Fatefall - 35

Chapter 35 - Sage

It was Zara who orchestrated my escape. She organized a “surrender” and ambushed the Fates with dozens and dozens of Graced of Void long enough for a second team to rescue me. 

“What in the Fates were you thinking?” Poppy chided, pacing back and forth beside the couch.

Nakoa and Adrian remained silent, though Sage couldn’t blame them. Adrian held a bandage to the cut on his head, which had to be throbbing and Poppy hadn’t offered to heal it. Meanwhile Nakoa had mentioned that someone had used the Grace of Soul on her, and Sage knew from experience how horrible it felt to have one’s will overrode. 

To be quite honest, the whole scenario freaked him out. He didn’t like thinking about how close the assassins had come to forcing Nakoa into a surrender. What if Nakoa hadn’t thought to use her whistle? Or what would have happened if Moose hadn’t heard or known what to do? If Poppy, Jett, and Sage had arrived just a moment later, Nakoa might have lost the Tournament in less than a second.

And the nonchalant use of the Grace of Soul? Waking Nakoa up with sharp pain? It reminded Sage too much of his parents and the way they’d treated him. 

“You said you wouldn’t go after the assassins,” Poppy continued, exasperated. She threw her hands up in the air. 

“I said I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about my theory,” Adrian corrected. 

Poppy shot him a glare. “Those people are cold-blooded killers trained to murder. You’re lucky you made it out of there in one piece.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it,” Adrian said. “Nakoa knew how to handle the situation. She used her Grace, called for Moose, stalled for time, and saved my life.” He turned to Nakoa. “When this is all over, Nakoa, I would be honored to have you as a member of the Golden Guard.”

Sage had to look away. His eyes burned with unshed tears, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. Nakoa deserved this offer. She’d demonstrated more courage than Sage could ever hope to show in his pathetic excuse for a life.

So why did it feel like she was stealing something from him?

He shoved the thought away and opened the book on his lap, pretending to read. Beside him, Jett scooted his chair closer, laying a hand on Sage’s forearm. 

Sage willed himself not to react.

His mind wouldn’t stop replaying the moment on the beach when he’d seen the raw power of the Grace of Deceit. Jett’s fury had been tangible enough to taste, and it had been due to his devotion to Sage. The thought should’ve made Sage feel loved, but instead bile rose in his throat. He didn’t want to be the reason anyone turned into a monster.

His life felt like it was in shambles and he couldn’t quite figure out why.

Meanwhile, Nakoa seemed to be having a similar crisis. Her mouth twitched. “I…Thank you for the offer. I’ll have to think about it.” She dropped her gaze and fell silent.

Sage couldn’t blame her for being preoccupied. Ansel’s loss had affected her deeply. It was probably the reason why she’d joined Adrian on his little excursion. Any distraction was worth pursuing. 

“I hate to break it to you, but luck did have something to do with your survival,” Jett added. “You’re lucky Poppy managed to deescalate the situation the way she did. Otherwise, we’d probably all be dead.”

Adrian seemed mildly offended. “You think I can’t hold my own against a handful of assassins?”

“I seem to recall you tied to a chair and barely conscious,” Poppy challenged. 

“The details are irrelevant--”

Fortunately, Adrian’s argument was cut off by a loud knock at the door.

Fear paralyzed Sage. His mind raced through the possibilities---a mixture of nightmarish realities. The assassins changing their mind and thirsting for vengeance. Casey and his friends itching for another brawl. His parents preparing to drag him home kicking and screaming after they drain away the souls of his friends and forcing him to kill Jett and blood dripping from his fingers and… 

Another knock, more insistent this time.

“Please!” came a panicked voice from the hallway. “Is anyone awake? I have an urgent message from your sponsor! Koda said he needs to talk to you as soon as possible.”

Adrian was the first one up, crossing the distance to the door in less than a second. The lock clicked and the door swung open to reveal a young boy who couldn’t be older than twelve. His chin was smudged with dirt and his cheeks were flushed. As he took in Adrian, his eyes widened. “It’s really you!”

Sage cursed under his breath. The novelty of Adrian’s royal blood had worn off, but evidently the rest of the world still didn’t know the prince was competing in the Tournament. 

Adrian, however, chuckled. Sage stared at him in disbelief. 

“Relax, guys.” Adrian beckoned the messenger into the room and shut the door behind him. “This is Koda’s brother, Max. He probably already knew I was competing.”

