The Vanished: A Young Adult Dystopian Series (Sacrisvita Book 5) Read online

  Mr. Walsh’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

  “Oh, and Sage, I also must tell you… don’t visit Naturagre and Travaes and Splahnkahn all at once in a row. You need to make sure you visit all three options as well as any others you’d like, but it’s important to mix up the order of your visits. It can’t be obvious that you already know which Society you want to be a part of. Understood?”

  She nodded.

  “Alright. Good.” He eyed the door. “You really should get back to your lounge now.”

  Sage’s shoulders drooped in disappointment. She still wanted answers, but it didn’t seem there’d be enough time tonight. Pushing the door open, she stumbled into the hallway again, heading back to join her classmates.

  As she walked past the rows of classrooms, her mind reeled over the fact that she’d just had a meeting with other Lawless students. She still had no idea what the Travaes Interest Society was or why the Lawless leaders wanted her there, but at least she wouldn’t have to wait too long to find out.

  3. OPTIONS

  “Gonna stay on top of things this year?” Nic teased as he walked by.

  Sage’s face grew hot. “I hope so.”

  He smiled. “Just let me know. Preferably before things get too bad.”

  “Ok,” she said sheepishly. “Just so you know,” she added quickly, “it’s been going well so far.”

  Nic just grinned and headed over to join a group of guys hunkered over a 3-D model at one of the tables.

  Sage didn’t miss the look of death that Carnabel shot at her for talking to Nic. She chewed on her lip, turning her attention back to her databook. “Yeah, right,” she muttered under her breath. “I’ve got it all figured out.”

  “What was that?” Penelope blinked as she looked up from her assignment.

  “Nothing.”

  A knowing grin broke out over her face. “Are you already having trouble?”

  “No,” Sage said, a little too quickly.

  Penelope raised an eyebrow.

  “Ok, maybe just a little. But I shouldn’t be,” she added hastily. “It’s all review right now.” The edges of her mouth turned down in a frown.

  “Right,” Penelope said, rolling her eyes. “You probably should wait as long as possible before asking for help.”

  Sage stuck out her tongue. “Why don’t you just help me then, Miss Know-it-all?”

  “Please.” She waved her hand in the air. “I may get passing grades, but I’m far from genius level. And I’m pretty sure that’s the level of help you need,” she mocked.

  “Ouch.”

  “Seriously, though. You should talk to him. Soon.”

  “Ok, ok. I will. Just… not yet. Maybe tomorrow. My brain needs to rest,” she said defensively.

  Penelope snorted but didn’t push the subject any further, which was just fine with her.

  Sage looked up as a new stream of Level Elevens entered the lounge. She usually tried to leave dinner early enough to grab a good seat and start studying while it was still a bit quieter. Maybe it was the excitement of a new year, but it seemed she hadn’t planned well enough tonight. The room was already buzzing, and she’d only been there for a few minutes.

  The circle of couches that Sage and Penelope had settled into was quickly swarmed by a group of chatty girls.

  Pippa shoved herself in between two others on the smaller couch. “This is my favorite time of the whole year.”

  “Because of the desserts?” Iris, the girl next to her, asked as she spooned a creamy purple substance into her mouth. She smacked her lips. “They’re definitely the best in the summer.”

  “No.” Pippa’s face contorted with disgust as she watched Iris’s mouth open and close, violet food rolling around inside of it. She tore her eyes away from the graphic scene in front of her. “Because there are so many choices. I love picking Interest Societies!” She was practically squealing.

  “Any idea what you’ll pick?” Penelope’s curiosity got the better of her, and she poked her head up from her databook.

  “Only like a million,” Pippa gushed. “Actually, one of the ones I might pick is Naturagre. You two did that one last year, right?”

  Penelope gave Sage a sideways glance. “Uh-huh.”

  “What’d you think?”

  “It was ok,” Penelope said.

  Pippa bobbed her head and then paused, looking at Sage expectantly.

  “Oh, me?” Sage blinked.

  “Duh.”

  “It was… fine. Guess it just depends on what you like.” She cringed inwardly at the thought of Pippa catching the eye of Edward Grayson or the other benefactors. But it would be suspicious to say that she hated it since Mr. Walsh had told her to list it as her first choice again.

  “I’d love to meet the benefactors,” Pippa said dreamily.

  “Then you’d probably love it,” Sage muttered under her breath. Which is exactly why you should stay away. Far, far away.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  Pippa wrinkled her brow.

  “Don’t worry about her,” Penelope interjected. “She’s just in a bad mood because of math review.”

  Sage shot her a dirty look yet, at the same time, couldn’t help but be grateful for the excuse.

  “Oh,” Pippa said knowingly. “It is getting a lot harder,” she agreed, then brightened. “Which is exactly why we should talk about something other than our assignments. Which ones are you looking at?”

  “Which ones what?”

  “Eprah’s name, Sage. You have, like, zero attention span. Interest Societies. Which Interest Societies?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Sage mumbled noncommittally. “There are lots of options. I figure I’ll just check out as many as I can.”

  “Good idea.” Pippa nodded.

