Page 51 of The Divide that Binds Us

The next day, Katarzynabreathes heavily over Tess’s bronze shoulder in the library in the basement.It’s damp and wet down here, which makes it hard for people to hang in the drab, dark space.Tess looks back a few times but shakes her head and keeps typing in the search bar.

“Please tell me you got sleep and didn’t think about this all night,” Tess says.“We’re not gonna find anything.”

“We have to!That girl attacked us and she’s from Elite.”

“She was already arrested, Kate.”

“Keep looking.”

They’ve been searching all over the Elite website for images of any members they can recall, but it doesn’t contain many pictures compared to Ultima’s.Embarrassment wiggles through Katarzyna from how much Ultima displays.There’s a resource page where people see a cropped shot of her cheesing hard with a notebook and pen, looking resourceful for the site visitors.The marketing team won’t take it down.

Elite’s website is bare and clunky.Even Katarzyna can do a better job at creating something.Someone must’ve thrown together bad coding to craft this, and every page they visit has an ad that inevitably makes the site crash and reboot.

“Why is this so important to you?Besides being petrified?”

“Everyone still thinks I’m useless,” Katarzyna mumbles.She finally grabs a chair to sit next to her roommate.Her hands tremble as the itching feeling of her skin hardening to stone invades her thoughts again.

Tess sighs and exits the website.“Stop that.We all have our purpose here.The girl was arrested.What does any of this serve for you?”

“I thought maybe we could find her name, and then lookup where she’s being held and question her on Malice.”

“To impress Commander Rio.”

Katarzyna chews her lip, still pondering and convincing herself it’s low risk but high reward.For years she’s been in the shadows of everyone’s doubt toward her, but with everything happening, it’s an opportunity for her to be brave.

“Okay, I have another plan.My grandma wants me to stop by.Wanna come to Emerald Island with me?”she asks.Tess grins, a hint of mischief gleaming in her round hazel eyes.“I just want to say hi to Rio before we leave.Haven’t seen him yet.”

“Of course!Let’s meet in the lobby in ten?”Tess signs out of the computer and walks with Katarzyna upstairs.She falls behind Tess to contain her spiraling thoughts.Will I get nervous and say something awful?Will he be thrilled to see me?Or mention the squad?

Her heart lodges in her throat as she knocks on Rio’s office door.He’s sitting on his desk, working on a puzzle cube but glances up with a smirk.Sweat overcomes Katarzyna’s hands, so she shoves them in her pink hoodie pockets and swallows down the lump.

“H-Hey.”

“Hey you, just the person I wanted to see,” Rio says.

“Why...why didn’t you visit me in the infirmary then?”

Rio hesitates with his mouth partially open, mixed with confusion in his dark brows.Katarzyna realizes it’s such an awkward question since he manages many members under Cedric’s supervision.

She clears her throat when he doesn’t respond.“So, um...where did you go?I thought you would’ve stayed and—”

“I went to see my mom.”His tone is tight, cutting through the choppy exchange.Katarzyna shivers when a draft hits the office.She’s still standing by the door, but he appears miles away.

That’s the problem though.Rio’s teal eyes are cloudy and distant, much like how they are after he brainwashes someone, or when there’s tension.He’s either boiling or simmering and nothing in between.

“That’s wonderful,” Katarzyna whispers.The warmth in her face has overwhelmed her nerves, so she’s not sure what emotion she’s conveying.

“Well, since you’re here, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

He firmly sets the puzzle cube behind him and folds his hands.“So, I enforced extra sessions and clearly everyone hates it.But there’s been one member I’ve excused.You.”

Katarzyna incubates in her hoodie, unsure if it’s nervousness or her dormant power ready to burst.

“What are you trying to say?”she asks.

“The chaos with that Elite member shouldn’t have happened.If you had just used your abilities, it would—”

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