by Dylan Steel
“Better than… Eprah…” she choked out.
His jaw clenched as he tightened his grip on her arm. “You know there are cameras in this cell. For your sake, I hope no one else heard you say that.”
“I did.”
Boulder spun around at the sound of Weston’s voice, letting go of Sage abruptly. Stumbling forward, she turned just in time to see Weston lunge forward with the electrified baton, jamming it deep into Boulder’s midsection.
“Ooo—”
Boulder’s body jerked wildly before falling to the ground. Weston held the stick against his torso for a few moments longer, allowing the spasms to continue, ensuring he wouldn’t get back up.
“Unfortunately for you, I agree with her,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Wes—” Sage’s eyes widened as he dropped the baton, staggering backward. She sprang forward but couldn’t catch him before he collapsed on the ground.
Rushing to his side, she dropped to her knees to make sure he was ok. This time, though, she grabbed the stick and kept it pointed at Boulder, refusing to take her eyes off him despite the fact that he hadn’t moved.
“I’m fine.” Weston grimaced, pushing himself up onto his elbows with obvious difficulty.
“You’re not.” She flexed her jaw as she glared at her old friend lying in a heap in front of her. He’d fully intended to turn them both in—and he certainly hadn’t bothered being gentle.
“He’s not going anywhere,” he said, ignoring her concern as he nodded at Boulder. “At least not for a while.”
She tore her gaze away reluctantly, quickly assessing Weston’s condition before returning her attention to Boulder’s listless form, still keeping the baton in the air between them.
“You can’t be sure of that. We need to get out of here. Do you think you can walk?”
“I can.” He pulled himself to his feet with a bit of her help, muffling a groan. “But you should leave without me. I’ll only slow you down.”
“We’ve been over this already,” she said testily. “It’s not happening. And I seriously can’t find my way out of here without you.”
His brow furrowed. “Then how’d you—”
“We’ll have plenty of time to talk later,” she said, her attention still fixed on Boulder. “After we get you out of here. C’mon.”
Slipping her arm around Weston’s waist, she helped him make it out the door, then stopped to help him lean against the wall.
“I just need a second,” she said, darting back into the cell without any further explanation.
Keeping the baton ready at her side, Sage cuffed an unconscious Boulder again, securing him to the metal cot. This time, she made sure to strip all the additional gear he was wearing on his belt. She wasn’t taking any chances. If he managed to recover, he’d have to get out of the cuffs and the cell before coming after them. If nothing else, this would slow him down.
She pulled the door closed behind her as she hurried out of the room. Whatever Clarette’s tech had done to get her inside the room, she hoped the door’s mechanism wasn’t completely fried—that the cell would still be secured behind them.
“I’m not sure if it’s really locked,” she said as she turned to Weston and wrapped her arm around his waist again, “but that should hold him once he wakes—”
Weston pulled her closer, his lips brushing against hers, interrupting her without apology. She melted against him, heat rising up in her cheeks as he deepened the kiss.
“I’m glad you didn’t listen,” he murmured, resting his forehead against hers.
“Me too.”
She blinked, clearing the fog that had begun to settle in her brain. As the urgency of their situation came crashing back, she stiffened against him, pulling away. “As much as I missed that, we have to go. They know about the entrance I came through—it was guarded. Please tell me you know some other back way out of here.”
The corner of his mouth rose in a half-smile. “Of course.”
12. BLOCKED
“I had no idea there were even lower levels.” Sage squinted, trying to make out the ground in front of them through the shadows.
“Neither does Mr. Gaztok.”
Weston flinched again. It was subtle, but Sage noticed him doing it each time he put weight on his right leg. She tightened her hold around his side.
“Wish I’d thought to bring some sort of light,” she mumbled as they neared a single, flickering bulb. The next closest one was easily a hundred yards away, just enough to let them know they were still going the right way.
“We siphon just enough power that they haven’t noticed it missing from the grid—” he shot an apologetic glance at her as he explained, “—but I admit it can make it difficult to navigate down here.”
Her grip on him slipped as she stumbled over a loose rock. They both pitched forward, barely catching themselves before colliding face-first with the ground.
Straightening, she let out a puff of air. “That’s an understatement.”
He cleared his throat. “We should be far enough from the Dungeon by now. It’ll go faster if we head up.”
“Is it safe?”
“Safer than breaking our legs, I’d bet,” he teased, managing a grin.
Sage bit the inside of her lip, avoiding the instinct to stare at Weston’s ribs. Based on his gait, she was pretty sure at least one of them had been broken during his interrogation, but he kept insisting he was fine. And it was hard to argue with a doctor. Especially a stubborn one.
“Come on.” He picked up his pace slightly. “There’s an opening not far up ahead. It’ll be good to put some more distance between us and the Peace.”
She didn’t say anything right away. As much as she would like to move faster and get Weston to safety, she wasn’t sure how he was going to manage to hoist himself up through the ceiling with a broken rib. She was in good shape, but she wasn’t strong enough to lift him on her own. And even if they did manage to get through to the next level, she wasn’t sure Weston would be able to move any faster with his injuries.
