by Dylan Steel
The rest of her secrets would have to stay hidden. She was sure of it now.
“Thank you for telling me. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.” He rubbed his thumb over her cheeks. The sincerity and depth of caring in his eyes wrenched her heart.
“Of course,” Sage said. She glanced over his shoulder at the door. “But we should probably be getting back.”
Nic took her hands in his. “Or we could stay up here all night. Watch the stars. Talk some more. Be together.”
“All night?”
“If you want.”
Sage swallowed. “We could get in a lot of trouble for that.”
“Only if we get caught.”
“Nic, I—”
He put a finger against her lips. “I’ve told you before. I can protect us. You. Besides,” an apologetic smile crossed his face, “it’s already too late to get into the dorms tonight. See?” He nodded toward the part of the sky where the sun had been setting earlier.
Sage’s eyes widened. They’d been talking a lot longer than she’d realized.
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“I didn’t realize how late it had gotten.”
She shot an incredulous look at him.
“Honest.” He held up his hands defensively. The corner of his lip twitched. “I swear. I just got distracted by a beautiful girl.”
“Nic!”
Sage blushed and swatted at him, but he caught her wrist. His eyes met hers with an intensity that made her almost forget her disappointment. He was her pair, and soon, it would be official. She couldn’t be upset by his reaction when it was the same any other boy her age would have. If anything, he was trying to make sure she was protected. She couldn’t fault him for caring about her.
Still holding her wrist, Nic gently pressed his lips to the back of her hand. Warmth spread up Sage’s arm and down her back, spilling into her belly in delightful tumbles as he moved closer, cupping his hand behind her neck. He covered her mouth with his, kissing her gently at first, then more roughly. Stars swam in front of her eyes as he ran his hands over her skin, his breath warming her inside and out.
Kneeling, he pulled her down beside him, his lips never leaving hers. Sensibility and desire warred with each other as her feelings grew stronger, their kisses more intense. She drew back and planted her hand on his chest, panting for breath as her pulse roared in her ears.
She gulped. “We shouldn’t—”
The door swung open with a loud clang, startling them both. Panicked, Sage’s gaze darted from Nic to the doorway and back again. In that instant, she recognized in his eyes the same realization she’d just had—the defeat was scrawled across his face. There wasn’t time to hide. They’d been caught.
A silhouette loomed at the top of the staircase, observing them for a moment before breaking the silence.
“Ms. Indarra, Mr. Hayes. Please come with me.”
All the blood drained from Sage’s face. She’d recognize that voice anywhere.
The headmaster.
18. GLITCHES
“I told you they’d be there.” Carnabel’s smug voice smacked Sage in the face as she entered the headmaster’s office hand in hand with Nic.
Sage bristled. It figured Carnabel had been behind this. She would do anything she could to ruin their evening—their pairing. Didn’t she know this would hurt Nic too?
“So you did, Ms. Mapait,” the headmaster said dryly, pushing past the students so that he could take up residence behind his desk. “And it’s a good thing you were telling the truth, or you’d be in just as much trouble as these two. I don’t take kindly to being kept up all hours.”
Sage shot a withering look at Carnabel, but she just smirked in response. Nic gave her hand a slight, reassuring squeeze.
“Nic Hayes.” The headmaster tapped his databook, bringing up the students’ personal files. He squinted at the screen. “Given that this is your first offense on an otherwise impeccable record—and considering the proximity to graduation—I think we can consider this no more than a night of poor judgment. An anomaly. One that will, of course, not be repeated in the short time you have left here.” He looked pointedly at Nic, who nodded quickly.
“Yes, sir.”
“Very well, then. We’ll let this indiscretion slide.” The headmaster’s attention switched to Sage. “Ms. Indarra, on the other hand, has had several things to answer for over the years—some of which we have only recently come to light—” his eyebrow shot up, “—and I think tonight would be the perfect time to discuss these shortcomings.”
Nic slid Sage a look of confusion, but she didn’t notice. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears. Shortcomings? Something other than tonight? What was he talking about? The list of possibilities was long enough to terrify her. Why had she stayed up on the roof? She’d known it was a bad idea—she’d become too careless lately.
Carnabel lifted her chin and snorted. “I don’t know why she hasn’t been shunned already.”
The headmaster’s lips pursed together in a thin line. “I don’t see what relevance your opinion has to the matter at hand.”
“But I’m the one who—”
He held up his hand, silencing Carnabel’s protests. “I believe it’s time Ms. Indarra and I had a private conversation. You may wait outside now.”
Carnabel clamped her mouth closed, nostrils flaring. Her eyes burned with hatred as she shot one final glare at Sage before stomping out of the room.
“You too, Mr. Hayes. I said a private conversation.”
Nic cleared his throat and stood a little straighter. “All due respect, sir, but anything that involves my pair also in—”
“You’re not paired yet, and I will not ask again,” the headmaster growled. “Unless you would prefer a more severe reaction from this administration for your unsanctioned activities this evening.”
“No, sir.” Nic looked at Sage apologetically then reluctantly stepped through the door, closing it behind him.
