Divided

by Alycia Linwood

  "I'm listening." If people were going to hate it, then it had to be good.

  "Once we show that video and tell people the truth - or most of it - we could ask for element donations."

  "What?" I frowned, even though she couldn't see me.

  "Umm, you know how people can donate their organs after death? Well, I was thinking they could donate their elements too. We could have special teams who would take a magic disease carrier to a dying person who signed the donation agreement, and the carrier would get the element when the person died. We'd make sure no one else gets hurt in the process." Paula took a loud breath, waiting for my reaction.

  "Are you sure there'd be people who'd sign such a thing?" We could even have a crisis center for carriers who could no longer control themselves and desperately needed an element. Of course, it would work only for those who can actually keep that element. We couldn't feed the addiction of those who couldn't keep an element because they'd need more and more elements.

  "Why not? If there are people who are willing to help magic disease carriers, why there wouldn't be those who'd give their element to help someone stay alive? It's not like we'll be killing someone for those elements. When the doctors determine the donor is about to die, the carrier comes for the element. The process is not painful, unless the donor is in pain from the thing he's dying from. We can ask. If people don't want to do it, fine."

  "What about side effects? If we give another element to someone, it could make them unstable. Just look at me."

  "I thought about that too," she said. "Only people who can't control themselves at all would receive the donated elements. We'd have to give them at least three elements in addition to the one they already have to achieve stability. Those people would have to be monitored, but they wouldn't crave elements so much and wouldn't get themselves killed while trying to get one."

  "I like the idea." It was very revolutionary and people would flip out, but if we could give an element to a carrier and prolong his or her life, it was worth it. "Do you know who is going to cause the biggest trouble when we announce this?"

  "No, who?"

  "Religious groups." God of Magic didn't have the same importance in people's lives as he used to, but there were numerous religious groups that believed our elements were in fact our essence. And to give our essence to someone else was unthinkable. "Actually, they'll probably commit a ritual suicide when they realize evil carriers can have elements too."

  "Ria!" Paula scowled at my joke. "Those people claim God creates an element first and sends it to Earth, but we know that's not true because we found a way to pick a certain element to develop. God might have created the first element, but not the rest. That's why I think we shouldn't pay much attention to them. They'll be loud, but no one will care."

  "If they come to me, I'll send them to you so you can explain them nicely all of that." I chuckled. "Then you can use all of your awesome terms and Latin names and confuse the hell out of them."

  "Ha ha," Paula said dryly. "So, do you agree with my idea, president? Will you add my proposition to your 'to do' list?"

  "Yep." If Paula's idea worked, we'd be on a nice way to make lives of magic disease carriers easier. Maybe carriers wouldn't seem so scary to others. Unfortunately, people's reactions were unpredictable, so as far as I knew, we'd end up in a war anyway.

  "Great!" She squealed. "But now I have to go back to the celebration. Talk to you soon."

  "Bye." I ended the call, a big grin on my face. Things were going pretty well for us. Lily gave me an expectant look, so I went on to explain her Paula's idea.

  Chapter 25

  I stood in front of at least five hundred people and fifty cameras, my palms sweating despite the cold. When I'd told my associates I'd have a press conference to inform the public about something important, they were adamant that they see the whole thing live. So here we were, some sitting, some standing in the well-protected yard of one hotel. Cameras followed my every movement, and I knew the whole country was watching me, maybe even the whole world.

  It was easy to get TV stations to show my speech because I was the new president and they wanted to hear what I had to say, especially when I'd mentioned I'd shake the whole world with my statements. Lily and her team had gone over my speech a couple of times, making sure every word was perfect. Behind my back was a large screen with a presentation, and the video Lily's tech had compiled was ready to be shown everywhere. The video would be shown directly from our headquarters and sent to every TV station in the country. We couldn't have given them the video because we were afraid someone would take a peek too soon and ruin everything.

  I had no idea if someone would try to censor my speech once they realized what I was talking about, but I'd actually gotten an official permission from the president of the country to inform the citizens about the latest discoveries concerning elements. The Element Preservers was the highest authority in the world of elements after all, and no one suspected that I'd be revealing something other members didn't agree with.

  Granted, the president was busy and couldn't care less what I said because he believed I'd just say something irrelevant. I'd only told him I'd be saying something that could help us preserve elements, and he was happy with that. Hopefully, they wouldn't try to censor everything later.

  I placed my papers on the dais, clearing my throat. Lily and two guards stood behind my back, ready to help me if I felt overwhelmed by elements. I'd been nervous the whole day, so my disease was stronger too. It was a big question if I could go through the whole speech without losing control. But I had to, or we'd mess up our opportunity to tell the world the truth while everyone was listening.

  "Thank you all for coming. We have gathered today to reveal our latest discoveries regarding elements and magic disease." Seeing so many faces staring at me was beyond creepy, and I couldn't help but wonder if my hair was a mess or if my black dress had stains on it. As I went on with my speech, explaining the details about the discoveries, people's faces became darker and more serious. If the event wasn't being filmed and going live, I was sure someone would have laughed in my face or interrupted me.

