The Citizen (Sacrisvita Book 10)

by Dylan Steel

  Her brows furrowed, and she took a step back, putting some distance between them. “Nothing. I told you—I haven’t been here or met whoever lived here.”

  “You don’t expect me to believe that,” he said coolly, looking her up and down. “I remember, you know. The day you came with your Transitional classmates. He sought you out then, didn’t he?”

  Sage’s heart pounded a little faster. “No. I’m not even sure I remember what you’re talking about.”

  “Most people know better than to lie to me.”

  “What else do you want me to say? I didn’t know the guy.” Sage glanced toward the door, desperately hoping someone more interesting than her would come by and capture his attention.

  “Then why were you eavesdropping?”

  “I wasn’t.”

  “Then explain why I heard you outside.”

  Her eyebrow shot up. “Dunno. Maybe you should see a doctor about hearing things.”

  Kai stalked toward her, and she took another step backward, bumping into the wall. She winced.

  “Tell the truth.”

  “I am.”

  “You’re not!” His palm crashed into the wall beside her head. Sage yelped.

  “You seem to be forgetting what happened the last time you lied to me.” Kai leaned forward until he was within an inch of her face. “And I don’t tolerate it any better now.”

  She clenched her teeth to stop them from chattering and lifted her chin so that she could look him squarely in the eye. “I remember you throwing a temper tantrum because things didn’t go exactly how you wanted them to,” she retorted. “So, yeah, you’re right. I guess you haven’t gotten any better about dealing with disappointment.”

  One of Kai’s eyebrows shot up. “If that’s how you think I react to not getting my way, then you should realize you’re playing a dangerous game right now.” He paused, his eyes searching hers. “I know you are aware of my position in Eprah. And you’re about to graduate. I’m not a man you want as an enemy, Sage.”

  Chills ran down her spine as Kai dropped his hand to his side. He leaned back and began pacing the room. She felt some of the tension slowly drain from her shoulders with the added distance, but she was definitely still on edge.

  “You knew him,” he stated plainly. “The fact that you’re denying it makes me wonder what he told you. Or…” He trailed off, his eyes narrowing.

  Sage pressed her lips together and shoved her hands in her pockets to hide how badly they were shaking. This wasn’t the Kai she remembered from the Institution, the one who trained her and gave her advice on how to survive. This Kai was terrifying.

  He continued as if nothing had happened. “I suppose he couldn’t really have told you much of anything anymore, though, could he? I’m told his mind has been disintegrating for the past few years. Frankly, no one expected him to make it as long as he did. He only died last week, you know.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. With Kai in the room, tearing through his things, she’d suspected as much, but it was devastating to have it confirmed.

  It was official. There went her last connection to her parents.

  After realizing Kai had fallen silent and was studying her again, Sage panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I’m sorry. Were you two close?”

  “No.” Kai looked at her strangely. “I’m not here for sentimental reasons. This man—he had something of great value to Eprah, and I’m trying to recover it.”

  He paused, eyeing her carefully. Sage stood as still as possible, not wanting to give anything away. She had a bad feeling she knew where he was going with this.

  ”A gemstone,” Kai continued. “It would be dark, small. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, I’d imagine. Did you see anything like that in the time you spent visiting this man?”

  Worry gnawed at her insides. He knew about the stone, but he didn’t seem to know it was in the form of a necklace. And he definitely didn’t know that she was wearing it at that very moment.

  “No.” Sage’s eyes narrowed. “Because—like I told you a million times already—I didn’t spend any time in here or with that man.”

  Kai pursed his lips. “Except that we both know you’re lying.”

  “No, we don’t,” Sage snapped, “but I do know you’re paranoid.”

  The pendant grew heavier around her neck with each passing second. Her fingers twitched at her side. She wanted to touch it, to make sure it was still tucked safely beneath her shirt, but she didn’t dare. She needed to get out of here.

