by Dylan Steel
THE BENEFACTOR
SACRISVITA BOOK XII
Dylan Steel
THE BENEFACTOR: SACRISVITA BOOK XII
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. HOSPITALITY
2. PETITIONED
3. HOME
4. GHOSTS
5. FATE
6. ELIZA
7. FRESH AIR
8. COMPLICATIONS
9. THE DIGNITARY
10. EXCEPTIONS
11. WHAT DO YOU SEE?
12. MASKS
13. ORDEZKO
14. LOCKED
15. LOOSE LIPS
16. FOUR TOWERS
17. RUN
18. HIDE
19. BAGGAGE
20. SPECTATORS
21. ELECTRICITY
22. DARKNESS
THE FOUNDERS: SACRISVITA BOOK XIII - 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. HOSPITALITY
Sage stood at the window, taking in the view of the tops of the surrounding buildings and the street below her. Her jaw tightened. The room she was stuck in was several stories up—higher than most of Eprah’s buildings and way too high to survive a jump.
Her fingers closed around her mother’s necklace, and she unconsciously slid the gem pendant back and forth along the chain as she went over the last twenty-four hours in her mind. Somehow—miraculously—the jewelry had come through the previous night unscathed. Better than her, that was for sure.
Slumping against the wall, she dropped the curtain back in place.
Before she’d left, Martha had told her that she’d been claimed by Mr. Bennick. But she’d seen the Bennick estate, and it looked nothing like what she could see from the window. She was still inside the city. Technically, she could still try to run—except now, she didn’t know where her bag was, which meant she didn’t have the tech she needed to remove her bracelet. And she had no way of knowing if she’d already been tethered.
Martha hadn’t said she’d been paired to the benefactor, but the rules surrounding them weren’t well known. Even if she wasn’t paired to him, he still might be allowed to tether her.
If she’d been tethered, running would be an immediate death sentence.
Her shoulders sagged. As long as the bracelet was still around her wrist, she was trapped.
Despite the soreness in her limbs, Sage hobbled around the room in an attempt to pace. It wasn’t any use trying the door again. She’d checked it as soon as Martha had left her alone even though she was pretty sure she’d heard the lock engage. And like she’d expected, it hadn’t budged.
Looking out the window hadn't been terribly useful either. The nearest buildings she could make out weren’t ones that she recognized, but she could tell she was still somewhere inside the city. The only thing she really knew was that she wasn’t at the Bennick estate yet.
That realization was something of a relief—not only would she have to deal with a benefactor, but there was a good chance she’d see Sam once she was at the estate, and she wasn’t exactly looking forward to a reunion with her former jailer.
She couldn’t help wondering if Martha had been telling the truth. Unfortunately, she couldn’t think of a single reason why the woman would lie about it. And if it was really true, the risks were too high to try escaping Eprah again without a solid plan in place. Not that the first attempt had worked out that well.
Sage looked up sharply as the door swung open again without warning. A man stood in the doorway. She sucked in a breath at his commanding presence. Blue eyes stared at her cautiously, assessing. Her heart pounded in her chest under the weight of his gaze. She took a step back as he moved inside the room and closed the door.
He hesitated, leaving a generous space between them.
"How are you feeling?" His deep voice slid over her skin and rumbled through her bones, making her pulse beat faster. She couldn’t decide whether she loved it or hated it.
She stared back at him silently, swallowing hard and trying not to wince at the pain. Was this the benefactor? His brown hair was too wild, almost messy—but in an attractive way—and he looked too young to be in charge of the most powerful estate in Eprah. Mid-twenties, maybe? Plus, there was something decidedly familiar about him, like she’d seen him before but just couldn’t remember where—and she’d never met the Bennicks’ son.
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. If he wasn’t the benefactor, who was he? And why was he here?
It didn’t matter. He’d gotten in unescorted, which meant he could get out—and that meant she could get out. Maybe her bag was still in the alley—or maybe she could find another way to get her bracelet off. But she had to get out of the room first.
The man’s eyebrows dipped slightly as he noticed her clenched fists. Her eyes never left his.
“Right. I’m sure it hurts to talk. Maybe we should start with something simpler.” He motioned for her to sit, but she didn’t move. She didn’t know him—didn’t trust him—and sitting made her more vulnerable. After last night, she wasn’t about to let her guard down around a total stranger.
“If I wanted to hurt you, I could. Easily.” He lifted his hand, wiggling his bracelet as a reminder. Sage’s eyes widened. Her hand flew to her wrist instinctively as she stole a glance at the door. “But I don’t,” he added hurriedly. “Sorry, that wasn’t—I didn’t mean that as a threat. Please,” he gestured again, “sit.”
