Page 3

Best Interests

Elite: Alice

––––––––

Two dragon deaths in one day. Now what will the monarchs say? What will our Superiors do?

My palms itch with eagerness as we sit in Billie’s room in the infirmary. I didn’t check my phone to see Master Azul sent Evangeline and me a text that Billie threw up in her office, so she took her to the nurse. It’s only been a few hours, and I already miss her bubbly, annoying self.

Evangeline nearly chews all her nails to nubs when the glossy, purple-haired nurse rushes in. She flips through sheets on her clipboard before glancing at us, glasses sliding down the bridge of her pointy nose.

“Ah, ladies. Come back later. ‘Kay? She’s resting,” she says.

I jump to my feet. “Is there anything we can do?”

“Nothing for you to do, dearie. Now leave. Mhm?”

Evangeline gets up and leaves, so I follow her, but her pace is so fast that I almost trip to keep up. We rush outside to the foreboding sky. The heavy, bloody rain pelts us as I rapidly blink through the aggressive drops. The dread tingles through my arms to the tips of my fingers. An ache zaps through different joints of my body while I stare at the sky.

Bloody drops splat on Evangeline’s face before clearing up on her skin. “I don’t feel so great.”

“Let’s go see your tree.”

The distant screeching of the crying dragons shatters through the rain and thunder. Evangeline continues down the steps and circles around the side of the building. The sky deepens into its classic midnight color while the shadows of the mourning dragons disperse. I breathe in the thick air and scan the passing traffic on the street and the apartments and houses in the distance. My favorite view will always be the mountains that hide in the background from wherever I stand on Garnet Island.

Another view is when the sparkle lakes and ponds emit a glittery, white glow whenever someone tosses a coin. Elite is lucky to have a pond across the street from the building—no bigger than a baseball field. Routinely, volunteers clean the lakes and ponds and donate the coins to charities.

“Alice! Come on!” Evangeline’s voice is loud from the side of the building. I rush over to her and head further back to the mouth of the forest about seventy-five yards away from Elite. The wet grass soaks through my canvas shoes as I slightly waddle. We turn on our phone flashlights and find the soggy, worn path leading into the forest. We hike through dripping trees, branches, and bushes. A faint petrichor from earlier lingers as the humidity dies down.

“Are you as nervous as I am about the second dragon death?” I ask, almost tripping over a branch my flashlight didn’t catch on time.

Evangeline wobbles from side to side. “Of course. It’s not like these issues are happening on one island: it’s everywhere. I hate seeing Ultima succeed as much as you do, but at the very least, one of the monarchs should’ve deployed them. Maybe they’ll reconsider after this second occurrence.”

I think about the reported dragon deaths on the other five islands besides Garnet. We’ve watched each island report it on live TV in utter horror.

Evangeline pauses when we reach a fork in the forest. “Pretty sure it’s this way. Everything looks so different at night.”

I follow behind her but get smacked by a wet, leafy, overhanging branch she moves out of her way. “Ah!” I quickly rub my face.

We finally stop at the oak tree that’s noticeably thicker and larger than the rest. Its crown holds an abundance of dripping branches and twigs.

Evangeline turns to me, blinding my eyes with her phone light. I squint, causing her to aim it at the ground. “Sorry.”

She puts her phone on the ground, places both hands firmly on the trunk, and takes meditative breaths. I turn off my phone light and shift my weight. When my eyes adjust to the darkness, I admire the canopy of wet leaves draping over us. I peer through the open spaces at the twinkling black sky, seeing few stars. The stretch of tree silhouettes around me is infinite.

My gaze returns to Evangeline when a glowing, white light outlines her body. Her floral-patterned Trace Mark flashes to the pace of her heartbeat and glows brighter now that she’s with her tree. Eventually, the tree develops a white outline that reaches the mushy soil. Scattered roots throughout the forest reveal themselves like luminescent veins in the ground.

My phone vibrating pulls me out of the moment. I check the E-Force app and find a new mission assigned by Master Azul that reads, “Cave Inspection.” I try to tap it with my thumb to see the details, but nothing happens. There’s usually a dropdown feature that gives more information, but...maybe the app is broken.

Another mission from Azul appears in the queue that says, “Special Agent Mission.” I mash my thumb on that one too, and nothing freakin’ happens .

I look up as Evangeline is stepping away from the tree. The glowing current of roots dims until all that’s left is darkness and us. Evangeline picks up her phone and wipes it gently against her pants. I turn my light back on, frustrated with the app.

“You look mad,” she says.

“I think the work app is broken,” I mutter. “Feel better?”

She nods but is fiddling with her fingers. “Y-Yes.”

It’s theorized that Spirit User powers are randomly generated based on personality. If so, the universe was cruel to Evangeline when she was Traced. Ability to mimic other people’s powers? Great. Connection to the earth and can manipulate it? Stellar. Becoming forever bound to a tree that if it gets chopped or burned down, she dies too? Terrible. Avoiding the tree for too long and becoming ill? Awful.

