Fuck. Why now? Why her? Of all the people in this damn world, it had to be Heather. Was I the unluckiest person alive? And what was she even doing here? Was I hallucinating? I couldn't let her see me like this.

"No, no, no..." I muttered. "You're not really here, okaaay?"

Heather frowned and knelt in front of me.

"Are you okey?" There was a hint of concern in her voice.

"I said you're not here. Just pretend I'm a ghost. Not that hard."

"Are you drunk?" She took my wrist and flipped it over, pressing our Reg Bracelets together. After a quick beep, she released my hand and checked her bracelet.

"Whoa. You're more alcohol than human." She said, glancing at whatever result showed up on her bracelet.

"And you needed that thing to tell you?" 

She rolled her eyes, holding back whatever remark was on the tip of her tongue. I guess she decided it wasn't worth it. I buried my face in my hands as I felt my brain melting into lava.

"Where are Kate and the rest?" She looked around hopeful to see them.

"I don't know. I lost them, or they lost me. Can't really tell. But don't worry; I know my way back." 

I attempted to stand up, and I say attempted because at the slightest move, my head became a tornado, and the only thing I managed was a few pathetic, clumsy steps in a zigzag. Heather instinctively held me.

"There's no way you can go back on your own." She said as a matter of fact.

Suddenly another female voice, unfamiliar to me, joined the conversation.

"Is everything okay?" From a door three meters inside the alley, a woman with red hair stuck her head out and directed her words to Heather. They seemed to know each other.

"Yes, no worries, I got it." Heather said, gesturing that she didn't need any assistance. The woman nodded and closed the door.

"Come on. Let's go." Heather said passing an arm around my back to help me stand up.

"I'm fine. I don't need a nanny." I tried to pull away, but she held me firmly.

"Trust me, I have no intention of being your nanny. But I'm also not about to let a junior Narval get into trouble this soon, that would just drag me into it too."

"Oh, sure. For a second, I thought you were worried about me. Guess I'm just losing my mind."

Heather took a deep breath, as if trying once again to keep her cool, then totally ignoring my irritated remark, said, "This way."

We came out from the ally and crossed the crowded street to later join another even darker alley.

"The transit capsules aren't this way." I said as I noticed we were getting farther from the only area of the city I knew.

"I came in with my Narval airship, it's just a few blocks from here." She said.

"Oh. Right." Was she too delicate for the transit capsules? I wondered. She didn't seem to be when she slammed me down the day I crossed the border.

We walked in silence for what seemed like an eternity, and not for a single second in that eternity did Heather stop holding me tightly. Maybe a bit too tight, almost as if I were a prisoner who might bolt at any moment. Lasting effects of her job, I supposed.

Maybe it was because my mind was still a blur but when I covertly glanced at Heather I noticed something different about her. Her usual serious expression was there (of course) but her hair was loose, flowing over her shoulders, dancing with the wind in a mesmerizing way. I hadn't noticed the beauty of its natural waves before, she usually kept her hair braided. What occasion had made her let it down tonight?

She caught me staring, and I quickly dropped my gaze.

"Everything okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I was just, j-ust wo-ndering..." The effects of the alcohol had reached my tongue. Great. Just great.

"Wondering what?"

"What you were do-ing here."

"You really can't help not knowing a thing, can you?" She said.

I gasped. "I mean... you said you were tiiiired and wouldn't be coming to the city. And here you are... in a dark alley... in the dead of night. S-ssorry for being... con-fuuuused." I did my best to sound clear but judging by her smirk, I didn't quite nail it. She held her breath for a moment and burst out laughing as if she'd been holding those laughs back forever.

"That's reeeally nice of you... Mooocking the sad, drunk newcomer. Such a good leader..."

Heather covered her mouth with her free hand, shielding her lips to keep herself quiet.

"Alright, alright," she murmured, then took a deep breath, as if she needed an extra dose to contain that fit of laughter. "I was just visiting a friend."

"The red-haired girl?" I asked.

"Oh. So you saw her." Her face shifted, no idea why, but now she seemed uncomfortable.

"Well, I just saw a red-haired woman popping out the door in the alley, not much more."

She paused for a moment as if thinking what to say next. Why did she have to think?

"Yes, that was my friend." She confirmed. "Happy now that you know?"

"Veeeeery happy."

Heather contained another laugh and I couldn't help to smile at the situation. What were the odds of all of that, seriously?