  After Pippa grilled everyone else on their Interest Society inclinations, the conversation shifted to more theories and speculations about the disappearances. Sage made a point of burying her nose in her screen. She certainly didn’t want to have to come up with another lie about that. Especially since anything she said would now disparage herself.

  4. TRAVAES

  A woman with dark hair in a tightly braided bun walked to the front of the room, heels clacking with each step. She held a databook in the crook of her elbow and looked down at the screen over the rims of her glasses.

  “Please take your seats now.”

  “Yes, Ms. Ashton.” The students answered in unison, scrambling to find their seats.

  Not looking up, the woman stepped in front of her desk and leaned back, tapping her screen in silence.

  Sage held her breath as she slipped into her chair. Looking around, she suddenly felt very alone. She didn’t know anyone in the room. None of the Lawless students she’d seen before were there. She hadn’t even been able to tell Penelope which Society she was planning to join or why she’d listed it as only her second choice, so she wound up picking something else. This year, she was completely on her own.

  Somehow, Mr. Walsh had been correct. Sage had been assigned to the Travaes Interest Society, just as the Lawless wanted. She was still baffled as to how they’d managed to predict which Society she’d be assigned to, but she had to admit she was a bit relieved that they’d been right. Knowing they could make such accurate predictions and plan accordingly gave her a bit more confidence in these mysterious leaders, despite their secret identities.

  Just as she had in previous years, she’d visited the Society’s meeting before she’d officially made her selection. But after her visit, she was even more confused, wondering why the Lawless would want anyone in Travaes.

  As her new instructor had explained, Travaes was an invaluable learning tool. One that would help to direct her studies over the course of her time at the Institution. Throughout the year, they would learn about the different industries and assignments that most students would receive at graduation. They would visit various buildings and observe different positions in an at
tempt to determine where they might most enjoy working one day.

  Of course, Sage realized, even if she could figure out where she might like to work, that was no guarantee of where she would wind up being assigned. All the same, she hoped the excursions throughout the city would at least satisfy some of the curiosity that she’d been harboring since the first day she set foot through Eprah’s gates.

  She couldn’t help but be concerned though. Their Society would be venturing into the most well-known government buildings and offices in the whole city. Using these excursions as intelligence drops seemed incredibly high risk, and Mr. Walsh had repeatedly told her that he didn’t want to put her in such dangerous situations. Maybe that was why he’d been so reluctant to let her in on the plan to save Lita.

  “Sage Indarra?”

  Her attention jerked back to the classroom. Ms. Ashton was looking up and down the rows impatiently.

  “Sage Indarra?”

  “Yes?” she answered quickly.

  “Ah, there you are.” Ms. Ashton’s gaze darted over to Sage. She glanced down at her screen and then back up at Sage, eyeing her wearily. “This isn’t the place for daydreams. Next time, please answer roll immediately.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” She sank back in her chair, sighing in relief. Ms. Ashton’s demeanor led her to think that scoldings were among her more lenient options.

  “Konna Sohmer?” The instructor continued down her list of names.

  A sharp jab beneath her shoulder blades made her whip around. The boy behind her was leaning far forward with a slight smirk on his face. Her eyes focused on his, mere inches away.

  “What?” she hissed under her breath.

  He matched her gaze steadily even as the instructor’s voice rang out again.

  “Darren Decker?”

  “Here,” the boy said smoothly, not taking his eyes off Sage.

  She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, leaning a bit away from him. He cocked his head, studying her for a moment more.

  “Just wanted to see if I could figure out what you were thinking about. During roll call.” He shrugged nonchalantly and shifted his eyes back to the front of the classroom, leaning back abruptly.

  Sage wrinkled her nose and turned back around. She scooted forward slightly in her chair and rested her elbows farther forward on her desk, distancing herself from Darren Decker as much as possible. It wasn’t subtle, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t sure if he was crazy or just cocky, but either way, she didn’t want to deal with him. And she definitely didn’t want him figuring out what she was thinking.

  She forced herself to pay attention to Ms. Ashton as she began addressing the students.

  “Some instructors—some Societies—they like to place you into groups for research and excursions. But I’m a strong proponent of pairs. Much more accountability that way.” She pursed her lips.

  “After all, Travaes is all about preparing you for your contributions after graduation, and what better way to prepare you than to have you get used to working with someone else in a one-on-one capacity? You’ll be doing it in your assignments and in your pairings. This is excellent training.” Ms. Ashton nodded curtly as she surveyed the room. “Once I finish pairing you, you may begin researching our first excursion, which you’ll find already loaded on your databooks.”

  She tapped her screen a few more times before setting it aside.

  “You two, you and you, you and you…” The instructor’s fingers swept over the classroom and then over Sage’s head as she pointed to her. And the seat behind her.

  A knot formed in her stomach. She glanced back over her shoulder. The corners of Darren’s mouth had curled into a slight grin. He caught her eye and winked. Sage scowled, turning back around.

  This was not a good start.

  5. INSTRUCTIONS

  The instant she opened her eyes, Sage saw a foot barreling toward her face. She sucked in a shallow breath and rolled to the side. She barely managed to push herself back up onto her feet before needing to jump backward and dodge another kick.

