Pawn (16 page)

I shivered. No wonder Lila had hated Daxton so much. Being forced to watch her father’s execution—I didn’t need to know what having a father felt like in order to imagine it. If Daxton had done that to me, I would have strangled him with my bare hands. Though he had in a way, hadn’t he? By murdering Nina in front of me. I’d wanted to kill him then, and if he hadn’t cuffed me to the railing, I would have.

Lila was smart enough to know that it wouldn’t have changed anything, though. Even if the title was passed down to Greyson, Augusta still ruled, and Greyson would have been risking his own life to go against whatever she said. Before Daxton died, there had to be a plan in place to stop her. But Celia, sick with desire for revenge, hadn’t thought it through. She’d only seen an opportunity and taken it.

“The night you got here was the first time in ten years that Lila was in Somerset and didn’t sneak into my room,” said Greyson. “I thought I’d done something to make you mad, but everything you say, the way you talk to me and look at me—it’s all wrong. You look like her, but you’re not her, are you?” He swallowed. “They Masked you, didn’t they?”

Augusta’s warning echoed through my mind, but there was no hiding it now. If he knew, there was nothing I could do to convince him I was her. So I nodded.

“Please don’t tell Augusta you know,” I whispered. “She’ll kill me.”

“So will my father.” Greyson grimaced as he looked at Daxton’s still form between us. “Is that what happened to Lila? Did they—did they kill her?”

“They did,” I said gently. “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t say anything for several minutes. My hand twitched as the desire to take his overwhelmed me, but I resisted. The last thing he probably wanted was for me, some screwed-up version of his best friend, to touch him. Instead I focused on the rise and fall of Daxton’s chest, wishing with everything I had that it would stop.

“Celia did this to him,” said Greyson suddenly, breaking the silence. I opened my mouth to protest, but he kept going. “Don’t bother denying it. I know my own family, no matter how many secrets they try to keep from me. I understand why she did it, too. If I’d had any idea they killed Lila...” He paused again, and at last he looked me in the eye. “How long have you been her?”

“About a month. Daxton bought me at a club on my seventeenth birthday. I was a III.” I searched his face for any sign of shock or disgust, but his expression was blank, and he held my stare without flinching. “He offered me a VII for helping him out, and he didn’t say how, but—he’s the prime minister. I couldn’t say no.” I tugged on a lock of Lila’s hair. “They took me to a car and knocked me out. When I woke up, I looked like Lila. I had no idea it was going to happen until it was already over.”

“That sounds like him,” said Greyson. “Who else knows?”

“Celia,” I said. “Knox. Augusta.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed. “So everyone. And none of them thought I should know that my best friend was dead.”

“I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but Augusta...”

He rubbed his eyes. “I know. You’re the last person who should apologize, and I’m sorry they put you through this. No one deserves to lose their identity like that. What’s your name?”

My name. It was such a small thing, but I’d thought no one would ever ask me again. “Kitty. My name’s Kitty.”

Greyson offered me a watery smile. “Kitty. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Greyson.” He stuck out his hand, and I took it. His grip was warm and firm. “Friends?”

Another thing I thought I’d never have again. I smiled back, and for a few precious seconds I allowed myself to push my nagging worries aside. Even if I was dead tomorrow, at least I would have this.

“Yeah,” I said. “Friends.”

* * *

After nearly a week in the infirmary, Celia was finally released. That night, someone knocked on the door, and I opened it, expecting to see Greyson. Ever since our conversation over Daxton’s bedside, we’d been spending more and more time together. We played card games and chess to pass the time, ate our meals separate from Augusta, and he told me everything he knew about Lila, things even Celia hadn’t known.

“She talked about running away all the time,” he said. “That’s why I made her that necklace. She felt trapped here, and I thought if she had a way out, maybe...maybe she wouldn’t leave me.”

