by Dylan Steel
Weston’s jaw twitched. “Two hundred yards,” he repeated firmly.
“O-of course. Any others?”
His eyes cut to Sage. She looked back at him pleadingly.
“No. No other exceptions,” he said coldly. Her heart sank.
The Dignitary glanced back and forth between the two of them uncertainly. “Alright. And alerts? For either you or her?”
“Yes to both.”
Sage started to take a step toward Weston, but he shot her a severe look, stopping her in her tracks.
“Would you also like the veritmel setting enabled?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Weston said, not taking his eyes off his pair. “You’re not going to say anything bad about me anyways, are you, Sage?”
Her skin prickled. She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak without her voice shaking. That must have been one of Rosalind’s bracelet’s settings under Edward Grayson’s tether—why she couldn’t say anything negative about her personal nightmare.
“There. See?” He turned his attention back to the Dignitary. “It’s unnecessary,” he said coolly.
The corner of the Dignitary’s lips twitched. “Very well. But I’ll enable your ability to amend your settings remotely.” His eyes flicked back to Sage, looking her up and down derisively. “In case you change your mind.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Are there any other parameters you would like to alter?”
Weston’s eyes narrowed briefly before answering. “An instant override.”
Mr. Varick’s lips parted, his fingers frozen in the air above the tablet’s screen. “Are you sure? Proximity doesn’t matter if you decide—”
“I’m sure.”
“Instant override?” Sage’s voice sounded small between the two men who were deciding her future.
“If Mr. Bennick feels your usefulness to Eprah is over—for any reason—he will be able to strip all your remaining Chances instantly,” Mr. Varick explained impatiently.
Sage took a step back in horror. Her head pounded, a sudden surge of dizziness nearly making her stumble. And neither of them seemed to care.
The dignitary turned his attention back to Weston. “Anything else?”
“I can’t imagine anything else will be necessary.” He cocked his head slightly as he took in Sage’s panicked expression. “After all, she’ll always be nearby.”
“Of course.”
A gnawing sensation spread from deep inside Sage’s stomach all the way through her limbs.
It was true.
She was never leaving his side again.
10. EXCEPTIONS
“There are clothes in the wardrobe for you to change into. Anything in there should be appropriate for our next stop.” Weston pointed to a door as he crossed the suite. “I’ll be in the next room. Come get me when you’re done.”
Sage stared after him blankly. They were back at the hospitality suite. Apparently, Weston had some sort of business to take care of while they were in the city, but he hadn’t bothered to share any details with her.
It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. She was tethered now. Everything she’d ever worked for—ever dared to hope for—had slipped away. Her fate rested in the hands of a man she barely knew—a man who claimed to want to protect her but who readily threatened her life if she didn’t follow his every order.
Numb, she pulled open the door and began sifting through rows of fabric. There were more clothes in here than she’d worn in her entire life, and they were all beautiful, but she didn’t care. Fancy clothes meant nothing if the cost was her freedom.
She picked a dress without really even looking at it, struggling for a moment with the zipper as she pulled it on. Selecting shoes was even simpler. She grabbed the first pair that she saw that matched the color of her dress. Black, she realized, looking down at herself. Appropriate.
As she stood in front of the mirror for a quick appraisal, she noticed the look on her face. She was empty. Hollow. Broken.
Tears sprang to her eyes. Everett had been right. Surviving wasn’t enough.
She clenched her jaw until it began throbbing. Eprah didn’t get to win. Neither did the benefactor. Somehow, she’d find a way to live.
Sweeping a hand over her cheeks to wipe away her rebellious emotions, she marched across the room.
“I’m ready,” she announced as she pushed open the door to Weston’s room. She froze.
“That makes one of us,” Weston said as he casually reached for a shirt. His muscles rippled as he slipped it on over his toned chest.
“Sorry.” Her cheeks reddened as she dropped her gaze. He’d been in the middle of changing too, and she’d just barged in on him.
“I’m decent enough,” he said dismissively, his blue eyes dancing with amusement. “No need to be embarrassed. You are my pair after all.”
Panic wrapped itself around her heart, squeezing tightly. They were paired. And he knew she wasn’t pregnant. She didn’t know what he expected from her, but she wasn’t about to let him do whatever he wanted—no matter what the consequences were.
Not that she had much left to lose.
She lifted her chin, forcing herself to meet his eyes. “Weston?”
“Yes, Sage?”
Her fingers curled into fists at her side. She fought to keep her voice steady. “I’m not going to sleep with you.”
He stopped mid-button. Anger flashed behind his eyes. “Is that what you think?”
“I know you’re my pair and a benefactor and I’m tethered now,” she said, forcing out the words as fast as she could, worried she’d lose her nerve, “but if you’re planning to try, you may as well strip all of my Chances right now because I’m not—I won’t let you do it.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw as he stared back at her. An uncomfortable silence settled over the room while she waited for his reaction.
“Sage,” he breathed out slowly, “I have no intention of forcing you to perform pairing duties. You’ve already achieved a pregnancy—regardless of the outcome, Eprah considers your duty done in that regard. And as I’ve told you before, I’m trying to protect you.”
