by Dylan Steel
“No, sir. Sorry,” she said, her voice unsteady.
“Please pay more attention. I’m sure you’re aware our time is valuable.”
Mr. Gaztok lifted a skeptical eyebrow at the headmaster’s words but said nothing.
“Yes, sir.” Sage dug her nails into the armrests. Her head suddenly felt lighter and began spinning.
“Are you alright, Sage?” Captain Ludlo’s tone was laced with concern. His voice sounded like it was coming from farther away than the end of the room.
“Fine,” she said, much more quietly than she’d intended. Little flecks of blackness were beginning to darken the edges of her vision. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to clear it, but when she opened them again, she realized she was no longer looking at the headmaster.
She blinked in confusion. She was staring up at a dull white and gray grid. The ceiling.
“Miss Indarra?” Captain Ludlo’s voice was closer now. His face appeared in front of her suddenly. It was filled with worry. “Sage? Are you alright? Have you eaten anything today?” He squeezed her wrist and waved his hand in front of her face.
“Uh…” She licked her lips, watching the captain’s hand in confusion before looking back at him. “Uh-huh. I’m… ok.” She felt something heavy pressing down against her legs. “What—what happened?”
“You fainted,” Mr. Gaztok said curtly.
“Oh.” Her face flushed.
Captain Ludlo shot him an irritated look before offering her his hand to help her sit up. “Slowly, now.”
Sage realized the weight on her legs was the chair she’d been sitting in—it must have fallen on her when she passed out.
“Careful. Not too fast.” The captain slipped one arm around her waist to steady her and righted the chair with his other hand. “There’s no rush.”
“I’m not sure that’s exactly true,” Mr. Gaztok said pointedly. “As the headmaster pointed out, my time is valuable. This meeting should have ended half an hour ago. Had Ms. Indarra showed up earlier—”
“Sorry,” she slurred, “I came as soon as I was told.”
Mr. Gaztok stiffened at her interruption.
“It’s not important now.” The captain glared at Mr. Gaztok. “But now that you are here, we do have some things to discuss.”
She nodded slowly.
“As I implied, this should be a short meeting,” Mr. Gaztok said, returning Captain Ludlo’s disapproving look. “In fact, there’s little reason for me to be here at all. But as you and I made a deal upon your return, the captain thought it was appropriate that I be here to deliver the news.”
“The news?” Sage asked. Her stomach twisted. Ms. Verdan must have told him. He was angry that she’d said she didn’t believe everything he said. It was finally happening. She was going to be shunned, and she didn’t have any leverage left to stop it. Nothing that mattered to a man like Mr. Gaztok, at least.
“Is she alright?” Ms. Firth burst through the door with a cup and a plate of sweet breads. Sage didn’t remember hearing them call for refreshments—she must have been out longer than she’d thought. “Here you go.”
“She’s fine. Thank you, Ms. Firth, that’s all for now.” The headmaster motioned toward the door.
Water sloshed onto Sage’s lap as the assistant hurriedly set the glass and plate down on the table and gave a slight curtsy, retreating from the room as quickly as she’d entered. Sage gritted her teeth against the shock of the cold water, brushing the excess off her thighs.
“Those are for you.” The captain pointed at the plate before taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. “Eat,” he said sternly. “It’ll help.”
Still shaky, Sage forced herself to fight back her queasiness and take a small bite, swallowing with difficulty under his watchful eye.
“Despite… this,” Mr. Gaztok continued, motioning from Sage to the refreshments, “I see no reason to draw this meeting out longer than necessary. The case has been closed, Ms. Indarra. The investigation into your kidnapping is over.”
She sat in stunned silence. That wasn’t at all what she’d expected him to say. A sudden rush of emotions overwhelmed her, threatening to bring back the bit of bread she’d just finished.
“As it stands, we have a resolution and see no reason to continue monitoring you so closely while at the Institution. The threat to you and the other students has been removed, and we’ve taken proactive steps to ensure this type of thing won’t happen again. I’m sure your fellow students will appreciate our efforts as well as things start returning to normal around here—with a few minor changes of course.”