“I can’t imagine her wanting to leave you,” I said, and it was the truth. I’d never met anyone like Greyson. Even though darkness permeated every corner of Somerset, he made me smile. He was no Benjy and I was no Lila, but he seemed to need a friend as badly as I did.

When I opened the door, however, Celia stared back at me, not Greyson. She was pale and unsteady on her feet, and I stepped aside to let her in, not wanting her to collapse in the doorway. She made her way slowly to the sofa and sat down with none of her usual grace.

Her dark hair was lank and dirty, and the circles under her eyes made her look like she hadn’t slept in days. Considering all she’d been doing was resting, I had no idea how she could still look so tired. The poison, I assumed. Maybe this was what it did to someone who survived.

“I hear you and Greyson have been talking,” she said. Her voice was hoarse.

“Yeah.” I tried to keep the wariness out of my tone. “He’s nice.”

“You’re lucky my mother’s been too busy to notice.” Celia stretched out across the couch and closed her eyes, leaving me no place to sit beside her. Instead I perched on the edge of an armchair and nervously picked at my nails. As the seconds passed and she said nothing, I scowled.

“What do you want?”

Celia cracked open an eye. “World peace. A hot bath. My real daughter and not a spineless replacement. You didn’t give him the full dose, did you?”

“I didn’t have time,” I lied. “The guards were coming, and Daxton was struggling. It was a miracle I got that much in him.”

“So you say,” she said mildly. “My fault for trusting you with it. If Daxton ever wakes up, I won’t make that mistake again.”

Infuriated, I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails cut into my palms. Any chance she had of finding out about Daxton from me vanished. “Did you just come here to insult me, or was there a point?”

“Of course there’s a point.” With a groan, Celia sat up. “Mother dropped by my suite and reminded me that before this whole mess started, Daxton scheduled a speech for you in New York tomorrow afternoon. Since I’m ill and he’s half-dead, Knox will escort you.”

I crossed my arms. Knox had made himself scarce since that night, leaving me to fend for myself. “What’s the speech about?”

“An apology for making them believe that there was ever a reason for revolution. I’ve given Knox your real speech, though. It’s about Daxton,” she added. “The media isn’t going to report on what happened, so it’s up to us to get the word out, starting in New York.”

“Why?” I said. If I went off script, there was no telling what Augusta might do to Benjy. “He’s not dead. What’s the point in telling everyone he’s in a coma?”

“Hope,” said Celia. “To show your supporters that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter what he wants the people to think, Daxton isn’t immortal.”

No, the dead certainly weren’t. I bit the inside of my cheek. “What if Augusta decides to have someone Masked in his place?”

“That’s exactly why we have to do this,” said Celia. “To make sure Augusta doesn’t have the chance. Having someone Masked is a risk, but she’ll do it if she has to. She’s already proven that.”

More than Celia knew. It would be so easy to stand on a podium and tell the world that Daxton wasn’t really Daxton after all; it would give Celia the opening she needed to snatch the country from her mother, but I would also be signing my own death warrant. Along with Benjy’s. “What will Augusta do to me?”

“Nothing. She’ll threaten and posture, but in the end, with Daxton in such bad condition, she needs you more than ever. Tell the world she’s lying about Daxton’s health, and they’ll flock to you. Lila’s supporters have more power than Daxton and Augusta want to admit,” she added. “That’s why you were Masked, and that’s why Augusta will still need you even if you go off script. Without Daxton, she won’t be able to charm the country into believing whatever she wants. Lila has that power. Do what I tell you, and I swear nothing will happen to you—or your boyfriend.”

I stared out the dark window, and I could feel her eyes boring into me. Celia would only accept one answer, and as long as Knox was going along with this, I had to believe that she was telling the truth. Knowing someone had been Masked as Daxton didn’t give me the upper hand; it painted an even bigger target on my back. If I didn’t gain some leverage I could use, my days after he died would be numbered. And if he woke up, I could very well be looking at the last hours of my life. Gaining the public’s trust after proving everyone else was lying to them could be the insurance I needed to buy more time. “Fine. Send Benjy with us, and I’ll do it.”

