by Liv Curtis
“Thank you. Thank you for taking me against my will and making me regret helping you in the first place,” Sage spoke calmly, but she knew her words were powerful enough. Jax’s face flinched as Sage spoke, clearly hurt by what she said. She pushed past him and into the hallway to find Eliza.
“I didn’t mean to…” Jax’s voice was hoarse as he spoke. Sage whirled around and threw the bullet with all her power, hitting Jax in the chest; he stumbled but kept his eyes locked with Sage’s.
“Just don’t.” Sage turned down the hall and found Eliza talking to a tall man with olive toned skin and pitch-black hair, cropped tight on the sides and longer on the top.
“Sage, this is Cade, he’s one of the leaders of the Wilderness.”
Eliza stepped aside as Cade reached out his hand as if to shake Sage’s. Sage disregarded the gesture and turned to her sister.
“El, we need to talk.” Sage could feel her chest ache from throwing the bullet at Jax as she spoke, but she welcomed the pain.
“Okay. Would you excuse us, Cade?” Eliza smiled and grabbed Sage’s hand, squeezing it tightly.
“Of course. Will I see you all at dinner tonight?” Cade spoke with a deep calm voice.
“Yes, I thought we could introduce Sage to some of the others tonight.” Eliza tightened her grip on Sage’s hand, making her knuckles white.
They made their way out the door and into a large courtyard. Sage finally got to see where they were, and the sight was strange. Across from the hospital was a small clothing shop, where a girl sat and happily stitched fabrics together. Sitting next to her was a large dog that watched as people roamed all around.
Sage was shocked to see an animal since they had been banned from the Frame, and she had only seen photos of them in books before.
Most of the people were young, and they all seemed happy and content with their lives. They all looked at Sage and Eliza as they made their way through the circle and into a clearing under the trees. There was a stage at the top of the clearing and facing towards it were seven different sections each clearly defined by color: green, purple, red, blue, yellow, orange, and white. The colors felt familiar to Sage, but she couldn’t figure out why, and she was too upset to think about it.
“You didn’t have to be rude to Cade, he is trying to help us,” Eliza said as she sat at one of the white tables.
“Well, forgive me. I was just informed my parents sacrificed themselves for our survival,” Sage said sharply.
“Sage, there was nothing we could do. We had to escape, and Mom and Dad knew that,” Eliza spoke calmly, but she stood and paced, something she did when she was stressed.
“How long have I been out?” Sage rubbed her neck where the bandage was wrapped around it.
“Three days. You blacked out before we even made it through the mine and Jax had to carry you until we made it out. When we crossed into the Wilderness the entrance to the Frame disappeared behind us. When we realized you had been shot, I panicked and tried to find something to stop the bleeding. That was when we heard people talking not too far away, and we found Kennedy and her brother, Miles. They helped us and took you to the infirmary. They told us we weren’t allowed in the room, that we had to wait for you to wake up since the surgery took time.” Eliza had stopped pacing and faced Sage now with curious eyes.
“You kept saying something when you were unconscious, but it didn’t make sense to me. What does Ingenium mean?” Eliza looked concerned as she spoke.
“I’m not sure, probably just another weird dream.” Sage crammed her hand into her jacket pocket and found the folded paper that Jefferson had given her. She took it out and unfolded it. It was crumbled and bloodstained, but Sage could clearly see that it came from the book he had given her.
“Where is my stuff?” Sage sprang to her feet and nearly fell over as she started to head back towards the infirmary and stumbled over a rock.
“It’s back at the house, where we have been staying. Why?” Eliza looked confused as Sage folded the paper back up and put it in her pocket.
“Can you take me there?” Sage asked frantically.
“Is everything okay?” Eliza started to walk towards the back of the woods behind the stage.
“Yeah, I just need to look at something.”