Great. Sage was alone with a man who despised her. And he had everything he needed to shun her—though she suspected that was the least of her problems now.
The headmaster steepled his fingers as he spoke. “Ms. Mapait’s opinion may not hold any weight in this discussion, but mine does. And I tend to agree with your fellow Sixteen. You should have been shunned years ago—if not before your kidnapping, then most certainly after.”
Sage’s heart plummeted to her feet as dread enveloped her whole being. She wanted to scream, to point out all the things Carnabel had done too. Instead, she swallowed hard, wishing she had some sort of defense for her actions, but she knew nothing she could say would change the headmaster’s mind now. If anything, she might make all this worse.
“On the other hand, Mr. Gaztok is a highly respected man,” the headmaster’s eye twitched, “and he seems to think you are loyal and may be of some great use to Eprah in the future. However, I admit that the logic behind his decision to reintegrate you into your level still eludes me. I’m sure you will recall that we were not in full agreement on this point.”
She nodded and held her breath, not daring to interrupt.
His eyes narrowed into slits. “Despite what I’d like to do with both you and Mr. Hayes, both of you have proven your competency in rare, highly skilled areas. Without evidence of disloyalty, I see no other option but to consider this a youthful indiscretion brought on by an eagerness to serve Eprah in your future pairing.”
Sage exhaled in relief.
“However,” he added, “you’ll both do well to remember that your assignments have yet to be finalized at graduation. You would be remiss to assume your actions have no consequences, no matter how close you are to full citizenship. Just because you aren’t being shunned tonight doesn’t mean we won’t reevaluate your placement in society. Is that understood?”
His voice was starting to sound tinny. Sage’s head felt lighter, and she felt herself swaying on her feet.
“Yes, sir.” She ba
rely managed to choke out the words.
She understood perfectly. When she’d stolen a relic all those years ago, Lita had taken the fall for her. And at the time, she’d been too close to graduation to merit a shunning. Instead, she’d been given horrible assignments—ones that basically guaranteed her life would be short and miserable.
Sage shuddered. Another misstep, and she’d very likely find herself facing similar consequences, no matter what Mr. Gaztok had once thought of her future usefulness.
“Good,” Headmaster Alexander said, leaning back. A satisfied smile slid across his lips. “Now that tonight has been covered, we have another matter to discuss.”
“Sir?”
“Eprah does its best to keep its citizens safe. You may not be aware of this, but Eprah monitors most things that happen within the walls of the city. It’s a benefit to all of us and ensures things run smoothly, protects us from the Lawless, and so on. But recently, we’ve discovered a problem.”
She shifted her weight.
“It was rather fortuitous that Ms. Mapait brought it to our attention. We seem to have a security issue. A number of glitches have been discovered in the security footage at the Institution. Loops, time lapses, corrupted files. And curiously, we’re unable to find you during several of these glitches.”
She froze. How could Carnabel possibly have known about that?
A wave of nausea crashed over her. The boy from her Interest Society. He must have seen what she did, but he didn’t tell Mr. Messer or the headmaster—he told Carnabel.
“Do you understand what I’m saying, Ms. Indarra? It appears that our records have been tampered with. And you are one of the students who is unaccounted for during these blackouts.” The headmaster leaned forward, an eager gleam in his eye. “Do you have any idea why that might be?”
“No, sir,” she managed, swallowing hard.
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? From what I understand, you’ve become quite skilled at tech.”
She shook her head. “No—I mean, yes, I am, but not with anything like that. What we do in class and in our Interest is nothing like what you’re describing. We’ve never been taught how to subvert Eprah’s systems.”
“I see.” His lips twitched. He paused, never taking his eyes off of her. She held his gaze evenly. Carnabel may have been spying on her, but she’d covered her digital tracks well. For all she knew, the headmaster was just fishing for information. She wasn’t about to admit to something without proof.
The headmaster leaned back and continued. “How disappointing. Given your tech knowledge and the fact that you’ve been directly impacted by these glitches, I’d really expected to have your help shedding light on the situation.”
“Sorry I’m not more help, Headmaster.”
His lips curled into a snarl. “Are you really trying to tell me that you know nothing about this?”
The little bit of hope that had begun stirring inside her was crushed flat. He wasn’t going to stop unless she gave him something. But she wasn’t about to throw away her future.
“I’ve been targeted before,” she said, shoving her fists into her pockets to hide the fact that she was trembling. “Remember?” Sage clenched her jaw, challenging him.
Annoyance flashed across his face. “I haven’t forgotten. But that doesn’t explain why we’re missing time from several other students as well.”
“Maybe you should ask them.” Sage’s fingers brushed the necklace still in her pocket. She stiffened, closing her fist around the stone. It would be very bad if the security systems outside the Institution were called into question too.
“I intend to.” The coldness in the headmaster’s voice sent chills down her spine. The hint of a smile played at his lips. “In fact, I’ve already begun. You’re not the first one to point a finger at the Lawless. Though I do wonder why they might have such an interest in students.” He tilted his head. “It’s not as if they can recruit from inside the walls of the Institution. Or am I mistaken?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Sage said, grateful her voice didn’t crack. “After what they did to me, there’s nothing the Lawless could say to get me to join them.