  “I know you’re aware of the methods we have for uncovering the truth. I know you’ve been part of such interrogations after your kidnapping.” He tilted his head. “I’d hate to think we needed to resort to such methods to ensure you answer a few simple questions honestly. That really wouldn’t say much about a fledgling citizen’s loyalty, now, would it?”

  “Look,” Sage said, swallowing hard, “maybe I saw this guy a long time ago and just don’t remember. But that doesn’t mean I’m lying.”

  “You are.”

  “Kai—”

  “—Mr. Abeldra.”

  “Kai,” she repeatedly deliberately, irritation flashing behind her eyes as she stood a little taller. “I’ve told you what I know—which obviously isn’t much. But if you want to drag me in front of Ms. Verdan to make sure I’m telling the truth, go right ahead. Feel free to waste your oh-so-valuable time,” she bluffed, jutting out her chin defiantly.

  Kai’s eyes bored into hers, but he didn’t say anything at first. Her heart thumped loudly in her ears. He was going to do it, wasn’t he—call in Ms. Verdan. If he did that, he’d find out everything—including the fact that she had the gem he was looking for.

  “Do you have any idea what would happen to you?” he asked calmly. “If it was discovered you were lying to me—to any Eprah official?”

  She crossed her arms, staring back at him evenly. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m not lying, then, isn’t it?”

  The corner of his eye twitched. “I’d better not find out otherwise.”

  Sage nodded, not sure how to respond.

  “I don’t have time to deal with this,” he muttered, half to himself. He glanced back at Sage. “If your memory suddenly clears up, come directly to me. I wouldn’t recommend mentioning this to anyone else—just let the headmaster know you have information for me.” He paused, lowering his chin to look her in the eye. “These days, you never can be too sure about where someone’s loyalty lies. Better not to take the risk on something as important as this.”

  Sage’s jaw tensed. Was he implying… “Are you questioning my loyalty to Eprah?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Should I?”

  “Of course not,” she snapped, crossing her arms. “Besides, what’s so important about a rock anyways?”

  “That’s really not your concern, is it? It’s enough that you know that it’s important.” His gaze flicked around the room before settling back on her.

  Kai rubbed his chin with his knuckles. “If I go back far enough in the footage, what do you think I’ll find?”

  “Footage?” Panic gripped Sage. She felt the blood drain from her face, and she hoped it wasn’t obvious. But she should’ve known—should’ve been prepared.

  “Uh-huh,” he said nonchalantly. “This place is monitored constantly—for the residents’ safety, of course. I’m sure the videos will show me what I need to see.”

  “Of course,” she said weakly. It would take awhile for him to sift through a year’s worth of footage, but not long enough. She had to find a way in to the system and erase the old records—and soon.

  “What do you think I’ll see, Sage?”

  “I don’t know.” She bit the inside of her lip to keep it from trembling.

  “Right.” He nodded thoughtfully and then jerked his head toward the door. “I think our discussion is over for now, don’t you? Unless you had something you wanted to add.”

  “No.”
She frowned.

  “See if you can find a former member of the Peace for your next interview,” he suggested. “And be sure to ask about Eprah’s consequences for obstructing an official investigation.”

  “Thanks,” she said dryly, moving toward the exit much slower than she wanted to. She didn’t want to give him any further indication of her discomfort, but she was screaming on the inside. And she was pretty sure he knew that by now.

  “Oh, and Sage?”

  She froze in the middle of the doorway. “Yeah?”

  “With graduation so soon, the administration doesn’t usually resort to shunnings for correcting misbehavior. They’re ineffective without a sufficient amount of time.” He paused. “But that doesn’t mean that insubordination goes unnoticed or isn’t dealt with. You’d do well to remember that.”

  She gritted her teeth. “Anything else?”

  “No, of course not.” He waved his hand flippantly. “You’re dismissed.”

  Sage blinked and hurried into the hall, eager to get away before he could change his mind and stop her again.

