by Dylan Steel
THE SURVIVOR
SACRISVITA BOOK XI
Dylan Steel
THE SURVIVOR: SACRISVITA BOOK XI
Dylan Steel
Heritage Publishing
Copyright © 2017
www.DylanSteel.com
Cover design by Flappy Dog Designs.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, and events are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ALSO BY DYLAN STEEL
1. NEW BEGINNINGS
2. PEACE
3. THE MEETING
4. GRIEF
5. THE DIRECTORY
6. NOT SO PEACEFUL
7. STATUS CHECK
8. USED
9. THE INTERROGATOR
10. UNOFFICIALLY SPEAKING
11. DISCOVERED
12. BOOM
13. AFTERMATH
14. Q & A
15. NOT A DATE
16. SURVIVAL
17. SEEING RED
18. DOSED
19. AVOIDANCE
20. DIAGNOSIS
21. SCARS
22. CELEBRATION
23. BLAME
24. THE NEW NORMAL
25. PAYMENT
26. THE GATE
27. MARTHA
THE BENEFACTOR: SACRISVITA BOOK XII - EXCERPT
READ MORE BY DYLAN STEEL
ALSO BY DYLAN STEEL
Sacrisvita
THE PRODIGY: A Sacrisvita Prequel
(FREE and only available HERE.)
THE INSTITUTION: Sacrisvita Book I
THE ARCHIVES: Sacrisvita Book II
THE RELIC: Sacrisvita Book III
THE ESTATE: Sacrisvita Book IV
THE VANISHED: Sacrisvita Book V
THE CAPTIVE: Sacrisvita Book VI
THE OUTCAST: Sacrisvita Book VII
THE TRIALS: Sacrisvita Book VIII
THE ROGUE: Sacrisvita Book IX
THE CITIZEN: Sacrisvita Book X
THE SURVIVOR: Sacrisvita Book XI
THE BENEFACTOR: Sacrisvita Book XII
THE FOUNDERS: Sacrisvita Book XIII
THE LAWLESS: Sacrisvita Book XIV
***
Third Earth
SLEEPER: A Third Earth Prequel
(FREE and only available HERE.)
ALONE: Third Earth Volume One
***
For the most updated list of Dylan’s books, visit www.DylanSteel.com.
Join Dylan’s Insiders Club to find out when her next book is out! Plus, get exclusive prequels to Sacrisvita and Third Earth.
1. NEW BEGINNINGS
“Stay with me, Sage. We’re almost there.”
Everett’s words rang hollow in her ears. She slumped against him weakly. He shuffled his grasp on her arm, pressing his free palm to the scanner beside the door. The screen lit up beneath his fingers, and a soft click sounded in front of them as the door popped open.
“We’re here.”
He pulled her inside, her feet dragging heavily with each step. Once they’d made it a few paces inside, Everett released his grip on her, returning to the door.
That was all the time Sage needed. Her legs collapsed under her, and she sank to the floor, oblivious to her surroundings.
Penelope was dead. It wasn’t possible. They were supposed to have more time. They were going to look out for each other. She’d promised.
The door clicked closed behind her.
“Sage?” Everett said gently, crouching in front of her. “Can you make it to the couch?”
She stared at him blankly, only partially hearing what he was saying.
“C’mon, Sage.” He grabbed her arms, tugging her upward. Her legs felt like lead, but she didn’t resist.
Everett wrapped his hand around her waist and steadied her as he led her to the couch.
“I’ll be right back,” he murmured, depositing her on the uneven cushions. A puff of dust swirled up around her, making her cough. Everett cleared his throat and hurried toward the far end of the room, where he began making thumping and scraping sounds.
The noise proved to be enough of a distraction to pull her out of her thoughts. Or maybe it was the taste of dust coating her mouth. Either way, for the first time since they’d walked through the door, she lifted her eyes and looked around the small room.
