The Lawless

by Dylan Steel

  There was no one coming to help.

  “I can’t say I understand the fascination with you, girl.” Mr. Gaztok’s voice drifted into her ears, filling her head with an unpleasant scraping sensation. She gritted her teeth against the pain. “You’ve done nothing but hurt the people you claim to care about. Because of you, more people will die today. Truthfully, you’re not even a very good Lawless agent. It was obvious before I even saw you what a waste of resources you are.”

  Unable to tamp down his swelling rage, Weston lunged forward with a primal sort of roar. Despite the benefactor’s injuries, Kai barely managed to stop him before he made it halfway across the room.

  “Why, Mr. Bennick, how unlike you this is,” Mr. Gaztok mused, tightening his hold. “It seems I’ve hit a nerve.”

  Kai grunted with the effort it took to continue restraining Weston as Sage inadvertently let out a whimper of pain.

  “Wes—don’t.” Sage couldn’t help the second small cry that escaped as Mr. Gaztok wrenched her arm harder. He stared at the former benefactor calmly, silently challenging him to react again. “He’s going to kill us both anyways.”

  “She is right, you know.” Mr. Gaztok’s eyes never left Weston’s as he spoke evenly. “But of course, I’d much prefer to make your death an example to the rest of the city. Eprah’s citizens need to know that there are no exceptions even for our most elite—that there is no mercy given to traitors. You’ve really done me quite the favor. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect example to hold up before the people than the revered Mr. Bennick.”

  He dropped his gaze to Sage, still wedged against the table. “And of course, a former Bokja champion out of our esteemed Institution—truly an everyday citizen—will shed an entirely different light. So relatable. Both such tragic warnings for any who might be tempted to oppose me.”

  “You’re right about one thing,” she gasped, struggling to inhale against the pain. “The people will see that anyone can oppose you.”

  Mr. Gaztok cocked his head, ignoring her taunt. “You know, I meant what I said. You’re a terrible Lawless agent. Kai easily uncovered your plot against me.”

  “My men, sir.” Kai shook his head. “You give me too much credit.”

  “Perhaps. But you are due some credit. After all, you did not hesitate in bringing it to my attention. A fact for which I have the deepest gratitude.”

  “Just doing my job, sir.”

  Sage’s lip curled in disgust at the exchange. “Was Kai the one who suggested you burn down the Archives, too?” she blurted out, wincing as fresh flames lanced up her arms. “Wouldn’t want there to be any more proof that there shouldn’t even be a Quorum in the first place, would you?”

  “That’s quite a bold accusation. Especially for someone in your position.”

  “And that’s not a denial,” she growled. By now, her arms had gone numb with pain. She couldn’t even be sure they weren’t broken.

  “I am Eprah’s Quorum,” Mr. Gaztok said, his voice booming over her head. “I do not owe you any explanations.”

  “Coward,” she spat, gritting her teeth.

  An eerie silence fell over the room, suppressing the echo of her words. Panic rose up in Sage’s chest, becoming more urgent with each passing beat of her heart. She’d pushed too hard. These were sure to be her final moments.

  Mr. Gaztok finally broke the silence. “Mr. Abeldra,” he said quietly.

  “Yes?”

  “Please escort Mr. Bennick back to his cell. He has an appointment in a few hours that he cannot miss, and I would like to have a private word with Ms. Indarra in the meantime.”

  Kai hesitated, prompting Mr. Gaztok to raise an eyebrow.

  “You think this girl will be a threat to me?”

  “I think it is unwise to underestimate her,” Kai said. He ran a slow, assessing gaze over Sage. “Especially since she has already proven to be an unexpected complication.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but I hardly think it will be an issue.”

  Sage’s blood boiled at how easily he dismissed her. To him, she was nothing more than a minor annoyance. It didn’t matter if it was true—if she’d done little more than interrupt his day. She’d still managed to get to Weston and free him—even if it was only temporary.