Celia’s smile was about as welcoming as broken glass. “Good girl.”

* * *

That night I crawled through the air vent toward Knox’s room again. Celia had left shortly after giving me a recording of a twenty-minute speech to memorize, and after listening to it twice, I needed a break. Walking over to Knox’s room would have been much easier, but I hoped Benjy would be there, and if Knox left, I didn’t want anyone wondering why I spent so much time alone with him.

I didn’t want to run into Celia again, either. When she’d handed me the earpiece with the recording of my speech, her hand had lingered, and even though I couldn’t be sure, I thought I saw her eyes watering. I didn’t know what that meant, but I knew it couldn’t be good.

Just as I reached the opening that would drop me into Knox’s suite, I heard the murmur of voices rise to meet me. I stopped, careful not to make a sound. The first person was Knox, but the second voice didn’t belong to Benjy.

“I know it isn’t ideal, but my mother has him under her thumb, and we can’t leave it like this. If we do, it will have all been for nothing.”

Celia. I inched closer to the opening, straining to catch her every word. They were going to finish Daxton off after all. Good.

“There has to be a better way,” said Knox, his voice tense with anger. “You can’t just get rid of him.”

“Of course I can. I have a responsibility to do whatever it takes.”

“Maybe it won’t come to that,” said Knox. “How do you know for sure he’ll do whatever Augusta wants? Have you considered talking to him about it instead of jumping to conclusions?”

I frowned. Knox had been fine with it before. Why had he suddenly changed his mind?

“And risk the entire operation?” Celia paused, and when she spoke again, her voice was much more sympathetic. “I know how much you care about him, Knox. I love him, too. But I’m not asking for your permission. I’m telling you as a courtesy, so you can say goodbye.”

“I’m not going to say goodbye to him, because you’re not going to do a damn thing,” said Knox. “And if you do, so help me, I will destroy you.”

“No, you won’t. You have just as much at stake as I do, and if I go down for it, so will you.”

“Then I’ll go down for it, too. But I’m not going to leave without warning him.”

“Go ahead, but don’t expect it to change things. Daxton killed my daughter, Knox, and I’m not going to let him get away with it.”

“So this is your solution?”

“Do you have a better one?”

“I can think of a dozen.”

Celia sighed. “You only think you can. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. Lila understood that, and so do you.”

“This isn’t for the greater good,” said Knox. “It’s revenge. They killed Lila, and your plan for Daxton didn’t work, so now you’re going to go after him.”

My eyes widened, and I covered my mouth to stay silent. She wasn’t talking about Daxton.

“Revenge or not, having Greyson in power will still give Augusta a direct line to the pulse of the country,” she said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stop her.”

“Then stop her. Leave Greyson out of it.”

“You don’t think I’ve tried? Mother is too well protected. She won’t let her guard down like Daxton.”

“Then find another way.”

“I’m sorry, Knox,” she said. “But there is none.”

I slid back through the vent, not waiting to hear the rest. Whether or not Knox warned Greyson, I would. He’d done nothing to deserve this, and no matter what it took, I wasn’t going to let Celia kill him.

XIV
Equals

I burst into Greyson’s suite, not bothering to knock. He stood behind a table, wearing goggles that made his eyes look twice as big as they were supposed to be. His living room had been converted into a workshop, with long counters covered with bits and pieces of things I couldn’t identify.

Looking up at my unannounced entrance, he set down whatever new thing he was working on. “Everything all right?”

I shook my head, grateful he wasn’t wasting time with pleasantries. “Celia wants to kill you.”

Greyson blinked owlishly. “Nothing new there. She’s had it in for all of us for ages.”

“This time she means it. I overheard her and Knox talking, and—”

“Kitty.” His voice cut through mine. “It’s all right. Even if she does try something, I have guards, and I can take care of myself. I appreciate the worry, but I know my aunt, and I know that no matter how fast she talks, she’d never hurt me.”