Her nails dug into her skin. “Then why tether me at all? Why have an instant override?”
“I have my reasons. And I’m not required to share them with you.”
“I never asked for your help,” she said bitterly, ignoring the warning in his tone.
His eyes narrowed. “You would have preferred I left you with the officer the night I found you? I know you’ve seen the capsules in Beautification’s basement. You’d be nothing more than ashes now if I hadn’t stepped in.”
Chills raced down her spine. “You don’t know that,” she said stubbornly. It was another lie. They both knew that was exactly what would’ve happened if he hadn’t shown up.
“My intervention set us both on a new course, Sage. Nothing can be done to change that now, and I wouldn’t change it if I could.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know you think I’m being cruel, tethering you, but I’m not. I had hoped to avoid all this.”
Desperation seized her. If he was feeling even slightly conflicted about this, maybe she could convince him to have the tether removed.
“It’s not too late to undo it, though, right? If I promise not to run—”
“What good are your promises, Sage? Really?” He shook his head slowly. “Even after you were caught—after you fought to leave—you still lied about your intentions.”
“But if—”
“If you aren’t going to run, you won’t even notice the tether,” he said firmly. “It only becomes a problem if you do exactly what you’re promising not to do.”
Her shoulders slumped. His tone left no room for further discussion, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to push him to the point that he might consider using the instant override.
Weston cleared his throat. “On a different note, you look quite lovely in that dress.”
Sage’s ja
w tightened. She didn’t acknowledge his comment. Instead, she smoothed the fabric over her waist self-consciously, refusing to meet his eyes.
He shrugged on a jacket and held out his hand. “It’s time to go.”
***
“You don’t need to be nervous.”
“I’m not.” Sage looked up at her benefactor in confusion as they crossed the street. They were heading straight for Perjaash. “I just—I had no idea you were…”
“Kunbriat?” Weston shook his head. “I’m not. Not like you. But they tolerate my presence.”
“You know I’m—” Sage’s eyes widened. She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. Not after what had happened the last time. “How in Eprah’s name do you know that?”
“I told you, Sage. I know more about you than you could possibly imagine.”
She lowered her voice as they made their way down the stairs. “But no one’s supposed to know that.”
The corners of his lips inched upward in a smile, but it disappeared as soon as they came face to face with the man standing guard outside the entrance.
“Mr. Bennick.”
“I’m here to see the heads.”
“You can go in. She can’t.” The man’s head jerked in Sage’s direction.
She rolled her eyes. It had only been a few weeks since she’d been there, and he’d forgotten who she was again. She touched her side where her scar was hidden under her dress. A deep blush spread over her cheeks when she realized her dress didn’t have easy access to show her brand. She’d have to get halfway undressed to prove she was allowed in. And she had to be allowed in—the tether wouldn’t stretch the entire distance of the club, especially not if her benefactor decided to go into the back rooms.
Weston wrapped his arm around her waist, placing his hand over firmly over hers, stopping her before she had a chance to start pulling up the side of her dress. “She’s tethered to me. She’s coming inside.”
The man hesitated, his certainty wavering. Weston leaned forward, lowering his voice as he added, “I won’t be kept waiting, and neither will Mr. Abeldra.”
“Of course not, sir.” He straightened, motioning them both inside.
A familiar pulse throbbed deep in Sage’s bones as she stepped inside the club with her benefactor at her side. The stale air wrapped itself around her, nearly choking her as she followed Weston.
“You didn’t have to step in back there. I had it under control,” she said, stretching up on her toes to speak in his ear, trying to make herself heard over the music.
“He wasn’t going to let you in,” Weston said calmly, leading her straight to the back of the club.
“Yes, he would’ve. I just needed to show him my mark.”
Weston paused, turning to her with an arched eyebrow. “You would have preferred to strip down in the stairway?”
She clenched her jaw, irritated at his constant need to save her. For some reason, it really bothered her that he knew where her brand was. It was too personal. Private.
“If I needed to, I would,” she said defiantly.
“You’re not doing that.” A shadow clouded his features as electricity snapped behind his eyes. She took a half step back. He turned back around, placing his palm on the screen beside the door. “And it wouldn’t have mattered. He wouldn’t have let you in.”
The door popped open, and Sage hurried into the dim hallway after her benefactor.
“Yes, he would’ve.”
“I’m not arguing with you about this anymore, Sage.”
“Because you know I’m right,” she mumbled under her breath.
As the door closed behind them, her words echoed in the hall louder than she’d intended. She cringed as Weston stopped and looked her squarely in the eyes.
“There are more things going on right now than you realize, and your standing with the Kunbriat is merely one of them.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“When I left my estate a few weeks ago, I told you I would be gone a day or two at most. Do you remember that?”
“Yeah.” She shifted her weight.
“But that’s not what happened.”
“No. You were gone longer. So?”
“My business was more involved than I expected.” He rubbed a hand over the edges of his forehead. “A member of the Quorum fell ill unexpectedly. It’s created quite a stir among Eprah’s leadership—more than I thought possible.”