  And yet—he wanted to speak to her privately. Had something she said actually mattered to him? Bothered him? Why give a mild nuisance a second thought?

  She bit the inside of her cheek, holding back the curiosity that he’d suddenly piqued—and the hope. Hope was something she couldn’t afford, especially when she was about to be separated from Weston once again. Especially when she was out of allies.

  Regardless of his intentions behind having a private conversation, she couldn’t afford to appear too interested. Better to be indifferent and prepared for any surprises. That was the only way she could help herself or Weston at this point. And helping the Lawless overthrow the Quorum—that was looking even more impossible than surviving this encounter.

  “You are a fool,” Weston said, so quietly she almost couldn’t hear his words. “A fool not to see what she is capable of.”

  Her heart twisted in her chest as her benefactor caught her eye. The brief, heated look he shot her spoke volumes. The depth of his love for her. The pride he had in the decisions she’d made since being confronted with the truth. The gratitude he felt for her trying to save him—and a rebuke for the same attempt.

  She wanted to respond, to tell him she felt the same way about him. That despite the odds stacked against them both in this moment, she wasn’t going to give up without a fight. That as long as they were both alive, there was still hope. That she would do it all again for the chance to save him—even if only to see him one last time.

  But there wasn’t enough time.

  “Well.” Mr. Gaztok’s mouth twitched. “That is quite enough, I think.”

  Kai nodded. He gripped Weston’s arm more tightly, yanking him toward the exit without further warning or argument—but not without struggle. As they were nearly out the door, Weston grunted and shoved his shoulder against the frame, bracing himself with the last bit of strength he possessed. Kai pursed his lips, saying nothing, but his knuckles turned white with effort, scraping against the wall as he forcibly dragged the benefactor out of the room.

  The door clicked closed behind them. Sage tried to steady her breathing, her heart thumping louder in her ears as she stared at the empty space where Weston had just been standing.

  She was alone in the room with the final member of the Quorum.

  15. THE OFFER

  “You think I’m a coward. And your benefactor thinks I’m a fool.”

  Mr. Gaztok’s voice rolled over her skin, scratching its way beneath the surface and burrowing deep inside. Sage clamped her mouth closed, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response.

  “I see,” he said calmly. He shoved her forward just enough to put a safe distance between them. Her arms throbbed as she brought them to her side, free at last from his hold. She wouldn’t be able to fight him anytime soon, and they both knew it. “Have a seat, Ms. Indarra.”

  Not ready to challenge him yet, she sank into a chair at the end of the table, scowling at him as she did.

  "Would you like a drink?"

  Her eyes instinctively flashed to the glass Grayson had used. She glared at Mr. Gaztok.

  "No," he said, a disconcerting smile touching his lips, "I don't suppose you would."

  Clasping his hands behind his back, he turned and headed back to the window, staring out over the city. “How, may I ask, would a coward or a fool be capable of taking the most powerful seat in Eprah? That hardly seems possible.”

  “And yet you’ve managed,” she muttered under her breath.

  “Then let us see which of us is the greater fool.” He turned back to her, eyebrow raised. “I have a proposal for you. One which you would be wise to consider.”

  She rolled her shoulders as she looked back
at him without saying a word.

  “Your benefactor will die shortly. Today. There’s no way around it.” He paused, knowing full well the weight that his words carried. It was nearly impossible for Sage to keep her face neutral as she struggled to take in a breath. “Whether or not you will join him, however,” Mr. Gaztok continued, “is entirely up to you.”

  “I didn’t realize there was another option,” she said dryly.

  “Of course, there is.” He turned back to the window, changing the subject abruptly. “What do you see when you look at them?”

  Sage frowned. “What do I—”

  “Eprah. Its citizens.” He nodded outside and motioned for her to join him. She rose cautiously. “What are they to you?”

  Her brow furrowed as she stepped up to the window. She wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “People,” she said slowly.

