Across The Divide by Stacey Marie Brown

have those granola bars. The nurse laughed at me when I mentioned I’d settle for churros.”
    A grin settled on my mouth. It was so good to have Sprig back, to smile and laugh again. A happiness I hadn’t felt for a month filled me with light. He brought me a peace only a friend and loved one could give.
    “You’re right. We have to come up with a plan.” My smile slipped, the seriousness of our situation returning. “Do you remember the girl, Sera? She was the other seer and Collector?”
    “The one I threw a brick at on the rooftop?”
    “Yes, her.”
    “I should have thrown poo.”
    Sprig had helped Ryker and me escape from a building where we’d been hiding when the Collectors hunted me. That night felt long ago.
    “She’s dying.”
    “Oh. Does that mean no poo?”
    “No poo,” I confirmed. “I need to sneak into her room tonight. When I saw her today, she was trying to tell me something, I could feel it. I have to see her.”
    “Oh, a night full of danger, mystery, intrigue, action.” Sprig inched forward, excitement glowing on his face. “And food.”
    “When did food become part of our evening?”
    “Because I only do the other stuff if food is involved.”
    That was true.
    “Who knows, maybe there’s a drive-through on our way.”
    “Really?”
    I tilted my head to the side, lifting an eyebrow.
    “What did I tell you about teasing and food?” He folded his arms.
    “I should never tease about food.”
    “And what did you just do?” he scolded.
    “Teased about food.”
    “See. I get grumpy.”
    “Sorry. I promise I won’t do it again.”
    “Not talking to you right now.” He stuck his tongue out at me. I knew from the many times before, this would only last about thirty seconds. I needed to use the silence to think of a plan.
    I drifted from the table, trying to figure out how to get to Sera. I sat on my cot and lay back, my gaze going to the ceiling. We were locked in, and probably deadbolted. No lock picking there.
    I popped back up instantly. The panels along the top were in perfect squares. All made of a foam, cardboard type of material, and all moveable. It was how Sprig and I escaped this place before. The vents. Rapava said they secured all the escapes out of the building. But I wasn’t trying to escape. I was only trying to get to another room—a room on the same level as mine. It was a couple corridors over and a few lefts and rights, and the vents went to every room.
    “What?” Sprig jumped on the top edge of the cage, watching me.
    Twenty seconds.
    It was too early for me to check things out; the lights in my room still blazed brightly. Until this place shut down for the night, I wouldn’t feel safe to check out my idea. Sprig’s size, sensitivity to fae magic, love of danger, and agility made him the perfect candidate.
    “I need you to do something for me.” I lowered my voice even more. “I want you to check out the access to the vents, and find out if there are any alarms or triggers on this level.”
    He nodded with eagerness.
    “But only go as far as you feel comfortable. If you feel or see anything wrong, come back. Okay? Your safety is priority to me.”
    He saluted me and leaped to the top of a cupboard. Not wanting to focus on him in case we were being watched, I paced and fiddled around the room, watching him through my lashes. He pushed at a ceiling panel, lifting it enough to slip through.
    I waited. My nerves were so severely strung I could only inhale the smallest bit of air. Every creak or sound I heard caused me to jump, dampening the back of my neck with sweat.
    Trying to act “natural” when you wanted to lose your shit was a feat in itself. My hands fidgeted and twisted around each other. The hum of the fluorescent lights grew louder, ticking like a clock as time passed, filled the strained silence.
    “Hell,” I mumbled to myself. Something was wrong. I could feel the panicked scream building in my chest.  What if he got caught or hurt? Why