“Of course. After school only,” Sage agreed, quickly finding her seat next to Camila.
Her best friend leaned over, lifting her hand to block those in front from reading her lips. “What is wrong with you?”
Sage could feel Nadya’s eyes bore into her, she slumped into her seat until she couldn’t see her anymore. “I guess you could say I’ve had an interesting day.”
“Some success though?” Camila asked, hopefully.
“I think so.” Sage tried to smile, but it was hard when she wasn’t quite sure what success was supposed to look like. “Does this mean I have to take up boxing?”
Camila dropped her hand and chuckled. “Looks like it.”
“Dammit.”
After the bell rang, they recited the rules. Sage may have whispered the “I won’t turn anyone until I graduate” one.
As they stood, Camila hooked her arm through Sage’s. “Tell me everything.”
Sage glanced at Makoto, gathering things from his desk and piling them into his drawer. She turned to Camila. “I will. Just give me a minute. I’ll meet you in the dorms.”
Camila released Sage. “Oka—”
“Cami!” Arielle called, waiting near the door. She smiled brightly, eyes shining with hope and eagerness. “I’ve got a present for you.”
“Ugh, she thinks we’re besties all of a sudden. Swapping jewelry or something weird,” Camila moaned. Then, she waved her hand at Arielle, and said sweetly, “I’m coming.”
“Be nice.” Sage swept her arm through Camila’s. She whispered, “She means well.”
As they started walking down the aisle, Camila curled her full lips. “That’s the worst part. I’m afraid I’m going to spoil her sweetness with my sour.”
Sage squeezed Camila’s arm. “You’re more sweet than you realize.”
They parted near the door, Camila with a smile firmly planted on her face. She looked over her shoulder, and crowed, “Don’t forget our catch up.”
When the rest of the recruits had left the room, Sage took a moment to breathe. She turned to face Makoto. He was absent-mindedly swiping through his phone. There was so much she wanted to ask him but how to do it without looking guilty?
As though sensing her staring at him, Makoto glanced up. He placed his phone on the desk and took a step toward her. “Is everything okay?”
Sage smiled and took another breath. Fingers kneading into the hem of her blazer, she stepped closer. “Yeah. I’m just wondering… Are you sure it’s a good idea for me to do boxing? I mean, if we are going to do martial arts I may as well…”
“No, it’s fine.” Makoto leaned on his desk and crossed his ankles. “I’ve always thought I should extend the time of those lessons anyway. And as I said, it shows great initiative. Go for it.”
“Great.” Sage feigned excitement.
Makoto waited. Sage felt his eyes stare through her soul. As if he could almost see what she was hiding. Was she really that transparent?
“Is there anything else?” Makoto asked.
Sage hesitated. She couldn’t exactly tell him the truth, not without knowing how he’d react. “Well, I was wondering. What would happen, hypothetically, if a rule was broken?”
Makoto’s left eye twitched. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward to be level with her eyes. His voice was raspy as he said, “Death.”
Sage felt her heart lurch to her throat and back.
After seeing her shocked expression, he let out a bellowing laugh. “Sage, I’m kidding. It really depends on the circumstances. Whether it was malicious, like one of my students being a Fallen, or if it was a mistake.”
His answer didn’t reassure her. So, she asked, “What makes someone a Fallen?”
“Again, that depends.” Makoto explained, “Theoretically, most people who are turned by Trues are Trues and Fallens will create Fallens. But I’ve seen a Fallen come from a True.”
“I thought that whoever turned them makes them what they are.”
“Not technically.” Makoto rested his hands behind him on the desk and settled in. “Sometimes it’s simply in their personality. It’s why I’m choosy with who I turn and why I have a lengthy program here. I’d never choose someone with a mean spirit to become a Guardian, whether they’ll be turned by a True or not.”
Sage had always thought she was True because Makoto had turned her. She didn’t feel Fallen, but how could she be sure Mason wouldn’t be? He was a bully, loved fighting, and albeit charming, he seemed reckless. “And what if you make a wrong choice?”
