Page 57 of The Divide that Binds Us

I was sloppy with it though, so I’m definitely in trouble.

Billie calls my phone, so I set aside the other one.

“What’s up?”

“Oi!Alice!It worked!”Billie screams.“Our plan worked!Omigosh, it was amazing!”

She goes over the scene just like we talked about during our sleepover a week ago.Rebecca begrudgingly agreed to give Evangeline the Redly family’s contact information, in exchange for cleaning the lobby for a week straight.She loves watching any of the three of us (mostly me) suffer in strange ways.The plan also involved Billie bribing Brooke so she could convince their dad to wait outside with Evangeline and fake arrest Billie, since he’s the head of the Guards on Onyx.Mr.Castor was not impressed, but Billie kept assuring him it was an elaborate prank.

“It was awesome.SO awesome; you should’ve been there,” Billie gushes.“Are you on Topaz Island, yet?”

At this rate, I could’ve participated with them since my second warning didn’t stop me from unraveling yet again today.

I get out the taxi at the train station for Topaz.“On my way now, actually.Azul redirected me to Emerald first for...reasons.”

Reasons I can’t say out in public, like King Jonah confiding in Azul about suspicious activity in the park.Not only has then been an increased presence of hooded people standing around, but dragons have reportedly been limping around or appearing injured.Someone nearby must be attempting to kill them.Jonah has always had a fanciful eye toward Queen Sophie, so I’m sure it’s thanks to her he felt comfortable coming to us.It only continues to narrow down the culprit being Garnet Island.My stomach turns from the thought; Elite’s base is there.

“Oooh, gotcha!Anything exciting?”

“Get this, Ultima was trying to ambush me,” I chortle while boarding the train.“I’m reporting everything to Rebecca and Azul, but I gotta go.I’m losing service.”

My hunch lies withMildred’s involvement in this crisis, and if this is the case, I’m just one person up against who knows how many people she has at her disposal.

Somehow Topaz Island is even more chaotic than last time.As we step off the train, buckets of confetti are dumped on us with a blowhorn taking out my left ear.No one looks impressed except those with glitter freckles, utterly immune to this inconvenient disruption.

I descend the station stairs, half paying attention and half typing out my report on the E-Force app that may land me in suspension for my messy attitude.Dancers in teal tutus flutter down the street, weaving through vehicles while traffic is regularly clogged, and performances take place in the large field.I wait at the corner, ready to flag a taxi.At some point, someone must’ve thrown a floral beaded necklace over my head.

The progress note is brief, but short enough that Master Azul calls me, causing my heart to momentarily crash out.

My stomach flips, but I ignore the call to catch a taxi first.

The phone rings again.

I give the driver the address of the cave before answering.“H-Hello?”

“Alice Reid,” Master Azul hisses.“It seems our conversation has not settled with you as I hoped.Where are you right now?”

“Topaz Island.I just arrived, ma’am.”

“Cease all activity and return to base, immediately.”

The call ends.

I sink further in the backseat and look out the window.Colored smoke explodes in the sky and crowds cheer with vigor—their energy spreading like a rampant infection.

I’m already here, I need to see this through.I can’t get in any more trouble than I’m already in.

Pulling out the Ultima phone, I consider my last attempt.I don’t know anything about this girl, so any guess is a good one.

What is Rio’s name in numbers?

Before I can type in seven, four, six, the screen glitches and goes black.I toggle it and try to bring the screen back, but it seems dead now.

Except it’s not.It had a full battery last I checked.

“Damn you, Ultima,” I grumble.

The taxi ride is even longer because no one is moving out of the way like they did when Queen Sophie’s carriage ambled through the streets.What was a pleasant ten-minute journey is now running on forty-five minutes.

---