Sage looked back at him stonily, unmoving.
Rubbing a hand across his forehead, he sighed and sank into a chair in the corner of the room. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
Confusion flashed over her face, but she quickly forced her expression back to neutral. She shook her head slowly.
“Do I at least look a little familiar?”
Her nose crinkled. “Yeah,” she managed hoarsely. His eyes brightened. “But…” she trailed off, frustrated that she couldn’t remember him.
“It’s ok. It’s been a few years, and I doubt I made much of an
impression. We met at the hospital while I was training.” The corner of his mouth ticked up in a half-smile that sent warmth spilling through her body. “As I recall, you didn’t much care for the coolers.”
Sage’s mouth fell open as the memory came crashing back. He was the doctor. The one who’d helped her after she’d seen the dead body in the hospital basement and puked all over the floor.
Wonderful.
A blush crept over her cheeks in embarrassment at the memory.
“It’s Weston,” he said, leaning forward slightly.
“S—”
“I know. Sage.” He waved his hand. “The less you talk right now, the better. You sustained some pretty bad injuries.”
She chewed the inside of her lip, giving a cautious nod as she finally made her way to the end of her bed and sat. He’d been nice enough so far. And a doctor probably didn’t have bad intentions. She hoped.
“Would it be alright with you if I took a look at you?”
She stiffened.
“At your injuries,” he clarified. “I just want to make sure I didn’t miss anything before. And see if any of your swelling has gone down.”
“Be-fore?” she asked, watching him warily as he stood.
“I did a brief exam last night. But it would help if you could answer a few questions.”
He moved toward her, stopping just out of reach. “May I?”
She nodded hesitantly.
Weston took her head between his hands. Her heart pounded in her chest as he bent closer, gently moving his fingers down both sides of her neck as he examined her injuries. As he leaned in to get a better look at a bruise on her shoulder, his dark, messy hair brushed her cheek. She inhaled sharply, practically tasting his subtle aroma as something like cloves and maple filled her senses.
He froze. His eyes met hers, filled with concern. “Does that hurt?”
“A little,” she mumbled, angry at herself for the unexpected flutter in her stomach as she tore her gaze away from him.
“I’ll try to be more careful.”
She nodded absently, picking a point on the wall and forcing herself to focus on it. It was just wrong. She’d just lost Everett and his baby. Her hormones had to be doing all sorts of crazy things at the moment—they were obviously to blame. It was the only possible explanation.
Gritting her teeth, she sat up straighter as the doctor continued checking over her bruised arms. The clothes Martha had given her were almost perfect for the examination. She was wearing a sleeveless shirt and loose pants, which Weston rolled to just above her knee when he needed to see how her deep scrapes were responding to the healing salves.
“It doesn’t appear that your injuries are too severe.” Weston dropped his hands to his sides and stepped back, eyeing her uncertainly. “Unless there’s anything else you’re concerned about? Anything I haven’t checked?”
Anything under my clothes? “No,” she said quickly.
A sudden flash of anger flared behind his eyes. “The man who attacked you. Did he—”
She shook her head, stopping the question in its tracks. A lot had happened. But not that.
“Good,” he said a little gruffly, “then that’s all for the exam. I assume you can handle applying the ointments yourself?”
Sage nodded, rolling her pant legs back down.
“Twice a day for at least a week, maybe two,” he instructed seriously, handing her a small vial. “Even if the cuts seem to be healing well, it’ll help minimize scarring.”
She stared at the vial in her hand, fighting back the tears that had started stinging the corners of her eyes. Everything was different now. What did she care about a few more scars? Even if they weren’t all visible, she already had enough of them to last several lifetimes.
When she finally lifted her gaze, Weston’s eyes met hers immediately. It was like he’d never stopped watching her—like he was waiting for her to fall apart in front of him.
That wasn’t going to happen.
Sage tipped her chin higher.
“Where am I?” she asked, ignoring the burning in her throat.
He frowned. “Didn’t Martha tell you?”
She raised her eyebrows incredulously.
“Obviously not,” he said, half to himself. Then, a little louder, “You’re at the hospitality suite. She did tell you that you’re part of the Bennick estate now, right?”
“Yeah.” Her stomach dropped a little at the confirmation—Martha had been telling the truth. Pushing through the pain, she continued, “But I’ve never met Mr. Bennick.” And I’d really like to get out of here before I do, she thought. But even as helpful as the doctor had been, she couldn’t afford to ask for his help. Her best hope of getting out of here was ensuring the door didn’t latch behind him when he left.