“That’s easy.” Makoto stood, face falling. “I’d have to kill them.”
“Ha!” Sage burst, laughing. “Good one.”
Makoto’s expression didn’t waver. “Oh, that one wasn’t a joke.”
Sage’s laugh petered out. The look on his face sent shivers down her spine. She took a step back toward the door, as though distance would stop him from seeing right through her.
“Are you okay?” Makoto asked, following her. “Is there a reason you’re asking?”
“Huh?” Sage checked over her shoulder.
Five steps to the door.
“No.”
Four steps. Three steps.
“I was just wondering.”
Two steps.
One step.
“See you tomorrow.”
Chapter Eleven
The moment Sage slammed the door behind her, two bodies crowded in close. Caspar and Nadya loomed over her with judging eyes. Nadya with an arrogant smile.
“What’s up?” Caspar asked.
Behind the door, Sage could hear Makoto’s footsteps approach. Quickly slipping away from them, she said, “Nothing.”
They followed her down the corridor, one on either side of her. Nadya’s eyes turned to slits. “I can sense a change in you. I can’t decide whether it’s for the better, but there’s a definite change regardless.”
Sage didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of being right. She shrugged. “I’ve got a lot on my plate, with the assignment and all.”
They glanced at each other. Caspar crowed, “Yeah, a pee-wee nerd and a bully. Such a hard mission.”
If only they knew the half of it, Sage thought.
“Nah, it’s more than that,” Nadya said. “You’ve done something.”
Sage’s fears had come to life. She gave herself away without even trying. Dropping into her best poker face—which consisted of a twitching cheek—Sage said, “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
As she sped ahead to her locker, Sage heard Nadya scoff, “Come on, Caspar. She doesn’t trust us.”
Caspar didn’t seem to accept that. He rushed past Sage and held his hand against her locker, stopping her from opening it. He urged, “You can trust us, you know that? We’re a team. We’re supposed to be like a family.”
Makoto had spoken about that before, countless times. He said most graduates end up forming a clan with one as the Alpha. They moved on from Graystone Academy and spent their lives doing assignments together, always looking out for one another.
The whole concept felt foreign to Sage. But something she so desperately craved. She gazed into Caspar’s deep brown eyes, wondering if she should tell him the truth.
As if reading her thoughts, Caspar said, “If it’s something you can’t tell Makoto, maybe you could tell us?”
Nadya moved in close behind him, her hands cupping his shoulders. She nodded at Sage, the tiniest of smiles on her stone-cold face. For the first time, Sage felt like they truly cared about her.
Camila knew her secret, but maybe… maybe if the others did too, they could all help her. They could deal with it together. The burden a little lighter, Sage smiled with relief.
With a shaking voice, she said, “This is it for me, you know my story. My parents are dead. My aunty is god knows where. I’m meant to be a Guardian. If I don’t have this, I have…” She stopped, spotting Mason at the end of the hall. His eyes hooded as he noticed her
. Averting his gaze, he walked on. Sage returned her attention to Caspar and Nadya. “I have nothing.”
Nadya groaned, eyes rolling up. “So dramatic. Just tell us what’s wrong already.”
Frowning, Caspar squeezed Sages shoulder. “I can understand that. Listen, I know you were lost before all of this. I know how that’s hurt you. My brother and I went through the system until we got scholarships here. I get it. But being a Guardian isn’t all you have. Why do you think Makoto picked us? Because he saw something special in us. You’re going to graduate.”
No she wouldn’t, not if the truth came out. Sage gave a quick smile, reversing her decision to tell them anything at all. She opened her locker and pulled out her overdue English essay. She didn’t want to talk about her past and she didn’t want to talk about the possibility of not graduating. Whether they were trustworthy or not, the conversation was over.
“I’m bored,” Nadya huffed. “She’s not talking. Are you coming, Cas?”
