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Seeing the Harts gathered under black uround--it was the only ti it wasn’t a car accident?"

"I’ even if it was, you would never know But the world is out there, and it understands that the illusion of knowledge and freedo Eventually it will fade, and there are those ill do whatever it takes to make that happen sooner rather than later" She set her hands on ht in the eye "Listen to me, because I will only say this once You have a choice You can choose to accept the hand the Harts dealt you, or you can pick yourself up and do soet myself killed?

It’d be better than this, that’s for daave you and live your life underground, then why not do so I do willaway"

"It onlybecause the Harts decided it did, and ent along with it," she said "You are more than the nuet that"

Never forget that if I’d been born a hundred years earlier, I would never have had to deal with any of this?

"I won’t"

"Good girl" She patted my cheek "I trust you not to tell any of the kids about this Not even Benjy It’s safer for hiet him into trouble But you’re an adult now, and it’s ti on If you want to do so hile with your life, all you have to do is say the word, and I’ll put you in touch with people who can help"

I hesitated "Who--"

A loud knock on the door made me jump Nina wiped her hands on her apron and muttered a curse, and the tension in the air disappeared "Don’t you dare touch anything," she said, bustling into the hallway

The er into the bowl and hooked a gob of dough It ht of our conversation forgotten My last meal in the only home I’d ever knoould include my favorite biscuits

That was a nice surprise And all I wanted today were nice surprises, not the kind that could get me killed

Maybe once Benjy had his VI and was safe, I would talk to Nina Right now the only thing I could think about was hoas going to survive the next entleh the hallway and into the kitchen, and I could tell by her tone that it wasn’t someone she knew

"Nina Doe?" said an authoritative voice Moving silently across the kitchen, I peeked around the corner, and a gasp caught in my throat

An official dressed in black and silver stood in the doorway Beside him, with a deep scowl on his face, stood the Shield fro you need?" said Nina briskly to the ainst the wall and frantically searched for a way out I could escape through the back door, but there was a chance they’d brought others Besides, the fence was too high to juo around the front way anyway

I was trapped

"Ma’a for Kitty Doe," said the official, and I forcedwouldn’t help There had to be soaze fell on the cabinet underneath the sink, and I hurried toward it It would be tight, but there was a chance they wouldn’t look there I slipped inside and closed the door seconds before three sets of footsteps entered the kitchen

"I’m sorry, but she isn’t here," said Nina "May I ask what this is regarding?"

"Government business," said the Shield, and he didn’t need to elaborate Nina and I both knehat that meant: a bullet with e uniform there? Surely the Shield froer hirew nearer, and I held ainst a pipe, and I had to curl into a ball to avoid hitting the sink above me The cheainst et in every last beat it could before it stopped

The footsteps paused in front of the sink, and I winced at the rush of water when someone turned on the faucet

"I’m happy to tell her you dropped by when she comes home," said Nina, her voice distorted from the water, but nearby She was in front of the sink, blocking the cabinet Did she knohere I was hiding?

"Do you mind if we look around?" said Sampson

Nina shut off the water "Since when do you people ask permission?"

Another shuffle of footsteps, this ti on?"

Benjy My body went nuroped around for some kind of weapon to use If they touched hi way-- "These men would like to knohere Kitty is," said Nina tartly

"Couldn’t say," said Benjy, and his footsteps grew louder as he neared the sink I heard a light slap of skin against skin He ot separated"

"Turn around," said the Shield, and for one awfulto arrest Benjy He couldn’t, though--Benjy was still underage

"Still as blank as it was an hour ago," said Benjy His neck The Shield was checking his rank "She’s not stupid enough to come back here, so if you want to find her, I’d reco at the train station Or possibly the clubs," he added "She’s considering that, as well"

I opened and shut my mouth, horrified Did he really hate the idea sokilled over it?

"Very well," said Sampson "Thank you for your cooperation If you don’t "

"By all means," said Nina The men’s footsteps echoed out of the kitchen and down the hall, and above me I heard Nina mutter, "Politest bastard I’ve ever met Is she back there?"

Benjy hed "Then let’s hope she et out of here before they see her"

I didn’t announce oing on that I couldn’t see Occasionally I heard the lowin another roo back, but they never searched the kitchen "Rotten, uppity nuisances," said Nina after the front door opened and shut, and I knew the coast was clear "Promise me that when you’re marked, you won’t turn into one of those VIs that thinks he’s better than the rest of us"

"You mean there’s another kind?" I said

I pushed open the cabinet Benjy stumbled backward, and Nina dropped her spatula on the floor