  "To prove you the theory about sub-elements and magic disease carriers who can keep an element, I present you Adrian Liandre." I extended my hand toward the other side of the stage as Adrian climbed up the stairs. Collective gasps in the audience told me that we'd managed to shock everyone. Adrian had volunteered to be an example of a carrier with a sub-element because everyone knew the story about his parents and everyone knew he was a carrier. Many had forgotten about him over time, but judging by the faces I could see, they still remembered.

  Adrian crossed the stage, his eyes trained on mine. His shoulders were tense, and he looked like he wanted to run off the stage. I knew it was hard for him to stand in front of everyone and show the sub-element he had fought so desperately to hide for the most of the time. The press would probably dig out his history from their records and he'd have to deal with the traumatic events from his past all over again. But he'd told me he'd be fine, and I admired him for that.

  "Mr. Liandre will demonstrate what he can do by turning half of this stage to ice." I couldn't let anyone assume I was romantically involved with Adrian, so I simply stepped back and let Adrian use his element on the stage. Since ice wasn't a regular element, no one could accuse us of faking the whole thing by letting someone else freeze the stage instead of Adrian. I was almost sure someone would complain about Adrian using his element in public before finishing university.

  The scientists all over the world who had discovered sub-elements at some point or suspected about them were going to be royally pissed that others took credit for the discoveries, since the government had hidden most of the old files in the Pandora's Box and tricked the scientists into believing they were wrong.

  Everyone, including me, watched as a thick layer of ice covered half of the stage. Some people in the first row scooted back, afraid that the ice would reach them. The audie
nce's reactions varied from astonished to weary. Clearly, there were people who knew about the sub-elements, but weren't happy that I'd decided to reveal the secret without consulting with them. They had to be suspicious of me and my intentions.

  "As you can see, I have a sub-element of water which helps me stay in control of my disease," Adrian said, gaining confidence by each word. I had to bite my lip not to smile as he went on explaining about his sub-element. My boyfriend was absolutely amazing. Suddenly my vision blurred and I fought to stay on my feet. A wave of dizziness overcame me, disappearing as fast as it had come. Lily glanced at me, one eyebrow raised, and I shook my head. What was wrong with me? Taking a deep breath, I concentrated on Adrian's words and hoped I could survive through the conference.

  "That went better than we expected," Paula said, flopping into the nearest chair. We'd reserved a whole café bar for our team so we could relax after the conference. Coffee had helped me to recover my lost energy, but I still had to cling to Adrian's arm because elements were threatening to choke me. I'd lived through the conference, but I nearly fell into pieces after it. At least Adrian was with me to put me back together.

  "You mean nobody tried to shoot us," I said, glancing at the TV screen which kept repeating my speech, Adrian's demonstration and the documentary Lily's team had made.

  "That too," Paula laughed, leaning back in the chair, so she ended up half-lying in it. "But crowds aren't gathering around here with banners and eggs."

  "I guess everyone is dumbfounded by our revelation," Adrian said, taking a sip of his drink. "They don't know what to think. It's not like anyone can blame us for telling them the truth."

  "The press must be livid outside." Paula picked up her cup and stirred the cream with a plastic spoon. "They couldn't believe we refused to answer any questions."

  "There's nothing left to say. We said everything we wanted." Adrian's hand slid down to my knee.

  "I guess we have to wait a bit to see the true reaction," I said. "When everyone thinks things through, they'll voice their opinions."

  "Who cares?" Adrian's lips spread into a smile. "This is our day. The day of magic disease carriers. It's our beginning. The haters will have a lot more trouble to accuse us of being monsters now that they know we have elements too and don't necessarily need theirs."

  "Do you think Alan will send someone after you now that he knows you're no longer hiding?" Paula's brow was creased with worry as she looked at Adrian.

  "He had his chance to act and he didn't. If he comes up with something, we'll deal with it." Adrian shrugged. It was a matter of days for Alan to figure out I had the disease too. He knew I'd slept with Adrian, but later my father confirmed I still had an element before he sent Alan to look for us. Now that we'd revealed some carriers could keep an element for a long time, he'd assume I had the disease. Of course, he'd have probably realized that on his own at some point, so I was glad we'd revealed the big secret before he ruined everything.

  "Is that Cassandra?" I nodded toward the old woman who tried to push her way through the dancing bodies of Lily's team. "We're here!" I waved over to her, and she looked relieved when she spotted our table.

  "Oh, thank God I found you." She panted, a piece of paper crumpled in her hand.

  "What happened?" I asked, searching Adrian's hand for comfort.

  "Did the press do something?" Paula licked her spoon and set the cup back on the table.

  "I have a message for you, Ria," Cassandra said, handing me the paper. "It came straight from some governmental institution which oversees our work."

  I had no idea there was someone who controlled what we did, but my father must have known someone from that institution. Since I didn't know anyone, I'd probably start receiving complaints. Hell, maybe they'd decided to remove me from my position already. "Why don't you take a seat?" We scooted over so Cassandra could fit the chair between Paula and me.

  "What's that?" Adrian grabbed the paper from my hands, inspecting it with curiosity.