Max nodded vigorously, still grinning. “I didn’t believe Koda when he told me, though. But then you weren’t at dinner the other evening and neither was Asher and I thought maybe you were having fun without me. I asked Koda about it and he said you were training because you’re part of the Tournament. He also said Asher isn’t feeling well, so I hope he feels better soon. You should give him my condolences--”

“Max,” Adrian interrupted, rubbing his temples. 

Sage felt a stab of pity. Max still didn’t know that Asher was dead, and while that was true for practically everyone, the way Max spoke about Asher implied that the two had a connection. Sage didn’t want to picture what Max would look like when someone finally broke the news to him. 

“You said Koda wants to talk to us?” Poppy pressed. 

Max’s attention shifted from Adrian to the rest of the room. “Who are those people?”

“My friends,” Adrian answered quickly. “But that’s not important. Is Koda okay?”

“I think so,” Max said. “He’s been home the past few days instead of working at the apothecary. My parents are worried about him…and so am I. He was sleeping in my room and then all of the sudden he woke up and said something about a breakthrough. He told me to come find you and tell you to come to the apothecary as soon as possible. I ran as fast as I could.”

“A breakthrough?” Adrian repeated. “Could it be something to do with the missing competitors?”

“Or with the research he did on my blood?” Poppy added.

“He said something about the final Trial. Oh, and he mentioned something about the Graces he took from people.” Max frowned. “There are missing competitors?”

“Also not important,” Adrian said. “Everyone, grab your coats. I have a feeling Koda’s going to blow our minds with whatever he found out.”

“Knock again,” Max suggested, his voice reedy with worry.

Adrian obliged, his face considerably paler than it had been when they’d arrived at the apothecary.

There were a dozen reasons why Koda might not answer. Or at least that’s what Sage told himself. Just like it was the cold, night air that made him shiver and not the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong. 

Sage moved closer to Jett, finding his hand and entangling their fingers. Jett gave a light squeeze.

“Maybe we beat him here,” Poppy said. 

“No way,” said Max. “He walks really fast---especially when he’s excited. I had to run all the way to your apartment, talk to you guys, and then return here. There’s no way Koda’s still out and about.”

“Also, the door is unlocked,” Adrian pointed out. “Koda never leaves his door unlocked.”

“Neither did Ansel,” Nakoa muttered under her breath. 

“Who is Ansel?” Max asked.

No one got a chance to answer because Adrian was already forcing his way into the house. 

Sage had been to plenty of apothecaries before. His parents liked to pretend that his lack of a Grace was an illness that could be easily remedied, which meant he’d spent a lot of time guzzling down cures and potions that never changed anything. Of course, the healers were always sworn to secrecy because, Fates-forbid, if anyone found out the Sage was Graceless, the kingdoms might just fall. He’d used back entrances and hidden storage closets for his appointments.

Koda’s business was entirely different.

Sage followed Adrian inside, pausing only to watch as Adrian carefully wiped his feet on the welcome mat and hung his jacket on the hooks inside the door. They made their way down a narrow hallway, emptying out into what could only be Koda’s office.

Or, rather, what had been Koda’s office.

Shattered glass carpeted the floor, coated with colorful liquids just beginning to seep into the wooden floorboards. A desk lay on its side, papers strewn across the floor and now soaked in what remained of Koda’s alchemy. 

Sage’s attention snagged on the bloody handprints stamped on the wallpaper. His stomach recoiled and he took a step backwards.

No. Koda couldn’t be dead. He was here. This was all some elaborate prank.

It was Max’s soft sniffles that finally broke the spell of silence that had fallen over Sage and his team.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Adrian murmured, wrapping Max in a hug. “We’ll find Koda--”

“Unlikely,” Nakoa grumbled. Poppy elbowed her in the side. 

“Do you think he’s alive?” Max asked between sobs. 

Adrian hesitated and Max began to cry harder. Jett tightened his grip on Sage’s hand, evidence of his mounting worry for Koda.

And while Koda’s disappearance was upsetting in a variety of ways, Sage was more concerned with the Tournament itself. Teams weren’t supposed to participate without the support of a sponsor, and with their sponsor missing, would Sage’s team be barred from competing? 

He shoved the thought away. There were more pressing issues to worry about, like Max’s breakdown. 

