Page 120 of Unbound

Mireen shrugs in a way that says she definitely rat bombed him.

After the two of them finish bickering, we set aside our weapons and sit to revisit the topic of Brunhild and whether we should add her to our group.

"She's strong as hell," Beck says, slapping the mat to emphasize his point. "And her elemental is a fucking giant crab with claws that could snap a man in half."

"She also threatened to throw me out a window," I remind him.

"That was before she got to know you," Beck argues. "And anyway, she didn't actually do it, which shows restraint."

"Setting the bar pretty low there, Beck," Mireen says dryly.

"Her combat performance is apparently top-tier," Ambrose adds, ever the practical one. "Physically, she’s nearly as strong as Beck. Having two powerhouses on our team provides a tactical advantage."

"Is that all that matters?" I ask.

Ambrose frowns. "What else should matter in a life-or-death scenario like the Crucible?"

"I don't know. Maybe trust? Loyalty? Knowing someone has your back because they actually care if you live or die, not just because it benefits them?"

The room goes quiet. We've all seen enough death at Confluence to know exactly how fragile life is here, how quickly someone can go from friend to memory.

"I trust her," Beck says, his voice softer than usual. "I know that might not mean much coming from me, but... she's not what she seems at first. There's more to her than just muscles and threats."

"My intuition is telling me she's trustworthy," Ambrose says, touching his temple. "Despite the window-throwing threat."

I sigh, studying my newly healed arm. The weight of the coming Crucible presses down on me, along with all the other dangers circling ever closer. Can we really trust someone we barely know?

"Your friends are right to be concerned about numbers, angry human. In battle, a single ally can tip the balance between life and death."

"Even if that ally might be the one to stab us in the back?"

"Do you not think me capable of destroying any threat to your person? If she is foolish enough to betray you, she'll meet my teeth."

"Meet your teeth?"

"You asked me to stop talking about eating people. I chose to speak figuratively to avoid breaking your rule."

I snort at Typhon's words, drawing curious glances from my friends.

"Sorry," I say. "Just thinking about when Brunhild called Beck her 'sexy bear.'"

Beck's smile is wistful. "She has a way with words, doesn't she?"

"We want someone we can trust, too, Nessa," Mireen says, suddenly serious. "After everything we've been through, our team is the only family I've got left in this place." She doesn't say it, but I know she's thinking of the people we've all lost since arriving at Confluence—dead in training, dead in their beds, just... gone.

"Mine too," I admit.

"And mine," Ambrose adds quietly.

Beck nods, his usual jovial expression subdued. "Same here. That's why I'm pushing for her. I really do think she'd fight for us."

After another half hour of debate, I finally relent. "Fine. Let's add Brunhild. But Beck, if she betrays us, I'm feeding you to Typhon."

"Deal." Beck's face splits into a wide grin.

"So it's agreed upon, then," Ambrose says, rubbing his hands together. "The five of us against whatever the Crucible throws at us."

"And against Malakai and Serena," Mireen adds grimly.

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