“Here it is.” Weston’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She stopped beside him.
They still stood a good distance from the next light, but they were close enough to see the outline of the hatch above. A wave of relief swept over her as soon as she made out its outline. Unlike the ones in the upper levels that had to be disguised, this one had a small drop-down ladder they could climb.
Sage went first, poking her head through the floor of the next level and looking around carefully before motioning Weston up too. He was trying to hide how much pain he was in, but he was moving slow. Too slow.
She shifted her weight as he closed the hatch behind them. It was time to change her plans. She’d hoped Weston would be in better shape—well enough to help her confront Mr. Gaztok—but it was clear now that wasn’t going to happen. His presence there would be a liability.
“Which way?” she asked, slipping her arm around him again.
“Depends on what you’re planning.”
Her jaw tightened. “They were going to execute you this afternoon. I need to get you into hiding as soon as possible. Once they figure out you’re gone, your estate will be the first place they check. Unless you know a good place to lie low in the city, I’ll need to find Clarette.”
“I know how to get in touch with her.” He paused, his eyes narrowing. “But why am I getting the impression there’s something you’re not saying?”
She stared straight ahead. “I won’t be hiding with you.”
He stiffened, forcing them to stop. “What do you mean?”
“Weston, come on. We don’t have time to—”
“Sage.” The commanding tone in his voice forced her to lift her eyes to meet his. “What do you mean you won’t be hiding with me?”
“Getting you out wasn’t easy.” Her shoulders sagged. “I needed help, and that help came at a cost.”
“Then it’s a cost I’ll pay,” he sa
id firmly.
“You can’t. You can barely even walk right now.” She shook her head. “I’m the one who made the arrangements. I need to see it through. And besides, it’s too good an opportunity to pass up.”
He gripped her arm. “Sage—”
“You of all people know how long the Lawless have been waiting to make a move, and there may never be a better time.”
“If Eprah catches you, this was all for nothing.”
“If they catch you, they’ll kill you,” she snapped. “We don’t have time to argue right now. We have to get out of here before…” she trailed off, frowning. A series of red lights had just begun blinking on and off overhead. “That’s weird…”
“They’re on alert,” Weston said tightly, watching the lights.
An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. “Meaning?”
“Anyone unauthorized down here—anyone other than officers—will have their Chances stripped on sight. Even Beautification workers won’t be allowed to use the tunnels right now. And I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that they replaced my bracelet after I was arrested.” Weston picked up his pace beside her. “They can track me. They must know I’m not in my cell.”
“Or they’ve figured out what the Rogues are doing,” she muttered under her breath.
He shot a sideways glance at her without slowing down. “What are the Rogues doing?” he asked, caution in his voice.
“Distracting the officers—hopefully.”
The edges of his eyes crinkled with suspicion. “How exactly are they—”
The tunnel shook around them, cutting off his question. They staggered to the side, trying to regain their balance. Dust fell in Sage’s eyes as she braced herself against the wall with her free hand.
“What was that?” She coughed, blinking furiously. The ground was still shaking beneath their feet.
“I’d hate to think it was a distraction,” Weston said in a low voice, one filled with warning.
She gritted her teeth. There shouldn’t have been any explosions in this part of the city. They needed a clear exit, one that wouldn’t draw any officers’ attention—that had been part of their agreement.
“I don’t think that was the Rogues,” she said, hoping it was true. “Which means something else is going on, and we really need to get somewhere safe.”
Weston didn’t argue. Determination was etched across his face as he started forward again, relying on Sage’s support as little as possible. She quickly slipped her arm around his side again, helping them move faster than before.
Together, they turned the corner, only making it a few paces before stopping abruptly, gaping at what lay in front of them.
Plumes of dust curled in the air around them as Sage stared at the pile of rubble blocking the tunnel. A loose stone tumbled toward them, clattering against Weston’s foot.
“That’s not good.”
“No. It’s not.” Weston’s lips formed a thin line.
Her eyes flicked to his. “Please tell me you know another way out of here.”
“Unless it’s caved in now too.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Kai’s voice echoed behind them, sending a chill down Sage’s spine. She froze. “Mr. Bennick. Ms. Indarra. I’m afraid you won’t be leaving here quite the way you’d hoped.”
Turning slowly, Sage was greeted by Kai and at least a dozen officers. Her eyes darted around the tunnel, settling on the empty space behind the officers. A nondescript door stood just around the corner from where they’d turned. The officers must have come through there, cutting off their access to all the offshoot tunnels along the side wall.
Despite the obvious odds against them, she mentally calculated whether or not they had any chance of overpowering and outrunning them.
“I wouldn’t recommend it, Ms. Indarra.”
Sage’s attention snapped back to Kai. He tilted his head, almost looking amused as he seemed to read her mind. “In fact, I would highly encourage you to make this as easy on yourself as possible.”
Weston set a hand on her arm as she clenched her fists at her side. “Just let you kill us?”
“No one said anything about killing you,” Kai said in a bored tone. “But the Venerable Gaztok would like a word with you both.”
