The Citizen (Sacrisvita Book 10)

by Dylan Steel

  “I’ll try.”

  “No,” she whined. “You have to.”

  “Ok.” He clenched his jaw and nodded. “But I can’t promise it will be for that long.”

  “It’s ok!” Savannah drew a heart on his chest with her finger. “I just want to make sure we spend some time together, silly.”

  The blonde hopped up and threw one more dirty look at Sage before stalking away.

  He let out a breath. “I owe you,” he whispered.

  Sage grinned mischievously. “Oh, I know.” She paused, adding, “Ev-er-y.”

  Everett’s face reddened. He suppressed a grin as he narrowed his eyes and started to say something in response, but a loud crackle and sudden jolt from their zeptobes made them both whip their heads around, forgetting the exchange.

  Headmaster Alexander’s form suddenly appeared in the center of the room. She and Everett exchanged a confused look. It was only a projection, but a nighttime visit from the headmaster in any form was unusual. Sage bit her lip, hoping he wasn’t bringing bad news.

  “Pardon the interruption, but I have an announcement that pertains to all Level Sixteens. And this was, of course, the most efficient way to deliver it.”

  Sage’s grasp on her databook tightened. She felt herself leaning forward in anticipation, and a quick glance around the room reassured her that she wasn’t alone with her nerves.

  “As Level Sixteens, you are all aware of the citizenship duties you are about to bear upon graduation. Among those duties, of course, is your pairing. And it is our duty to you to make sure that every aspect of your pairing goes as smoothly as it possibly can. To that end, we have arranged for each of you to spend some quality time getting to know your pair even better than you already do.”

  His eyes flicked straight to Sage, almost as if he knew where she’d be sitting. But that was impossible, she told herself—it was a recording. It was just a coincidence. It had to be.

  “The nature of the event,” he continued, “will require that it take place off campus. And because it will take place outside these walls, for the sake of logistics, we will be dividing your level into different groups of pairs. But perhaps most exciting of all is the location you will be visiting—a benefactor’s estate.”

  He paused and spread out his hands, smiling as he allowed the anticipation to build. And this time, Sage was positive he looked straight at her.

  “The specifics of your excursion are a surprise, but I’ll let you in on part of the details right now. Your trip will be to the Bennick estate.”

  5. AN ACCIDENT

  Sage gripped the edge of the bench as the horses clopped down the path. Her knuckles were white, and she kept her eyes fixed in front of her on the floor of the trailer. She felt like she was being dragged into a nightmare.

  Under the guise of a lighthearted, getting-to-know-you session with everyone’s pairs, she was being forced to go back to the same place where she’d been taken, hidden away for almost a year.

  Her throat was dry as questions swam through her mind. Was Sam still there? Would she see him? Would they both pretend they’d never met?

  Loosening her jaw, she mentally scolded herself for such a ridiculous question. If Sam was still there, he’d undoubtedly know about the Institution’s excursion and make himself scarce. She didn’t have to worry about what she’d say if she saw him—she’d never see him again.

  She wasn’t even sure how the estate was still operating. Eprah knew Sophia Bennick had been behind her kidnapping, and they’d killed her for it. And as for Charles Bennick—well, she didn’t know exactly what had happened to him after she’d warned Penelope that Mr. Gaztok believed he was Lawless, but she highly doubted he was still around to run the estate.

  Maybe another benefactor had stepped in and taken over? Or maybe there was a new, lucky citizen who’d been promoted to benefactor? Either option made more sense than assuming it was run by the Bennicks’ servants. Sage doubted Eprah would trust common citizens with such a monumental task—especially since this was the biggest estate in all of Eprah.

  She could’ve asked Penelope about it, but she doubted she’d get an answer. Sage wasn’t Lawless anymore, and Penelope had made it clear that she couldn’t share Lawless secrets with an outsider.

  A gentle squeeze of her hand brought her back to the present. She glanced down at her hand and then forced herself to trace it upward. Nic’s eyes were filled with concern, but he didn’t say anything. She squeezed his hand back and offered him a weak smile, grateful that he wasn’t pushing her to talk.