“Listen, Max,” Sage said, kneeling beside the young boy. “I know this is scary and you’re afraid Koda’s hurt, but trust me when I say that the Golden Guard will search this city brick by brick in order to find him.” With King Hector’s blatant reliance on Koda, Sage doubted he was exaggerating. “The Golden Guard will make sure they get him home safely, okay?”

Max wiped at his eyes. “What if the Golden Guard can’t find him?” 

“They will,” Sage assured him. “But first, we have to report that Koda’s missing. We have a time frame, right? He must’ve disappeared some time between when he left your house and when we arrived here. Someone with a Grace of Time can check and see what exactly happened in this room.” 

He shot a meaningful glance at Nakoa, hoping she would get his message.

Nakoa shook her head, then paused, as though she wanted to say something and changed her mind.

Which probably meant she’d tried to use her Grace and it didn't work. It was exactly what Sage had been afraid of. He’d wondered why no one had tried to use the Grace of Time to search for the missing competitors. His current theory? Someone with the Grace of Void or Time had to be working to mask the disappearances. 

“First thing’s first,” Adrian said. “We have to tell your parents what happened.”

Max’s lip wobbled.

“They’ll tell the Golden Guard,” Sage cut in. “And then the investigation will start. The sooner Adrian takes you home, the sooner everyone can start searching for Koda.”

Max nodded. “You’ll look too, won’t you? I…I don’t want the Golden Guard to be the only people searching.”

“Of course,” Sage said, ignoring the nausea roiling in his gut. He did want to search for Koda, he just wasn’t sure if he’d have the time for it. “My friends and I will all take some time to look for Koda. We’ll find him, I promise.”

“Thank you,” Max said, wrapping Sage in a hug. 

“I guess we’ll be heading out now,” Adrian sighed, grabbing Max’s hand. “Before you guys go back to the apartment, I’d really appreciate it if you could check out the rest of the apothecary.” He frowned. “And be careful. I don’t think these disappearances are a coincidence.”

Jett gave a humorless laugh. “Careful? We’re always careful.”

Much to Sage’s dismay, the careful investigation of Koda’s house yielded no results. He and his teammates searched every bit of the wrecked vials and cleaned up the spilled potions, but they found no information regarding Koda’s “breakthrough”, research, or disappearance.  

Adrian was devastated, but after dropping Max off at home, he explained that the Golden Guard would be taking up the case with renowned fervor. 

And as much as Sage intended to keep his promise to Max, he had no leads on Koda’s whereabouts and no time. Most pressing was the third Trial, its date still unannounced but looming overhead nevertheless. And, of course, there was still the issue of freeing Jett’s parents. Not to mention the constant worry of an attack from either Sage’s parents, Casey and his crew, the other assassins, and whoever was kidnapping competitors.

Fates, Sage had too many enemies… 

And yet perhaps the most anxiety-inducing problem of them all: the Fete.

Securing an outfit turned out to be the easiest part of the Fete. It took a little bit of bribery, but Sage knew which of the cleaning staff at his house liked to frequent the taverns before work. He easily cornered one of his mother’s oldest maids and offered her a fair amount of payment should she happen to sneak one of Sage's suits out of the house. He met her an hour later right outside the gardens and left with a suit in tow.

The suit in question was a deep burgundy color with gold embellishments. Not exactly his taste, but considering he hadn’t picked it out himself, he figured it would work well enough.

Hopefully it didn’t clash with whatever Jett ended up wearing…

A ridiculous thought, considering Jett and Sage weren’t going to the Fete together. Or, at least, that’s what Sage assumed since they’d never discussed it. That, and the fact that Jett had left the apartment nearly four hours ago and had yet to return. 

Sage fiddled with the mask in his hands. Adrian was long gone, as he’d apparently be attending the ball as a prince and not as a competitor. Poppy and Nakoa had left early in the afternoon to take Moose for a walk and leave him at Ansel’s place so he wouldn’t tear up the apartment during the Fete. 

The Fete would begin in less than an hour. Sage knew the walk wouldn’t take that long, but he guessed that the line for admittance might stretch on for blocks. Did competitors get easier entry? Sage wished he had someone to wait in line with, knowing the entire city would probably show up to the stupid dance. They would attend for the food and the Unmasking Ceremony and then probably leave.

