Page 123 of The Divide that Binds Us

“No,” I murmur before Fae responds.“Elite has someone she wants, a little boy.I doubt she’ll do anything rash until she has him in her custody.If I’m wrong, I’ll eat a dragon scale.”

Rio grimaces.“That’s disgusting.”

“Let’s hope I’m not wrong then.”I smile wide as his grimace deepens.

He calls for a taxi to take us to the closest hotel from the station.Fae is familiar with the island, so the hotel we’re going to is at least a mile away from Mildred’s other operating location.

We squeeze in the backseat, sandwiching Fae in the middle while Poppy soars upward and flies behind us.The driver grumbles something about getting his seats dirty before taking off.I stare out the window and frown from the sight of the civilians, all dressed in blues, grays, and dirty whites.Most of the buildings are worn bricks, weathered, rotting wood, and crumbling concrete.My dad once told me welders and mechanics are the most common trades here, so ninety percent of Sapphire’s population has worn hands.

“I don’t understand,” I mumble.“Sapphire has always been known for technology, manufacturing, and transportation.We need these things, yet the island is so poor.”

“I blame Amethyst for that,” Fae whispers.

No wonder King Evan is always angry; he’s running this wasteland.But he let it get this bad, so I actually do blame him.Rio is dazed again, staring out the window.Most of the smeared blood from his face is gone, but some of it is still smudged on his neck.

I slightly shift my body, facing Fae.

“So, did you send Poppy to see me at any point?”I ask.

Fae’s eyes widen.“Oh ya!I knew it was a longshot, but I had to try.”

“I went to Topaz, but you weren’t there.In the cave, I mean,” I tell her.

“I must’ve left already by then.”She scratches her cheek.“I came here and found about ...stuff.”She eyes the driver cautiously.

When the taxi pulls in front of the hotel, I step out to a pungent, rotting smell that fills my lungs, I can barely resist the urge to vomit.Poppy circles around the hotel until she lands and stays perched on the roof.The lobby’s warped, wooden floor groans with each step we take to speak to the receptionist.This structure already doesn’t feel promising.I hold my stomach and concentrate.

Rio shows his card to the receptionist who smiles and gives him a set of keys.He looks back and raises his eyebrows, “Shall we?”

“Just shut up and walk!”I yell.I’m hangry and exhausted now.

When we get to the room, Rio fumbles with the keys before I angrily snatch them and unlock the door.The room is small and stuffy; I expected this much.I inhale so hard that my nose tickles from too much dust.

There are two queen-size beds, but before anyone speaks, Rio claims the floor.Easy.He leaves to get tacos and tea, but I’m stressed about the food here and if he’ll try to poison me.

Fast forward thirty minutes, and I’m eating with Rio and Fae.Both are sitting cross-legged on Fae’s bed, raving about the crunchy tacos.I bite into my food and feel the despair punch me.As if I haven’t had enough of that since arriving.Stale shells are the worst.At least the chamomile tea restores my energy so my body doesn’t flicker in and out of what feels like death.

“So, start from the beginning,” Rio muffles to Fae between bites.

“Mildred had this friend named Nancy, a Spirit User with the gift of sight.Nancy saw something that was basically the Light of Judgement losing control...I think.Nancy and Mildred were super close, so when Nancy died in a fire with her son, Mildred was devastated,” Fae explains.She pauses to eat while Rio reaches for his tea.

“There’s a kid staying at Elite with a woman.His name is Wren.He also has the gift of sight—a Spirit User too,” I tell her.Rio nods.

“That’s Katarzyna’s grandmother,” he adds.

I tilt my head.“Kuh-who?”

“Ka—never mind.Kate.My friend who you...”Rio mumbles.

Oh, almost killed one time for trying to trick me.

Fae clears her throat.“Anyway, Mildred felt like she was the chosen one to seek refuge for Zealans in a new home before Nancy’s vision comes true, thus starting the killing spree of dragons.”

“Kill the dragons, kill the world,” Rio confirms.

“And go to Naven,” I finish, grimly.Fae puckers her lips awkwardly and fiddles her fingers.“And you?How do you play a role in all of this along with her erratic followers?”

“Mildred finds people at their lowest point and picks them back up—literally anyone.Even Guards.She’s so kind, giving everyone a sense of belonging in a community,” Fae replies.

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