  No one else seemed to notice her discomfort. The rest of the trailer was buzzing with excitement as the other Level Sixteen pairs gushed over the sights. Most of them had never had the opportunity to venture past the city gates, so seeing the fields and mountains and distant, sparkling sea was an undeniably exciting event all on its own.

  “It’ll be ok. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

  Sage could feel the warmth of Nic’s breath as he whispered in her ear. She met his eyes and nodded. “I just can’t believe I’m back here,” she said quietly.

  “I know.” He frowned. “I’m surprised they didn’t pick a different activity. Or location, at least.”

  Sage sighed and forced herself to look at the looming estate. She wasn’t surprised. In fact, she suspected the headmaster had planned this particular outing on purpose, just for her. Of course, there was no way to be certain, but he’d never been happy with Mr. Gaztok’s call to let her return to her level instead of being shunned after her kidnapping, and he hadn’t exactly kept his opinion to himself.

  The trailers neared the main house, but instead of circling in front of the entrance, the horses continued farther forward, passing the buildings. They didn’t stop until they were just a little ways in front of the sea. As soon as the trailers stopped moving, all the students got to their feet and looked around, taking in their new surroundings.

  Sage craned her neck in confusion, squinting beyond the horses. As far as she could tell, no one was coming to greet them. She had no idea what they were supposed to be doing, but she couldn’t deny the view in front of her was breathtaking. The ocean sparkled, stretching endlessly.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Yeah,” Nic said hoarsely.

  Something in his tone made her turn and meet his eyes. He was staring at her, not the ocean. Her stomach fluttered at the realization, and she quickly turned back around, willing herself to calm down.

  Ms. Zayer’s voice echoed over the beach.

  “Alright, students, please exit your trailers and head toward the dock on the far right. You’ll be given further instructions once you’re there.”

  The instructor wore a look of thinly veiled disgust on her face as she picked her way through the tall grass. Clearly, she wasn’t happy to have been stuck with chaperone duty.

  Sage smirked and looked away. Ms. Zayer was obviously far more comfortable lecturing students about the Cabinet of the People from a cushy classroom than she was trudging through damp sand in her high heels.

  Nic caught Sage’s hand firmly in his as they followed the others toward the floating structure on the other side of the beach. Their footsteps sank into the soft sand, slowing their progress. But somehow, she didn’t mind.

  As they drew closer to the last dock, Sage saw a figure standing in the middle of its entrance. A man. Sam? Her eyes locked onto him, and her heart started pounding faster. Each step closer incited a rising panic. She didn’t even want to know if it was Sam—all she wanted to do was run in the other direction. Nic must have sensed her fear because his hold on her tightened a little while his thumb rubbed gentle circles on her skin.

  When she was finally close enough to see the man waiting for them, she let out the breath she’d been holding. It wasn’t Sam. Nor was it Charles Bennick. She’d never seen this man before at all.

  He had shoulder-length wavy brown hair and short, scraggly fac
ial hair to match, all of which showed a good amount of gray. A broad smile stretched out from under all the hair, defining the previously indistinct line between beard and mustache.

  “Glad ya made it. The name’s Kenji.” His dark eyes twinkled mischievously. “While yer here, I’m in charge, not Ms. Zer, understand?”

  “Zay-er. Ms. Zayer,” the instructor corrected him. She wasn’t at all impressed.

  “Uh-huh.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Everyone understand?”

  Dozens of heads bobbed up and down.

  “Good. Now, I’ve got a quick lesson for ya today, and then ya can have yer fun with yer pairs.” He started walking down the length of the dock and gestured for the students to follow.

  Sage and Nic exchanged an uncertain glance before climbing up onto the floating wooden planks after the others. They were at the back of the group, and it was almost impossible to see their guide.