  "Give me that back! You're not the president." I rolled my eyes, which only amused Adrian more.

  "I can sum it up for you," Cassandra said. "Apparently, you can't be the president of the Element Preservers if you haven't finished university."

  "What?" I gaped at her. "No one mentioned that."

  "That's because the organization is new, but it works on the same principle as the old Council. During the existence of the Council, all the presidents had finished university, so the rule didn't have to be enforced. Most of the Council's rules have been transferred to the Element Preservers, but some got lost. Now this institution found that file and claims you can't be the president if you don't finish the university," Cassandra said.

  "Now what?" I scowled. If Oliver could hear this, he'd be thrilled. "Do I have to transfer the presidency to someone else from my family?"

  "At least we did our job," Adrian said, clearly unconcerned.

  "Yeah, right, but my brother or my mother could ruin everything we've worked for!" I slipped my fingers out of his, my heart beating like crazy in my chest. "Do I really have to give up the presidency?"

  "Not necessarily." Cassandra smirked. "You can keep the presidency even if you're a student. The rule says you have to be over 18, which you are, and you can't finish university at that age, so there's your loophole. If they really wanted to prevent people without a university degree from being the president, the required age would be at least 21."

  "So I have to go back to the university?" I must have looked completely shocked because Paula almost choked on her drink.

  "Yeah. You can go to one of the universities here and work half-time." Cassandra affectionately patted my shoulder.

  "I'd love to go back to the university," Paula said cheerfully. "We can go together. Adrian?"

  "I can't go. I'm still the despised magic disease carrier and they don't need me for an experiment, so there's no way they're going to let me in. Besides, Alan is still officially my guardian, so I can't do anything without his signature." Adrian's touch sent a jolt through my arm and I flinched away. "Ria? Are you ok?"

  "Yeah, I'm just tired and confused." I could taste Paula's element in my mouth, so I took a sip of coffee, squeezing the cup between my fingers. How could I ever go back to the university like nothing was wrong and like I hadn't been on every damn TV screen in the world? "I don't think I'll be able to control myself at the university. And wouldn't I finish university after my mandate was over?"

  "The rules are more or less clear," Cassandra said. "You'll find it all on the paper I had given you. If you want to keep the presidency, you have to go to the university."

  "Ugh, great. I can't stay at the university unless I pass the damn exams because I technically failed last semester for not showing up. And if I want to pass exams, I'll have to study." Paula gave me a 'duh' look when I said the last sentence. "How am I supposed to have time for the job and for going out?"

  "You'll have to cut down on time spent shopping." Adrian snickered.

  I stared at him wide-eyed. "Fuck that shit. I'm not going back to the university!"

  "Ria, come on!" Paula said, failing miserably at keeping a straight face. "You're going to be fine. We'll find a way for you to be able to go to classes."

  "There are many people who aren't lucky like you," Cassandra said, reminding me of my grandma. "Not everyone can afford to go to the university, and some have to work to be able to pay for it."

  "Yeah, yeah. I'm a typical, privileged, ungrateful brat. I get it." I sighed. "Fine. I'm going back to the stupid university. But first I need a drink. Something strong."

  "I'll get it for you." Adrian got up, going for the bar.

  "When I was your age, no one under 21 was allowed to drink alcohol," Cassandra said, her eyes getting that hazed, far-off look.

  "That must have sucked," I said. Part of me wanted to go back to the university because I missed it, but part of me was afraid that I'd lose control of myself there. How could I sit calmly
through a practical part of Magic Studies if Adrian wasn't there with me to hold my hand? I'd hate to feel weak and helpless. But I couldn't see a way out of it.

  "I should go now," Cassandra said, getting up. "See you later."

  "You don't have to pretend with me. I know it's not really about shopping and free time," Paula said when Cassandra was gone. "I understand that you're afraid, but we'll find a way. I promise."

  "I know, but I'm more unstable than... umm, the most unstable chemical element in the periodic table." I ran my hand through my hair. "What if I go for someone's element in the middle of the class?"

  "The chemical element would be francium." Paula grinned. "We still have time until the next semester. There must be a smaller university somewhere. Maybe one with only a couple of people in one class. You need to pick one quickly, then we can give some funds to the university so they can make their classrooms elementproof. We could say it's to protect the rest of the building if something goes wrong in the classroom."

  "Ok, but I'll still need someone with me in case of an emergency." I considered forcing Alan to sign Adrian's university application, but I wasn't sure how to achieve that. The bastard would ask for the vice presidency, and I couldn't give him that.

  "If Adrian can't go, I'm sure someone from Lily's group can." Paula was about to say something else, but she closed her mouth when Adrian returned with a glass of whiskey.

  I took the glass from him, taking a sip that burned right through me. "Thanks."

  "What did I miss?" Adrian settled himself next to me, but didn't touch me.

  "Nothing special," Paula said, twisting her blond curl. "Ria and I came to the conclusion that she will still have time for shopping."

  Adrian's eyebrows shot upward. "Nothing special indeed."

  "I'm going back to the university," I said, but that didn't make it sound more real to me. Would I get used to it? Yeah, I guessed I would.

  Chapter 26