Page 14

The Hate Within

Elite: Alice

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H eat floods my face and ears as my heart pounds beyond the threshold of tolerance. I exerted way more energy summoning Skylar, and I know the trouble will be waiting for me back at the base.

I sit in a taxi on the way to Topaz Island while trying to unlock the Ultima member’s phone. It’s password protected, only accepting three numerical values. I try the basics with a final warning that I have one attempt left.

I slump in the backseat with a heavy sigh. My pulse relaxes as the adrenaline simmers in a steady rhythm through my blood.

Combat first, powers second, and I violated it again. I can’t ever keep my cool around those people, but I can justify my anger simply that it was an ambush. I can’t compromise the mission, and somehow, that girl knew what I was doing.

I was sloppy with it though, so I’m definitely in trouble.

Billie calls my phone, so I set aside the other one.

“What’s up?”

“Oi! Alice! It worked!” Billie screams. “Our plan worked! Omigosh, it was amazing!”

She goes over the scene just like we talked about during our sleepover a week ago. Rebecca begrudgingly agreed to give Evangeline the Redly family’s contact information, in exchange for cleaning the lobby for a week straight. She loves watching any of the three of us (mostly me) suffer in strange ways. The plan also involved Billie bribing Brooke so she could convince their dad to wait outside with Evangeline and fake arrest Billie, since he’s the head of the Guards on Onyx. Mr. Castor was not impressed, but Billie kept assuring him it was an elaborate prank.

“It was awesome. SO awesome; you should’ve been there,” Billie gushes. “Are you on Topaz Island, yet?”

At this rate, I could’ve participated with them since my second warning didn’t stop me from unraveling yet again today.

I get out the taxi at the train station for Topaz. “On my way now, actually. Azul redirected me to Emerald first for... reasons.”

Reasons I can’t say out in public, like King Jonah confiding in Azul about suspicious activity in the park. Not only has then been an increased presence of hooded people standing around, but dragons have reportedly been limping around or appearing injured. Someone nearby must be attempting to kill them. Jonah has always had a fanciful eye toward Queen Sophie, so I’m sure it’s thanks to her he felt comfortable coming to us. It only continues to narrow down the culprit being Garnet Island. My stomach turns from the thought; Elite’s base is there.

“Oooh, gotcha! Anything exciting?”

“Get this, Ultima was trying to ambush me,” I chortle while boarding the train. “I’m reporting everything to Rebecca and Azul, but I gotta go. I’m losing service.”

M y hunch lies with Mildred’s involvement in this crisis, and if this is the case, I’m just one person up against who knows how many people she has at her disposal.

Somehow Topaz Island is even more chaotic than last time. As we step off the train, buckets of confetti are dumped on us with a blowhorn taking out my left ear. No one looks impressed except those with glitter freckles, utterly immune to this inconvenient disruption.

I descend the station stairs, half paying attention and half typing out my report on the E-Force app that may land me in suspension for my messy attitude. Dancers in teal tutus flutter down the street, weaving through vehicles while traffic is regularly clogged, and performances take place in the large field. I wait at the corner, ready to flag a taxi. At some point, someone must’ve thrown a floral beaded necklace over my head.

The progress note is brief, but short enough that Master Azul calls me, causing my heart to momentarily crash out.

My stomach flips, but I ignore the call to catch a taxi first.

The phone rings again.

I give the driver the address of the cave before answering. “H-Hello?”

“Alice Reid,” Master Azul hisses. “It seems our conversation has not settled with you as I hoped. Where are you right now?”

“Topaz Island. I just arrived, ma’am.”

“Cease all activity and return to base, immediately.”

The call ends.

I sink further in the backseat and look out the window. Colored smoke explodes in the sky and crowds cheer with vigor—their energy spreading like a rampant infection.

I’m already here, I need to see this through. I can’t get in any more trouble than I’m already in.

Pulling out the Ultima phone, I consider my last attempt. I don’t know anything about this girl, so any guess is a good one.

What is Rio’s name in numbers?

Before I can type in seven, four, six, the screen glitches and goes black. I toggle it and try to bring the screen back, but it seems dead now.

Except it’s not. It had a full battery last I checked.

“Damn you, Ultima,” I grumble.

