Page 65 of Interion

“Breno, I think we’d better get out of here.” I tugged at his hand, but he didn’t budge, his eyes still fixed on the out-of-control Adele.

“Oh, Breno, you really don’t know! You’ve been following her around like an eager little puppy for about four years now.” She laughed, throwing her head back, and nearly fell over.

I was so desperate I couldn’t even hear the music anymore. The only thing Breno didn’t know about me was that I had a partner, but there was no way Adele could know about the bond.

She steadied herself against the man and looked me in the eyes.

“She’s Zion’s partner.” Her eyes turned to Breno, who seemed frozen. “You’re just making a huge fool of yourself.”

My heart sank, and Breno slowly turned to face me. Time seemed to slow as his strong, determined expression began to fade, giving way to confusion.

“Tell him, Kyller! I bet he wants to know more.” Adele nearly toppled over, and the man scooped her up, heading toward the stairway. I didn’t just want to punch Adele—I wanted to kill her and tear her apart limb by limb. But right then, my top priority was the confused, pained look Breno was giving me.

“Is that true?” he asked, seeming distant. He was probably trying to process the information. I couldn’t answer—I was still trying to get my thoughts together. I had told Breno about the marriage, and he knew nothing could happen between us. So why did I feel like I’d done something terribly wrong?

“Is that true, Kyller?” Breno asked again, his voice colder this time. I had no choice but to answer before things got worse.

“Yes,” I murmured sadly. “We’re partners, but we didn’t lock the bond, and that…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he shouted over the music, looking lost. “Gods, I’m a complete idiot. How did I not see this before?”

The music I’d been loving before had now become a problem. I wouldn’t be able to explain anything with the sound this loud.

“Can we talk outside?” I tugged his hand toward the stairs, but he jerked away from my touch. A simple act, but one that made everything painfully clear.

“Not now, Kyller.” He ran his hands through his hair, disheveling the golden strands. “I need...” He paused for a few seconds before forcing out the rest, as if it were all he could manage. “...time to process.”

Breno started walking away from me. I stepped toward him, trying to grab his arm. My head buzzed with thoughts scrambled by the music and muddled by the alcohol.

“Wait!” I needed to explain, needed him to understand that the bond with Zion was so complicated I simply pretended it didn't exist. “Zion and I, we denied the bond. It's not important, and that's exactly why I never mentioned it.”

“A bond isn't important?” He cut me off furiously, rolling his eyes. Then he stepped back as if afraid to get too close. “So if a partnership bond doesn't matter to you, what does that make a friendship? Less than zero on your list of priorities?”

“No! I would never think that way, Breno. Your friendship means everything to me—you're above any stupid bond!” I exclaimed, desperate for him to hear me, but Breno just shook his head.

“Then why does Adele, your enemy, know and I don't? Why did I have to find out from her instead of you?”

I didn't have an answer for that. I still hadn't figured out how she knew about the bond. My hesitation let Breno draw his own conclusions, and without giving me a single chance to say anything, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

I stood frozen like a mummy in the middle of the dance floor, unable to feel anything, still reeling from everything that had happened.

The betrayal in his eyes was so palpable it hurt my soul. I looked at the crowd around me, and suddenly the party had lost all its appeal. I ran my hands through my hair in defeat. Adrian and Naoki were watching me from across the room and raised their glasses in my direction, toasting the mess I'd gotten myself into.

Desperate for some silence and fresh air, I headed for the stairs and pulled my phone from my pocket. I was about to call a taxi when someone called out to me from a corner near the wall.

It was Hiro and Aish, dancing together. They called out to me cheerfully, waving their hands. Reluctantly, I walked over to see what they wanted.

“What happened, Kyller? You look like you just came from a funeral,” Hiro asked.

My eyes were full of tears, but I swallowed the hard lump in my throat. A funeral was exactly what had happened to my friendship with Breno.

“Problems with Breno,” I mumbled, head bowed.

The party raged on around me, but nothing made sense anymore. A bartender passed by and Aish grabbed three shots of vodka.

“I have a remedy for broken hearts,” she said, tilting the vodka into Hiro's mouth. He downed it in the blink of an eye.

“I don't think that's a good idea.” I watched the Amperian, who was approaching like an ebony wolf.