The Outcast (Sacrisvita Book 7)

by Dylan Steel

  “I dunno, Pen… But it has to be possible to—” She snapped her mouth shut as voices echoed up toward them from the faculty courtyard below.

  “We should probably get back to the Common Lounge before someone realizes we’re gone,” Penelope whispered.

  Sage sighed and nodded in agreement. “We should probably hurry.”

  20. LOYALTY

  Sage poked her head through the door. “You asked to see me?”

  “Come in, come in, Miss Indarra.” Ms. Verdan motioned toward the chair across from her. “Please, sit.”

  Sage took a seat as Ms. Verdan tapped her databook screen.

  “Looking forward to the graduation ceremony tomorrow?” Ms. Verdan asked, setting her tablet down.

  Sage looked at her in surprise. This session was starting as more of a conversation than an inquisition—not at all like any of her previous sessions.

  “Um… not really,” Sage said. “I don’t know a lot of graduates this year.”

  It wasn’t the answer Eprah would want, but she wasn’t about to be lulled into a false sense of comfort, thinking she could lie. Ms. Verdan’s databook was still perched loosely on the edge of the desk, well within view.

  “Too busy with makeup work from your time away?”

  She clenched her jaw. “Too busy staying on top of my classes, yeah. And other things.”

  “Such as?”

  “This,” Sage said pointedly. She was quickly tiring of Ms. Verdan’s version of pleasantries. “It definitely takes time away from my assignments.”

  “Which is why we’ve taken away the burden of an Interest Society from your schedule this year. It’s an advantage to your time. One less commitment,” she said almost cheerily.

  “I’d consider that a disadvantage,” Sage said evenly. “Less time to figure out where my talents could best be used in Eprah.”

  Ms. Verdan pursed her lips disapprovingly. “Well, Miss Indarra,” she said, picking up her databook, “this is very likely to be our last session. I wanted to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve had getting to know you.” She looked up, offering a quick, rehearsed smile.

  Sage stared back at her in disbelief. Normally, she would’ve tried harder to hide her emotions, but there wasn’t much point with Ms. Verdan. Not when her zeptobes would just betray her true feelings anyway.

  “Of course, we just have a few things to go over. Formalities at this point, really.” She pushed her glasses up her nose and tapped her screen. “Does that sound good to you?”

  “I guess.” Sage shrugged.

  “Obviously, you’ve been made aware of the outcome of your case…”

  Sage felt her stomach turn. She grimaced—Ms. Verdan could probably read her discomfort effortlessly.

  “Did you have any thoughts you wanted to share about it?” Ms. Verdan’s eyes were locked on the screen.

  “Not really.”

  “I see.” Ms. Verdan’s mouth thinned into a tight line. “Well, then. Did you find it a relief? Hearing that your captor was going to have to face justice?”

  “Uh…” Sage’s queasiness grew. Her eyes quickly scanned the room for the best place to relieve herself of her breakfast—just in case. “Yes and no.”

  “Please elaborate.” Ms. Verdan spoke clinically, detached as usual.

  “I’m—” she swallowed, “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about being kidnapped again. But I—”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m not sure I feel ok about what’s going to happen to her. Or what has…” she trailed off, realizing she didn’t know whether or not Sophia was still alive at all.

  Ms. Verdan nodded. “That’s perfectly normal. Most graduates feel similarly at first too, once they begin doing their part in maintaining order in Eprah—”

  Sage felt the blood drain from her face.

  “—but not to worry, they become accustomed to that aspect of their duty as citizens rather quickly. And this is a very similar situation. You’ll adapt quickly too, I’m sure.”

  She felt herself nodding robotically. Her head felt lighter than usual.

  “Are you alright?”

  Sage looked up and realized Ms. Verdan was glancing back and forth between the tablet and Sage, an unusual look of concern on her face.

  “Fine,” she croaked.

  “That glass is for you if you want it,” Ms. Verdan said, nodding toward a glass of water on the edge of the table.

