Page 43 of Twisted Bonds
“I can’t believe he listened to you.”
“We’ve gotten closer recently.”
Bobble’s gaze flicks between me and Sunder. His eyes filled with unwavering adoration. I can see the longing in his face, the desire to be wanted, to be loved by us both. I’ve never seen him look at Sunder like that before though.
I give him a playful elbow in the side. “Oh yeah? How close?”
God, it feels good to smile. Bobble man rolls his eyes a little at my insinuation, but I don’t miss the subtle blush blossom on his cheeks. My heart swells with excitement and butterflies. If they are growing feelings for each other…
An image flashes through my mind of the three of us, living happily together after all this. But it’s short-lived. Where do the other shards fit into that picture? If not Tairyn, what of Callum? And what if they decide to merge into Dan’thiel? Then I’ll have none of them.
“Are you mad?”
I shake my head emphatically, clearing the dark thoughts.
“Mad? Why would I be mad? I just want us all to be happy together. And if you two are happy together too, even better.”
“Well, we’re not together. I mean, nothing happened. I offered, but he…”
He shakes his head a little sadly. “I don’t think he’s interested in me that way, Mira. I’m sorry to get your hopes up.”
I run a comforting hand down his arm. The sting of rejection is all too well known to me, but I have my doubts this will be the end of their story. I’ve seen the way Sunder looks at him, too. Maybe with less intensity, but it’s a far cry from calling him a dirty rat bastard and kicking him away.
Taking a deep breath, I try to refocus.
“Okay. So. Sunder is feeling his feelings so that he can use his feelings to find Tairyn’s feelings,” I restate.
Bobble nods. “Even if the Second releases you,” his tone makes it clear how likely he thinks that is. “We need to find you before they do.”
As soon as he says it, Bobble’s face gets pale.
I stare flatly at him. “Bobble.”
“Mira.” His eyes shift from side to side in discomfort.
“Who are they?”
He grimaces. “I guess that now would be a bad time to tell you the centaurs that attacked us when we first arrived in Illuemera… Well, they’ve got wanted posters everywhere.”
I blink at him before responding numbly. “That’s not the worst of it.”
Quickly, I explain my conversation with Tairyn about Yurghen being alive. My mind swirls with images and questions.
“But how?” Bobble’s voice is on the verge of panic. I simply shrug. I saw him die. One hundred percent. I saw him die. Didn’t I?
Of course I did. Because I killed him. With my Chroma. In a Chroma-explosion that would have made the United States government envious. It had ripped into him, searing his flesh from his bones, and absolutely destroying him in every sense of the word.
I definitely killed Yurghen.
So how the hell is he alive?
He’s going to come for me, I know it. For us.
“You have to get away from here, Bobble. You can’t let him find you. Go back home. Take Sunder and go back home where it’s safe. I’ll find you.”
Bobble wraps me in his comforting embrace, shushing me as his warmth seeps into my bones. Behind him, Sunder’s face is glazed with determination as he reaches for another piece of colorful confetti.
I take a deep breath, calming myself a bit.