The Unmasking Ceremony. Sage shuddered, looping the ribbons from the mask around his fingers. He wondered if his parents would be in attendance. Would they make a scene?

Perhaps it would be better if he didn’t go at all…

There was a knock at the door. Sage bolted upright, reaching for the dagger Poppy had left on the side table.

It was only Jett…with a girl at his side.

Sage recognized her copper curls and freckled face, although it took him a moment to remember her name. “Evangeline?”

“Sage,” Evangeline regarded him calmly. “You look nice tonight.”

“You too,” Sage responded curtly. Which she did in her satin gown, but Sage’s attention was elsewhere. Namely Jett.

He’d been so afraid his suit would clash with Jett’s, and apparently his worries had been for nothing. Jett wore a navy blue suit with golden embroidery…very similar to Sage’s. He looked uncomfortable as he shifted his weight back and forth. It almost looked like he was leaning closer to Evangeline. The thought brought a jealous blush to Sage’s cheeks.

“I thought I’d invite Evangeline to attend the Fete with us,” Jett explained, his words cool with a hint of…was that nervousness? “I figured with all the people who might try to kill us, it might be nice to have an extra ally patrolling the premises.”

Evangeline rolled her eyes. “Liar. I’m here to act as a bodyguard.”

Sage stared at her blankly.
Jett sighed. “After what happened with Casey and his little entourage, I…I didn’t want to take any chances. The Fete is supposed to be fun, Sage. It’s supposed to be a night for us to remember, in case we, y’know…” He drew a line across his neck and mimed dying. “Evangeline is tough and I asked her to keep an eye out for anyone who might try and ruin the night.”

“Oh.” Sage didn’t know how to respond. “Do you really think they’ll be a problem after…” He stumbled over the words, unsure of how to describe Jett’s attack on Casey and his friends.

Jett grimaced. “Yeah, sorry about that. I…I don’t know what came over me, but I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Sage frowned. “Forgive you? Jett, you saved me from Casey’s anger.” Albeit a little unconventionally.

“I guess so,” Jett sighed, though he didn’t sound like he believed it. 

He probably felt worse about the whole situation than Sage did, and Sage began to wonder what exactly Jett’s Grace had done to the other boys. 

“Regardless, Jett also promised me that I can keep anything I pickpocket as long as I don’t get caught,” Evangeline added. “But if we don’t get going soon, we won’t even make it to the Fete to begin with.”

“I just need to grab my mask and then we can leave,” Jett said, hurrying into the bedroom. 

Sage tried to put on his own mask, but the ribbon was slippery and the mask nearly slid off his face. His glasses were tucked into one of the pockets of his suit so he could wear them upon the end of the Unmasking Ceremony. His fingers shook. The Unmasking Ceremony.

“Need help?” Evangeline asked, apparently noticing Sage’s struggle.

He nodded and she stepped closer, tying the ribbons on the mask tight enough that it didn’t slip.

“Jett really likes you,” Evangeline whispered before she stepped away.

Sage froze, his heart skipping a beat. “Yeah?” 

“I’m being serious,” Evangeline said, sounding sincere indeed. “I’ve never heard him talk about anyone the way he talks about you.”

“Well, we’re really good friends--”

Evangeline scoffed. “I see the way you look at him, Sage.” Her expression softened. “Don’t break his heart. He’s suffered enough.”

“I don’t plan on it,” Sage whispered, fully meaning it.

Evangeline nodded, satisfied. 

Jett appeared a few minutes later, his golden mask nearly identical to Sage’s. Yet another way they’d somehow managed to coordinate outfits with planning. It had to be a sign or something.

The walk to the castle took longer than usual due to the large crowds that populated the streets. Still, Sage found himself enjoying the stroll. Evangeline regaled him with stories from her experiences with Jett. She told him about the time her and Jett had taken a bet to see who could pickpocket more people in a matter of an hour. Jett had won, but only because Evangeline was used to burglary as opposed to pickpocketing. They paid their bills using stolen goods traded in at pawn shops or returned for ransoms.

At first, Sage had been a bit envious of the close relationship between Evangeline and Jett. He’d grown up without close friends, so to see Jett shamelessly teasing and laughing with Evangeline felt like a dagger to his chest. 

But then the tone of Evangeline’s stories turned darker and Sage recalled her words from earlier. He’s suffered enough. And evidently he had.

