Page 52 of The Divide that Binds Us

“I’m not unleashing my powers!”Katarzyna snaps, but she dials back in.“I’m not responsible for what happened because of not using them.You can’t put this on me.”

Rio blinks, mouth still partially open, but he’s quiet.Katarzyna grinds her teeth and tries to not let a hiccup of emotion lose its way from her control.Rio knows better than anyone why this is a sensitive topic, yet he acts brand new about it.

“I know you fear the gifts you have, and it’s a little overwhelming for you to control, but maybe you should consider practicing a little,” he suggests, with a hint of a smile.

No.I can’t do that.I’ll hurt everyone.

But she can’t disagree with him either.It’s been years of self-affirmation mirror monologues, journal entries that are more prominent on a bad day, and countless blackout days hiding under the covers when it gets to be too much.Finally, she’s in a better place than she was, even yesterday, and this topic about her awful power rears its hideous head once again at her.

“I can’t,” she whispers, rushing out of the office.Rio doesn’t call or chase after her, making this moment even worse than she imagined.

Katarzyna runs down the hall and almost collides with someone carrying a bowl of cereal.She mumbles an apology and sprints to her room, barreling right through her door.It’s empty, so Tess must be waiting in the lobby.

The hard sensation of the stone texture rocks through her again.Feeling powerless to her own grief, Katarzyna crouches and lies on the floor.Being petrified has stayed with her longer than expected.Even if she never turned into stone, she still wouldn’t have done anything to stop the chaos.

You coward.

The door bursts open with a panting Tess.

“Kate, are you okay?What happened?”She kneels beside her and strokes the silvery blond strands from her face.“I thought we were meeting in the lobby.”

“Rio,” she croaks.“He brought up my powers.”

Tess rolls her eyes.“Not this again.Listen, anytime Rio is on edge about something, he usually goes around poking bears to get results.It’s super annoying and we’ve dealt with this for a while now, but that’s just how he is.Doesn’t make it okay, though.”

Katarzyna stares at the ceiling, knowing well what she means.Rio is obsessed with his work because he has nothing else.

In their youth, she knew Rio for a short period.He was known as “the Queen’s son” and rarely stayed outside.Katarzyna met him once to play, but they had little space and were surrounded by Guards for Rio’s safety.

“You’re right,” Katarzyna sighs.“It’s not okay.I’mnot okay.”

Tess smiles, still caressing her hair.“And that’s fine.You don’t need to be okay.I just need you to keep living.For yourself and them.”

Them.Mom.Dad.

Katarzyna is skittisharriving at Emerald Island.Having been here weeks ago in the middle of a showdown is unreal and seems like forever ago.The only reason she went was to feel important and save Rio.

The Emerald/Onyx station is always quiet on Emerald, but it’s often because science and food rarely mix, including the travelers.

Tess and Katarzyna walk the ten minutes to her grandma’s apartment, but Tess calls a taxi once they arrive to take her further east to her tribe’s village.The citizens are quieter but busy at work.Traffic is unforgiving, and the pedestrians are on a mission to make it to their destination.

One street turns into a downhill cobblestone road, leading to a cul-de-sac of invariable apartments of senior living greeting the two.Katarzyna stops short at the door and looks back at Tess.Her scarlet locks blow gently through the scorching breeze of the late afternoon.

“Don’t wait up, I’ll be fine waiting for the taxi here.”

“You sure?How far is it again?”Katarzyna asks.

Tess is squinting at her phone.“‘Bout half an hour.I already called the taxi so it should arrive soon.”

“Okay, meet back here?”Katarzyna will do anything to extend her moments with Tess if it means avoiding her grandma’s whimsical gaze.She’ll do anything to help Rio.

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

After a few knocks, grandma Vinyl Steed slowly opens her door with a loud creak clinging to it.Her face lights up as she lets Katarzyna in and waves at Tess.The cozy living room reeks of cigarettes that may have burned some carpets throughout the years.

Katarzyna blushes.“Hey, grandma.”She leans in for a warm embrace before sitting on the leather sofa with her.Vinyl shares Katarzyna’s gray eyes with voluminous silver hair barely tied back from her serene, pigmented face.Her smile brings translucent skin folds overlapping in crinkling ocean waves.

“Thanks for stopping by, sweetie.You didn’t look too well last time I saw you.”

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