Sage followed Eliza as they made their way down a stone path toward what appeared to be a neighborhood. There were several small homes made of wood and some larger houses made out of stone, mixed throughout. There were people coming in and out of them all staring at Sage and Eliza as they made their way towards one of the larger houses in the back.
“Why are they all staring at you?” Sage whispered to Eliza. Eliza looked around and smiled.
“They aren’t. They’re staring at you,” she whispered back. Sage thought it was strange, but she had been unconscious for three days, so she brushed it off and continued towards the house.
The house was tall, with three levels, made of stone and wood. It was clearly old but it was kept in good condition. Eliza opened the door and they stepped inside, the old wood floor squeaked as they walked. The air was cool and sweet as it blew in through the open windows.
To the right was a small room with a fireplace and a few couches. Directly in front of them was a hallway that led into the kitchen and main living room. To the left was the stairwell that led to the upper levels.
“Here, your room is this way.” Eliza led Sage up the stairs and down a narrow hallway. There were three rooms, each clearly taken by someone, and a bathroom.
At the back of the hallway was another staircase leading to the third floor. There were another three rooms and bathroom on the third floor, mirroring the second floor, the only difference being that the ceiling was arched to the pitch of the roof.
At the end of the hall was a room that had an arched window that let in the rays of the sun and the breeze that whistled through the leaves of the large tree just outside. There was a bed, a desk, and a dresser and the room was painted a soft gray color. It was surprisingly clean and comfortable with all white sheets and white curtains that blew gently in the breeze.
Sitting on the desk was Sage’s backpack and her key necklace. Her bags sat on the bed next to the journal that Jefferson had given her. She grabbed the book and opened it to the page that had been ripped out. At the top of the page was written Ingenium.
“That’s the word! The one you kept repeating.”
Eliza and Sage sat shoulder to shoulder as Sage unfolded the paper in her pocket. She flattened it out and slid it into place. It lined up perfectly with the rest of the page. Listed on it were several different words that Sage had never heard of before.
“Sage, where did you get this book?” Eliza looked between the book and Sage with confused eyes.
“Jefferson, the guy who helped us escape, gave it to me before all of this got out of hand.” Sage choked back tears as she thought of Jefferson’s body in the back of their car. Just before Eliza could speak, the front door of the house closed loudly.
“Someone must be home.” Both Sage and Eliza stood and made their way back downstairs.
They could hear talking before they got into the living room where the others all sat. In the middle of the room was a small table with a small glass bottle of liquid sitting on it.
River sat with Audrey and Emery had taken a seat on the floor in front of them with her back leaned against the couch. Sitting across from them were Jax and Wesley. Wesley spun a metal ring around his finger, and Jax was leaned back staring blankly at the ceiling. Andrea was in the kitchen, grabbing water and an apple when she noticed Sage and Eliza walk in the room.
“Sage! Here, this is for you. Kennedy said to put it on your wound twice a day. How are you doing, by the way?” Andrea handed Sage the bottle and hugged her gently, making sure not to press against her left side.
“I’m okay, just a bit sore.” Sage forced a smile and drew back from the hug gradually.
“You scared us all real bad there for a
while, but I am glad to see you up and walking.” She smiled warmly and took a bite of her apple.
They joined the others in the living room, Eliza sat across the room in a tall armchair, and Andrea sat next to Emery. The only space left to sit was next to Jax, and Sage couldn’t bring herself to be that close to him. She knew what she said was harsh, and she felt bad, but she wasn’t about to drop it now. There was a small half-wall that divided the living room and kitchen so Sage hopped up and sat there instead.
“What you got there?” Andrea nodded towards the book in Sage’s hands.
“Is that Jefferson’s book?” River stood and made his way over to Sage.
“He gave me this right before he died. It’s one of the missing pages.” Sage turned the book towards River, who now stood in front of her.
“The pages that were ripped out?” Emery stood and joined them, the three of them staring at the book in shock.