  “Thanks,” Sage mumbled, grabbing it. She took small sips as Ms. Verdan kept talking.

  “Perhaps we’ll revisit more specifics of that later. I do have a few topics that Mr. Gaztok has requested I address.” She didn’t wait for Sage to respond before continuing. “Do you believe there are any Lawless at the Institution?”

  “Yes.” She answered without hesitation. She’d fully expected questions like this, and she already knew she couldn’t lie.

  Ms. Verdan’s eyebrow shot up, but her eyes remained focused on her screen. “What makes you so sure?”

  Sage shrugged as she swallowed a bit more water. “There has to be. There have been Lawless messages left here for years, ever since I got here, and maybe before. Even at this year’s tournament—even with extra security—someone left another message.” She tilted her head. “It’s not exactly a secret.”

  “So you don’t believe everyone in the Institution is loyal to Eprah.”

  “No.” It hadn’t really been a question, but she answered anyway.

  “I see.” Ms. Verdan’s eyes darted back and forth over the screen. “What about you, Sage? Where do your loyalties lie?”

  Sage nearly choked on the water. “W-what?” Her ears began ringing. This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t be hearing her right. This was the question she’d been dreading all year.

  “Are you loyal to Eprah?”

  Her heart began thumping faster. She could feel it beating hard against her chest, and she did everything she could to slow her breathing, but she felt herself beginning to shake.

  “I want to be the best I can be,” she began deliberately. “If I do that, I’ll obviously be the best citizen of Eprah I can be, help Eprah the most I can.”

  “Yes or no, Miss Indarra.”

  “I thought my answer was an obvious yes,” she said, mustering all the annoyance she could.

  “Well. Perhaps I should be a bit more specific.” Ms. Verdan’s mouth twitched. “Are you Lawless?” Her eyes flitted back and forth between Sage and her screen.

  Sage swallowed hard and didn’t answer right away. It was an impossible question—one that could trap her, one which she’d been debating for awhile herself.

  “Miss Indarra?” Ms. Verdan looked up, her eyes boring into Sage.

  She shifted her weight uncomfortably under her gaze.

  “Answer the question. Are you Lawless?”

  Sage let out a breath slowly as she realized how she had to answer the question.

  “No,” she said firmly. “I’m not.”

  Ms. Verdan’s eyes flicked back to her tablet. A small, satisfied smile settled over her lips. “Very good then.” She looked back at Sage. “Perhaps we should address some other minor concerns before we can officially end our time together. Have you…”

  Sage was only partially paying attention to the remainder of the interrogation. Her mind was reeling. She’d meant what she said—she wasn’t Lawless anymore. As much as she hated Eprah, she didn’t trust the Lawless, and she wasn’t willing to be a helpless pawn anymore.

  She refused to be a victim—of Eprah or the Lawless.

  But graduation was just a few years away, and now she had to use that short amount of time to figure out a way to survive—completely on her own.

  ***

  The story continues in The Trials: Sacrisvita Book VIII. (Keep reading for an excerpt...)

  Thank you so much for reading this book.

  If you liked this story, please share it with your friends and consider leaving a review. These are some o
f the best compliments an author can receive. And the best part is that it helps me write more books for you. Thanks!

  -Dylan

  P.S. Join my Insiders Club to be the first to know when the next book comes out. You’ll also get a FREE prequel scene that’s exclusively available to Insiders Club members - The Prodigy. It holds a shocking secret about one character’s past. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.

  Sign up for Dylan’s Insiders Club at: www.DylanSteel.com

  THE TRIALS: Sacrisvita Book VIII - Excerpt

  1. STARTING STRONG

  “Don’t roll your eyes,” Mr. Walsh scolded good-naturedly, gesturing with enthusiasm. “I can almost guarantee you’ve never had this much fun in a history class before.”

  Snickering filled the room as the students exchanged incredulous looks.

  Sage’s mouth puckered to the side, half in sympathy and half in resignation.

  “Ordinarily, trips to the Archives are reserved for the Historical Interest Society, but as you all are in Level Fourteen now, the administration feels you need the added exposure. Especially after the reduced excursions the last couple years.”