  “And in your mind, that makes them worth saving?”

  “Yes.”

  “But what if they’re not?”

  “They—”

  “What if they’ve proven that their lives aren’t worth living? That they offer nothing to us? That is, after all, one of the foundational truths of Eprah.”

  She clenched her jaw, staring at him angrily. “It’s wrong.”

  He cocked his head, studying her carefully. “You think we cannot measure their potential?”

  Her fingers curled against her palms, digging in. “I think you don’t have the right.”

  “They all have potential,” he mused, ignoring her outrage. “In fact, I think you and I would both agree that they are indeed capable of many things, none of them equal. But… people are so easily led, are they not, Ms. Indarra?”

  Sage’s eyes narrowed.

  “A few strategically placed officers out of uniform, a few well-chosen words of encouragement whispered in the ears of already-angry citizens, and rioting and mass murder are no longer incomprehensible.” He didn’t bother hiding his grin as she worked her jaw back and forth, silently seething.

  “But then, of course, I assume you know all about the riots these past weeks. In fact, given recent events, I suspect you may be partially responsible.”

  “I don’t want people killing each other.” She flexed her arms subtly at her sides, trying to get normal sensation to return.

  “Ah,” he said slowly, “but that doesn’t mean you are not to blame.”

  “You have no proof.”

  “Proof is a luxury for a man in my position, my dear. I don’t need it.”

  She leaned forward. “That’s not what a real leader would say.”

  Blood red anger flashed behind his eyes. “You accuse me of cowardice. Suggest that I rose to this position or that I burned the Archives out of a twisted sense of self-preservation.”

  “Because you are a coward,” she said through gritted teeth.

  His fist landed on the window, making her jump. “Or perhaps, my loyalty is to Eprah. To preserving its greatness.”

  “And destroying Eprah’s history is how you do that?” she scoffed, shaking her head. “You’re hiding behind your own lies.”

  “Everyone lies, Ms. Indarra. Have the Lawless always been truthful with you?”

  She pressed her lips together, refusing to answer. The lies she’d been told had never settled well with her, but she’d come to accept that they’d been trying to protect her. Besides, it wasn’t like she hadn’t done her fair share of twisting the truth as well.

  “Of course not. The Lawless are fools. They were fools for leaving evidence that could be uncovered and used against them. They are fools for thinking they can change the way we’ve lived for hundreds of years simply by using information that has been sitting untouched in the Archives for generations.”

  Her eyebrow shot up. “Why destroy it if you don’t fear it?”

  “People are so easily led,” he repeated, looking at her in amusement. “But you see, this time, I don’t even need to blame the Lawless—they brought about their own destruction when they stirred the masses to anger. People are willing to follow, but they much prefer to follow saviors than murderers. And that is who they will see the Lawless becoming. Murderers.”

  “They—”

  “Are murderers and fools, and that is how they will be seen.” He glanced out the window. “And the Lawless truly are fools for not appreciating the assets that they have at their disposal. Particularly people like you, Ms. Indarra.”

  She watched him warily, unsure of what he was getting at.

  He turned back to her. “It is a very rare thing to be without another option in our world. You strike me as the type of person that would recognize that. You’ve risen from rather humble beginnings, have you not? Orphaned, kidnapped, an otherwise nameless product of the Institution—and in the short time since your graduation, you’ve managed to whisper in the ears of Eprah’s most powerful leaders.”

  The slow spread of Edward Grayson’s blood on the floor nearby caught her attention. Her jaw stiffened.

  “The people would love to see one of their own as a hero—if you’d only allow them to. This is why I’m offering you a choice—one which Mr. Bennick did not have the luxury of receiving.

  “His execution will continue as planned this afternoon—as I said before, there’s no way around that—but yours does not have to take place at all. You were at his side as his pair for months. Surely you saw evidence of his disloyalty. Perhaps even knew he was the leader of the Lawless, but he threatened you into silence. Who wouldn’t understand the confusion a young girl like yourself was facing—Eprah’s benefactors are supposed to represent Eprah’s ideals, not tear them down.”