Everything in the apartment was old, tired. The sagging couch she was sitting on was a dull gray where it wasn’t worn through, with darker patches spotting it in sporadic stains, showing further evidence of its age. The room was mostly bare, but a curtain hung along the wall to her left, with a door to an unknown room standing beside it.
The floor and walls were just as welcoming as everything else, a solid gray surface without interruption. Sterile, cold, and excellent for hiding the effects of the passage of time. Her gaze drifted up to the ceiling. More gray. But there was an interruption in this surface—a small, shiny black bulb protruded from the very center of the ceiling. She shuddered. It wasn’t much of a stretch to assume that they were being watched.
She dropped her gaze again, not wanting to think about what she’d just seen. Everett was opening and closing a series of cabinet doors, exploring what looked like a small kitchen area along the wall opposite of where she was sitting.
“This is ours?” she whispered.
He shrugged apologetically. “Recent graduate housing. We’ll be here until we can afford to get a better place.”
She nodded faintly. “Is that actually going to happen?”
He paused, his hand on a drawer. “Not for awhile,” he said softly, then turned his attention back to investigating the cabinets.
Sage shuddered and crossed her arms over her chest. Despite the fact that it was the beginning of summer, she felt strangely cold.
Her eyes fell on the threadbare curtain on the other side of the room. Thanks to its time-worn sheerness, she could make out the silhouette of a bed behind it. It was different than the bunk she’d had at the Institution. This bed was just large enough to fit two people. Her stomach churned uneasily.
“This is all we have right now.” Everett appeared in front of her again, holding out a glass of water. “Sorry I couldn’t find anything else. We’ll have to pick stuff up soon I guess.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled, accepting the glass. She took a small sip and grimaced as the water mingled with the layer of dirt on her tongue, turning into a thin mud as it went down. Choking back disgust, she set the cup down and drew her feet up to her chest, hugging her knees close.
“So, uh,” Everett glanced around the room, “it’s not much, obviously, but you can see our kitchen and dining, uh, room,” he motioned toward the wall, where three metallic, rectangular cutouts waited to be pulled down and turned into a table and chairs, “and in there’s the bathroom…” He nodded toward the door Sage had noticed earlier. “Uh, and in there’s the bedroom,” he said, his cheeks turning a light shade of red.
Her eyes snapped to his. “I’m not—”
“—I’ll take the couch tonight,” Everett said quickly. “Don’t worry about that right now.”
He looked as uncomfortable with this arrangement as she was. Good. This was never the plan. He was never the plan.
“Are you hungry?”
“No.”
For the briefest moment, Everett’s eyes narrowed slightly, but then he rolled his shoulders back and softened his expression.
“I’m really sorry about Penelope.” He swallowed. “Everyone liked her.”
&nb
sp; “Apparently not,” she said dully. Her hands clenched at her side.
He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I know today didn’t go exactly like you’d hoped…”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “No, not exactly.” She raked her gaze over him, rolling her eyes.
Everett frowned. “I know I’m not Nic, but it’s not like I had a choice in this either. You’re not the only one hurting right now,” he said, his voice lowering to nearly a growl.
She glared at him. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re all broken up about not being paired with Savannah.”
He pursed his lips. “I’m sure she’s upset. I need to find her and talk to her soon.”
Sage snorted. “Go right ahead. We’re free to do whatever we want now, right? We’re not stuck behind some stupid gate for our own protection anymore.”
His brows furrowed. “I—”
Someone began pounding on the door. Everett paled and took a step backward, his eyes flicking back and forth from the door to Sage. She knew she should be frightened, but in that moment, she felt only numbness.
“Sage, I know you’re in there,” a familiar voice shouted from the hallway. “Please let me in.”
Nic. Her heart skipped a beat, then she remembered how it felt to see him with Carnabel, and she clenched her jaw reflexively.
He pounded again. “Sage, c’mon. Open the door.”
