to exchange images. No one’s ever mentioned it before, and I’d never even thought of it before now, but they’re thoughts, right?!
Ezzy freezes in place, shock colouring her features.
Oh my holy fuck! WOOOOHOOO! It worked, didn’t it?!
Tiger . . . did you just send me an image? Ez’s words are slow.
Uh-huh!
I’ve never seen her look so stunned. In fact, I’ve never seen her truly stunned at all.
Look at me go, Deadly Nightshade! Are you proud?!
A few beats pass, and I just know her brilliant mind is working at top speed, analysing every aspect of my discovery.
Yet, the more I think about it myself, I don’t understand how no Bonded would know this; there’s at least thirty Bonded groups that have survived The Bonding Games over the past eleven years they’ve been going on.
Unless they all kept their findings to themselves, which is .
. . actually very likely considering I’d automatically thought to do so myself. But does that mean . . .
Are there people out there actively, even if quietly, rebelling? It’s not exactly breaking news that many people aren’t fans of TBG, but I’ve never heard of anyone who’s actually acted on their feelings towards it.
The Council would probably see it as treason to keep a secret like this from them.
Unless they already know and simply don’t bother to mention it?
Hmmm . . . that seems unlikely—sharing images between minds would be extremely helpful for many things.
Any Bonded from past years would also be dragged back into the Techtis Council’s clutches and experimented on if they admitted to knowing this, too, I bet.
So that may be the reason we’ve never heard of it.
All of this only fuels my determination to win the Games and demand they end forever. Even if it’s a long shot, we have to try. And what if we got the fans’ support? The audiences of The Bonding Games already love us, we could use all this . . .
I am proud. Extremely. I hear all these thoughts.
Blinking, I zone back in on Ezzy, horrified my mind could ever leave her to stray to—
Oh, wait. I can’t remember.
I’m too distracted by my Wifey . . . and the hand that’s now on my chest. The chest I very subtly puff up for her.
You were thinking about winning The Bonding Games. Then ending the event.
Oh, riiiight!
Ezzy tells me, I love killing.
Awww . . . isn’t she so adorable?
So I would be very upset if the six Games were abolished.
A pout pushes my lips out—before an idea springs to mind: You could still attend them and kill! We could use the serum! Keep The Bonding Games but make it voluntary and non-fatal and have a new Techtis Council—
I gasp.
Us! We could be The Council! That’s what we can ask for as our prize!
They would never allow it.
But I see that she’s intrigued, so I barrel on, They would!
You’re the daughter of the Game Master! We both flinch at that, the reminder of that manky-ass, wretched swamp rat, and I push my feelings of apology down the bond, the way her mismatched eyes flicker letting me know she’s received them.
They couldn’t refuse! You’re the face of the Exots!
The entire Games! And they wouldn’t know our plans until it was too late!
Besides, I don’t think they’re all bad, only a few . . . maybe half. We can work with that.
Ezzy considers me like she’s never seen me before, and it feels as though I’ve never seen myself, either. Who knew I could be so smart?
I did, sinful smoke informs me.
My heart leaps, and I’m sure my face shines brighter than the Sun now. You did?
Yes. You are very intelligent. I was simply waiting for it to come out—and it has.
Beautifully. Well done. A pause as my heart melts.
I will take all of this into consideration.
I have always wanted to escape my father, but I have never wanted to leave this place.
I had always thought I must sacrifice one for the other, but I would very much like to stay here, and that would be possible if I stole my father’s place on The Council.
A thousand tiny wings flap around in my belly as she absently adjusts my bow tie while she continues, I am liking your idea with the serums. I could have a look at them myself if I can get my hands on some—which should not be too difficult, being who I am.
Maybe I could modify it so that it mimics death; I am decently experienced in the sciences.
Disappointing for my insatiable appetite, but I can work with this as long as I get to truly kill people, too.
I am most hungry for those tainting the world like my father.
I will not let anyone keep me from my favourite pastime.
However, I can do this for you because it will benefit me overall.
Ezla doesn’t explain exactly how, but the wicked glint in her eyes tells me she now has plans for world domination . . . which I inadvertently encouraged.
Whoopsies.
But it’s not just that that I see on her face . . . I could have sworn she looked at me for a brief moment, just a blip in time, with something softer in her mismatched gaze. And I’d like to think that maybe I’m more of a determining factor in her response than she’s let on.
And also, can I just say, wow. That’s the most I’ve heard her voice in one go.
I gape at my one true love with twinkling stars in my eyes.
Uhhh . . . hi? How did I get in here?
I whip my head to my bestie, eyes bugging out of it in a mirror image of his. Bestie?!
His jaw drops, and I reflect that back at him, too.
Are . . . are you in my head? he asks in confusion, dumbstruck.
Love, what’s going on?
Oh, fuck me, Havoc, it’s nice in your mind.
Well, this is handy, Vengeance. Learned a new skill?
I gawk, stilling completely with Ezzy in my arms, no longer dancing at all.
You gave me ideas, Tiger. I have simply opened my mind up to all of you at the same time; you are all in here together. Since my mind is processing all of your voices, so will you.
Holy fucking shit! I shriek.
Ugh, keep it down.
Coops, chill. There’s no volume in here.
I’m pretty sure there is, Tiger. Love, you’re a genius, Scotty tacks on the end.
I know.
Cooper snickers out loud, and Ez’s head snaps his way. She hisses down the bond, We will discuss this when we are back at the Bonded Chambers. I will stay the night. We must never tell anyone about this. Do you understand?
I start to nod—
No! she snaps. No reactions that eyes can detect. I will not risk anyone looking too closely and seeing we are all speaking together. We will discuss this later. It is time for dining now.
My stomach grumbles immediately in agreement.
Must be all that brain power I used.
Or the dancing, Cooper corrects, Ezzy clearly not having closed the connection yet.
That’s going to take some getting used to.
It’s gonna be so much fun.
***
“What the hell are these little things?” I look over at Ezzy, then back at the funny pink pile on one of the many gleaming plates in the centre of our circular white-clothed table in a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
“They are called sinflae—fish bites. They are actually quite nice,” she replies, entirely uninterested as she sips some water from her champagne flute.