  She blinked and looked away, her cheeks burning. Her gaze drifted back to the city beyond the window. She scanned the street, taking in the bodies piled on the corner with a sick churning in her gut. Beautification had been overworked lately. They couldn’t keep up with removing the dead.

  Her attention flitted lower, fixing on the fountain in front of the building. In it was a reflection of orange flames, a message mirrored and distorted with each burst of water, but no less clear.

  Sacrisvita.

  A spark of something she couldn’t quite identify flickered inside her. She forced herself to breathe evenly, flicking her eyes to the tyrant at her side.

  Mr. Gaztok hadn’t reacted. He hadn’t noticed the final act of rebellion emblazoned on the side of the building he’d overtaken.

  Clarette must have tried to help the only way she could. Even if they didn’t win today, they could rise up and fight again. Someone would always fight.

  Risking his wrath, she turned from the window and took a seat at the table again. He watched her wordlessly. To her relief, he didn’t stop her. The longer the message went unnoticed, the longer this small act of defiance could last. It was all she had left, and she wouldn’t give it up.

  “You want me to betray Weston,” she said, her voice hard but no louder than a whisper.

  “I want you to tell the truth. Admit that you witnessed his treachery. It will put the public’s mind so much more at ease to know that there is irrefutable proof of his abhorrent behavior. With your words in their minds, his death cannot be a mistake or premature conclusion but swift and indisputable justice for the ultimate act of treason against us all.”

  Sage stared back at him blankly. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “It’s overwhelming, I understand. Given today’s schedule, I realize there isn’t much time to decide, but please, take a few minutes to think about—”

  “Not interested.”

  Mr. Gaztok’s lips thinned. “You know he’ll die either way. Whatever you do or don’t say won’t change that.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “But this way, I won’t be a part of ruining a good man’s reputation and adding to your lies. My conscience will be clear.”

  “And what good is a clear conscience if you’re not alive to enjoy it?” he asked in a low voice, nearly a rumble.

  She lift
ed her chin. “I’ll be able to look Weston in the eyes without shame as we both die.”

  He snarled, towering over her. “Perhaps, then, that is a mercy you should not be afforded.”

  “I—”

  Mr. Gaztok’s hand shot out before she could say anything more, his nails digging deep in her throat. Her eyes bulged from the sudden lack of oxygen as her fingers scraped desperately at his, trying to pry them loose.

  “You think your life is not subject to my goodwill simply because you’re not wearing a real bracelet?” he growled. “I still choose whether you take your next breath—whether you live or die.”

  He stared into her reddening eyes with untold malice as he allowed his message to sink in, then released her suddenly. She doubled over in her chair, clutching the edge of the table desperately as she gasped for breath.

  “Consider my offer while it stands, girl. I will remind you that your own death does not have to be quick or painless. It can be dragged on for months—years if I choose to do so.”

  Sage rubbed her neck gingerly, eyes watering as she stared up at the man threatening her.

  “It would be to your benefit in more ways than one to rethink your answer.”

  Her pulse pounded painfully in her throat. There were things she wanted to say to the monster in front of him, but she couldn’t manage to form the words. It was probably for the best. While part of her wanted to tell him to jump out the window, there was definitely a part of her that wanted to cave and accept his offer. Not that she was proud of it, but she didn’t see another way out—and maybe, just maybe, she could live to fight another day if she did, like Clarette had said. But could she live with herself if she did? What if she—

  Voices sounded loudly in the hall, interrupting her thoughts. Shouts. Thuds. Grunts.

  Then, silence.

  Her attention flicked to Mr. Gaztok, but he looked no more certain of what was going on than she was.

  He threw her a threatening look as he stormed across the room to the door. “Stay right where you are, or my offer is off the table and your end will come early.”