  Drue grinned as he followed her in a circle around the ring.

  “How’d you get so good?” she panted.

  Satisfaction gleamed in her opponent’s eyes. “Same as you. Practice.”

  The banter break didn’t last long. His fist shot out again, grazing Sage’s shoulder even as she blocked him. She didn’t waste any time returning his blows.

  He was holding his own—better than she’d expected. She’d never sparred against him before, but she wasn’t used to having to work so hard in practice sessions. She found herself hoping she wouldn’t be matched against him in the tournament.

  Sage lurched forward with her fists, hoping to catch Drue off guard. Unfortunately for her, he anticipated her move and caught her arm while it was extended, twisting it behind her back. With a bit of pressure, he had her walking on her tiptoes in circles. She clenched her jaw in pain as she looked for an opening to make a move, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of tapping out. But she was running out of options fast, and they both knew it.

  Just then, a shrill tone pierced the air. Drue released Sage’s arm, sending her staggering forward. Ms. Bax had chosen that moment to blow her whistle. Sage breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Class dismissed! Good session, everyone!” The padded floors nearly swallowed the instructor’s voice.

  A heavy hand thumped against Sage’s back.

  “Ooof,” she grunted.

  “Good job, Indarra.” Drue shot her a wide smile.

  “Thanks.” Her shoulders slumped. They both knew he’d won. She’d been about to give in.

  “No, really, I mean it. You’re really good.” He paused, then added reluctantly, “I’ve never gotten out of that hold either.”

  “It’s a good one. You should use it in the tournament,” she suggested with as much indifference as she could muster.

  He laughed. “We’ll see. The tournament never goes how I expect it to.”

  She gave him a curious look. “Really, though. How did you get so good?”

  “What, so I’m not supposed to be good?” He feigned indignation.

  “You catch on quick,” she quipped.

  His jaw dropped. “You’re full of surprises, Indarra.”

  You have no idea, she thought.

  His lips spread into a grin. “Guess you didn’t know there’s a Bokja Interest Society.”

  She gaped at him. “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope.” He shook his head. “But it’s wicked hard to get into. I don’t know how I got lucky this year, but I’ve listed it as my first choice every time.”

  “Maybe that’s why.”

  He shrugged.

  They reached the changing rooms and parted ways. Sage changed out of her drenched uniform and pulled on the typical black and gray attire that all the students wore, tucking back strands of her hair that had fallen loose during practice.

  As she deposited her sweaty clothes in the bin along the wall, she found herself wondering how she’d been oblivious to the existence of a Bokja Interest Society this whole time. Maybe she could convince Mr. Walsh that the Lawless leaders should orchestrate that for her next year. They seemed to have some sort of insight into how students were assigned to Societies, after all. For all she knew, they could even influence it.

  There was no need to wait for Penelope to leave today. She’d been sparring with Nic, who was apparently good enough to send her to the infirmary for a mild injury. He’d been so apologetic, he’d offered to escort her there, and not surprisingly, Ms. Bax had allowed it.

  Sage never liked sticking around for the post-training gossip that inevitably filled the changing room, so she hurried out the door and headed straight for the Common Lounge. As she made her way through the halls, she couldn’t shake the new obsession with the Bokja Interest Society.

  She knew was already pretty decent at the sport, and her extra training from Level Eight had given her an early edge, but that edge was
fading over time as her classmates gained skill. Putting in extra training would be invaluable, especially since tournament scores factored into Chances after graduation. And after Carnabel basically destroyed her placement last year, she could use all the extra help she could get.

  “Ow!”

  Before she finished rounding the corner, she found herself knocked to the ground, pain shooting through her face and rear. She hadn’t realized how distracted she was until she’d collided with someone. If she’d been paying more attention, she would have noticed the two voices getting closer to her.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Miss Indarra.” A hand belonging to one of the voices was stretched out toward her. “Are you alright?”

  She looked at the hand and grunted before grabbing it. “I’m fine.”

  Her eyes traced the arm back to its owner. Mr. Walsh. She tried to hide her surprise. He was only formal with her when other people were around. With that realization, her eyes darted to his companion. She was another instructor, one Sage didn’t know.

  “Are you sure?”

  Sage blinked and looked back at Mr. Walsh. “Yeah, I’m ok.”

  “Alright. Good. Wouldn’t want to have to escort you to the infirmary,” he chuckled, landing a heavy hand on her shoulder. “Try to be more careful and watch where you’re going,” he said, dropping his hand.

  “Yes, sir,” she mumbled as the two instructors continued on their way.

  She brushed dirt off her pants and turned the corner, shoving her hands in her pockets. Her eyes widened. Her fingers had grazed something rough, something that hadn’t been there a few minutes ago.

  Struggling to maintain her composure, she ducked into the first bathroom she saw. She rushed straight to a stall and closed the door, digging the item out of her pocket. She could only hope Eprah didn’t have cameras inside toilet stalls too.

  As she unclenched her fist, a small piece of paper appeared. It was wrapped around a tiny object. She peeled back the paper, revealing a smooth silver disc no bigger than her thumbnail. Squinting, she raised the disc level with her eyes. She’d never seen anything like it before.