I balled my hands into fists. He didn’t get it. “No matter what you think she’s capable of doing, this time she’s going through with it. She has a plan.”

“What is it?” he said with the air of someone who had better things to do but knew the conversation wouldn’t be over until he heard it all.

I hesitated. “I don’t know. I overheard her and Knox talking, and I think he knows, but—”

“So you broke down the door to tell me that Celia’s going to kill me, and that’s it?” he said, not unkindly. “Do you know when?”

“Tomorrow. Knox and I are going to New York, and she’s going to do it then so we aren’t here to help you.”

“Then I’ll make sure to keep an eye out for her,” he said. I started to protest, but he cut me off. “Kitty, really. This is my family, and I know how they operate. Nothing’s going to happen.”

“Please,” I said, bursting with frustration. “Just
listen
to me. Celia’s crazy. She’s determined to get revenge on Daxton for what happened to Lila, and she said she’d do whatever it takes, even if it means hurting you.”

“She talks a lot, that’s all. She was blowing off steam. I’m flattered you came to warn me, but—”

“I’m the one who tried to kill Daxton.”

He stilled. “What?”

A knot of panic formed in my stomach. “Not because—I didn’t do it on my own, I mean. Celia, she told me to—”

“And you just do whatever Celia wants?” said Greyson softly.

“You have to understand. Daxton killed my friend, he killed the only parent I’ve ever had, he took away who I was—”

Without saying a word, Greyson headed into another part of his suite. I trailed after him, refusing to let the conversation end like this.

“He attacked me,” I said, stopping short of his bedroom. He stood with his back facing me, and his arms hung loosely at his sides. “He talked about how Lila was so pretty, and he—he—”

“Did he hurt you?” said Greyson quietly, and I shook my head.

“No. I kneed him and—used the syringe Celia gave me. I know it was wrong, but—”

“If you poisoned him, then why isn’t he dead?” said Greyson, finally turning to face me. He was pale, but other than that, he looked as if we were having a normal conversation. Not discussing how I’d nearly managed to assassinate the man he thought was his father.

“I couldn’t do it. I tried, and only half of it...” I swallowed tightly. “That isn’t the point. Celia arranged it. I stupidly went along with her, and I’m sorry—not because Daxton didn’t deserve it, but because it hurt you. Celia’s unhinged. She—”

Greyson raised his hand, and I fell silent. “My family has been fighting each other for longer than I’ve been alive. It’s how they keep themselves entertained. I stay out of it. They know that, and none of them come after me.”

“It’s different now that Lila’s dead,” I said. “Celia really wants to hurt Daxton, and she’ll do it through you if she has to.”

“I won’t let it happen,” he said. “Can you try to believe me for now? If I’m wrong, you’ll be the first to get to say I told you so.”

A dozen reasons why he was being absurd ran through my mind, but if he refused to help himself, there wasn’t much I could do about it. “Fine,” I said. “And if you do wind up dead, I’ll be mad at you.”

“I’ll be mad at me, too,” he said with a rare smile. “So let’s hope I’m right.”

* * *

Benjy wasn’t with Knox when he arrived at the airport the next morning, and I said nothing as we boarded. If they weren’t willing to let Benjy come, then I wouldn’t be their puppet anymore. Maybe once I opened my mouth and they realized I wasn’t saying the words they wanted me to say, they would start treating me like a person instead of a weapon.

Greyson weighed heavily on my mind as the jet tore down the runway. I was exhausted; I’d spent all night going over ways Celia could get to him, even with the guards he’d promised to keep with him. If she could get to the prime minister, Greyson would be a cinch. But I didn’t know how everything worked well enough to begin to guess how she might do it, especially in her frail state.

“I need to talk to you,” I said once we were gliding through the air and my ears no longer popped. Knox had his nose stuck in a book, and he didn’t even glance at me when I sat down across from him. I was supposed to be memorizing Celia’s speech, but since I wasn’t going to say it, there was no point.