My fears are nothing compared to her constantly living with this fact.

“Are you sure you’re ready? You’re gonna need to lead us back because I couldn’t even tell you which way to turn to get outta here.”

She nods again with that doe-eyed look exaggerated from the flashlight shining upward on her small face; her Trace Mark flashes rapidly in the darkness. I walk over and wrap my arm around her bony shoulders, turning off my flashlight so we only use hers.

“How’s dance practice with Rachel going?” I ask.

“G-Good. So, there’s a performance coming up we’re in and...” She continues talking but starts walking. I stay huddled with her as she leads us through the forest path, talking about her passion for dancing. The temperature drops in minutes, probably in the fifties for a mid-May night, and the crickets emerge with their nightly chirping. I shiver a few times and accept that the wetness has soaked through my socks.

After ten minutes of traversing and almost getting lost, we make it out. Inside the base, foot traffic has decreased since few members have overnight patrols. Security locks the automatic doors for the evening, so only members can scan their badge to get back in.

“I have to finish laundry before bed. Wanna visit Billie in the morning?” Evangeline asks.

“Sure, just swing by whenever you wake up and we can get breakfast too.”

We part ways as I go through the stairwell and head upstairs to the golden marble balcony. The self-service café is always running and stocked with cookies, pastries, bagels, and tea, but members hardly come up here. I scan my badge and grab a chocolate chip cookie before continuing to Master Azul’s heavy, metallic door. I knock lightly and wait until she shouts for me to come in.

“Oh, Alice. Hi there,” Azul greets me and gestures to step into the chilly, dark room. At her desk, she folds her hands and beams a smirk at me. I sit across from her, shoulders locked. “I was just about to see if you were still awake. I’m assuming you saw the missions?”

“Affirmative, there aren’t any details—at least the app isn’t showing anything.”

Azul nods. Her bright, uncharacteristically big, cobalt eyes stare into my being, drowning me in their tidal wave. “Queen Sophie has asked if we could inspect a cave on the outskirts of Topaz Island. She wants an updated inspection. I’ve made arrangements for you to leave tomorrow afternoon and stay approximately one night. Does this turnaround work for you?”

“Yes. And the Special Agent one?” I press.

“One second.” Azul turns to her computer. I want to ask about Billie, but she probably knows as much as I do. I try to keep from bouncing my leg, so my eyes wander.

Her room is icy and dim with no windows, so it kinda looks like a dungeon cell. The flooring is metal, and the walls are cement and gray. The whole left wall has surveillance monitors showing different sections of the base. Seashell-shaped wall lamps emit a fuchsia light lined up on all the other walls.

Azul’s bracelets jingle as she moves the mouse and types a few times. She scratches her thick brow, making her pearly seashell necklace hit the fuchsia lighting just right. Finally, she leans back in her chair and stares intently at me.

“The Special Agent assignment is confidential. You are going to investigate the dragon murders.”

“But the monarchs only want their Guards to do that. Did they change that?”

“Not quite,” she says. I open my mouth for another question, but she raises a halting hand. “That’s why this mission is top secret.”

I’m racking my brain, but I’m honestly surprised and speechless. I should do as instructed and not question it, but something must be wrong if it’s just me doing this.

“Ultima are the Protective Dragon Agents. I-I lack the skills they train for.” I suppress a violent shiver.

Azul wheels her chair backward and pulls off her wool, batwing poncho from over her head. She gathers the feathery strands of her champagne-blond hair into a messy ponytail.

“Yes, this is Ultima’s purpose, but they weren’t asked to do this, we were. You’ve spent the last five years training. You are ready.”

My mind scatters to gather the right words. I want to pull every strand of my hair out and scratch every inch of my coppery skin to make it make sense, but it’s not. It never will make sense.

“Master Azul,” I begin, trying to relax and prevent sweating. “Please forgive my inquiries, but... am I being deployed for Elite’s sake?”

Azul’s lips form a smooth line across her face. She takes a deep breath, placing her hands on the desk. The creases in her forehead and eyebrows are telling.

“You understand why Ultima and Elite exist, don’t you?” she asks.

I frown, the anger simmering in my stomach. “Of course.”

Overdrive. Everyone knows.

“Then you understand that Ultima has always been the higher-ranking organization of the two from the very beginning,” she says. “I have reason to believe that the monarchs have been discussing potentially dissolving Elite. The people may not be thrilled, but it would be helpful to the economy. Ultima could absorb any members under Master Cedric’s regime.”

The irony is incredible, given that Elite was created as a resistance to Ultima. We can’t go back to the pain they’ve brought to many as Overdrive.

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “I—no, that can’t happen.”

“I agree, but two organizations don’t make sense to the monarchs when one can do it. I want that to be Elite. So yes, you are being deployed for Elite’s sake.”

