“Good. I’m pleased you both understand what’s at stake.” She focused on me. “Kitty, darling, why don’t I give you two another moment, and once you’re finished, you come see me in my suite? I’ve got something I’d like to discuss with you.”

I nodded weakly. A discussion with Celia right now couldn’t be a good thing.

She slipped back through the door, leaving me and Benjy alone again. He laced his fingers in mine. “I don’t trust her.”

“She’s up to something,” I said, and with a sigh, I told him about the deal we’d made. About how I’d agreed to continue Lila’s work.

Benjy stood and started to pace in front of the couch. “Do you realize what could happen? I’m not going to let you do this to yourself.”

“You don’t have a choice,” I said. “I don’t, either. They know how much you matter to me. When the Shields went to the group home to find me on my birthday—”

Benjy stopped. “I told them where you’d gone when they came back. I thought if they caught up with you in time, you wouldn’t have to—you know, and they had no proof you were stealing...”

He trailed off, but he didn’t have to finish. “I know,” I said. “I’m glad you did. If you hadn’t told them, you and Nina would have both—”

I couldn’t make myself say it. Benjy blinked hard. “She’s really gone?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice breaking. “I didn’t know. If they find out I told you everything, they’ll send you there, too.” I paused. “We have to pretend we don’t know each other. You can’t be—happy around me or even hint that you suspect. I don’t want anything to happen to you, okay?”

“I don’t want anything to happen to you, either.” The seconds ticked by, but finally he nodded. “All right. We can do this, but I swear if they hurt you—”

“They won’t, and if they do, then we’ll figure something out. We’ll run away if we have to.” I glanced toward Knox’s closet. “Benjy, if you ever need to leave—”

A knock echoed through the room, and a moment later Knox entered. “I see you two have become better acquainted,” he said, heading back to his desk. “Celia wanted me to remind you that she’d like to see you.”

“Right.” I stood, and without warning, Benjy caught me in a giant bear hug and kissed me deeply. Unless Knox gave us another moment alone, it would likely be our last for a long time.

“Hey,” said Knox. “That’s my fiancée you’re kissing.”

I could have killed him for that. Benjy immediately let go of me, and my insides twisted as I watched him return to the other room without once looking back.

I glowered at Knox. “Thanks for that.”

“You’d better get used to it,” he said. “No one else is going to be so forgiving if they find you kissing my assistant.”

“Yeah, we know.” I stormed toward the door. Before I yanked it open, I added, “Why did you even bring him here?”

“Because I thought you would be glad to see him again.”

“Yeah, but Daxton and Augusta know he’s here, don’t they?”

He sighed and removed his glasses. “They won’t hurt him.”

“As long as I behave,” I said. “Except you and Celia are asking me to do the exact opposite.”

“You will be protected,” he promised. “As will Benjy.”

“Just like you protected Lila?” I said. He was quiet for a long moment.

“If Daxton and Augusta wanted to kill him, no bunker in the world would keep him safe forever,” he said. “This way, he gets to live his life—a charmed life at that, as a VI and the future minister of ranking’s most trusted adviser. If we all survive this, he will have more opportunities than he ever dreamed of before today.”

“And if we don’t?” I said tightly.

“Then he would have died no matter where he was. At least now he knows the stakes. He knows you survived. And you will both have each other for however long circumstances allow.”

I remained still as a silent war raged within me. I would never be with Benjy like I’d planned, not anymore. But he was here now. He knew I wasn’t dead, and I would get to see him as often as I liked. And despite my anger, I knew Knox had a point. No one could hide from the government, not forever. Benjy deserved the chance to live the life he’d earned with his VI, and no matter what happened, I would do everything I could to make sure Daxton never got to him like he’d gotten to Tabs and Nina.

“Thanks,” I said, forcing the words out through my clenched jaw. “For letting me see him. You’re sure he’ll be safe here?”

“Safer here than someplace where no one’s watching his back,” said Knox. “And you’re welcome.”

At last I left. Before heading to Celia’s suite, I returned to mine and changed out of my nightclothes. My mind raced with the possibilities of how Daxton and Augusta might use Benjy against me, and by the time I knocked on Celia’s door, I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down. I would tell him about the secret passageway the first chance I got. At least then we’d both have a way out.

“There you are,” said Celia. “Come on in.”

Just like my suite, hers was luxuriously decorated. Everything from the couches to the carpet was a rich purple, and framed pictures of her, Lila, and a man I didn’t recognize were everywhere. I sat down on the sofa and tried not to look nervous.

“I don’t need to tell you the danger Benjy is in,” she said, sitting across from me and pouring herself a cup of tea. She offered me one, and I shook my head. “When Knox approached my brother about taking him on as his assistant, Daxton was thrilled with the idea.”

My blood ran cold. “Knox said he was safe here.”

“Knox is an idealist. I’m a realist.” She took a sip of her tea. “You won’t be useful to them forever, you know, and when the time comes, no amount of protest is going to save Benjy, either.”

“I won’t let them hurt him,” I said.

“Is that so? How do you plan on stopping them?”

I looked at my hands. Once I told Benjy about the passageway, he might have a chance to escape when the time came. With Lila’s face, I would never be able to hide in a crowd, but Benjy—he could do it.

“Why are you telling me this?” I said.

“Because I have a solution for you.” Setting her teacup down, she fished a cloth bag from her pocket. It was the same bag Knox had handed her earlier. Reaching inside, she pulled out two small syringes. One was filled with purple liquid, and the other clear. “Have you ever used one of these before?”

I leaned back into the sofa, as far away from her as possible. I remembered all too well the night Daxton had knocked me out with a needle. “I’m not taking that.”

“I’m not asking you to.” She held up the purple one. “This is a nonfatal dose. This—” She held up the clear syringe. “This combination will stop the heart almost instantly once it’s administered in full.”

My hands shook, and I shoved them underneath my legs to keep Celia from noticing. “Is that your solution? You’re going to kill Daxton?”

“No,” she said calmly. “You are.”

XII

Bloodbath

According to Celia, the plan was foolproof.

She would take the purple dose near Daxton’s suite and toss the syringe into the small fountain nearby. The evidence would dissolve, she claimed, and no one would be any wiser.

After that, she would stumble around the corner and distract Daxton’s guards. Thirty seconds—that’s all she would have before she passed out, and that was where I came in. While the guards were busy attending to her, I would sneak into Daxton’s room and find a way to give him the fatal dose. Someone had disabled the security cameras, she assured me, and no one would be able to pinpoint it on me. Once I was done, I would sneak back out, get rid of the syringe, and return to my suite to wait for the news of Daxton’s death.

It would look like someone had attempted to poison them both, Celia said. It would take the blame off her, and Knox would vouch for me if it came to it. Augusta would blame some unknown assassin, likely associated with the Blackcoats, and there would be chaos for days. But Daxton would be dead, and Augusta didn’t have Greyson on a tight leash like she did her son.