“Yeah,” Caspar sighed, his sympathetic eyes boring into Sage. “Listen, I know we all have our differences but we’re family. Whatever it is you’ve done or think you’ve done that is so wrong, we’ve got your back. I hope you know that.”
As he ran to catch up to Nadya, Sage closed her locker. She watched the two of them, the perfect recruits, flounce towards the entrance. There was no way they’d accept her, not if they knew what she’d done.
Sage stood in front of her open closet, scanning her clothes. What did one wear to boxing lessons? She opted for some black stretch leggings and a dark blue tee-shirt with a cat floating in the milky way. She tied the bottom of the shirt into a knot on the side, turning it into a midriff. When Makoto turned her, toned abs appeared overnight. She felt proud and unworthy of them at the same time.
Facing her mirror, she pulled half her purple locks into a high messy bun. The only footwear she owned were her combat boots. Shrugging, Sage pulled them on. She stood back and looked over her outfit. It was absolutely not what one should wear to boxing lessons, but it was her, so Mason would have to deal with it.
She ran her hands down her thighs. Right, first boxing lesson, here I come. A gentle knock on her door interrupted her pep-talk. Sage opened the door to a wide-eyed Arielle.
“Oh thank the heavens, you’re here.” Arielle pushed the door and let herself in.
“Is everything okay?”
Arielle wandered to Sage’s vanity dresser and picked up a blue and white striped scrunchie hair tie. “Mmm? Oh yeah. Just wanted to ask you how you went yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” Sage asked, watching in horror as Arielle pulled her hair through the tie at the nape of her neck.
She turned sideways to look over her reflection, then ripped the scrunchie out and dropped it back onto the dresser. “With the bully. What was his name?”
Sage balked. It took her a beat to realize that Arielle knew she followed him the night before, not that she knew her secret. She cleared her throat and said, “Mason… I think.”
“That’s it. Mason. Did you witness anymore bullying?” Arielle plonked herself onto Sage’s bed, tucking her hands under her thighs and looking at Sage with an innocent smile.
Playing it cool, Sage pulled her vanity chair out and swung it around. She sat down opposite Arielle. “Nah, I think you and Camila scarred him for life.”
The freckles on Arielle’s nose danced as she scrunched it in delight. She kicked her feet out. “I knew it! We were on point yesterday.”
“Sure were.” Sage appeased. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?”
Arielle dropped her feet to the floor with a thud. Her bottom lip rolled out. “About Cami.”
“What about Camila?” Sage asked.
A strange squeak vibrated in the back of Arielle’s throat as though she was trying to find the right words. “I’m worried about her.”
Sage leapt from her chair. “Where is she? Is she all right?”
“Oh, yes. She’s fine,” Arielle urged, standing up. “She’s in the rumpus watching some odd game show.”
“Takeshi’s Castle?” Sage asked.
“Huh?”
“They have these weird games for contestants. They run across gauntlets with things being thrown… you know what? Never mind. Why are you worried?”
“Well...” Arielle dragged the word out, almost as if it were for dramatic effect. She looked at Sage with uneven brows, pensive sadness filling her eyes. “She’s been saying some scary stuff. That she’s bored with class. That she wishes we could tackle a real problem, like a…” Arielle lowered her voice, “Fallen.”
“Oh that.” Sage gave an internal sigh of relief. “She’s always saying crazy stuff like that. It’s just who she is. But she’d never actually break a rule.”
Arielle grinned. “Yeah, of course. I didn’t actually think she’d do something about it. Because that would be horrible.”
“Yeah.” Sage forced a smile. “It would be a disaster.”
“Okay!” Arielle beamed. She bounced on her heels. “Did you wanna do something? Go watch this Kapecki’s Castle?”
“Takeshi,” Sage corrected, glancing at her phone. Mason had told her Tuesdays at four. She had ten minutes to get there.
Sage gently guided Arielle to the door and pushed her out into the corridor. “Actually,” she said, closing the door behind her. “I’ve got plans.”
