Page 22

Chain Reaction

Elite: Alice

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I sit in the infirmary next to Evangeline’s bed, occasionally watching the news. My leg bounces as I wait for something to happen with her—anything at this point. She’s been in a deep sleep for a while with no signs of waking up. If this is because Zeala is dying, then goodness, if another dragon dies, I don’t know if she’ll ever wake up.

“Alice.” Master Azul pulls back the curtain and clicks her heels into the small space of Evangeline’s “room” which is just a bunch of plastic curtains creating walls in the hallways like everyone else. “You’ve been avoiding me again. Are you falling apart?”

I avert my gaze, trying to process my last memory of Nicholas. “Maybe.”

“And I gave you time and space for a week, but we need to debrief on what happened.”

No, please. I don’t want to relive that moment anymore.

I swallow hard, trying to conjure up the right words. “There’s... nothing to say. We went down there and found a weird statement in... in blood. A Guard was there, and he’s also a Spirit User. He got in Nicholas’s head, but I had enough time to escape.” I fold my hands to calm the incoming shakes. “N-Nicholas said you knew.”

Azul scratches the back of her neck where the blond baby hairs hang and refuses to stretch themselves to join the rest in her ponytail. “How do you feel?”

“Is it true that you knew?” I ask. “I need to know if you knew this would happen.”

She smiles and waits for one of the doctors to walk by her before shifting her attention back to me, eyes as icy as her office.

“It doesn’t matter what I know. What’s important is we have more information on Mildred’s operation. Nick will be fine; he knew the risks of going down there with you.”

“But I didn’t!” I jump to my feet, legs wobbling and stomach rapidly sinking into nauseating oblivion.

Azul watches me, nostrils flaring. “Alice—”

“We lost Natasha to Ultima, and lost Nicholas to a freakin’ cult! We don’t know what these people will do to him,” I whisper loudly, gesturing to Evangeline. “And we’re about to lose her too if we don’t do something. Please!”

“Steel yourself; now you dare want to do something after you wasted a WEEK wallowing?”

Bings and alarms chime throughout the infirmary, including mine and Azul’s phone. I begrudgingly peel my eyes away to check my notifications from the E-Force app. Stacy must be receiving a ton of calls at the desk because she rarely pushes mass urgent alerts this much.

Ding! “URGENT REQUEST: DISTRESS CALL RECEIVED FROM QUEEN SOPHIE OF TOPAZ ISLAND RE: AN ORGANIZED ATTACK WITHIN THE PREMISES. ALL NEARBY MEMBERS LEAVE YOUR POSTS TO INVESTIGATE AND SECURE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY!”

“Wait—what?” I slide the touchscreen to view more, but another notification blocks my view. “What’s happening?”

Ding! “URGENT REQUEST: DISTRESS CALL RECEIVED FROM AN ELDERLY EMERALDIAN RE: ATTEMPTED HOME INVASION. ALL NEARBY MEMBERS PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY.”

My breathing halts in my throat. I rummage through my memories, trying to remember if we ever intervene in these situations.

No, we never respond to home invasions. Guards do.

Azul’s eyes meet mine, her mouth stiff and pinching the rest of her face. Our stares hold as her fingers drum the touchscreen from texting. I tightly grip my phone, but my clammy hands make it slippery.

“Billie claimed the distress call on Emerald Island,” she says. “It must be serious.”

I open and close my mouth, trying to dispel the dryness and swallow properly. Each breath takes more effort until I’m trembling, so I sit down. Azul is on the phone with Sophie briefly before switching her call to Brooke, assigning her to the case on Topaz.

Her Trace Mark is beautiful with a steady flash; flower silhouettes crowd around in one continuous glowing tattoo with an extension of what looks like lurking, lumpy shadows behind them. The crackly black veins that surround her Trace Mark gives off the creepy, mysterious mood she’s emitting right now.

“Secure the area immediately. I don’t care if you make people’s ears bleed. I will be there shortly.” Azul hangs up, looking at me. “Sophie is safe, but it seems her Guards are after those eggs. When I get back, we’re going to have a long chat about your attitude.”

I cross my arms, mainly to hide my shivering. “But you’re the one redirecting and not answering my question about what you know.”

“No. This is not how this relationship operates. Receiving information from me is a privilege. We’re talking about an accusation against a government official; one with a lot of influence and closely associated with a monarch for that matter. You will do as I say, or you won’t be involved anymore. Do I make myself clear?”

My eyes burn, so I turn away and focus on Evangeline’s breathing, slow and steady. “If she and Nicholas die, then I’ll resign and take on Mildred myself.”

“I wonder how far that’ll get ya. Just stay put,” Azul mutters, ducking out of the curtained room with harsh retreating heel clicks.

My leg resumes bouncing as I watch the monitors and try to tune out someone vomiting in the next room. Every passing second I’m here, Nicholas is in more danger. We’ve been playing it too safe for too long. I just need to do something. I need to be free.