She lifted her chin. “And if we would prefer not to?”
Kai raised an eyebrow. “I certainly didn’t mean to imply that you had a choice. You’ll be coming with us one way or another.”
Sage started to take a step forward but stopped when she felt Weston’s grip tighten around her arm. She glanced back at him, disbelief in her eyes. Didn’t he realize they had to fight now? He was dead if they didn’t. They both were. “Wes—”
“Of course, we’d be happy to speak to Mr. Gaztok,” Weston said calmly, ignoring the panic scrawling across her face as he cut her off. “I imagine we have quite a few things to discuss.”
“Indeed.”
Kai motioned to the two nearest guards. They stepped forward, pulling cuffs from their belts.
“What are you doing?” Sage asked under her breath.
Weston shot her an apologetic look as the officers approached, nodding toward the bracelet on his wrist. “We don’t have a choice.”
She opened her mouth but was grabbed by an officer, cut off before she could say anything else. He spun her around roughly, slamming her against the tunnel’s side wall to slap cuffs on her. She clenched her jaw, fighting back tears as she saw the same thing happening to Weston beside her.
Her heart sank as reality set in. They’d been so close. So close to escaping. So close to destroying Gaztok’s claim on Eprah. But now—now, the Lawless were going to miss their chance, and both she and Weston were unlikely to see another sunset.
“So long as they cooperate, there’s no need to treat our guests poorly,” Kai said, watching with only the mildest degree of interest as one of the officers ripped the baton from Sage’s side. “The Venerable Gaztok would like for them to look presentable should they need to make a public appearance.”
Sage glared silently at Kai as the officer marched her past him. Weston was pulled along right behind her, and they were flanked at the front and back by more guards. Predictably, Kai followed at the rear, completely unperturbed by her scathing look.
A public appearance. She didn’t know if she was being marched to her death, but she did know one thing:
There was no way she was going to allow herself to be used as a tool for Eprah’s propaganda.
13. QUORUM OF ONE
Sage’s heart pounded in her ears as the officer shoved her through the door. She winced at the sound of Weston stumbling in behind her, no doubt suffering at the hands of a similarly brutish guard.
Mr. Gaztok stood alone at the edge of the room, staring out the window overlooking the city. He hadn’t so much as blinked at their entrance, nor had he bothered to look at them or even deigned to speak. No reaction at all. To him, they were completely insignificant.
Forcing herself to take in a slow breath, Sage looked around, assessing their circumstances once again. They were on the top level of the rebuilt Cabinet of the People, in the room that had originally been intended for the entire Quorum of Five’s use. Now, the once-clear glass walls had been turned opaque—a change more suited for its new role as a sole occupancy.
This hadn’t been exactly how she’d planned to do things, but it could still work. Maybe.
Her stomach turned as she glanced around the room, coming face to face with reality. There were only a few other doors in the room other than the one they’d just come through, and those doors probably led to smaller offices, not exits. Unless she wanted to seriously consider her odds of surviving a suicidal jump to the ground, she should probably stick with the assumption that there was only one way out of the room—and right now, that way out was most definitely blocked by officers.
If she’d entered this room on her terms, she’d be making a move to overthrow Eprah right now. But for that
to happen, she really needed to be alone with Mr. Gaztok, not cuffed and heavily guarded.
Her whole body went rigid as Kai’s hand pressed against her back, forcing her farther into the room, away from her chance of escape. She fought back a shiver of disgust as he left his hand in place, staying in contact.
“The prisoners, sir, as requested.”
“Thank you, Mr. Abeldra. Your men may wait outside.”
Kai hesitated. “Sir, I don’t recommend that—”
“They may wait outside,” Mr. Gaztok repeated firmly. “I appreciate your concern for my safety, but you will remain with me, and your men will be close enough should they be needed.”
Kai lowered his eyes in deference, then turned and nodded to the guards. They filed out of the room without argument, leaving the four of them alone.
“Ms. Indarra.” Mr. Gaztok turned around slowly, locking eyes with her. “You seem to have a knack for causing complications.”
She raised her chin and willed her voice to remain steady. “You give me too much credit.”
“Do I?” He raised an eyebrow curiously as he walked away from them and toward the far end of the room. “No,” he said slowly. “No, I don’t think so. And I very much doubt your benefactor would disagree with me either—especially since he was absolutely convinced you were dead.”
Her jaw clamped down tight as blood rushed to her ears. Was he planning to use her against Weston somehow? Would he twist her words—her life—as proof that Weston had lied to the Quorum and betrayed Eprah out of some sort of selfish motive? Was her continued existence now evidence of Weston’s supposed power grab?
That was one lie that wasn’t going to be told. She wouldn’t let him.
“Mmm, yes. You have caused quite a bit of trouble for a dead girl. A Lawless dead girl.”
She pressed her lips together firmly, not willing to give him any confirmation of his suspicions.
“But of course, that’s just one person’s opinion.” He paused, an eager glint in his eyes as he continued, “Unless it isn’t.”
