Page 18 of The Divide that Binds Us

Chapter 4

The Smell of Death

Fae

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Don’t trust the Guards.Fae recites for the millionth time.

She shivers in the evening chill, almost frozen in regret for not staying with the Elite girl earlier.Her wariness will be her undoing, especially now.

Fae isn’t sure how far she ran but hopes Alice didn’t find the dragon eggs in the recess of the cave.She needs to get back.It’s been hours of her hiding behind buildings and dumpsters.The Guards are scouring every inch of the island for her.

As expected from Topaz, most buildings still showcase extravagant lights, so it barely looks like nighttime.One skyscraper imitates green, yellow, and red fireworks along the side in pixelated explosions.

A sharp breeze cuts through the tears of Fae’s clothes.She peeks out the alley, seeing the Guard presence hasn’t decreased.How can it when this island is constantly ON?She’ll have to risk it and not look suspicious.

Ignoring the overwhelming horns and zipping cars, Fae trots across the intersection.What direction is the cave?She ducks behind a parked car and gazes at the obsidian blanket hanging over the island, hoping a friend is nearby.A digital clock in a shop window shows it’s after midnight but with the traffic, it resembles rush hour.The fireworks have at least ceased for the evening, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find—

“There!”she gasps.

Soaring through the lonely sky, Fae barely spots a silhouette of a baby dragon aimlessly circling with a high pitch purr.

What great luck; if only my power extended to detecting dragons nearby, too.

“Hey, friend,” she whispers.The baby slows its wandering flight and dives headfirst for Fae.She smiles when the dragon halts and unleashes brilliant, reflective wings that resemble a tiger swallowtail butterfly.Despite being a baby, the dragon is slightly taller than her when it plants its silver claws on the concrete.A pedestrian wearing a hoodie jumps from the dragon’s sudden entrance before scurrying away.

“Hiya!I’m Poppy!”The voice comes to Fae’s mind.

“Hi, Poppy.I’m Fae.”

With a cute head tilt, Poppy opens her mouth, revealing a toothless, wet smile.“Eek!I understand you!You must be Spirit User!Is that your power?”

Fae smiles.“Yes, I am, and I need your help.There’s a cave I’m trying to get back to.You see, I’m not familiar with the area, but there are dragon eggs in a cave that need protection.”

Poppy’s smile quickly shifts to a menacing—but cute—growl.Before Fae responds, patrons stumble out of the stretch of bars sitting down the street.Fae pushes against the car she’s crouched behind and looks back to Poppy, whose silver snake eyes glisten with rage.

“How do you know about eggs?”

Fae scratches her arm, unsure about revealing too much of her predicament, but who else can Poppy tell?As far as Fae knows, she’s the only Spirit User who can speak to dragons.

“I’m hiding from someone and saw them.Are....they your eggs?”She resists rolling her eyes from the silly question as soon as she asks.Poppy is a baby.

“No.I hide them.”Poppy relaxes her hunched shoulders, tucking her wings behind her.“They’re my siblings.Stay away.”

Fae frowns.“Why?I wanna protect them!There’s a woman you should watch out—”

“I don’t know you!We’re being killed, and we can’t trust anyone.”Poppy jumps and flaps her wings to hover.“Stay away from cave.Eggs are not your problem.”

“No, wait!”Fae reaches out, but Poppy zips upward toward the sky and soars over the city buildings.

Minimal threads ofwhat’s left of Fae’s socks hang loosely around her ankles.The soles of her feet throb with blisters from each island she’s run to.

Staying close to buildings, cars, and large structures helps with navigating, but not when she doesn’t know what direction to go.How much time have I lost?

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