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“You were going to try to leave, weren’t you?” I asked quietly. That was the reason she was so angry. Alex had ruined whatever she had planned. Since she was already mad, I might as well get everything out on the table.
“Who was that woman you were meeting down in Chicago?” I asked, curious if she’d tell me the truth.
She swallowed her shock quick, but not fast enough for me not to notice.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The day we found you. I saw you in a café with her.”
“If Alex saw me with anyone else—”
“Alex didn’t see you. I did. He didn’t catch up to me until you were leaving the café. I never told him.”
She stared at me in disbelief.
“Who is she? You hugged, so you have to know her pretty well.”
She didn’t answer, so I asked a different question.
“What did you clear off your laptop the night you got here?”
She kept her mouth closed, with obviously no plan to answer me, and my annoyance flared.
“Really, Sage? I’ve done all I could. I’ve kept your secrets. I’m still keeping them. From my own family. And you can’t come clean about two questions?”
“Come clean? To you? To the man tasked with babysitting me?” she sneered. The broken look was gone and was replaced with a fierceness that unnerved even me. She would never stop fighting.
“I’ve helped—”
“You’ve helped because of your guilt. Your twin killed Lacey. You were there. Part of your fucked-up cult ceremony.” She was throwing it all out there.
I stayed silent, knowing it was about time we talked about it. I had been dreading it. I barely liked thinking about it.
“My life is so messed up that I don’t completely loathe the guy whose job it is to watch me.” She laughed darkly. “Do you realize how messed up all of this is?”
“Yeah, I do,” I muttered.
“You do? You don’t think it’s some normal thing because that’s what your society thinks? It’s just normal to sacrifice people. It’s normal to hunt down people who find out about their secret. I’m going to be stuck with you and your brother for a long time. I really want to know what you think about all this.” She took a breath, glaring at me.
I averted my gaze. She clearly wanted an answer. But nothing I said would make her feel better. To my group and my family—yes, that was normal. But now, I wasn’t as sure. The questions I’d been asking myself ever since this all started had been taunting me.
“Why don’t you wear your ring anymore?” she asked me quietly.
“What?”
“Your ring. The ring the society wears. Before the trip up north, you wore it all the time. I never saw you without it. Just like Alex. You had it around your neck when you found me in Kalamazoo. But I haven’t seen it since I’ve been here.”
“Aren’t you observant? That doesn’t mean much. Half of the group doesn’t wear theirs in public. The thing can attract attention.” I didn’t know why I was being defensive. The loyalty to the group, that’s why. It was engrained in me. The group came before anything else.
“Or maybe it’s because the guilt of what you’ve been a part of has made you see things differently,” Sage said softly.
I became guarded. What was she playing at?
“Niko, I can see you’ve changed. The way you are with me when Alex isn’t around. Even back when you found me. You still had your asshole attitude, but something was different about you. For one, you came to warn me. You don’t talk about the society like Alex does. You seem to have distanced yourself. Even from your parents. It’s okay to change.” She finished her speech and watched me thoughtfully.
I was irritated with how easily she’d picked up all that. Sharing my thoughts wasn’t something I ever enjoyed. “Doesn’t matter what I think. Your life. Your dad’s life. Not up for me to decide anything. You chose to be with Alex. To be with him and survive. You got your wish.”
“But if you feel different, then you can stand up and do something. You could help me—”
