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My hands shook, and I shoved the "Is that your solution?

You’re going to kill Daxton?"

"No," she said cal 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 stuuards Thirty seconds--that’s all she would have before she passed out, and that here I ca to her, I would sneak into Daxton’s rooive him the fatal dose Someone had disabled the security cameras, she assured me, and no one would be able to pinpoint it on et 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 blausta 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

"What if I don’t want to?" I said, and Celia gave me a look that could have melted diamonds

"Whose life do you value u to do, though There had to be another way, one that didn’t involve taking so many chances, but Celia was adamant

Daxton was due to travel across the country the next day now that lockdoas over, and if I wanted to do this, it had to be now

"The first ti, he’ll murder Benjy," said Celia "You know that"

I did, but that didn’t mean I was ready to kill someone with my bare hands

I hid behind a corner a few yards from the entrance to Daxton’s suite, which took up two levels of an entire wing on the opposite side of the e and tried to remember that this was for Tabs and Nina and everyone else who had died because of Daxton This was nothing more than justice, and if anyone deserved to die for his crimes, it was hi the world a better place, when the most I could have hoped for as a III was an early death, I couldn’t see hoas benefiting anyone but those ere lucky enough to be born into a position of power Or like Benjy, sh to earn it And while I knew better than to think Celia was doing this to help hter So far she’d shown remarkable restraint, but itthis was her plan all along

Celia’s strangled cry echoed down the corridor, and they were soon joined by shouts frouards When I peeked around the corner, I sao unifor violently Horrified, I stared, forgetting for a moment that my time was limited What if she wasn’t okay?

No I had a job to do Celia would be fine, and even if she wasn’t, she illing to risk it in order to give me a chance to kill Daxton

I shookit as silently as I could Once I slipped into the dark living rooht was on underneath an adjacent door Taking a breath, I knocked

"Come in," said Daxton distractedly If he had any idea about the co inside, I glanced around, e Daxton sat behind a massive black desk that spanned nearly the entire width of the roo surrounded us, each shelf packed tightly with volumes that looked like they hadn’t been touched in decades A pair of fountains trickled on either side of the door, but what caughton the wall behind Daxton In the painting, he sat on what could only be called a throne, his wife posed beside hiusta stood behind her, and I could alh the canvas

Jameson, Daxton’s elder son, stood at his other side, his chin raised with pride He was handsoered nearby, s part of the portrait was Lila, who stood on the fringes of the frame, her blond hair perfectly curled and her expressionher mother’s She hated the family as much as Celia did, and I still didn’t understand why Was she parroting herin her footsteps? Or was there a reason no one had explained to me--a reason Lila had risked her life for the people beneath her?

I opened er and looked down into a screen on his desk

"Yes, I realize that, Creed," he said "Do reh they outnuranted at my pleasure If they do not like the allocation of funds for the next quarter, there are dozens of others ould be happy to sign their nae for the title of minister"

"Of course," said a man--Knox’s father "I will let the council know Thank you for your time, Prime Minister"

Daxton waved his hand over the htened, and a poisonous smile spread across his face "Ah, Kitty I see you’ve been released"

"Yeah, they told me lockdoas over"

"Did you see the present I left you?" he said, and I hesitated

"You mean Benjy?"

"Indeed And how is your little friend?"

I pressed , like I was soood, I think And don’t worry," I added "I’ to tell him who I am"

"Of course you won’t You’re far too smart for that"

Daxton slipped around the desk and stopped in front of me, his expression aseparated frohed and cupped lanced up at the portrait "I’m sorry Thatthe distance between us "I would have done anything to get her back, but that isn’t how the world works, now, is it?"

It seemed to me that that was exactly how the Harts’ world worked, but I didn’t dare say it I clutched the syringe He was close now, and all it would take was one stab

"Tell me, Kitty," he said, his arlic on his breath "Now that you have what you want so badly, how do you intend to thank me for it?"

"With words," I said "I’m your niece, Daxton"