  Kenji’s voice boomed over the dock. “Now, I know ya don’t have any reason to use these in the middle of Eprah, so ya may not even know what these are, but these here are boats.” He jerked his thumb behind his shoulder. “This bunch here seats two, and today yer gonna learn to sail ‘em.”

  Sage’s eyes grew wide as she looked around. Sure enough, there were dozens of smallish boats floating up and down with the movement of the waves. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but this definitely wasn’t it. The headmaster’s claim made more sense now, though—she’d been to a lot of estates, and none of them were bordered by water. This really was an excursion they couldn’t do anywhere else.

  Water lapped gently at the sides of the dock in a soothing pattern. She felt herself growing less anxious the longer they stood there listening to how to operate their small sailboats, but her mind was whirling with all the new terms and instructions Kenji was giving them. He reassured them that there were only a handful of things that they needed to know for the day and that he would be nearby if anyone really had any trouble. And Kenji turned out to be a pretty good teacher. Patient, too. Sage found herself rolling her eyes at some of the questions her fellow Sixteens were coming up with—usually questions that he’d answered just a few minutes earlier.

  “And if that’s all too confusing for ya—or we lose the wind—just drop the sail like this,” Kenji grunted as he reached forward and pulled down the sail, “and grab yer oars. Ya can paddle back like this.” He demonstrated the motion.

  “I think that’s everything.” He nodded to himself, satisfied. “Any questions?”

  “Where’s the benefactor?”

  One of the girls near the back had asked the question and was apparently having a hard time not giggling.

  Sage’s jaw twitched in annoyance. Benefactors. She didn’t understand how anyone could still worship the ground at their feet. Despite what Eprah wanted them to believe about benefactors, she knew they were a selfish, manipulative breed of people only out for their own interests and pleasures—not the good of all citizens. She’d seen way too much to think otherwise anymore.

  “Mr. Bennick is a very busy man and won’t be able to make it out today,” Kenji informed them.

  Mr. Bennick? Sage’s eyes widened. Impossible.

  “Oh.” The girl sounded disappointed.

  Sage stiffened, clenching her hand harder around Nic’s. He looked down at her, worried, but she stared straight ahead, refusing to meet his gaze.

  “Any other questions? Related to sailing?” Kenji’s lips formed a thin line as he shot a withering look at the girl who’d asked about the benefactor. He paused, scanning the crowd. “No? Good. Well, make sure you stay within sight of shore.” Grinning, he jerked his head to the side. “Go on, then. Get yerselves a boat.”

  The dock buzzed with excitement as pairs scrambled for their pick of vessels.

  “You ok?” Nic’s eyes were filled with concern as he led her toward a boat at the end of the dock.

  “Uh-huh.” She nodded absently as she stepped onto the boat.

  Nic’s brows crowded together, but he didn’t ask again. He loosened the tie from the dock and tossed the rope beside Sage, stepping in after her. Pushing off the dock, he teetered a bit before regaining his balance and crouching down next to her. After a few minutes of fumbling with the sail and rudder and other things they’d already forgotten the names of, they settled into a sort of rhythm as their boat glided smoothly over the water.

  The breeze that had been gentle on the shore seemed to have picked up a bit now, tossing Sage’s loose hair in her face. She wrinkled her nose and brushed it back, hastily fastening it in a ponytail. The waves rocked the boat up and down even as it moved forward. She stared pensively at the water. She couldn’t decide if she liked the motion or if it was making her queasy. The former. Probably.

  Easing the boat a little farther away from the others, Nic secured the sail and looked back at Sage.

  “Wanna talk about it?”

  Sage’s eyes flicked to his. “About what?”

  He frowned. “About whatever Kenji said back there that spooked you.”

  “It’s nothing,” she lied. “Not really. You know, just—this place. Bad memories.”

  Nic shook his head. “It’s more than that. You were doing better until he mentioned the benefactor, and then…”

  Sage set her jaw and looked away.

  “It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it,” Nic said. “I just thought… We’re supposed to spend this time getting to know our pairs, right?”