“Of course not,” he crooned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I just… Well, it doesn’t matter. The mind goes to such interesting places, doesn’t it? Trying to find an explanation for the missing time of so many students. It’s so unexpected.”
Sage pressed her lips together tightly. The less she said, the better. She wasn’t going to respond unless he forced her.
“Mr. Gaztok agrees that it is unusual. He’s planning to join the investigation once the techs have patched the holes in our security. Together, I’m sure we’ll get to the root of the issue. Who knows, maybe in a few weeks, you’ll be one of the ones looking into this.” He let out a garbled laugh.
She looked up sharply. The headmaster was studying her closely. She dropped her eyes again. It was easier to hide her discomfort if she didn’t have to look at him.
“Or perhaps not,” he said more quietly. “After all, your assignment hasn’t been finalized yet.”
Her heart started beating faster. This. This was exactly what she’d been worried about. She braced herself for the headmaster’s next threat.
“Quite frankly, this is a problem that extends farther back than I care to admit. The Institution obviously needs to redress its security measures, and improvements are already underway. With any luck, we will be able to recover the corrupted footage and prevent this type of thing from happening ever again.”
Sage caught herself starting to frown and stopped, forcing her face to stay neutral. He clearly didn’t believe her, but he wasn’t threatening her anymore. Why not?
“Well, if you really have nothing further to add, then I suppose that’s all we needed to talk about. For now.” He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
“No, sir, nothing to add.” She shook her head, confusion swirling around in her mind.
“Right.” He nodded toward the door. “Then please ask the others to join us.”
Unsure what had just happened, Sage reached a shaky hand toward the handle and pulled the door open. As soon as she stepped into the waiting area, she could tell she’d interrupted something. Nic was red-faced and fuming, while Carnabel stood with her arms crossed and her chin jutting slightly forward. They stopped glaring at each other and swung their heads toward her, anger and bitterness heavy behind their eyes. Neither of them said a word.
“Uh…” she hesitated, caught off guard by the open display of hostility, “the headmaster wants us all in his office now.”
Carnabel didn’t waste any time shoving her way past Sage and into the room.
Nic paused just outside of the doorway. “You ok?” he whispered, squeezing her hand.
Sage stared back at him numbly. “I think so.”
The headmaster’s voice boomed out the door, rumbling in their chests. “How long does it take to walk from one room to another? Mr. Hayes hasn’t run off, has he?”
“No, sir,” Nic said, raising his voice as he made his way into the room. “I’m here. Sorry.”
“I thought I’d made it clear that I don’t appreciate my time being wasted, especially at this hour.”
“Yes, sir, you did. Sorry, sir.” Nic clasped his hands behind his back.
“Alright, then.” The headmaster cleared his throat irritably. “For the sake of your classmates, all of you will be spending the remainder of the evening in solitary rooms. Just because you’ve elected to lose half a night’s sleep doesn’t mean they have, and they won’t be punished by you stumbling into your dorms in the middle of the night. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Nic and Sage answered in unison.
Carnabel looked like she wanted to protest at first but decided against it. “Yes, sir.”
“Very good. An instructor will collect you in the morning so that you can resume your normal activities. For now, you may go with Madame Humphrey and Mr. Larson. They’re
waiting for you outside in the hall.” Headmaster Alexander grunted, pushing himself up out of his chair. “Dismissed.”
The three students filed out of the room and into the hall.
Nic flashed a look of apology at Sage before being steered in the opposite direction by Mr. Larson. They both knew they’d been on the roof at his suggestion, and the guilty look on his face spoke volumes. She shot him a weak smile and turned down the hall, happy to keep Madame Humphrey between herself and Carnabel.
She still wasn’t exactly sure what had just happened. Somehow she’d avoided being shunned, and it seemed like the headmaster was satisfied to let her off with a warning. One thing she knew for sure: she had zero margin of error for the next couple weeks. The slightest mistake would be all it would take for her entire future to come crumbling down around her.
19. CUT OFF
“So I haven’t had a chance to ask you all day… How did last night go?” Penelope’s head poked out of the shower stall. She grinned widely and lowered her voice. “You didn’t make it back in time for lights out,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
“Oh, uh, we…” Sage stopped, unsure what to say. After last night, she knew it would be impossible to go back and delete this conversation later. For once, she settled on the truth. “Not great. We got caught,” she admitted. “By the headmaster.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Not even a little.”
Penelope stared at her for a moment and chewed her lip, rubbing her bracelet. An air of decisiveness came over her. “C’mon,” she said, grabbing Sage’s elbow and dragging her into the stall with her.
“Pen!” Sage nearly slipped on the wet floor.
“Chill. Tell me what happened.”
“Penelope, we can’t—”
She flicked her wrist. “It’s fine. Trust me. We can talk here.”
Sage glanced back at the door. “This is a really bad idea, Pen.”
Penelope shook her head and stuck her foot on the floor beneath the faucet, turning on the stream of water. She let it pelt her leg and leaned closer, speaking just loudly enough for Sage to hear. “There are no cameras in here, and no one will be able to hear anything over the water. What happened?”