  She wasn’t sure if he’d just threatened her or warned her, but she didn’t think either was good when it came to Kai.

  14. ERASED

  Sage waited inside a classroom near the cafeteria, pacing nervously. If Nic didn’t show up soon, she was going to have to go to plan B. And considering that meant asking Penelope for the Lawless’ help, she definitely wanted to avoid plan B.

  She bit back a groan at the thought. Involving the Lawless would mean telling them about the stone, and she didn’t want to do that. Something told her that if the old man had wanted the Lawless to know about it, he would’ve found a way to tell them before he started losing his mind. This burden—whatever it was—rested squarely on her shoulders.

  Last night, she’d snuck into a tech room and spent the entire evening trying to infiltrate the Center’s security logs. She had to go back and delete any proof that she’d ever met the old man, let alone taken a necklace from his room. But she couldn’t. On her own, the security settings were impenetrable—not unlike the firewalls surrounding Eprah’s secret prison. She’d tried everything she could think of to get through the barriers, but there wasn’t a workaround. She desperately needed a second pair of hands.

  Laughter echoed off the walls as Nic came into view. Her heart leapt, then sank when she realized he wasn’t alone.

  He rounded the corner with a handful of other guys. It shouldn’t have been surprising—she knew Nic was popular. Kai’s warning had really spooked her. She was wound way too tight if normalcy was unsettling her.

  Pulling herself together, she plastered on a smile and stepped into the hall. “There you are.” Sage let out the breath she’d been holding.

  “Here I am.” Nic grinned, then nodded toward his friends. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

  “Uh-huh,” said one of the boys, rolling his eyes. Another one made kissing noises and ducked as Nic swung at him good-naturedly. He scurried out of the way, following the others through the door to the cafeteria.

  Nic turned back to Sage, pulling her into an embrace. “So what’s up?” he asked, nuzzling the top of her head. “Just couldn’t wait to have breakfast with me?”

  Sage waited a moment before saying anything. She glanced around once more for good measure, making sure they were alone before lowering her voice. “Actually, I need a favor.”

  Nic’s brows dipped in concern. “Is everything ok?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Name it. I’ll help however I can.” He rubbed her arms reassuringly. “What’s wrong?”

  “I…” She winced apologetically. “I can’t exactly tell you.”

  “O…k… How am I supposed to help if you won’t tell me what’s going on?”

  She bit her lip. “You keep telling me that I’m underestimating the usefulness of being Kunbriat.” She swallowed. “I was hoping I could have some input in a trial.”

  “You want to use your trial on someone?” Nic raised an eyebrow.

  “Well, no—I mean, yes—if I have to. But I’m not sure who it should be for,” she admitted. “That’s part of what I need help with. I need somebody who’s good at tech.”

  He frowned.

  “They don’t need to be a total genius—just someone who’s pretty comfortable with it,” she added hastily.

  Nic cocked his head, studying her intently. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  Sage hesitated before answering. She didn’t want to lie to Nic, but she couldn’t tell him what had happened with Kai. As much as she wanted to believe he’d protect her, she wasn’t willing to bet her life on it. Lying to Kai was basically the same as betraying Eprah, and she wasn’t about to test which of Nic’s loyalties were greater.

  “No, but I probably will be if I can’t find someone who’s good at tech.”

  He took a step back, meeting her eyes. “I have a couple people in mind. But I don’t like this. I wish you’d tell me what’s going on.”

  “It’s—it’s safer if you don’t know.”

  “Safer? Sage, whatever’s—”

  “Nic, please.” Her stomach twisted in knots. “Please don’t ask.”

  A muscle jumped in his jaw. “If someone’s trying to hurt you, I can stop them, you know.”

  She shook her head. “It’s nothing like that. Promise. Just—”

  “—Don’t ask. Got it,” he said stiffly.

  She winced. “I need you to trust me.”