Weston gave her a curious look. “You don’t remember much about last night, do you?”
She shook her head.
“Did you know the man who attacked you was an on-duty officer of the Peace?”
Sage’s eyes narrowed as she tilted her head in acknowledgment.
“Are you also aware that benefactors are some of the only citizens who can strip Chances from an on-duty officer?”
Now, that was something she definitely hadn’t known.
She shook her head again slowly as understanding crashed over her. The officer had been killed, but not by brute force—no one else had been anywhere near them. He must have died from having his Chances stripped. But in the aftermath of her injuries and waking up in a strange new room, she hadn’t put the pieces together that such a thing shouldn’t have been possible.
The benefactor had saved her.
But why?
“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was interrupting.”
A female voice jarred her from her own thoughts.
Sage’s eyes flicked to the girl who’d just barged into the room. She blinked in surprise. “Aura?”
2. PETITIONED
Aura didn’t acknowledge Sage at all. Her eyes were glued to the doctor.
“It’s alright, Aura. We’re nearly done here.” Weston stole a sideways glance at Sage. “I think she’s ready to travel.”
Sage paled. If the doctor said she was ready to travel, there would be nothing delaying the benefactor. He’d come for her. And once she was with him, her odds of escaping went down dramatically. She needed more time to come up with a plan.
“Of course.” Aura’s golden curls bobbed around her shoulders. “I’ll—”
“No!” Sage said quickly, wincing at the harsh grating inside her throat. Whatever Martha had made her drink earlier was starting to help, but her throat was still sore.
Aura’s eyes widened in shock, flicking back and forth between Sage and Weston with unguarded worry.
“No?” Weston’s eyebrows drew together. “I thought you said there was nothing else wrong.”
His eyes traveled up and down her body. Sage’s stomach gave a nervous lurch under his assessing gaze. She crossed her arms and twisted a little away from him. The last thing she needed was for him to declare her ready for a new version of enslavement, but she didn’t want another exam either.
“Aura, why don’t you give us a few more minutes. You—”
“I need more than a few minutes,” Sage protested.
He continued talking to Aura like he hadn’t just been interrupted. “You can prepare the horses. She’ll be ready soon.”
“Yes, sir.” Aura gave a small curtsy and hurried out of the room. Sage’s heart sank as the door latched behind her. Another chance of escaping, gone as quickly as it had appeared.
Sage glared at him. “I said I needed more time.”
“I don’t think that’s true.” He stared back at her evenly.
“It is. I—”
“I think you’re just nervous about leaving. Is it the benefactor?”
Her shoulders sagged involuntarily. That was all the confirmation he needed.
Weston rubbed a hand al
ong the back of his neck thoughtfully. “It’s not uncommon, you know. Most people are nervous meeting benefactors.”
“Most people don’t have a history with them either,” she mumbled.
One of his eyebrows jerked up. “You said you’d never met him.”
“Not him—” she admitted, “—his parents.”
“Ah, yes,” he mused, “your kidnapping.”
Sage flinched. Everyone in Eprah knew about what had happened to her. She wasn’t really surprised anymore, but it didn’t make it any easier to have such a transparent past.
“I’m sure you’ll find Mr. Bennick is quite different than his parents.”
Something in his tone made her freeze. She stared at him uncertainly as he continued.
“You really don’t remember last night?”
She frowned, wondering why he’d changed the subject. “Not all of it. Not after…” she trailed off, willfully blocking out her memories of the attack.
“You didn’t see him.” It was as much a question as a statement.
“The benefactor?” She shook her head. “No. I told you. After the officer—” She stopped, swallowing hard. “No.”
“I see.” Weston paused, looking at her expectantly. “You don’t remember seeing him.”
The truth slammed into her like a brick wall.
“You?” Sage looked at him in disbelief, a sudden coldness crawling over her skin, seeping deep inside her.
The doctor took a step closer, studying her reaction. “I’m afraid I haven’t been entirely forthcoming with you.” Sage’s heart beat faster as she edged away from him. “But my name is Weston. Weston Bennick.”
“That’s not possible,” she whispered, feeling lightheaded.
“Isn’t it?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Why didn’t you say something?” Her hand flew to her mouth. She should know better than to question a benefactor. He could kill her in an instant with little more than a thought. But in truth, she had no idea what to say—how to act. She couldn’t afford to say or do anything that would anger him, and she didn’t know what was safe. Worse—she couldn’t remember if she’d already unknowingly offended him.
An unnaturally loud drumming pulsed in her ears.
This man held her fate in his hands.