  Sage felt everyone’s eyes shoot in her direction. She slumped lower in her seat, ears burning.

  Mr. Walsh snapped his fingers. “Eyes up front. It’s no one’s fault.” He sighed and leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms as he continued. “If you haven’t already heard, this is the last year you’ll all have the same basic schedule, so you need to make the most of your time. Beginning next year, your coursework will become more and more unique to your interests and abilities, separating you from your classmates in anticipation of your most likely future duties.”

  Marnie’s hand shot up. She didn’t wait to be called on. “But Mr. Walsh, why do we have to go? It’s not like that many of us even want to be history teachers or work at the Archives or whatever. Isn’t it kind of a waste of time?”

  “Marnie,” Mr. Walsh began in a calm voice, “please don’t interrupt.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and continued. “As I said, the administration feels you need the added exposure. Your interactions with the relics at the Archives will help the administration and Quorum place you in the correct track next year, even—” Marnie opened her mouth to protest and then snapped it shut at the look he gave her, “—even if it only serves as nothing more than confirmation that you should not be placed on a historical track. I certainly don’t expect everyone to find it a perfect fit.”

  He walked around his desk. “And as you go through the remainder of your classes today, you’ll soon realize that these excursions are not isolated to history. This year is a final sort of getting-to-know-you for you and the administration. While your graduation assignments are certainly not set in stone yet, it is rare for most students to deviate from the paths that they are put on next year, so I would encourage you to make the most of your time this year. If there’s something you think you’d enjoy doing with your time after graduation, you should pursue the corresponding subjects zealously and give yourself every opportunity to—”

  A tone sounded across the room, interrupting his speech and sending the students into a flurry of activity as they grabbed their databooks and rushed toward the door. Whether Mr. Walsh wanted to admit it or not, class was over.

  Penelope turned around with a slight smirk. “You ready?” she whispered loudly.

  Sage grabbed her databook and nodded. “Yeah.”

  The two girls stood and crossed to the front of the room, trailing after the others.

  “Think about what I said,” Mr. Walsh called over the noise of the thundering herd already streaming into the hallway. “Your futures are being shaped much earlier than you realize.”

  Sage rushed through the door behind Penelope, shooting a sympathetic look over her shoulder at Mr. Walsh, who was still standing behind his desk, shaking his head ruefully as the last of the students left the room.

  Maybe the others didn’t appreciate the full weight of his words, but she certainly didn’t want to take anything for granted this year. She was on her own now, and her actions this year would help determine whether she had days or years to live after graduating. And if anything, she was going to have to work harder than the others to overcome her less than perfect past. Being part of the Transitional Class, getting caught after multiple fights, missing an entire year of classes...

  “I’m heading to the Common Lounge. Coming? Or do you have class now?” Penelope looked over her shoulder at Sage.

  She shook her head. “I’ve got class. See you at lunch?”

  “K.” Penelope flipped her hair and trotted down the hall, disappearing into the throng of students.

  Sage pursed her lips and turned the corner toward her next class, still thinking about what Mr. Walsh had said. She wasn’t about to mess things up now.

  This year, she was going to do comply with every dumb demand from the headmaster and the instructors. She’d even tell the truth—whenever possible. Sure, she’d have to try harder to avoid Carnabel and her drama, but that wasn’t really new. And she’d definitely have to stop letting Penelope talk her into disappearing when they were supposed to be studying.

  Definitely.

  Her eyebrows crowded together seriously as she reminded herself that she needed to grow up. She’d run out of time to do anything else. This year, she had to do everything she could to protect her future. No distractions.

  Exhaling slowly, she pushed the door open to her next class and slipped into the seat beside Nic, waiting patiently for the instructor to show up and start class.

  She was ready.

  ***

  End of preview.

  Continue reading The Trials: Sacrisvita Book VIII.

  READ MORE 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

  ***

  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 an exclusive prequel scene to Sacrisvita.