This type of thing. It made her kidnapping sound like a mere inconvenience. And to him, that’s probably all it was. Anger bubbled up inside her, but she choked it back down. An outburst now wouldn’t help anything.
“You will have a few more meetings with Ms. Verdan, but they won’t be as often. We’re hoping to wrap those up by the end of the year, but of course, we’ll continue to follow her recommendations on that,” Mr. Gaztok said. “You’ll just have to continue checking your schedule for those meetings.”
The headmaster chimed in. “And obviously, your trauma counseling will continue through the remainder of this year as that has taken the place of your Interest Society. But barring Ms. Sterling’s alternate recommendations, we fully intend to have you placed in the Interest Society of your choice next year—given, naturally, that the selection process remains equitable. But as a Level Fourteen, you’ll have your first pick of most anything anyway. Within reason.”
“So… I’m not being shunned?” Sage snapped her mouth closed, tightening her grip on the chair. The question had slipped out before she’d thought it through. The last thing she wanted to do was give them any ideas.
“No, Ms. Indarra,” Mr. Gaztok said impassively. “We had a deal. You provided us with truthful information, and your level placement is completely appropriate. There’s no reason to shun you.”
The headmaster fidgeted silently, his mouth forming a tight line as he flinched at Mr. Gaztok’s words.
“Our main concern initially was that your loyalty as a subject of Eprah might have been compromised, but given the evidence before us, that seems like an almost absurd conclusion at this point.” Mr. Gaztok’s eyes were locked on Sage’s as he spoke.
“But of course, you are still subject to the rules of this Institution,” Headmaster Alexander added quickly. “Any deviation from those rules or future disloyalty is still grounds for disciplinary action, Miss Indarra. You’ll do well to remember that.”
She barely heard what the headmaster said. A wave of nausea washed over her. What if she’d been wrong this whole time? What if Mr. Gaztok had been telling the truth about the Lawless? She swallowed back the lump in her throat. It wasn’t possible. She knew better than to trust him.
Sage looked back and forth between Mr. Gaztok and Captain Ludlo, ignoring the headmaster. “You said the investigation is over, that I’m safe… But what about Sophia Bennick? Aren’t you worried she’ll—”
“The matter’s been taken care of,” Headmaster Alexander said sharply, clearly annoyed that she’d overlooked him.
She furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”
“Just what I said. You don’t need to worry about the benefactor anymore. She can’t hurt you.” The headmaster puffed out his chest, adding “You’re completely protected here.”
“But how do you know?” An uneasy feeling settled over her as she studied the expressions of the three men across from her.
“What the headmaster is trying to say, Ms. Indarra, is that Sophia Bennick has been arrested and found guilty of the crimes of kidnapping and endangering a child of Eprah, among other things. She’s not your problem anymore.” Mr. Gaztok’s tone remained even, detached.
“But was she…” Sage hesitated. Lawless? She wanted to ask, but doing so would let Mr. Gaztok know that she hadn’t believed him in the first place. That didn’t seem like a good idea—tho
ugh it was quite possible Ms. Verdan had already told him. And anyway, asking him wouldn’t do any good—he would say yes either way, even if the benefactor wasn’t Lawless.
Her head began throbbing. This was the same uncertainty that she’d been dealing with all year, and she was no closer to a real answer.
“Sage,” Captain Ludlo said gently, “we cannot allow the Lawless to go unpunished in Eprah, no matter who they are. The Bennick family has always been influential and valuable, but they do not have impunity to do whatever they wish, especially not at the expense of—” He stopped and shook his head. “Sophia crossed a line.”
She felt the blood drain from her face. As much as she hated what the benefactor had put her through, she’d once thought Mrs. Bennick was kind. “Punished?” she whispered. “How?”
“Getting into those details hardly seems necessary,” the captain said, shooting a look of warning at the headmaster, who closed his mouth reluctantly. “The point is, you’re completely safe. And the other students as well. There’s no further cause for alarm.”
Sage didn’t say anything. She was too consumed by warring ideas to form a coherent sentence.
