Page 90 of The Divide that Binds Us

“How?”I whisper in the shower.

How?I wonder.

“How?”I ask Scotland after pondering in the shower.I’m still dripping wet with a towel wrapped when I question him.

Scotland looks up, raising his eyebrows.“How what?”

“I’ve never met someone so venomous like Alice.How is someone so...bitter?”

“I’d be annoyed too if you kept bothering me.Also, you have one hell of a one-track mind and drag everyone into your mess.”

I don’t respond and instead dry myself to put clothes on.

I lie down and drift to sleep faster than expected, but the loud banging on my door jolts me awake.My body aches in a strained, groggy way, so I haven’t been asleep for long.I look at the time and realize it’s because Ioverslept.I slowly roll out of bed and answer the door.Why does this keep happening?

Katarzyna’s pale expression startles me.“Rio!Come to the infirmary, quick!”

I follow her as she takes me to a bed at the end of the hall and peels back the rigid curtain.Natasha and Scotland crowd a bed, but I can’t see who it is.I’m doing better with not grinding my teeth, but the briefest flicker of light in the infirmary keeps me in check.

The members move aside, and Lynn’s charred body comes into view.I do a double take and almost choke on my spit.

No.No, no, no, this can’t be happening.

I stare intently at the blisters and her peeled skin, barely recognizing her.My confirmation is her violin lying faithfully next to her unconscious body.

“Elite did this to her,” Natasha says while shaking her head.Nice to see she’s fine now.

I scan everyone and see they all look a bit dumbfounded.Yesterday’s encounter was unsuccessful, but I didn’t think it would drive Lynn to confront anyone in Elite.

“Someone talk, NOW,” I demand.

“Lynn was acting weird after you two came back.I’m not sure why, but she disappeared this morning,” Katarzyna explains.“Scarlet is her emergency contact, so the train conductor called her, then Scarlet called me.Lynn’s been unconscious since the paramedics brought her.”

I nod and turn away.“This wasn’t Elite.It can’t be.”

“Nonsense,” Natasha growls.“Who else then?It sure as hell wasn’t a dragon!”

Wow, Iampoisoning everyone.They don’t even know if Elite did this, but they’ll believe anything.

Two nurses rush in and weave through the group to tend to Lynn.We squeeze out and wait in the overflow walkway, but we’re more in the way than before.Machines chirp and beep all around.Some members groan and moan in pain from whatever brought them in.

Katarzyna looks up at me, searching my face with her freckled gray eyes.She fidgets and scratches her arms, leaving temporary peach streaks on her pale skin.

“It’s going to be okay, right?She’ll be fine...right?”she asks, wiping away tears.“C-Can we sue or something?”

“Probably not.Guards will laugh at us and say it’s our problem.They don’t like getting involved in organization drama,” Scotland says.“Let’s wait for Lynn to confirm what happened.”

Katarzyna’s breathing hitches.She rests her hand on her chest, but her rapidly flashing Trace Mark betrays her efforts.“This has gone too far.”

“Kate,” I groan.“Please just rela—”

“They almost killed Lynn!They almost killed me!They could’ve killed the twins, who else hates us this much except—”

“Enough!”I hiss, grinding my teeth.My palms hurt from how much I’ve dug my fingers into clenched fists.Natasha’s eyebrows shoot up as she weasels herself away with Scotland, leaving me with Katarzyna.Tears flow down her cheeks as her shoulders hunch in an obvious effort to keep herself together.It’s too much for me, but I expect it’s a mountain for her—for everyone.“I’ve got enough criticism and judgment to deal with, so the last one I need is from someone who chooses to suppress her wonderful gifts with her piss poor excuses.”

Katarzyna wipes her dripping nose with her thin fingers.“You know, you don’t care ‘bout any of us.You treat everyone like an asset.You’re not a nice person...or a very good Commander.”

I watch her leave as I go back to sit next to Lynn’s bed, my toes frostbitten from the aggressive AC.I’ve been meaning to put more clothes on rather than sit in boxers, but I want to be here when Lynn wakes up—whenever that is.Her memory may be fresh enough to give me clues on what happened.She just needs to confirm it wasn’t Elite.

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