A moment later, we arrived in front of an airship. It was one of thoes small models, designed for just two people to travel together. I had seen them in the Narval hangar while taking the Reg technology classes, but only leads and official Narval Officers were allowed to pilot them. Maybe if I passed all the tests and became an officer myself, I could have one someday.

The airship's shape always reminded me of a fish with a short tail, like the ones you'd win at fairs for a shooting game. I internally laughed because since I'd crossed the border, everything there seemed to have a marine vibe.

At the front of the airship, there was this big, round glass capsule (kind of like a giant fishbowl) so the pilot could see everything. At the back, there was this bold, prism-shaped structure, probably where the propulsion stuff was, and on the sides, vents kept opening and closing, like gills. Tell me that didn't look like some kind of sea creature.

"There she is." Heather said, gesturing towards the airship, as she unlocked the door using her Reg Bracelet.

"She?" I asked.

"Yes, let me introduce you; her name is Emma." Heather said as she pointed to a letter marked on the upper wing, a bold E.

"All the airships have letters that identify them, but I thought a name would be more fitting than a simple letter, don't you think?" She looked at the ship proudly, like it was her beloved pet. So she actually cared about some things, even if it was just a machine.

I took my seat in the co-pilot's chair, which I found surprisingly comfortable, almost more so than my bed, to be honest. I looked around and damn, I was struck by the interior. It was filled with buttons, levers, and engines I had no idea how to use. But Heather's hands seemed to dance over it as a professional piano player. A few clicks on the ceiling buttons, and the control panel lit up. She flipped a couple of levers, and Emma's front lights illuminated the alley. She pressed a small compartment in front of me, and it opened automatically. Inside, there was a transparent yellowish bag filled with a bunch of pills.

"Take one." Heather said.

"What's that?" I asked.

"It will help you sober up."

I wasn't too keen on taking pills like this, who knew what they could really be? But the truth was, my head felt like a washing machine, and I was pretty concerned about how the trip would go if I didn't do something to stop the dizziness. So I didn't argue and obeyed.

Even though I tried not to taste the pill, the moment it touched my tongue, an unpleasant citrus flavor slid down my throat, kind of like that time I accidentally swallowed that pesticide "candy" Mom and Dad bought for the crops. But, unlike then, I wasn't poisoned and stuck in bed for a week. A minute later, I felt the spinning in my head begin to steady and the pounding heat in my cheeks softened

"Feeling a bit better?" Heather asked after having waited patiently for the pill to take effect.

"Yes. Thanks for that."

Heather nodded, and for the first time, her face softened, as if she, too, was relieved to see me good.

Now with not so much of a blurred vision, I could appreciate even more the inside of that amazing machine. Radar screens, panels with golden edges, levers wrapped in metal, but out of everything, what really caught my eye was a crystal ball hanging from a ceiling hoop, right in the middle between the pilot and the copilot seat. It was filled with water and housed a weird plant inside. It had just one large leaf with little purple scratches, and its roots spiraled out in every direction, decorating the inside of the ball.

"What's that?" I asked.

Heather glanced at the plant and smiled. "It's how you'll never confuse my spaceship with anyone else's. It's an air plant."

"An air plant?" I frowned and looked at her waiting for more information to come.

"It's a weird type that only survives if you keep her high. As high as possible."

Although I knew the Reg Society had a much wider variety of vegetation, I had never heard of anything like this before, and honestly, that was way cooler than I could have possibly imagined.

"Can I touch it?" I said, leaning in for a closer look.

"Yes, but be careful, there are just a few. I was lucky I found one."

I softly turned the cristal ball over to admire the shape of thoes roots.

"I love it." I said.

Heather smiled satisfied. "Then, let's wait and see what happens when it gets higher."

She pulled the steering wheel, and Emma buzzed as we began to rise into the night sky. The city lights transformed into a mesmerizing panorama as we soared above the bustling streets. My legs shook as we ascended, and my breath quickened, completely out of my control. I couldn't help but glance down, anxiety and fear crawling in my chest. Of course, Heather noticed.

"Scared of heights?" She asked.

"Well..." I said, unable to avert my gaze from below. "Let's just say I have zero experience with heights, airships, and... pretty much everything."

Heather smirked, then pulled down a green lever, and Emma slowed down.

"Let's go smoothly then. I don't want you coming out of this with a bad experience."

"Thanks."

We hovered softly over the city when a light caught my attention and Heather's too.

"Finally." She said. "Look." She pointed at the air plant.