Mr. Gaztok stood. “If you don’t have any other questions, I think we’re done here.”
“You’re dismissed, Miss Indarra. You may go back to your level now.” The headmaster’s words were laced with bitterness.
“Take one of those with you.” Captain Ludlo nodded toward the plate. “You still look a little pale.”
She picked up a piece of bread, pushing her chair back from the table. “Thank you,” she said numbly, then turned and walked out of the room.
17. BEDTIME BETS
Sage arrived back at the Common Lounge just in time to leave again, this time for bed. She followed the line of Level Thirteen girls into the dorm mechanically and began getting ready for bed, Mr. Gaztok’s words still ringing in her ears. Sophia Bennick had been arrested. She didn’t need to worry about her safety anymore—there was no one left to orchestrate a kidnapping.
Penelope snapped her fingers in her face. “Hello? Anyone home?”
“Huh?” Sage blinked.
“I was talking to you.”
Sage shrugged apologetically.
“Wow.” Penelope’s brow wrinkled. “What happened with the headmaster?”
Sage’s stomach threatened to empty its contents again. “Nothing,” she said.
Penelope frowned at her.
“Later,” Sage said, taking a quick step backward.
“Ow!”
“Uugghh,” Sage grunted, turning around to see whose foot she stomped on. “Sorr—”
“—Watch where you’re—”
Her heart sank. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with.
Carnabel’s glare cut deep as she forced her way in front of Sage, deliberately flicking her hair in her face as she cut in front of her, claiming the last available sink.
“Can’t wait ‘til graduation,” she said loudly, speaking to another girl. She splashed water on her face as she shot Sage a look of warning out of the corner of her eye. “I’ll bet I get tons of Chances.”
Sage snorted. “Sounds like you need ‘em.” She cringed inwardly. What was wrong with her? The words had tumbled out without a thought.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Carnabel stiffened, narrowing her eyes in disdain.
Sage shrugged, feigning disinterest. She couldn’t back down now. “Just that you’ll need a bunch after making so many bad bets this year.”
“Those bets I lost are your fault,” Carnabel growled.
“Oh, please. Don’t be such a baby.” Sage rolled her eyes.
Carnabel took a step closer. “Wanna say that again?” The two girls on either side of her sneered.
“Having hearing problems now too?” Sage crossed her arms over her chest, standing her ground. “No one made you make those stupid bets. It’s your own fault.”
“Sage…” Penelope whispered. A crowd was starting to form around the girls.
A sly grin slid over Carnabel’s face. “Maybe it’s time for another bet,” she said loudly, not breaking eye contact with Sage. “Me against Indarra. Any takers? I’m betting on myself winning.”
“Three to one odds,” the girl beside Carnabel shouted to the rest of the circle.
Sage’s eyebrows shot up. She laughed. “Wow,” she said. She leaned closer to Carnabel. “You really have no idea what I did to survive last year, do you?”
Doubt flickered across Carnabel’s face for an instant. She quickly steeled herself again. “Doesn’t matter. I have an extra year of training on you.”
“Ms. Bax doesn’t seem to think that matters much.” Sage had to hope her bravado would dissuade Carnabel from fighting at all. It was her only real advantage—she’d been watching her all year, and they were still pretty equally matched—either one of them could get in a lucky shot.
Carnabel’s lips curled over her teeth sadistically. “Ms. Bax isn’t here, is she.”
The girls around them were chattering, placing bets. One of Carnabel’s friends had pulled out her databook and begun recording everyone’s wagers.
“On Carn? Five Chances? Got it. Two weeks’ history assignments? Uh-huh. A month of—no, you’re too old, you have to bet Chances if you want in on this…”
Sage felt her stomach tumble instinctively. Carnabel wasn’t going to let this go, but it wouldn’t matter to the others even if she did. Bets had already been placed, and people were expecting wins. They were going to have to fight.
She clenched her jaw, flexing her fingers at her sides. Carnabel wanted to fight? Fine. She was past the point of caring about Carnabel or these stupid bets.