Everett’s shoulders sagged in relief. He glanced at Sage, his brows dipping in question. “Ok if I open it?”
She didn’t really want to talk to Nic after seeing Carnabel hanging off his arm, but nothing really mattered anymore, so she gave a slight nod anyway.
As soon as Everett cracked open the door, Nic threw it open the rest of the way, shoving past him.
“I’ve been so worried about you. Are you ok?” Nic lowered himself onto the couch beside Sage and grabbed her hands.
She recoiled from his touch, jerking her hands back. “Fine,” she mumbled, looking away.
Nic’s face screwed up in pain. He tossed a questioning look at Everett, who was standing in the center of the room with his arms crossed. He shrugged.
“I’m sorry they used Penelope this year,” Nic said quietly, setting his hand on her knee.
Anger flashed behind her eyes as her attention snapped toward him. She shoved his hand away. “What do you mean this year?”
Nic’s brow furrowed in confusion. “They always hold a demonstration like that. You didn’t know?”
Sage stared at him silently in disgust, her insides tumbling in protest. “Why would I know that?” she finally spat between clenched teeth.
“Because—” Nic hesitated, throwing a brief glance at Everett before focusing on Sage again. “I… just thought you knew.”
“I didn’t.”
“Neither did I,” Everett added tersely, the knuckles of his fists turning white at his sides. He shifted his weight and cleared his throat. “I’m gonna go see if I can find some food. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, man.” Nic nodded in acknowledgment as he walked out the door.
As soon as the door closed, Nic turned back to Sage. “I thought all Kunbriat knew about the demo. I would’ve told you if I’d thought—”
“All Kunbriat?” Sage’s eyes narrowed. “They weren’t behind this, were they?”
“No.” Nic looked offended. “Eprah’s name, Sage. No. I wouldn’t have let them pick Penelope. I wouldn’t have done that to you.” His gaze skirted the room as he cracked his knuckles nervously. “It happens every year, but I’m not sure who chooses. I just know it’s not the Kunbriat.”
“It was Kai.” The words slipped out without a thought. She sucked in a breath.
“I don’t know,” Nic said quietly.
“It was,” she said again fiercely. There was no doubt in her mind. Somehow, she knew Kai was behind it. Her nails dug into her palms, nearly breaking the skin. He’d murdered her best friend, and she’d make sure he paid for it—no matter what it cost her.
“There’s nothing we can do about that now.” Nic’s brows bent together in pain. “She died in service to Eprah. Her life was worth something.”
“If they thought it was worth something, she’d still be alive, not being burned to ash while we sit here talking about how much her life mattered,” Sage growled, not caring that she was probably being watched at that very moment.
“Sage…” Nic began softly, as if trying to think of something to say to comfort her, then stopped as if he thought better of it. Instead, he reached out, gently tracing a finger along her jaw before tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. He froze. The tender expression on his face was instantly replaced with a frown. “Where’s your cuff?”
Her jaw jutted forward. She looked away, blinking hard to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. “Why?” she managed through clenched teeth. “Do you want it back?”
He gaped at her in silent horror.
“Fine.” Her hand dove into her pocket and pulled out the cuff. She thrust it at him. “Here, take it. Give it to Carnabel. Throw it in the trash. Whatever. I don’t care.”
Nic stared at the cuff in his hands. He looked up at her again, unable to keep his voice from cracking. “What in Eprah’s name makes you think I would want to do that?”
“I saw you two together in the courtyard.” Her eyes flashed to his. “Didn’t take long for you to decide I wasn’t the one you wanted to be with after all.”
His nostrils flared as he strained to keep his tone even. “I meant what I said before. I want to be with you. Not Carnabel. Not anyone other than you. Nothing’s changed.”
She barely heard him. The events of the day proved to be too much, and she lost the battle against her own emotions. Sobs began wracking her body.