The taxi ride is even longer because no one is moving out of the way like they did when Queen Sophie’s carriage ambled through the streets. What was a pleasant ten-minute journey is now running on forty-five minutes.

To avoid another angry call from Master Azul, I send a quick text that traffic is bad but I’m trying to make it back as soon as possible. Her response? “MAKE HASTE.”

The fare is hefty, but using my Elite card is useful since all my earnings live and breathe on that flimsy piece of plastic.

I exit the taxi with stinging eyes, mustering all the willpower I have to powerwalk toward the open cave, not even caring that I almost lose my footing on the slant path.

“Fae?” I shout in the gleaming crystalized space. “Fae, are you here?”

I wait a second, maybe longer in case she’s somewhere waking up and needs a moment.

“Fae!”

Just the hollow sound of wind passing through a dripping cave.

Like my inspection, I search the whole cave twice, burning through more time that Master Azul is likely waiting to discipline me. Rebecca calls me three times, and Azul calls seven. I accept my fate, but if I can do one last thing to help with this dragon killing nonsense, then it’s finding Fae.

That dragon was trying to tell me to come here, right?

Thoughts about the eggs start rotating through me. The dragon knows me somehow. It recognized me and Fae’s face.

She has to be here. Maybe she’s not.

I remember the Guard’s eagerness in providing Fae’s description after my first Topaz visit. I was leading them to her all along. Is Queen Sophie looking for her too? Or are her Guards working with Mildred?

Who do I trust?

“Fae! It’s me! Alice Reid!”

But there’s silence on the other end. She’s not here. She wouldn’t be here.

It’s just me. I’m all alone and in hot water.

A zul is waiting in the middle of the lobby with crossed arms beside the security agents. She wears her Elite coat over a loose white blouse, and black dress pants. Her blond hair is pulled back into a high ponytail. Next to her is Rebecca, mimicking the same stance. Their glares have been waiting for me for who knows how long, but I know this is it.

I walk toward them, head held high but vibrating with anger. My eyes sting again from the tears that have been itching to break free. I’m tired.

Before I reach them, I manage to unclip my badge and remove my Elite jacket, holding them out Azul and Rebecca. They look at each other before turning back to me.

I swallow hard, but one tear escapes down my cheek. “I’ll go pack my things.”

“Ugh, so dramatic.” Rebecca rolls her eyes.

“Shut up!” I snap, dropping my badge and jacket. More tears escape.

Rebecca narrows those annoyingly large eyes at me. “Excuse m—”

“Just shut up!” Now that I’m no longer employed. I can finally unravel on this wench. “I’ve allowed you to look at me with disgust, call me names behind my back, and outright hate me for my Special Agent title because you have an inflated inferior complex!”

Master Azul steps forward. “Alice Reid, get ahold of your emotions, immediately.”

My chest heaves. I’m only vaguely aware of passing and peeking members watching, but I’ve burned through the last reserves of my sanity.

I step back and look down at my feet, trying to ground myself and not spin out of control.

“Neither of you know what it’s like celebrating your fourteenth birthday with your dad and losing him in the instance the candles are blown out. Neither of you know what it’s like to see a man you thought you trusted with your whole life betray you in the blink of an eye.”

My head is faint, looking down no longer helps, so I regain courage to face Azul and Rebecca’s stoic expressions.

“I’ve missed my dad for five years, and all you want from me is to be the damn dog who’s ready to bark.”

Rebecca bends down to grab my badge and jacket, handing them back to me with a scowl.

“You’re not fired,” she simply says.

I hiccup, wiping my wet face. I accept the badge and jacket but look at Azul. Her icy stare can freeze any more tears I have left to shed. At least Rebecca’s stance has softened.

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” I croak.

Rebecca rolls her eyes.

“You do, Alice. You’re just in a lot of pain, and those feelings are valid,” Azul whispers.

My nose is stuffy with snot leaking and joining the remaining tears I free as I crumble to the floor. My shoulders shake as a small sob slips through my lips. There’s movement in front of me, until I realize Rebecca has walked away when I glance up. Master Azul crouches to my level and wraps her arms around me. The hug is stiff.

“If I’m not fired then what’s my punishment?” I muffle in her shoulder. My eyes hurt.

She hesitates but rubs my upper back.

“Suspension from all Elite activity,” she answers softly. “You need a break.”