Page 71 of The Divide that Binds Us

I need to delegate.

“Lynn, ask Katarzyna about her grandma and Wren, we need answers.Derrick, find Drake; he’s not responding to my texts.Eric, call King Remington regarding Wave Riding Season.Let’s meet up for dinner later.”

The group separates as I head upstairs to Master Cedric’s office, heart pounding through my armpits and drumming loud in my ears.I didn’t think Elite would take it this far, but a possible deficiency on Ultima is not a good look at all.Sure, it can go away in a year’s time, but it only takes four more consecutive times within a year before potentially losing funding.Lost funding means less resources, layoffs, until eventually...closure.Can I potentially screw up four more times?Yes.

But a deficiency only matters if the monarch rules it as such and Queen Oona is relatively lenient toward us.Elite may never get anywhere with this complaint.

My shoes squeak across the floors until I’m outside the metal door with Master Cedric’s name etched in a chilling font.When I enter, the mist of the room crawls up my arms instantly.The low hum in the room is due to all the surveillance screens operating on his wall.

This man operates in the shadows, so I wait for the ceiling lights to flash on.Master Cedric stands by the TVs, toothpick in his mouth.

“M-Master Cedr—”

“Commander Rio, what the absolute fuck.”

My shoulders bunch up to my ears as I try to hide behind my naivety.My face flames like an inferno ready to rotate my body like a cooking hotdog over a fire.

Just let me have the verbal lashing...or give me the pain.

“I give you approval for one thing and you go rogue?”Cedric questions.“I greenlit ONE request to Emerald Island for the gem, and since then, Agent Steed is ambushing Elite BACK on Emerald, Agent Redly is being let loose on Garnet, questioning ELITE?Why did the Fincher Agents get drunk on Topaz representing Ultima, huh?How did our members get petrified before security finally intervened?”

My rap sheet is worse than I thought when it’s presented to me on a silver platter of failures.I gulp and feel it fall into my stomach.

Cedric stares at me with his penetrating hazel eyes, hair always readily slicked back with the tufts of gray on the sides.His red suit jacket is draped behind his chair while his matching pants compliment his purple shirt.The clenching of his jaw is so visible, I almost feel like he’s imagining crushing my skull between his teeth.

“My deepest apologies, sir,” I whisper.“I-I wanted to run a few items by you, but we’ve been missing each other.”

“What an asinine excuse,” Master Cedric spits.“You are to focus on the missions we receive and nothing else.I hired you because you proved to me you were motivated and didn’t tolerate nonsense.Don’t make me regret that decision, and don’t make me have to do more work than I already do, because you’re not going to like it.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

“We are the Protective Dragon Agents, not the Rogue Ninjas of Zeala.Am I clear?”

I nod.“Yes, sir.”

The ringing is faint in my ears, but the tension builds until the humming from the screens disappear and a low rumble clogs my hearing.Cedric wears a slight vein on the side of his neck as he continues his death glare at me.The sound squeezes and pushes on my temples before shifting into an agonizing throb that pulsates to the top of my head.Something far worse than what a migraine can ever be.

I brace myself, waiting for the pain when blood drips out of my right ear.

Then the sensation is gone as fast as it came.

“Get the hell out.I need to prepare for the meeting with Queen oopty loopty Oona on the COC.I’ll keep you posted on details once they’re finalized.”

I waste no time sprinting out his office with tears at the brim of my eyes.My hands tremble at my side as I stiffly walk back downstairs to the lobby, hoping no one catches me in my vermillion red, shameful, puffy face.

A text from Derrick tells me they’re in the basement with pizza for dinner.

On my transit to the library, I run into Drake who looks like I’m the last person he wants to see, but boy, is he just who I’m looking for.

“Drake–hey!”I call him out in the lobby, drawing the attention of members heading to the cafeteria.“Don’t you dare disappear into that wall.My office.NOW.”

I follow behind him so he doesn’t pull in any fast moves and slam the door behind us into my office.The lights hazily blink on with uncertainty as Drake claps his hands while standing in the middle of the office.I come around him and rest against my desk, grabbing a tissue to dab away the blood from my ear that’s still giving me phantom pain.

“A complaint of contempt was filed against Ultima,” I begin, steepling my hands.Drake’s sad eyes express curiosity like a little puppy.“And somehow, Elite knew we had Natasha all along and I don’t think it all points back to her brief visit.”

Drake turns his head, eying me with a slight squint.“What’re you saying?”

“Perhaps maybe you’ve been entangled a bit too much with that girl.There’s no policy on external relationships creating conflicts of interest, but maybe there should be.”

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