I’m well on my way to a mental spiral before a doctor with tiny glasses pokes his head in.

“Oh! Did Azul leave already?” he asks. “I thought I heard her.”

“Yup.”

“Okay, I’ll just shoot her an email then.” The doctor grabs Evangeline’s cart and flips through a few sheets before writing a note and clipping it back to her bed and observing the monitor.

I shift in my seat, sweat beading on my forehead. “Wh-what’s going on? Is everything okay with Evangeline?”

“She’s doing great!” He smiles but it disappears just as fast when he meets my scowl. “Well, this isn’t good, but all her vitals are stable. We just can’t crack the mysterious coma.”

“So, what’s the problem then? Why are you emailing Azul?”

“Um... we may need to consider transferring her to the hospital for long term care. We simply cannot do anything else for Evangeline here.”

My jaw drops as the doctor shrugs and strolls out. Even if Evangeline’s okay, I don’t want them to relocate her. It doesn’t sit well that she’s fine but still asleep. None of this is okay, and I’m tired of people treating every damn thing so casually. I can’t lose her. I can’t lose any of them. I just can’t.

I grab Evangeline’s hand and squeeze. It’s warm with a chilling aftertouch.

S crew waiting.

I take the bus to Remington’s estate, hot and queasy. My anger can only fuel me for so long, but anxiety creeps onto my shoulders to remind me no matter what I try to do, it’ll never be enough to save this world.

Guards are posted along the walkway, but none of them say anything as I march my way along the stone pathway to the door, wondering if I need to be on official business.

Before I reach the Guards guarding the doors, someone emerges in a bright pink head-to-toe suit with lily patterns printed while sporting yellow eyeliner.

“Hi there, I’m Roon. I saw you on the cameras—so uh, I’m afraid you can’t go inside. King Remington is ill.”

I blink and step away from how fast he vomited everything.

“Uh... um, is there any way he can step out really quick, or I can come in? It’s urgent.”

Roon rocks on the back of his heels. “Nope.”

“Please, this is a matter of life or death. Please!”

A red tint flickers in my vision, and I’m not sure if it’s from trying to mash a tearful lump back down, or the stress of it all crashing down. If I have to go back to that damn tunnel and travel further to find Mildred myself, then so be it. I can’t sit and do nothing and just wait for more information while Nicholas is being tortured.

“Life or death? Maybe you should go to the Guard station instead,” Roon suggests. His eyes quickly dart behind me but focus back with a small smile. His hands are folded behind his back.

I see now. He’s with her.

I step forward, invading his personal space so he can feel my hot breath seething with hatred and pain. The red tint comes back into focus in my vision like I’m wearing shades. My temples throb and the lump inches back up my throat.

Calm down. The warning is tight.

“You tell that maniac that I know what game she’s playing, and I won’t stand for it. I will stop her, no matter what.” My voice is ready to burst.

Roon simply nods. “Duly noted.”

I stomp back down the walkway, still only seeing red and nearly snarling under my breath.

Once I make it back to the sidewalk, my breathing is better, and the air is less humid. It doesn’t help with my red vision or warm ears and chest, but it’s a start. I pant with each hard step, unsure if I’m going to scream or cry or both.

I drag my feet a whole hour back to Elite, trying to simmer my emotions to a level where the red shade in my eyes can vanish. Summer is waning to its end, but that doesn’t stop the kids from playing basketball in the streets, pool parties from occurring despite the biting chill in the breeze, or even the kiddies drawing hopscotch with their chalk.

When I reach the street to Elite, my thoughts and energy are deflated, left to willow in the back of my mind for another day. My body jerks from constant jitters, and the exhaustion settles in the pits under my eyes.

I sit at the edge of the pond across the street from Elite, a shriveled crater of despondency. The red tinge in my eyes sucks itself out of my cloudy vision from the swaying tears that are ready to crash in a mighty tidal wave down my cheeks.

“Alice.”

I whip around to Billie’s voice with a clear vision. Guards are lined up behind her, weapons aiming at me. Screams and sirens echo down the neighboring streets, while a crowd of Elite members stand outside the front doors.

“Billie?” My heart plummets into my stomach. “Wh-what’s going on?”

Darn, this is because I threatened Mildred.

“You... don’t remember?” Billie asks, incredulously.

The Guards exchange glances. Master Azul pushes through the swarm of them to stand to create a barrier to us.

“She is not of harm,” she states. “Please lower your weapons, so we may assess her and the damage that’s been done on the island.”

One Guard lowers her crossbow and steps forward. “Ma’am, with all due respect, she has become a threat to the public and has an impenetrable shield that protects her from our attempts of subduing her. She needs to come to the station with us.”

Azul’s blue eyes blaze with a deep richness only found buried in the darkest pits of the sea, yet a fire parades behind the scenes of her irises.

“Did I misspeak? If your captain has an issue with me not surrendering my member to you, escalate it to Remington because I don’t give a damn,” Azul sneers.