The purple streaks on the leaf began to glow brighter, then snaked down toward the roots in a spiraling light show. As they reached the tip of each root, they turned yellowish and released a few silver sparks that ended up floating inside the ball like tiny stars.

"Wow. Why is it doing that?" I asked amazed.

"It's just its way of saying I'm enjoying the ride." She explained. "Now look at this."

Heather slid her fingers over a switch, moving them downward and the airship's lights dimmed. The silver sparkles from the plant projected around us, collapsing everywhere as if those stars had transported to our world.

I gazed around, my eyes wide open, my mouth hanging slightly in awe. I probably looked like an idiot but there was no excuse for how cool and beautiful this was. The fear that had crept in when we first took off melted away. My eyes wandered from the windows to the ceiling, then to the control panel. I couldn't stop admiring every part of the sudden interior night sky the plant had created. At some point, my gaze landed on Heather, and to my surprise, she was staring at me. Those sparks caught on her skin, her hair, and her eyes. I couldn't be sure, since it was dark, but I'd swear there was a soft smile on her face, surprisingly human, even tender.

"What?" I asked her.

"Nothing." She said averting her gaze from me. Then she powered the airship back on and turned the steering wheel to speed up.

"Thanks for showing me that." I said, with my eyes still on that amazing air plant.

"Any time." She answered.

Then there was silence, but a pleasant one. One of those silences that felt balanced, as if a safe, calm space had emerged where we could coexist without the usual uncomfortable, stifling tension. And honestly, it was kind of nice. A small moment of serenity in the battlefield that defined our interactions.

I took the moment to reflect. Heather was, without a doubt, an intriguing figure. Not that it meant anything in particular, but I was surprised by how much she stirred in me every time she was near. She had this magnetic presence, and I wasn't the only one who felt it. I'd seen countless times, officers, newcomers or not, stopping her in the Narval House whenever she passed by, eager to talk to her. It was as if everyone sought her recognition in the truest sense of the word. And yet, despite seeming to know so much, she spoke so little.

And damn... I needed her to speak.

"Heather." I said.

"What?" It took her a second to answer. As if she had also been reflecting, and I just interrupted her train of thought.

"Can I ask you something?"

"I can't give you the air plant." She immediately said.

"What? No... I didn't... Why would I—"

She laughed, cutting through my stumbling words. "Just kidding. Go ahead with your question."

That little joke sent a pang of pain through my chest because I knew I was about to shatter her good humor and that strange, yet comforting, space that existed now between us.

I took a deep breath.

"Is there any way I can track where my brother is?" And the words were out.

Heather blinked slowly, the kind of deliberate blink that screamed, I'm so done with this. Exactly what I had predicted, and it sparked a flicker of anger in me. If she was tired of me asking, why couldn't she imagine how much more exhausted I was from not getting any answer?

"Don't give me that look." I said, and I couldn't help a harsh tone.

"Okey, calm down." Defensive. Great.

Heather took a deep breath and paused to think as if she didn't know how to approach that conversation.

"Grace." She began. "You need to start understanding certain things."

"Don't patronize me."

"I'm not trying to patronize you. But there are facts you need to acknowledge." She said.

"Like?"

"Like the fact that you're not the only one looking for someone. If we start helping you, where do we draw the line?"

"Maybe you shouldn't draw any line."

She sighed. "It's not that easy."

"It's easier for you than for me, that's for sure." I gazed at my window trying not to look at her, because it was way too difficult. I was very aware of the difference in privilege between us, but sometimes it seemed that she wasn't.

"Not everything is in my hands. You can't understand." She said.

"I'd like to understand, though. Whose hands is it in? How does that work, exact—"

"Grace. Stop." An order.

I shook my head and pressed my lips together because there were just too many things battling to come out. Stop? Stop what? Looking for Michael? Talking? None of that was going to happen, no matter how imperative her tone was.

"My brother is the only thing I have left in this world. I don't have anything else. If I lose him, I will have no family at all." I said, trying a softer voice. "Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

A long silence. She shook her head softly, then took a couple of sharp breaths, and that was it. Silence for the rest of the trip. A silence that stuck with me like a hundred knives because this felt like a dead end, and honestly, if the Border Lead wasn't going to help me, who else would?

Author's Note: 

Hey! I split this chapter into two parts because I felt it needed a break. That's why "Part 1/2" and "Part 2/2" are written on the chapter image. Now go ahead and continue with Part 2/2! :)