A sudden hush fell over the crowd as the dorm room door flung open. Level Fourteens began pouring into the room under Madame Humphrey’s watch. The guardian was standing just outside the door.
As suddenly as the betting had begun, it was over. The girls began dispersing casually as everyone understood that the fight had been called off.
“This isn’t over, Indarra,” Carnabel muttered under her breath, glaring at Sage before drifting backward and disappearing with the others.
Sage stayed rooted in place as Level Fourteens began weaving their way around her to get to the bathroom.
Penelope tugged her shirt. “C’mon. We should go before she changes her mind.”
She allowed herself to be dragged toward the bunks. Penelope nudged her toward her bed and sat down across from her, a worried expression on her face.
“What were you thinking?”
Sage stared at her blankly. “What do you mean?”
“Why would you get into it with Carnabel? You know how she is…” Penelope paused and looked at her thoughtfully. “What happened earlier? What’d the headmaster say?”
“I really don’t wanna talk about it, Pen.”
Penelope frowned. “Well, you’re here, so you obviously weren’t shunned.”
“I said I didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Ok, ok, fine.” Penelope pressed her lips together tightly and held her hands up in surrender, but the concern didn’t leave her face.
Sage ignored her and leaned back, flopping onto her pillow. She chewed the inside of her lip, already forgetting the near-fight with Carnabel as she replayed her conversation with the three men.
Her stomach turned, queasiness returning with a realization. Carnabel wasn’t the only one who’d been betting all year. But Sage had been gambling with Sophia’s life, not her own.
She shoved her doubts aside. Sophia wasn’t Lawless. Someone would’ve told her. Mr. Gaztok was the only one who’d ever lied, and she knew it. For all she knew, Eprah had orchestrated her kidnapping so that they could garner more support to hunt the Lawless. Or maybe it was another group altogether, and Eprah had just assumed it was the Lawless.
Not that it mattered. They’d kidnapped her, and now they were being brought to justice. It was the right thing.
/> The uncertainty was making her numb.
Sage sat bolt upright, blinking back hot tears. “I’ve gotta get out of here.”
“Wha—?” Penelope shot her a look of confusion. “Here? Now?”
She nodded.
“Um… ok…” Penelope sat back up. “Where? The roof?”
Sage shrugged noncommittally. “Doesn’t matter,” she mumbled.
“It’s not exactly the best time, you know…” Penelope glanced over at the dormitory door. The Level Fourteen girls had finished piling into the room, and Madame Humphrey was already on her way to collect the next group.
“I don’t care, Pen.”
“Ok…” Penelope asked, uncharacteristically hesitant. “Want me to come?” She reached for her jacket slowly. Normally, she would have jumped at the chance to bend the rules, but leaving the dorm after lights out—that was a massive violation. Even an ambassador would have trouble explaining that behavior.
Sage shook her head. “No, it’s ok. I haven’t really been alone since I got back anyways.”
“Right. Ok.” Penelope drummed her fingers on the mattress, lost in thought. “I guess… uh… how are you going to get back in here?” She frowned. “The door locks after the Sixteens get here. You don’t have much time.”
“Yeah. I know.” Sage lifted her shoulders in indifference. “I don’t think I can get back in. Not ‘til tomorrow morning, at least.”
“Oh.” Penelope’s brow furrowed. She opened her mouth to say something, then saw the resoluteness on Sage’s face and stopped herself. “Ok. I… I’ll try to cover for you.” She paused, narrowing her eyes seriously as she lowered her voice. “But I’m not sure how much good it’ll do. This is the type of thing that they usually catch.”
“Not surprised.” It didn’t even matter. She couldn’t stand being trapped any longer. She needed to clear her head, and that wasn’t going to happen if she was packed in a room with thousands of other girls.
“Need help?”
Sage let out a sigh of relief. “Maybe. Just getting out. And back in.”
Penelope crossed her arms and leaned against the bed. “No. Not back in. It’d be better if you just met everyone at breakfast.” She stared off into the distance thoughtfully. “Yeah, no one would notice you were gone until at least breakfast,” she said, almost to herself. Her eyes snapped back to Sage. “We have to hurry.”