“Knox,” I said, sharper this time. “We need to talk.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t bring Benjy, but he had to stay behind to take care of some things. I assure you he’s well guarded.”

“That’s not what this is about,” I said. “I know what Celia has planned.”

Knox raised an eyebrow, and finally he set his book down. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“She’s going to kill Greyson, and you’re going to let her.”

“You must not have heard our conversation correctly,” he said. “I made it perfectly clear that I’m not.”

“Then what are you going to do about it?”

“None of your business,” he said, opening up his book again. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have work to do.”

I glared at him, but he didn’t seem to notice. “I’m not giving Celia’s speech.”

Knox’s eyes stopped moving across the page. Now I had his attention. “Why’s that?”

“I said I would if Benjy came along. Benjy isn’t here, so I won’t. I would have considered it if you were nice, but you’re being a jerk, so—”

He snapped his book shut. “You do realize the world doesn’t revolve around you, yes?”

“I grew up with forty other kids and one adult to watch over us,” I said. “Yeah, I realize the world doesn’t revolve around me, thanks.”

“If you can’t accept that this is all bigger than you, then fine, say whatever you want. But the audience doesn’t want to hear about how the pain they feel every day of their lives isn’t real. They aren’t there to listen to you tell them that everything they’ve hoped for is a joke. If you want to take that away from them just to piss me and Celia off, then do it. Right now I have more on my mind than how to keep you happy so you’ll do the right thing.”

I glowered at him. This was another trick, another way to manipulate me, and I hated him for it, but that didn’t make him any less right. The people in the audience—they were me, but their marks would never magically turn into VIIs. The frustration I’d felt that had pushed me toward theft and following Tabs to a brothel—they lived with that every single day. I hated that Daxton hadn’t asked me whether or not I wanted to be Masked, but if he had, I would have said yes. I didn’t want to live my life miserable and desperate for something eternally out of reach. These people had never had a choice.

They didn’t need me to tell them that, though, not if their lives were anything like mine had been. And I couldn’t keep living under Celia’s thumb.

“I warned Greyson,” I said. “I told him that I was the one to go after Daxton.”

Knox exhaled, and for a moment I thought he was going to yell at me, but instead he closed his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Greyson probably already knew. Augusta treats him like a child, but he’s smarter than the rest of us combined.”

Smart enough to know his father wasn’t really his father? “Are you sure Celia won’t hurt him?”

“She knows Greyson’s security has been beefed up since the attack. If she wants to get to him, she’s going to have to be a lot smarter than she has been.”

“And what if she is?”

When Knox looked at me, I saw a hint of fear, and it scared me more than anything he could possibly have said. “Then she’ll spend the rest of her life regretting it.”

* * *

New York City was unlike D.C. in so many ways that at first I wondered if we were still in the same country. Buildings as tall as the sky rose around us, and there were so many people that the sidewalks seemed to overflow. The streets were blocked off to other traffic, and as we passed by in a limousine with tinted windows, everyone stared at us.

“How big is this place?” I said as we turned yet another corner. I craned my neck to try to see the top of the skyscrapers, but it was impossible. I’d never known anything that tall existed.

“It’s the biggest city in the country,” said Knox. We’d barely spoken for the rest of the flight, but once we stepped off the plane, I hadn’t been able to contain my excitement. Other than my brief stay at the Stronghold, I’d never been outside the District of Columbia before. Was this what the rest of the country looked like?

“How many people live here?” I said, my eyes glued to the skyline.

“Now? Ten million. Before the population laws were put into effect, there were over twelve million people living here.”

“And they have the rank system, too?”

“The entire country uses it.”

“Oh. Right.” My cheeks grew warm. I tried to distract myself by figuring out how many floors there were in one of the buildings, but we drove by too quickly.