Evangeline had first met Jett when she found him on the side of the road, huddled in a ball under a shopkeeper’s sign. It had been nearly two weeks since he’d arrived in Xegalla and he’d yet to have a meal or drink anything beside water from the puddles in the streets. He was severely starved and dehydrated, practically unconscious by the time Evangeline picked him up. Apparently, Jett reminded her enough of her own little brother to rescue him and she took him back to her newly rented place and nursed him back to health. They’d been partners in crime ever since.

Of course, the stories of Jett’s suffering didn’t end there. He stayed mostly silent as Evangeline narrated, much to Sage’s surprise. He seemed to be preoccupied, probably with the Fete. 

Sage hadn’t been the first person to catch Jett pickpocketing. First was a man who punched Jett hard enough in the face to break his nose---a fact that Sage had been shocked by until he recalled Jett’s Grace and his permanent illusion of appearance. There’d been a dozen more encounters, the peak of which had been an older woman who’d flogged Jett publicly, and when he refused to pay her back for the stolen loaf of bread, she’d cut off his finger to mark him as a thief.

It was the dark days, right after the first Fatefall Tournament, Evangeline had explained. No one was in their right mind. The competition made them scared, and their fear made them dangerous. Jett had been lucky to escape with his life, even if he’d bear the mark of a thief forever. 

By the time they arrived at the Fete, Sage couldn’t help but feel simultaneously impressed and sympathetic for Jett. 

He’d been a refugee, forced to flee his country only to find himself persecuted in another. For years he’d worked tirelessly to scavenge enough not only to survive, but to keep his parents alive too. Sage wished he could possess strength and courage like that. 

Luckily, Sage could force all of these thoughts away and focus on the Fete. His tattoo got him into the Fete for free with “luxury treatment”, although Evangeline had to wait in the general admittance line. 

The royal courtyard was practically bursting at the seams with life and people. It was such a startling contrast from the past few times Sage had visited that he felt disoriented. Where was Adrian? And Poppy and Nakoa?

Actually, better question: where were his parents and all the other people he wanted to avoid? 

Sage surveyed the crowd. One half of the courtyard was blanketed in round tables clothed in gold. It seemed fairly busy, especially as people raided the banquet tables and the king and queen looked on in distaste. He knew his parents were most likely seated at the table closest to the royals, probably in the hopes of recognition. 

Meanwhile, the other half of the courtyard seemed to be ten times worse. The royal string quartet stood on an elevated platform that overlooked the rest of the courtyard. They played a variation of pieces while couples below danced and twirled in time to the music.

Sage’s stomach twisted itself into a knot, his lungs constricting when Jett took his hand.

“Looks fun, doesn’t it, Goldie?” Jett remarked.

Sage couldn’t have disagreed more. He’d attended plenty of balls and festivals during his childhood, enough to know that he couldn’t dance to save his life. But admitting that to Jett felt…terrifying. And humiliating. 

“Sure,” he managed to squeak.

“Fates, you’re worse at lying than you are at flirting,” Jett laughed.

Sage felt a blush rising to his cheeks and wished that his mask covered more of his face. “It’s been a while since I’ve waltzed--”

“Wonderful, because I never bothered to learn all those fancy-pants dances anyways,” Jett said. He hesitated, as though waiting for Sage to come up with a smart retort. “Fates, Goldie, don’t look so upset. We don’t have to dance if you don’t want to. I was just kidding.”

“I want to dance,” Sage insisted, surprised that it was true. Maybe it was his wounded pride talking, or maybe his curiosity as to what dancing with a partner one actually liked would feel like. 

Jett gave a warm smile. “Then may I ask to have your first dance?”

Sage nodded, not trusting his voice not to squeak. He held out his hand and Jett took it, and together they stepped into the crowd of dancers.

There were so many bodies and the chatter of flirting couples drowned out the music. Sage felt alive with nervous energy, but then Jett gently encircled Sage with his arms. The position was slightly awkward considering Sage was taller. Their steps were wrong and out of time and they bumped into the couples around them, but Sage couldn’t have cared less.

Because when Jett leaned into him, the rest of the world couldn’t have mattered less.

Sage didn’t need to win the Tournament or have a Grace or prove himself to anyone. All he wanted was the beautiful boy in his arms.

Author's Note

Sorry about the long chapter and the even longer wait, but I couldn't split this chapter into more parts due to pacing issues. Happy reading!