“Shh.” Nic wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer until she’d collapsed against him. He stroked her hair, pausing for a moment. She could feel the cuff slide back into place around her ear, and the smallest part of her lit up with hope. “It’ll be ok,” he murmured, his breath warming the top of her head. “It’ll all be ok.”
Sage didn’t fight him. The pressure of his arms around her was a welcome relief, but the small ember of hope he’d stirred inside her faded quickly. She knew he was wrong.
Nothing about this would be ok.
2. PEACE
Dignitary of the Peace.
Sage’s breath caught in her throat as she looked up at the letters glittering in the morning sun. Unpleasant memories swirled at the edges of her mind, but they ebbed away as she noticed the swarm of young faces approaching the building at the same time.
Her fellow graduates.
She watched as one after another they made their way inside, reporting for their first day of duty. Not surprisingly, most of them wore stoic, hardened expressions, though there were a few that looked as uncertain as she felt. It was easy to guess which ones would become officers, but she wondered if any of them really had any idea what they’d be doing behind these walls. As much as she’d like the perk of not having her Chances stripped, she did not want to be assigned a position as an officer. She hadn’t prepared for it at all.
A wave of panic surfaced again at that realization, threatening to break free in a raw flood of emotion, but she refused to let it. She clenched her fists at her side and stepped forward through the spinning door, following the others into the lobby. It wasn’t her choice to be here today or any other day, but her choice no longer mattered.
Eprah wasn’t going to break her. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
The door to the back room swung open as an officer strode into the lobby. “Fresh meat!” someone barked from the den of officers. A rumble of laughter broke out, which was cut off quickly as the door latched closed again behind the officer.
Sage shuffled a little farther away so that she was partially hidden in the crowd of newcomers, crossing her arms as she focused on a point on the floor. It was probably best not to
draw attention to herself in a place like this.
The officer who’d just left the back room came to a stop in front of the growing crowd. Sage studied him cautiously as he stood motionless in front of them, staring at the tablet in his hand. He was tan and a bit scruffy with stray red and brown stubble scattered around his jawline—and worse, he was a large man who looked quite capable of tossing a Lawless kid over his shoulder and carrying her for miles. Sage shuddered.
Squinting at the screen, the officer tapped it, then looked back up, frowning. Nearly all the new recruits’ eyes widened, their hands automatically going to their wrists.
“Oh, calm down. I didn’t just strip all your Chances.” The officer’s gruff voice filled the room. A muscle in his jaw jumped in annoyance. “The name’s Uzzi. Uzzi Spees. If you just felt your precious zeptobes at work, you need to head behind that door,” he nodded toward the far end of the lobby, a different room than the one he’d just emerged from. “That’s where your training will begin.”
No one moved. Uzzi tapped on his screen again, then stopped abruptly. “What, are you expecting a personal invitation from the Quorum? Get moving!” he snapped, not waiting to see if they obeyed this time.
As the majority of the crowd cleared out, scattering toward the training room, Uzzi continued, “Alright, those that just got zapped, you’ll be undergoing a preliminary physical. Your results were borderline, so we gotta make sure you can cut it here. You’ll start in that room.” He nodded again. This time, no one lingered.
Tap, tap.
“And you all can head behind that door over there. You’ll be divided up again inside.”
Tap, tap. Tap. Sage felt a familiar tingle rush beneath her skin.
“The rest of you are coming with me. If you didn’t get a friendly hello from your zeptobes, you’re in the wrong place and are officially wasting my time. Take it up with someone else. Let’s move.”
Uzzi ignored the men behind the front desk as he plowed past it with Sage and at least a dozen other uncertain newbies trailing behind him. They all piled into the Transfer, and Sage’s stomach turned unhappily at the familiar lift as they quickly traveled to the third floor.
They stepped off the Transfer in silence. Uzzi led them down a few hallways with the occasional grunt, but a glimmer of hope sparked inside Sage as soon as they rounded another corner and stopped.