  “I do.” He took her hands in his, softening his tone. “I’m just worried about you.”

  “Don’t be.” She lifted her chin and forced an easy smile on her face. “I have everything under control. I just need a little help.”

  Nodding thoughtfully, he reached up and brushed the cuff on her ear. A reassuring warmth spread over her as he rested his hand on the side of her face.

  “Tell me what you need. Specifically. I’ll have to take this to the other members of the panel, and the more I do know, the better.”

  “Ok.” Her shoulders sagged in relief. Maybe she’d actually be able to pull this off.

  ***

  Sage shot to her feet when the Level Fourteen walked through the door. She hadn’t given Nic much time to throw this together, but somehow he’d come through by dinner, and she hadn’t even had to use her one trial.

  “Sage, right?”

  “Yeah. Peadre Sibal?”

  He nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. His eyes darted around the room, refusing to settle anywhere.

  Everything about the boy was ruffled—his hair, his clothes, his eyes—he looked as nervous as she felt. Understandable. Fulfilling the trial requirements was a matter of life or death, which was actually pretty perfect for what she needed to do. She wanted someone who had just as much at stake as she did. That was her only assurance that this crazy plan might actually work.

  She motioned for him to join her at the end of the table.

  “What we’re doing tonight stays a secret even after your initiation, even from other Kunbriat. Nic explained that, right?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Peadre shifted his weight into his heels. It was obvious he wanted to ask what they would be doing, but he wouldn’t. He was too afraid. Smart kid.

  “Mostly, I need you to stand at the door, be a lookout. Let me know if any instructors look like they’re heading this way. Can you handle that?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. But I’m also going to need a hand accessing something in the system.” She eyed him critically. “You can follow basic instructions, right?”

  His lips twitched, but he bit back his annoyance. “Yeah.”

  “Great.” She started pulling up the control panel. “Because in just a minute, I’m going to need you to do exactly what I say.”

  Since she’d already spent several hours poking around the edges of the Center’s security system, it didn’t take long at all to reach the point where sh
e needed dual input.

  “Ok, from here, I need you to repeat all my actions. So if I do this—” Sage watched him closely as she swept her hand to the right, “—you do the same—good.” She nodded. “Just like that, yeah.”

  Sage was grateful she remembered the sequence that she and Connor had figured out last year for getting inside the prison. Fortunately, it was a nearly identical process, and she only had to backtrack twice. And she barely had to worry about Peadre at all. He was keeping up with even the more subtle motions she made. It probably helped that he knew the consequences for failing a trial.

  Guilt ate at her for that thought. Kunbriat benefits or not, she hated using someone else like this.

  “So you’re pretty good at this stuff, huh?” Sage bit the inside of her lip as she shoved a digital post backward. Maybe a little conversation while they worked would assuage her conscience.

  He shrugged. “I’m ok. Not that I’d really need to be for what we’re doing. I’m just copying you.”

  “You’d be surprised,” she said, looking pointedly at his hand. “If you didn’t know anything about tech, you might not have realized you needed to scrunch up your fingers like that when you turn it.” She turned her attention back to the image in front of her.

  “Everyone knows that.”

  “Not everyone.” A smile played at the corners of her mouth as she remembered the last time she tried helping Penelope complete a basic tech project. She was utterly hopeless. Sage had wound up finishing the project for her.

  They were nearing the end of the sequence. Sage watched Peadre out of the corner of her eye to make sure he was keeping up. As they turned their wrists in unison, the final barrier tumbled away, leaving behind an aerial view of the Center’s layout.

  “That was fast,” she mumbled under her breath, flicking her fingers through the air. She raised her voice. “Ok. We’re in.”

  Sage dropped her hands to her side, unwilling to continue while he was watching. She nodded toward the door. “Now you’re up for sentry duty.”

  Peadre raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. He shuffled to the door, cracking it open just enough to see both ways down the hall.