I rub my face in my hands and try to process everything, but I have so many questions. If the killings continue and the Guards and I don’t figure it out, then Zeala is in big trouble.

“Is this a reaction to the monarchs not calling upon Spirit Users to help?” I ask. “Who requested this mission?”

Azul’s sharp gaze briefly flickers. Got it.

“I can’t say much more. Things are complicated and no one wants to start any wars. That’s why this is to be kept confidential. Be discreet, as we do not want a deficiency. Inspect the cave first and gather some intel while on the island. Report your findings immediately.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Back in my room, I pull out a black backpack from under my bunk and plop on my bed with a heavy sigh. The past twelve hours have felt like an eternity. Now, two days after my nineteenth birthday and on my fifth work anniversary, my biggest mission is uncovering the mystery behind the dragon deaths?

I can’t function like this.

Feeling the jitters zapping from my toes to my ears, I dig in the first drawer of the worn dresser and pull out my dagger hidden under my socks. I hold the golden hilt with a gentle squeeze. After my first year in Elite, Billie gifted me this. The gold was intentional because it matches my eyes.

The goofiest thing was she forgot the sheath at the shop, but she was so proud of the dagger that I never bought one. I toss it in my backpack and move on to the second drawer dedicated to Elite uniforms.

“Hmm.” I grab a pair of black cargo pants we all wear and move the accordion closet door to take a spare maroon, double-breasted military jacket, completing the uniform set.

That nap will be my undoing because now I’m too wired. I can’t even focus on reading my book. I pace around the room and stay up late cleaning our bathroom. I flex my fingers and pace again, replaying my conversation with Master Azul. I finally eat my chocolate chip cookie, but it’s a crumpled mess. I sit on my bed, lost in thought about the two dragon deaths. Finally, I turn off the lights and let the darkness swallow me whole.

T he emptiness in my stomach wakes me up. I check my phone and groan, accepting that I slept too much into the afternoon. My next check is my email, remembering everything that happened yesterday and my new assignment.

I skim through emails as my stomach growls. Topaz’s dragon population is small compared to other islands; they have too many fireworks and parties.

By the time I realize I have a text from Evangeline from a few hours ago, there’s a knock.

“Come in!” I croak.

Evangeline pops her small head through the door with big, round eyes.

“Howdy! We go see Billie? Oh–are you just waking up?” The rest of her body emerges through the door as her gaze lingers on the backpack at the foot of my bed. “You’re leaving?”

I sit up and let the blanket fall off me. “Yeah. I can’t say why, but I’ll be back tomorrow.” I quickly yawn. “Let’s see Billie before I leave.”

“Okay, but hurry up. I’ll grab you something from the cafeteria and meet you there.”

My thoughts are a jumbled candy machine. The grogginess is heavy on my eyelids and shoulders, so it’s hard to drag myself out of bed. I toss my uniform from yesterday in the laundry bin since it’s infested with blond hair and cheese. I meander around the room, throwing on my clothes and slinging my jacket over my shoulder. It’s hot, stuffy, and smells like spring dust melting in a greenhouse. My stomach growls again while I sloppily brush my teeth before heading out with my backpack to meet Evangeline in the infirmary.

Doors open and close in the dormitory hall as foot traffic is at its peak due to people ending and starting shifts. Some members poke their heads out to shout something to their neighbor across the hall, while others are goofing off and running down the corridor. Somehow, I slip by everyone fast enough to make it out.

Evangeline is talking to the nurse in Billie’s room when she approaches me with a muffin, garlic parmesan bagel, and a banana.

“You got all this for me?” I ask.

“Oh, no.” She only hands me the banana which I snatch from her with a grimace. “Sorry, the selection wasn’t the best because they were closing up.”

“Thanks,” I mutter, eying the nurse from yesterday. “Any news?”

“Yes, yes. Billie was awake earlier and will make a full recovery today. She has medication she should really take with food but doesn’t, which caused the reaction.” The nurse adjusted her glasses. “I’ve informed Master Azul that recovery has noticeably been longer with members, possibly due to the constant death of dragons. Ladies, do take care.”

The nurse walks away without another word, leaving me gaping at Evangeline.

“Well, I’m more frightened than a Spirit User disguising themselves as a Guard,” she whispers.

Does this mean we’ll become weaker if the deaths continue at this rate?

I’m tempted to shake Billie awake, but don’t want to disrupt her rest. Her annoying voice feels so distant.

When we head out, a member with a gash on the side of his head limps into the infirmary with someone at his side. He looks at me, eyes lighting up.

“Yo, Alice! Think you could work some of that healin’ to fix this up?” he asks, pointing to his head. “Just a little bit?”

“Sorry, but no. Going out on assignment,” I say.

“No worries, bruh. I get it,” the guy drawls in his Emeraldian accent. “Gotta save up that magic juice. Good luck to ya.” He continues limping inside the infirmary as Evangeline and I press forward through the lobby.