“I’m not sure what it means, but this is definitely the missing page.” Sage looked around the room and locked eyes with Jax, who sat alone since Wesley had moved to join Audrey. Sage looked away quickly though she couldn’t help but feel sick over what she had said to him.
“Well, it is almost time to go to dinner so we need to get cleaned up, we can look over that later tonight.” Eliza stood and headed upstairs to get ready. Andrea left next and dragged Audrey along with her, Wesley followed shortly after.
“Do you need help getting ready?” Emery asked Sage referencing to her bandage.
“No, I should be fine.” Sage smiled and Emery turned to head up stairs. River helped Sage off the ledge and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“You know, it’s okay to not be okay.” River smiled woefully and hugged Sage softly. She inhaled deeply, the smell of him reminding her of home and being young.
“I know.” Sage smiled, and River went up to his room, leaving Sage alone with Jax.
She closed the book and tucked it under her good arm. She turned to leave when Jax grabbed her wrist. She stopped and turned around to find him standing close with his head bent and his eyes soft with sorrow.
“Sage, I just… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have dragged you away like that.” His voice was low and raspy, like he hadn’t spoken much for a few days.
“It’s okay. I know you were just trying to help, and I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you. I shouldn’t have said what I said back there, it was wrong. I just need time, that’s all.” Sage turned to leave and felt a tugging in her stomach.
She turned back to Jax and placed a hand on his shoulder, he was clearly strong, and his skin was warm under his green shirt.
“You should know, I don’t blame you for any of this. I blame Chancellor Kelly, and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure she can’t hurt anyone, ever again.” Sage smiled and turned to go back upstairs to her room, her eyes blurry with tears as she sat on her bed and unpacked her bags.
Sitting next to her bags was the key to her house, she smiled as she slipped it around her neck and picked out her clothes for dinner.
Chapter 14
Sage had found a pair of black jeans in the bottom of her bag and slipped into them. She wore a dark green tank top with a high collar and her leather jacket. She slipped on her boots and made her way down the hall towards Eliza’s room.
“El, can I come in?” Sage knocked on the door, and Eliza opened it faster than she was prepared for. Sage stepped back and realized she was severely underdressed. Eliza wore a light gray dress that had gold details at the bottom and gold shoes.
“You’re not seriously going to wear that, are you?” Eliza scrunched her nose at Sage as she turned and started to dig through her closet.
“I didn’t bring anything nice when I packed my stuff so this is going to have to do.” Sage laughed at her sister’s reaction and sat on the corner of the bed.
“Here, this should work!” Eliza turned around and held up a fitted black dress that stopped just above the knee with a high collar that would cover all of the bandages.
Eliza helped Sage into it and stepped back to examine her work. The bandages were still showing on Sage’s left shoulder, and the dress was tighter than she would have preferred but it would have work.
“Well, I guess it will have to do. But I’m still wearing these.” Sage slipped on her boots and her jacket, which covered the rest of the gauze.
“Why do insist on always being so different.” Eliza winked as she opened the door, and they made their way downstairs to join the others waiting in the front room of the house with the fireplace.
Emery wore a gray dress and her hair was twisted into a braid down her back. River was dressed in black pants and a deep blue shirt that complimented his eyes. Audrey stood with him, wearing a black skirt and a turquoise top, her caramel hair curled loosely around her face.
Andrea was in her white dress suit she often wore to work and had her hair up in a tight bun on top of her head. Wesley wore black pants and a dark gray shirt that complimented his warm chocolate skin. Jax had come around the corner of the kitchen dressed in black pants and a black shirt. He had combed his hair and adjusted the sleeve on his shirt when came into the room.
“Well, we don’t want to be late, so let’s get going.” Eliza opened the front door and checked her hair in the mirror one last time before stepping out onto the porch.
“What is so important about this dinner?” Sage said as they shut the door behind them.
She realized that the others living in the neighborhood were all dressed in bright colors, unlike Sage and her family dressed in the drab clothes that they had brought with them.
