Page 37 of The Divide that Binds Us

“While the conflict some of you participated on Emerald was tense and scary, Rebecca had nothing but great things to say about how well everyone handled everything.I’d like to remind everyone how valuable you all are to Elite.I appreciate your hard work and keeping the people of Zeala safe,” Azul continues.Rebecca and Brooke are leaning against the wall and gosh, do they look exhausted.“We must follow protocol for a week after documenting a missing member.Security escorts, domestic concerns, and safety hazard complaints.No HOA, no rogue animals, no traffic regulating, no petty complaints, none of that miniscule nonsense we get summoned for.Limiting our exposure is for our safety until we can figure out what happened to Natasha.Rebecca and I will meet with the King for assistance and then Master Cedric in regards to the Emerald matter.Thank you again for your time.”

The squeaks and groans of the bleachers begin as people leave the gym.I turn to Evangeline and hug her tiny shoulders as she continues wiping her eyes.Billie offers her pillow, but it’s infested with blond strands tangled in the fuzzy bits of the pillowcase.

Azul points the baton at me.“Alice Reid, meet me in my office in ten.”

“How are you feeling?”Master Azul asks, half-sitting on her desk.“You’ve been avoiding me since your trip to Onyx Island.”

“Apologies, ma’am.”I scratch my head.“Things have just been ...”

Chaotic.Just in the span of a week there’s: Onyx Island and the weird boy, Emerald Island with Ultima, and Garnet Island with another dragon death.

“A lot to handle,” Azul finishes.“I spoke with Master Cedric.Funny that he had not heard anything about you stopping by to apologize like I ordered you to.”

Her eyes study me, but I’m too tired to react.I loathe that man.

“I suppose I have your report to thank for your lack of inaction.Anyway, Master Cedric would like to drop the issue regarding the cave, but I’m concerned about your performance.I made you our Special Agent five years ago with the simple purpose of handling these sensitive matters, and you’ve been everything but smooth.”

My heart pounds loud in my ears.There’s so much I want to say, but I’m exhausted.Azul will never understand the gravity of everything she’s tossed in my direction.Dragons are dying, I’m tasked with secretly figuring out why, a guy tried to choke me to death, Ultima tried to attack my best friend, and I’m ordered to apologize to the man who ruined my life five years ago?

Yeah, it’s been anything but smooth, lately.

“Well?”Azul snaps.“What do you have to say for yourself?”

“If you want to punish or fire me, please do so with haste.I only ask that you consider without me, someone else will need to handle the Special Agent assignment on dragon investigations.”

Azul waves her hand.She’s wearing her Elite jacket with her badge pinned to the collar.Okay, so she must know how ridiculously cold her room is then.She has to know.

“I have no problem with doing so.This is your second formal warning.The first for the cave mishap, and the second for failing to apologize,” she says.

I nod stiffly.“Understood, ma’am.”

“Moving on.”She pivots from sitting on her desk to sitting in her chair.She works on the computer before looking at me and gesturing the chair across from her.“Sit.I’ve been thinking about the report on the boy and what he said.Did you see if he had a Trace Mark?”

I ignore the chair awaiting me.“I did not check; he had bruises that indicated some abuse in his living situation.I was focused on that.”

“His rambling you described sounds like someone with the gift of sight,” Azul notes.“A young boy can’t articulate what’s happening because he doesn’t understand either.Mentioning a woman narrows our search.”

Oh, maybe this is what Wren meant when he said he looked at the lady and saw everything.One glance and he saw the future?That explains all the staring.

“So, he must’ve saw it happening before it happened.”I murmur.

Azul’s eyes flicker toward the surveillance cameras behind me.A slight chuckle whistles from her lips.“Hmm.We have company.”

I whirl around, disoriented.I don’t know which screen she looked at until I settle on the one that is angled outside the front doors.My skin tingles from the sight on the hazy screen of the baby dragon sniffing around the top of the steps of Elite.

Azul’s leather gloves squeezing her baton disturbs me.“Come.”

I follow her, unsure of what to expect, but she swiftly moves as she descends the stairs.There’s a dragon outside of Elite, and I’m ready to scream from excitement and fear.

The baby dragon perks up and scurries backward when Azul and I step outside.Members returning from missions or arriving to work gawk at the dragon as they walk by, but security is also on standby at the doors with wavering grimaces.

Master Azul stops short in front of the dragon and bows, but the dragon tilts their head and looks at me.Big silver eyes meet mine but widen the longer they stare.A smile creeps across my face as I contain the joy of seeing this silver creature with gorgeous wings resembling a butterfly.

“So beautiful,” I whisper.The dragon trots by Azul and stands face to face with me, big smile and all.“H-Hi there.”

“This one likes you.”Azul comes around to softly pat the dragon’s shoulders.

I touch the dragon’s snout.“Master Azul, could Superiors ever communicate with dragons?Do you have any lingering powers as an Air Superior?”

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