Chapter Twelve
Underneath the broken neon sign, Sage took three quick breaths. She stepped into the studio, ready for her lesson. It was quiet inside, apart from the constant beat of fist against boxing bag.
In the corner, behind the ring, Mason was working up a sweat. He was shirtless and his hair was frayed and wet, sticking to his forehead. She really didn’t want to spend more time with him than needed. But she had to show Makoto she’d learned something or he’d start to get suspicious. At least off campus no one at school could see her with him and attach her to his Guardian status.
She waltzed with confidence toward him. The moment he noticed her approaching, he grabbed the bag to stop it from swinging. “What are you doing?” he whispered, glancing across the room. “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me?”
Sage followed his eye-line and found Ben on the other side of the room stacking up weights. His face had three deep, red scratches curving around one side. She’d really gotten him good. Turning back, she said, “Firstly, I didn’t say that exactly. And secondly…” She lowered her voice. “Why haven’t you sent your brother to jail yet?”
It was a genuine question. Ben had tried to kill him. If she hadn’t been there and turned him, Mason would be dead. She didn’t understand how he could even stand the sight of him.
Mason began unwrapping the bandage from his hands. “Okay, well. A, yes you did say that, and Z, my brother is none of your business. Why are you here?”
“You said it yourself. I’m a sad little owl.”
Mason smirked. “Don’t put words in my mouth. I never said you were sad. Anyway, what’s that got to do with anything?”
Sage crossed her arms. This boy infuriated her. He knew very well what she was there for. “I thought we could do each other favors. You teach me how to fight and I teach you how to shift.”
“Oh, what a brilliant idea.” Still holding his bandage, Mason threw his hands in the air. “How ever did you think of it?”
She clenched her fist and threw it at the boxing bag. “Deal or not?”
Mason raised his eyebrows. “I got you, Flossy.” He took her hand and peeled her fingers open. Then, he carefully placed them into a fist again, but this time he made sure to tuck her thumb against her palm. “Try that again.”
Sage noticed Mason liked to give her nicknames. Grandma, Rookie, Bright Eyes—which was way too close to home—and now this odd one. Exasperated, she asked, “Why Flossy?”
Mason took a strand of her loose hair between his fingers and let it fall around her bun. “Because your hair is purple
like cotton candy, or fairy floss. You don’t like it?”
“Let’s just keep it professional.” She didn’t like him getting familiar enough to dish out nicknames.
Sage licked her lips and thrust her arm forward, letting her knuckles hit the red vinyl. The bag moved toward Mason from the force. When she was done, she let her hand drop to her side.
“Not bad.” Mason seemed impressed at her strength. He moved around behind her. She felt the warmth of his chest near her back, close but not touching. He lifted her hands up and placed them in front of her face. His breath brushed across her cheek as he said, “Start from this position. Always protect yourself. When you hit, return your hand to this spot. Go again.”
With Mason still behind her, she threw another punch, quickly whipping her hand to the bag and back. She looked over her shoulder, smiling. But Mason didn’t see what she’d done, his eyes firmly on her face.
“Good.” Mason’s voice was low. He blinked and averted his gaze, a shy smile growing.
“What’s this?” Ben said behind them.
Sage spun around. He seemed bigger during the day than the night before in the alley. He crossed his arms, causing his muscles to protrude in an unnatural way. Looking down his nose, he said, “You gonna introduce me to your girlfriend?”
Visions of the night before flooded her mind. His wild eyes and unmerciful blows against his own brother. The only thing that stopped her from launching at him was Mason tensing beside her.
“Ugh,” he groaned. “Sage, this is my brother Ben. Ben, this is my friend Sage.”
Ben released his arms and gave a slight nod. “Sage.” He threw a thumb over his shoulder. “Mase, can I chat with you for a moment?”
As Ben walked through a door labeled “office” Sage tugged on Mason’s elbow. “Are you sure?”
Mason gave a reassuring smile. “It’s fine. He’ll be cool. He always is after…” For the first time since she’d walked in, Mason’s face dropped. He shook his head. “Don’t worry.”
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