“I’m not sure, but El sure is eager to get there.” River smiled as they made their way towards the woods.
The path was lit by small lanterns hanging in the trees leading towards the clearing Sage and Eliza had stopped in earlier. When they reached the clearing the different sections were lit by torches and filled by people wearing coordinating colors. There were seven seats directly in front, between the tables and the stage. Kennedy made her way towards Sage and the others. She was dressed in a long orange skirt and a darker burnt orange top.
“We are so glad you all made it tonight!” She smiled sweetly as she spoke.
“Here, these seats are for you all, please have a seat, it’s about to begin,” Kennedy explained with her soft accent and took Andrea’s hand as she walked her to the first of the seven chairs in front of the stage. River followed next with Audrey and Wesley.
“What exactly is about to begin?” Emery’s eyes were wide with confusion as she took her seat next to Wesley. Sage was about to respond when, suddenly, all of the torches went out. When they relit, they were the color of their designated sections. One by one, the torches ignited, red, orange, yellow, white, purple, green, and blue.
The stage came into view, as the torches around it ignited and standing in the center were seven people. Sage recognized Cade who stood in black pants and a red shirt. Next to him was a tall woman in a lavender dress that moved gently in the breeze. She had pale skin with fire-red hair that was braided in a crown around her head and brown eyes that reflected gold in the firelight.
Her face was soft and warm as she smiled in all directions. Standing next to her was a younger girl with the same red hair and pale skin. Her face was sharp and small with eyes that were vibrant green and echoed the green of her dress.
Next to her was a girl with warm caramel colored skin and pitch-black hair that hung loosely to her waist. Her eyes were dark brown and her face was soft and round, making her appear younger than she may have actually been. She was dressed in a blue dress that moved like water as the wind blew it around her.
On the other side of Cade was a tall man with blond curly hair. His light blue eyes flickered in the firelight. He wore matching white pants and a shirt with gold details on the collar and sleeves.
Next to him was a younger man who looked similar to Kennedy. He was tall, with shoulder-length b
rown hair that complimented his warm skin and hazel eyes. He wore a copper shirt and dark brown pants and smiled as he looked towards the others dressed in orange.
Last was a younger looking boy who wore a yellow shirt and navy pants. His hair was black and short, a striking difference from his pale skin. His eyes were small but joyful as he looked out towards the others.
Sage looked at the different colors and felt an odd sense of familiarity making her feel as if she was going to pass out. She stumbled forward towards her seat, nearly tripping over the chair as Jax caught her and steadied her to her seat.
“Are you okay?” he whispered as the groups quieted down.
“I don’t know. Something about this feels familiar.” Sage felt her hands starting to shake, and she found herself reaching to twist a thin strand of her hair, something she often did when she would get nervous as a kid.
“Welcome! Tonight, we welcome our newest members as they choose their paths. Or more rather as it chooses them.” Cade spoke and his voice carried through the crowd.
“Before we begin, I feel it is important that we share a bit of history with the new comers since they may not fully understand what it is like here.” Cade smiled and stepped back into line with the others on stage. The older girl dressed in lavender stepped forward and smiled at the people in the crowd. When she spoke, her voice was soft and airy.
“Most of you know me but for those who are new here tonight, my name is Blythe.” She smiled as she spoke. Sage looked over at Eliza, who appeared somewhat confused as she looked around the crowd of people. Emery and River had similar expressions when they made eye contact with Sage. Sage’s right hand shook more as she realized that nobody really knew what was about to happen.
“Seventy-Five years ago, the world we lived in was in the middle of a massive war. The historians say that the war was born out of greed and power but the truth is much worse. As people grew, a group of children with unique talents emerged all around the world. Slowly, the numbers grew and more people found themselves able to do things the scientist couldn’t explain. With the fear that these people would become too powerful, the plan was created to erase them. This plan became known as The Purification.