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Knox picked up on estured for theone, he held open his door foranywhere private with him

"Who are the Blackcoats?" I said softly Knox leaned down to answer, and his lips brushed against ht," he said "Why are hispering?"

He was deterahtened, his eyes narrowing as he studied s I talked about"

Several seconds passed, and I dugif I should walk away now before he lied and told , s--they had to be connected

"Those are the sas every rebellion has been about for the past seventy-one years," said Knox at last

"Groups have tried again and again to take down the Harts, but you’ve seen hoell that worked out"

"Except when Daxton’s wife and son died," I blurted, re the conversation I’d had with Nina the day I’d received ht told ht as well have

Knox paused, his gaze unfocused "Jameson and Yvonne died in a car accident There was no rebel involvement"

"Are you sure?" I said

"Positive This is the first tie, which is exactly why Augusta’s spooked"

Maybe Nina had been wrong after all, but the way he hesitated only confused me more "I’ve heard rumors--"

"Rumors are rumors because no one can back them up," he said shortly "I’ve explained what happened If you’re going to push it, I’ around"

"You don’t want to talk about theet it I’ve lost people, too But you will answer my question"

"I already told you--"

"Not that one The one before Was I or was I not involved with the Blackcoats?"

Knox eyedwhether or not I orth the truth "She got involved in that sort of thing about a year ago, and despite what Daxton wants you to think, she didn’t trust me I don’t think she trusted anyone, not even her mother The first time I heard the speeches hen I saw thens that he was lying

His expression was ly blank "Okay Thanks,"

I said If I let him know I suspected him, he would only try that much harder to hide the truth

"You’re welcome" Knox started to enter his room, and I hesitated in the doorway, another question on the tip of ue He stopped, his eyebrows raised "Was there so else?"

I cleared ed in his expression, soure out what it was "Yes My father and I take a se experience"

Bonding over hunting innocent people What could possibly bring a father and son closer together? And the way he said it, as if it were no big deal--as if all the fathers and sons in the ruling class did it For all I knew, they did

"Okay" I turned away and headed down the hall, and when I heard footsteps behind me, I stopped

"Lila," he said, and I refused to look at hi really, really sick of everyone calling ht Nothing fancy, but I figured you et a kick out of it Some of our friends will be there, and I’m sure they’d like to see you"

Friends Of course Lila had friends, and that would only ht The last thing I wanted to do was to see h to be able to tell the difference between us

However, it was exactly the opening I needed A chance to leave this place and find Benjy before it was too late

"Aren’t we on lockdown?" I said

Knox shrugged "That’s never stopped us before"

If the clubs Lila frequented were anything like the one where Daxton had found ive h if the club was close to Sohts

It didn’t matter Even if I had to walk there in heels, I would do it

"All right I’ll go," I said

"Knew you’d come around," said Knox with a wink

"See you at ten o’clock"

Once I was inside ainst the closed door and took a deep, shaky breath I had less than fifteen hours to not only coure out hoas going to convince him that underneath Lila’s face, clothes, and VII, I was really Kitty Doe, and I wasn’t nearly as dead as I was supposed to be

Chapter 9

The ht about it, the more impossible my plan felt With et lost in a crowd, but with Lila’s, all eyes would be on et away, sohts, I would stick out like a sore thumb A VII had never had a reason to set foot in our run-down suburb before

Even if I did make it to Benjy, ould happen after that? There were a s only the two of us knew that would prove who I was, but where could I take hiet his hands on hi in the massive bed that could easily have held five people

Eventually I gave up and draggedroom, where I collapsed onto the sofa in a cocoon of white fur I picked at the lunch tray the servants brought and tried to think of so caainst us Then again, they usually were, and that had never stopped me before

A knock on my door made me jump Knox wasn’t due for hours, and I scra hie of plans