  She said nothing, still refusing to look at him. How could she explain why she didn’t think Mr. Bennick was still a benefactor? Admitting she’d snooped around in video surveillance from Eprah’s super secret prison—and then warning him of an impending arrest? That would be a confession of treason. Even if he did care about her, she couldn’t be sure his loyalty to Eprah wasn’t stronger than his feelings for her.

  “I want you to know you can tell me anything, Sage. Really. I promise.”

  She wasn’t sure if it was out of guilt or genuine reassurance, but she turned back to Nic. The flicker of anguish behind his gold eyes sent her resolve crashing down. She may not be able to tell him everything about Eprah’s secret prison and Mr. Walsh’s tortured questioning, but she had to say something.

  “I know. You’re right,” she said. Her eyebrows drew together as she contemplated how much to say. “It’s not just being back here—though it’s definitely weird,” she admitted. “But I guess I was surprised to hear Mr. Bennick’s name. I know Sophia was the one behind everything and there’s no evidence he had anything to do with it, but still—I guess hearing his name just brought back all sorts of memories.”

  She paused and bit her lip as she looked away, her vision flitting over the other small sailboats nearby. She hoped that would be enough of an explanation for her subtle freak-out earlier.

  A muscle twitched along Nic’s jaw. “I’m glad they arrested her. I can’t believe a benefactor would’ve had anything to do with those people.” There was a note of disdain in his voice as he moved the rudder, slightly changing course. “The Lawless are traitors. They need to be rounded up and stopped for the good of Eprah.”

  Sage’s eyebrow shot up. She was glad she wasn’t looking at him because she couldn’t help but bristle a little at the comment. At the time of her kidnapping, she’d been one of those people. Even though she wasn’t willing to be used by the Lawless anymore, she wasn’t sure she liked the way he was talking about them—about a younger version of herself. Obviously, that was a secret she wouldn’t be sharing anytime soon.

  “It’s just weird to think that he’s still here, alone,” she said, ignoring the twinge of pain she felt at Nic’s assessment of the Lawless. She shrugged. “And who knows if he’s really busy today or not—if I were him, I wouldn’t want to see me either. Traitor or not, Sophia was his wife.”

  Nic frowned. “I thought you’d heard.”

  “Heard what?”

  “Charles Bennick disappeared last yea
r. Their son runs the estate now.”

  Sage blinked. “What? What happened to him?”

  “Dunno. Some people are saying he was Lawless and got himself arrested too, like Sophia, and others say he actually ran out of Chances, and the other benefactors are making sure that stays quiet—wouldn’t want people thinking benefactors weren’t as important as Eprah’s told us they are.” Nic lowered his voice and leaned a little closer. “And some people think he couldn’t deal with the death of his wife and became a Rogue.”

  Chills raced down Sage’s spine. So something really had happened. Had her warning gotten to him in time? Mr. Gaztok would’ve jumped at the opportunity to make an example of him—unless he didn’t want to publicize how far-reaching the Lawless influence had become.

  Her brows furrowed. The only Lawless she still knew was Penelope, and she’d made it clear she wasn’t going to be sharing any information with her. And now that Connor had graduated, she didn’t have anyone she trusted enough to help her break into the prison surveillance. She had no way of knowing what had happened to Charles Bennick.

  “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have…” Nic’s voice was strained. “I keep forgetting how hard the whole thing must have been for you.”

  Sage looked up and saw the worry clouding his face. She set her hand on his arm. “I’m ok. Really, I—ooophf.”

  A sudden crash in the back of their boat sent her flying forward, straight over the side and into the water below. The unexpected coldness knocked the air from her lungs. Sage surfaced quickly, thrashing wildly against the waves as she spluttered and coughed, trying to suck in a breath and stay afloat.

  Nic’s hand appeared beside her, and she grabbed it in total desperation, letting him heave her back over the edge of the boat without any hesitation. Her teeth chattered as she sank into the bottom of the boat, holding tightly onto the sides as it settled from its violent rocking.

  “Sorry! Are you guys ok?” A girl’s voice called out from behind her.