“Oh.” Her brows dipped. “How ill?”
“Significantly,” he said soberly. “And I’d appreciate if you didn’t say anything about it to anyone. Not many people know.”
Her eyes snapped to his. “Then why are you telling me?”
“You’re my pair.” He shot her a severe look. “And you’re tethered now, so I doubt you’ll do something I’ve asked you not to.”
“Ok…” She crossed her arms, not appreciating being blackmailed into keeping secrets for him. “But what does this have to do with me getting into Perjaash?”
“When the Kunbriat was barely tolerating your continued existence before? It changes everything. There are power plays at work, and no one can afford to show weakness right now.” A look resembling pity crossed his face. “Showing mercy to you by allowing you to continue living—after you revealed their secrets? It would be seen as weakness. It’s intolerable.”
She gritted her teeth. “How do you know about that?”
“A man in my position can’t afford surprises.”
“Sounds dull,” she said dryly.
He laughed. She wanted to hate the sound of it but instead found its deep tone strangely comforting, like being wrapped in a warm wool blanket under the cool night sky. The man had two personalities—reeling her in one moment and repelling her the next.
Her eyes narrowed. No matter how soothing he seemed, he was still a benefactor. She wouldn’t forget that.
“But Mr. Gaztok is going to be the next Quorum member,” she said. “Why would anyone else be—”
Weston held up his hand. Footprints echoed down the far end of the hall toward them, and Sage found herself squinting into the shadows until a figure emerged.
Aidon.
Sage stiffened and took a step closer to Weston, hoping her fellow Kunbriat wouldn’t get too friendly with the benefactor standing right there.
“Hey, Princess. Mr. Bennick.” He nodded, his eyes flicking to Weston and then back to Sage. “I see you’ve got some friends in high places. How fortunate for you.” A greedy smile spread over his face, and he winked at Weston. “I hope you’ll let me know when you tire of her. I’m sure I can find a way for her to be useful. It’d be a shame to—”
Sage heard the crack of the connecting punch before she saw Weston so much as twitch. She jumped back the same instant Aidon cried out, grabbing his face. Blood dribbled through his fingers as he groaned, stomping one of his feet as he swore.
Weston reached into his jacket, pulling out a cloth to wipe his knuckles. He tossed the cloth at Aidon’s chest. “Clean yourself up. And be very careful how you choose to speak to me or about my pair from now on,” he said, his voice dangerously calm.
Aidon’s hand flew to his bracelet.
“I would think very hard before doing that,” Weston warned.
Scowling, Aidon released his wrist reluctantly and went back to attempting to staunch the flow of blood from his nose.
Weston turned to Sage. “I’d hoped you would be able to stay with me, but it seems our friend here would be ill company. You should wait outside in the main room. I’ll come get you when we’re done.”
“Is… is it too far?” Sage looked down the hall hesitantly, making no motion to leave.
Weston squinted over her head appraisingly. “I wouldn’t go too near the entrance, but if you stay near the back wall, you should be fine.” He pushed open the door and gestured for Aidon to enter first. “I trust you can find your way.”
Sage nodded.
“I’ll see you when
this meeting is over.”
The door closed in her face, leaving her alone in the hall.
***
Sage had her hand on the knob, about to reenter the club, when the door swung open and Kai plowed straight into her.
“Ooomphf.”
“Sage?” Kai straightened, recovering from his surprise quickly. His eyes narrowed to slits. “What are you doing here?”
“Wes—Mr. Bennick. He’s here.”
“I’m aware.”
“Well, I’m paired with him. Tethered, actually, so…” She shrugged.
A flicker of emotion crossed his face so quickly that she couldn’t identify it.
“Then I wouldn’t go too far if I were you,” he said evenly, stepping past her.
“Kai, wait—” She bit her lip, trying not to let hope churn too hard inside her.
He stopped, looking at her expectantly. “Yes?”
“Mr. Bennick wasn’t supposed to be my pair. Not originally.”
“I know. What’s your point?”
Everett’s face popped into her mind, and she clenched her fists, fighting back the impulse to attack Kai.
“You, uh… You work at the Cabinet. Is there some way for me to be… un-paired?”
“You’d have to ask Mr. Bennick.”
“But he won’t—”
“Then, there’s your answer.” Impatience leaked into his tone.
“Can’t you ask Mr. Gaztok? Or the Quorum?” It was pure desperation—she knew that—but she had to ask.
Kai scoffed. “Who do you think approved the pairing in the first place?”
She blinked back tears, inwardly berating herself for showing any weakness. “But I wasn’t supposed to be paired with a benefactor.”
“And yet you are.” Kai stared back at her coldly. “It’s not up to us to question Eprah or benefactors. Your position can’t be changed except at Mr. Bennick’s request. I suggest you get used to the idea of your new pairing because there’s no point in hoping for anything to change.”
“Is that what happened to you?” Sage looked at him with a growing sadness behind her eyes, understanding dawning on her at last. “Rosalind was paired with a benefactor, and you just gave up. That’s when you stopped fighting, isn’t it?”