I twist my body to get a look at the wreckage. The end of the street has obvious indications that the concrete has been uprooted like someone dragged a pickaxe along the road. Over the hedges is a burst fire hydrant, and multiple car crashes. Mailboxes have been torn to shreds, and kids are crying—the same kids I must’ve walked by earlier. I thought everything was fine. I was just trying to get myself under control.

I don’t have enough time to process before Azul yanks me to my feet by my arm and pulls me with her back to the base. Billie trots behind us, cheeks taut with each gulp every time I look back at her. We barrel through the crowd of members as we silently sweep through the lobby.

Azul’s iron grip doesn’t let up through the whole walk back to our dorm room. Billie rushes ahead to unlock the door, so Azul can kick it open and toss me in. I catch myself with the support of the bedframe and try to shove down a family of lumps shimmying up my throat.

“What the hell is your problem?” Azul asks. She paces around the room before grabbing our TV remote and turning it on, flipping through channels before it lands on the Garnet news station. “THIS is the mess you’ve put us in.”

I slowly sit on my bed with Billie joining me. She wraps her arm around my shoulders, bringing me closer to stubborn tears.

There it is. Recapping the live footage of my disgraceful descent into a canopy of rage. The overhead shot from the drone captures my finest moments I thought were peaceful. Every object the vibrating force of my shield touches either disintegrates, shreds, or crushes itself. Some of those mailboxes fire off from contact like firecrackers and crash into houses. The road crumbles within itself and creates sinkholes. Cars, once driving, derail themselves to avoid contact, and if they can’t, the driver scrambles out and runs in the other direction. One of the kids playing hopscotch was hit by road debris and has a gash soaking their shirt in blood and there’s also—

I hang my head, skin warm from toes to ears with guilt stabbing my throbbing head. I can’t watch anymore, and judging by Billie’s tears, neither can she.

“Your powers reached an indescribable level that wrecked a piece of this island!” Master Azul hisses. “We’re gonna have to fork up the money to repair that, and then you threatened the King’s Advisor, Mildred? What on Zeala is the matter with you?”

Billie’s arm tightens around my shoulders until she’s stiff next to me. I look up in time to see Azul’s glare shifts to her.

“And you,” Azul begins. “You’re gonna need to answer to King Jonah regarding why you petrified his Guards. I let you take that call. Have we all forgotten combat first, powers second?”

“Ma’am, can King Jonah explain why his Guards raided a poor woman’s house?” Billie replies. “Each Guard had a red A carved into their hand. King Jonah probably doesn’t even know—none of them probably do. There are crooked Guards amongst all their ranks.”

Azul paces again. “You better hope that holds with King Jonah because he is not happy.”

Billie nods nimbly. “If we tell him everything that’s been happening, maybe it will hold.”

“I don’t trust him quite enough for that. We need to be careful with the information we have.” The wrath is dying in the room when Azul releases a long sigh. Her heels click as her pacing slows to wandering around the small space. She puts her hands on her wide hips. “Are the civilians safe?”

“Yes, they’re in the infirmary getting checked for injuries.” Billie moves her arm and nudges me. “The woman said she knew you. Her name is Vinyl Steed; she has a boy with her.”

“Wren,” I croak, slouching and stuffing my hands between my thighs for warmth. “He’s the boy with sight I met on Onyx Island.”

Master Azul whips the door open but hangs around, looking at me. “Stay put. I mean it.”

When she slams the door, my chest caves, slipping out a sob that was bobbing in my throat. I wipe my eyes and rest my head on Billie’s shoulder. The image of the kid’s wound etches itself into my skull like keying the wood at a bar.

“She’s going to discharge me, isn’t she?” I ask. “Billie, I really messed up this time.”

“I don’t think so, she cares about us.” Billie grabs the TV remote, biting her lip.

She changes the channel to Topaz with a statement from Queen Sophie addressing the attack in her home and how she’ll be at the station to interrogate every single Guard.

“Lastly,” she begins with camera flashes on her. She glances down before eying the camera with a paralyzing stare. “I would like to urge everyone to be wary of anyone with a red A branded on their hand. These people are not to be trusted. Please protect yourselves and your family.”

She did it. She said something—more than Azul is doing, even if it’s ambiguous.

Thunder blares throughout the sky as Sophie smiles pleasantly as if it’s another day on Topaz Island with a mild storm coming. But it’s not.

The cameras are still rolling as Sophie stares, but her black lipstick smile fades the instant a drop of rain splats on her forehead. She wipes her face, but the blood smears. The cameraman is barely audible, so Sophie leans forward before looking at her fingers in recorded horror.

Clouds lurk in the sky behind Sophie, shifting the camera’s view upward to a shower of blood pouring on them. Panic courses through the news crew as the cameras shake from the holder running back to the van, shouting, “A dragon has been killed! Go! Go! Go!”

The broadcast ends, so I turn to Billie to meet the panic in her eyes.

My skin prickles as the fog of my destruction clears enough for me to realize what has happened. Another dragon died.

We scramble to our feet and bolt out the room to see Evangeline.