“You’re pretty when you blush,” he said, which only made my face grow hotter. “Lila rarely ever got embarrassed.” He shifted closer to me, and the leather squeaked underneath him. “I have to admit, I’m curious what you’re going to do about Benjy. Seems he’s quite in love with you.”

“What do you mean?” I said, fighting the urge to move away. There wasn’t anywhere to go anyway.

Knox’s lips twisted into an amused smirk. “I mean, how do you expect to still be his girlfriend when you’re sleeping in my bed?”

I dug my nails into the gauzy fabric of my dress. “Benjy knows what’s at stake,” I muttered, turning away from him to stare out the window again. “Unlike some people, he doesn’t get jealous.”

“Are you sure?”

Knox’s lips were so close to my ear that I felt his warm breath on my cheek, and his fingertips danced across the back of my neck, tracing the three ridges underneath my skin. From anyone else, it would’ve been a warning, but from Knox it felt like a promise.

I shivered. If it weren’t for the fact that I needed him to get back to D.C., I would’ve murdered him right then and there.

Seconds passed like hours, and by the time I found the words to tell him off, he was halfway back to his seat, looking bored and distant, not tempting and warm and—

I really was going to kill him.

“Do you have your earpiece?” said Knox, and I nodded, forcing myself to focus on the passing buildings. If he was going to play these kinds of games, I’d play them, too.

“I don’t need it, though.”

“Oh?” he said. “Do you have the entire thing memorized?”

“Yes,” I said flatly, silently daring him to challenge me.

“Which speech will we have the privilege of hearing this afternoon?”

“I already told you, Celia and I had a deal. She didn’t hold up her end, so I won’t hold up mine. I’m not your puppet.”

“Yes, I realize that,” said Knox, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw his jaw twitch. Good.

Ten minutes later, the car pulled to a stop in front of a huge stadium, and through the door I heard a strange murmur. I pressed my ear against the window, and my eyes widened.

Lila, Lila, Lila—

The audience was chanting her name.

“Take your earpiece out so you don’t get confused,” said Knox, not seeming the least bit fazed. “Wouldn’t want you to start rattling off both speeches, would we?”

My mouth went dry. “How many people are going to be there?”

As the chauffer opened the door for us, Knox slid out first and offered me his hand. I didn’t take it. “It’s an open event, so anyone who wanted to come and could afford to take a day off will be there. Mostly IVs and above, but I suspect there will be some IIs and IIIs in the audience, too. Many of them are Blackcoat supporters, but the majority will be everyday citizens who’ve come to see you, and every last one of them already loves you. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about.”

I wiped my sweaty palms on my dress. Easy for him to say.

Together we walked into the building, where we were met by a guide who bowed but said little else. As he led us through the maze of concrete hallways, the sound of Lila’s name grew louder, and the very walls seemed to shake. The audience began to stomp their feet, and by the time we reached the platform that would lift me up onto the stage, I could barely hear myself think.

“You can do this,” shouted Knox. He set his hands on my shoulders and looked me straight in the eye, dead serious now. Whatever he’d tried to do in the car, those thoughts were gone now. “Those people are here for you. Remember who you are and what you’re here to do. If you want to give Augusta’s speech, I won’t stop you, but do me and all twenty thousand people out there a favor and remember what it was like when you were a III. Then decide what you’re going to say.”

My heart nearly stopped. “Twenty
thousand
people?”

“If I’d told you ahead of time, you would never have left the car.”

Now I had no choice. I yanked my earpiece out. “Here.” I closed his fist around it and stepped backward onto the platform. “This isn’t a game, and I’m not your damn pawn.”

“I know. Everything’s in your hands, Kitty. You’re in control. This is your chance to prove what kind of person you really are underneath that face.”

The platform began to rise, and Knox and I locked eyes until the lights onstage blinded me. The cheering turned into a wall of sound, and the bright lights wound up being a good thing—because even though I could hear them, I couldn’t see how large a crowd of twenty thousand people really was.