I knew what kind of chaos this government brought, and that was enough for me.

“We needed a way to help average out the country,” said Daxton once it was clear I wasn’t going to answer. “Yes, there are winners and losers. Yes, it is difficult for those who are at the bottom of the heap and those who lose loved ones to Elsewhere. But our society must make those sacrifices in order to survive.”

“Like the Harts make sacrifices?” I muttered.

“Someone must rule, and it is imperative that those who do know the ins and outs of the country. America has thrived under my family’s reign. This world exists because my grandfather had the courage to step up and give everything he had to fixing this country. Now, because of him, we have a controlled population whose value is decided through identical measurements, and they are given resources to equal their worth. Everyone contributes what they can. As a III, you could never hope to do the work of a VI.”

“But I can be a VII.”

“Yes, because VII is inherited, not earned.” He patted me on the knee, and I jerked away.

“Don’t touch me.”

Daxton leaned in close enough for me to smell the faint trace of whiskey on his breath. “Like it or not, this is how it’s been for decades, and this is how it’s going to stay. Everyone gets what they deserve based on what they’re worth, and if they do anything to take away from our society, they pay the price. The elderly can no longer do the jobs the young people can do, so they go. The criminals choose to take that risk, and when they’re caught, it’s usually not their first offense anyway. And the Is—” He shook his head. “Useless, drooling idiots, the lot of them. Some of them show signs of worth, and they’re kept in special facilities until we can determine that. But the vast majority do nothing but eat, sleep, and use up resources they do not earn. They have no place within society.”

“So you kill them.” It wasn’t a question. “Not even humanely, but as entertainment.”

He shrugged. “Occasionally, if they’re still alive after we harvest their organs.”

Sickened, I stood. Before I could storm off, however, Daxton grabbed my arm and held me in place. Remembering Celia’s words, I didn’t struggle. As much as I wanted to kill him for what he’d done to Nina, the price was my life, and she wouldn’t have wanted me to die because of her.

“Let’s get something straight,” he said in a low voice that slithered through me, chilling me to the bone. “You might have a VII on the back of your neck, but it only entitles you to the privileges that come with it as long as I say so. You aren’t here to change the world, Kitty. You’re here to do what I tell you. Don’t mistake your face with who you really are and what you’re worth to society. You are just as replaceable as Lila.”

“You think I don’t get that?” I said. “I know you own me. You didn’t need to kill Nina to prove it.”

His grip tightened, and I hissed in pain. “Do you know how we found you at that filthy club?” His eyes glittered with malevolence, and every trace of his usual charming facade was gone. “We looked you up, Kitty Doe. We tracked you down. We went to your group home, and your matron lied for you. Now she’s paid the price, and you only have yourself to blame.”

I blinked back tears, refusing to give him the satisfaction of making me cry.

“Luckily we did manage to find someone who knew where you were going,” said Daxton. “Benjamin Doe.”

All the blood drained from my face, and my knees buckled. “What did you do to him?”

His lips twisted into a calculating smile. “I see I’ve hit a nerve. How fascinating.”

“Tell me what you did to him, or I’ll throw you out of this jet.”

He chuckled. “I would love to see you try. We’ve done nothing to him yet. He shows quite a bit of promise, and we are of course keeping an eye on him, but he’s safe for the time being. You have my word that as long as you behave, he will live a long and happy life.”

So that was it. As sure as I’d been that they couldn’t possibly have known about Benjy, they knew anyway, and now his life was directly attached to how well I could sit, stay, and roll over.

There was nothing Daxton could possibly do that could ever make me hurt Benjy. Even if it meant putting up with this and staying silent about the things Lila had the courage to fight, Daxton had me, and he knew it.

When the jet landed and the pilot welcomed us back to the District of Columbia, I was so worn down and weary that I allowed Daxton to take my arm and lead me down the steps. Just like every other decent thing Daxton did, I knew it was only to show a waiting Celia that he had me, and her expression hardened as we walked toward the cars.

“Have a nice hunt?” she said. Daxton released me, and Celia wrapped her arm protectively around my shoulders.

“Lovely,” said Daxton as a guard opened the door for him. “I’m afraid all the excitement seems to have worn Lila out, though, so as soon as we get back to Somerset, you may want to put the poor dear to bed.”

“I’ll make sure to do that,” said Celia coldly. After Daxton got into the first car, Celia ushered me into the second, where Knox was waiting. I said nothing until the door was closed and we were driving away.

“Why didn’t you warn me?”

Celia fixed a drink from some sort of icebox in the side of the car, and she thrust the cold glass into my hand. “Because you needed to see it for yourself. Drink.”

“He killed Nina,” I said. “She was practically my mother.”

“I’m sorry,” said Celia. “Truly. But there’s nothing we can do about that now, and you need to calm down. You’re shaking. Please, drink.”

No, but there was something she could’ve done about it that morning. I took a sip and nearly spat the burning liquid out. “That’s disgusting.”

“It’s brandy,” she said. “It’ll help calm your nerves.”

I wrinkled my nose and set the drink aside. “What I need is a damn phone.”

“Don’t say damn,” she said, and Knox wordlessly fished something out of his pocket and offered it to me.

“What is that?” I said, taking it warily. It was a piece of glass roughly the size of my little finger, and it was so thin that I was afraid I would snap it in two.

“A phone,” he said. “Touch the screen.”

I brushed my fingertip against the surface. It lit up with blue symbols, and there were so many that I didn’t know which to press first. “How do I dial?”

Celia snatched it from me. “Who are you calling?”

“None of your damn business,” I said. She narrowed her eyes.

“I’m not trying to stop you. Tell me the number and I’ll dial it for you, but first I want to know who you’re calling.”

“A friend,” I snapped. “To make sure he’s still alive. Is that all right with you?”

Knox grabbed his phone. “Both of you, stop it. Kitty, what’s the number?”

I rattled off the number of the group home, and he dialed and pushed a button so I could hear it. Instead of ringing, however, the line clicked, and a cheerful voice spoke. “We’re sorry, but the number you have dialed is no longer in service.”

Knox pressed another button, and the blue light went dark. “Are you sure that’s the right number?”

“Positive,” I said numbly. “I’ve known it forever. Can you—can you try again?”

I repeated the number slowly, but the same message played. My chest tightened as if someone were squeezing a fist around my heart. “I don’t understand. It was working before.”

“Any number of things could have happened,” said Knox. “Nina was the matron of your group home, right? They probably shut it down after she was arrested and sent the kids somewhere else.”

“They wouldn’t hurt him, would they?” I said. “He’s not even seventeen yet.”

Celia sat across from us, her legs crossed and her foot bobbing up and down as she studied me. “What did Daxton say to you?”

“Does it matter?” Knowing Daxton, Benjy was probably already dead.