Page 62 of The Divide that Binds Us

“I dunno, man.I just...yeah, I don’t know.”Drake shrugs.

“The girl who was arrested, we can question her,” Lynn mumbles.Drake snorts as her eyes narrow and stare him down, but he’s not even paying attention.Derrick raises his hand, so I reluctantly call on him.

“I think we should totally do a stakeout—” Derrick begins, but Drake shouts in protest.“—hear me out!I know it’s bonkers because if we’re caught, Elite will slay us, but it’s also the quickest way to just confront homegirl, ya know?”

Eric nods.“Yeah, now that Kate has tipped her off, she’s less likely to be as open and approachable as she was before.”

“So, then.”Lynn finally stops eye-stabbing Drake and leans back with crossed arms.“Who will be the one to spy on them?”

“NOSE GOES!”the twins shout, immediately touching their noses and scanning everyone else but we don’t move.

I frown.“Grow up.Let’s just have Natasha do it.She can get closer, because she can tell them she’s quitting Elite.”

Drake snorts and shakes his head with a slight chuckle.No one laughs or adds on, so I maintain the awkward silence until he realizes.

“Sorry,” he says with a twitchy smile.“You don’t think Natasha will really do that, right?She’s not ready.”

My stubbornness is getting the better of me, and I’m trying to fight it.Natasha hasn’t gone through an official Ultima orientation or reached out to any family to inform them of the switch.I want her to have the best experience, but this can’t wait.

“I believe in her,” I lie.“Lynn, please debrief Natasha on her orders.Give her a new phone from storage and set up the U-Knit app.She will go at it solo with the twins watching from afar.You and I will be on standby depending on what Natasha reports back.Send her down here when you’re done.”

Lynn nods and reaches back to grab her violin case.“Understood, sir.”

“So, we’re babysitting her?”Derrick asks.

Eric leans back on the two legs of his chair again.“That’s whack.”

“Don’t care.Everyone will wait for my orders before proceeding.I need more mental time to prepare,” I explain.Drake casually waves his hand, but he’s not smiling or chuckling anymore.I’ve had it with his weirdness.“Drake, stay here and do nothing.”

Everyone leaves, but I hang back to catch Drake before he goes upstairs.He’s an antsy deer, ready to prance off the second he gets with his bulging eyes of secrecy.

He exhales sharply and scowls.The cut on his face is a wrinkled line of agitation that’s only bubbling underneath the surface of Drake’s cool persona.I wait for random members to check out books in the dimly lit library before confronting him.

“Why are you here?You don’t seem as invested as the others,” I say, unfolding the repressed anger I have left.“Ineeded you that day; you could’ve turned into a dragon and scared that girl.Instead, you chose the useless power and slipped away.”

“Do you remember what I was trying to tell you before the invasion?”he asks.

“No.”I grind my teeth until the overhead lights flicker.

Drake’s eyes are a softer green than Lynn’s.His doesn’t carry her intensity, which is comforting.“It’s okay.I haven’t been the best at communicating lately.But uh, I like someone from Elite.”

I take a seat at the table, and he mimics the movement.A heavy sigh escapes my lips.“Wow.How’d you two meet?Emerald?”

“Yeah.When the second Elite group was walking back to their car that day.Our eyes locked, but we couldn’t do anything.We just stared at each other.Like, insta-love.”

“Who is she?”

Drake hesitates and waits for someone to walk by with a stack of books they took from the shelf of new releases.He meets my eyes with a disturbing level of urgency radiating.At some point, the twins must’ve been bored, because I notice blue ink scribblings on the other side of the table where they were sitting.That wasn’t there before.

“Well?”I press.

“Her name is Evangeline,” he replies.“Sh-she came in with the girl who was arrested.That’s why I left.I didn’t want to be involved, but I swear, Rio, I had no idea she was visiting!”A few people hush us, so he lowers his voice and leans closer to me.“I’m so sorry.I don’t know how to deal with any of this.It’s all so new to me, and of course, it had to be someone from that side.Please, trust me, I really am sorry.”

“I believe you, but this doesn’t make it any easier for me.”

“I know,” he chuckles and relaxes.“This is all...very new for both of us.She’s frightened of my ability to transform; she’s scared I’ll kill her.”

I nod and force a sympathetic smile.If anyone finds out about this, they’ll eat him alive.But Drake will kill me if I dare brainwash her.This will be a true test of loyalty and friendship.

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