Page 120 of The Divide that Binds Us

Rio is still, giving Fae the opportunity to help Alice to her feet.Her skin is warm and red, but the open wounds slowly heal as Alice steadies herself while holding onto Fae.

“I don’t believe this,” Rio whispers.

“Of course you don’t,” Alice coughs.Her facial scars sizzle as they sew themselves shut, leaving no trace of injury behind.“You’re so hellbent on thinking it’s me.”

Poppy trots up to Fae and Alice, wedging her big head between them with her toothless smile.“I don’t sense evil or death from them.They’re good people.”

Fae looks up in disgust.“Can you not?”

Alice and Rio turn to Fae, their faces riddled with confusion.Before anyone speaks, twigs crunching, and branches quivering resound.Shadows move through the trees too fluidly for it to be an animal, and too quiet for it to be a civilian running from Wave Riding Season.They watch as Guards emerge from the shadows of the trees, surrounding them.

Rio raises his arms, flagging them down.“Are you with Mildred?I have Alice Reid and Fae!”

The Guards don’t answer, but Alice moves just in time to knock Rio down from a headshot that misses him.Fae screams and huddles by Poppy who growls as red lasers point at them.

“Kill the dragon, we need the girl alive,” one Guard says.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.

Rio is in front of Poppy and Fae in a flash, lightning left in his trace.He holds Alice in his arms as she casts her shield around the four of them.The Guards fire, bullets and arrows bouncing off the shield.Fae gulps from the hopeless sight, wondering if it’s boiling down to kill or be killed.

The Guards close in on them with their crossbows and guns.Alice’s shield flickers, so Rio rapid fires lightning at the Guards, electrocuting their weapons until they drop them.

“Fae!Leave with the dragon, now!”Alice orders.

“But—”

“Go!”Rio shouts, gently setting Alice to her feet.“It’s not safe here.”

With the Guards distracted, Fae turns and leaps onto Poppy’s hard, slippery back.She digs her nails into the cracks between her teardrop-shaped scales and squeezes her legs for a better grip.Poppy launches upward and flaps to jet away from the scene, but torpedoes headfirst back into the ground.Fae, unable to tighten her grip, flies forward and off Poppy’s back.She reorients herself and finds a thick, silver arrow transfixed into Poppy’s underbelly.She moans and lies in the grass flailing with tears the size of golf balls rolling down her snout.Her eyes are frantic and large, but Fae doesn’t have time to process anything.She runs around Poppy and tries to pull the arrow out and hears more Guards coming.

“No!”Alice screams, throwing herself in front of Poppy and Fae with her trembling arms open.

One Guard fires, but Alice’s shield generates in time to protect the three of them.

Thunder grumbles in the sky as the drops of red descend onto the island, plummeting Fae’s heart as she gasps at Poppy.

“No!No, no, no, NO, POPPY!”

“I’m okay, Fae,”she sighs.

Her body doesn’t rise, but another dragon elsewhere didn’t make it.

Rio bolts into the orange sky, joining into the flash of lightning before the thunder crackles once more.

Alice keeps the shield up but backs into Poppy’s limp body.She caresses her gently and murmurs an apology before yanking the arrow out of her flesh.Poppy roars and squirms, but Fae is so focused on the Guards still shooting at the shield to give her comfort.

“A-Alice...”Fae whimpers.

“It’s okay.You’re safe,” Alice replies.Her hand is on Poppy’s bloody gash.

Fae stares through the purple, protective bubble in awe as Lightning-Rio strikes down on the incoming new Guards with vengeance.They lie on the ground, twitching as Rio’s shock lingers throughout their bodies, rendering them unable to move.

The blood rain pours, leaving the earth bleeding permanently in its mournful cry of a lost dragon.Blood splats on the shield but sizzles off from contact.

Alice’s hand glows white as it hovers over Poppy’s wound.Threads of her scales regenerate and weave themselves until the bleeding has stopped and the hole is sealed shut.Poppy shakily springs to her feet and examines her body and circles herself like a dog.

“Good as new,” Alice says, snapping her fingers to drop the force field.They come together again, standing in the rain.

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