As the funeral began I squirmed on the pew, the lace of my black dress rubbing against my knees. Daxton was the one to give the eulogy, and the mourners and members of the media who filled the cathedral hung on his every word. To my disgust, he used Augusta’s eulogy as an excuse to talk about upholding her ideals. She’d wanted a world where everyone belonged, he said. Where no one wasted their lives. Where everyone had a purpose in society. Everyone was born equal and given a life where they would thrive, he claimed, but I knew that was a lie.
For now I had to be content with knowing that I would have my chance at a rebuttal later.
When it was over, we lined up at the exit to thank everyone for coming. I’d never attended a proper funeral before, so I did what everyone else did: I shook the hands of strangers, and I said how sorry I was that the woman I’d killed was gone. Knox had whispered thank you into my ear when the service ended, and Benjy had flashed me a small smile as he left the cathedral with the other VIs. But like Greyson, I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to forgive myself.
Once the line ended, we stood together in the entranceway, surrounded by guards while we waited to get into the limousine. With a tired look in his eyes, Daxton took my hands in his. He didn’t have the strength to do this, but he’d insisted.
“As tragic as these events have been, I don’t want them to interfere with your wedding plans,” he said. “The end of the year is coming up quickly, and the country needs to move on. What better way than to see their beloved Lila happy?”
I forced a smile. The wedding on New Year’s Eve. I’d nearly forgotten. “Of course.” I glanced at Knox standing a few feet away. He seemed to be listening to Greyson, but his head was tilted toward us. “Knox and I will finalize the plans.”
“That is wonderful to hear,” said Daxton, pulling me into a hug. The feel of his body against mine made my skin crawl, but I didn’t push him away. “I so very much hope this tragedy will bring us closer together, Lila.
Sometimes I feel I no longer know you.”
There was something in his tone that made me shiver.
“Things haven’t been easy lately,” I said. “You still know me, though.”
As he pulled away, he touched the back of my neck, and his fingertips brushed against the three ridges underneath my skin.
I froze.
“Yes,” he said. “It seems I do.”
He remembered.
He remembered everything.
All the air left my lungs, and fear crashed through me, seizing control of my body. He knew. He knew, and I was as good as dead.
Without thinking, I stepped closer and slid my hand up his neck. He weakly pushed me away, but not before I felt the single V underneath his skin.
“It seems I still know you, too,” I said, my heart pounding as we stared at each other. “I hear I’m not the only one, either.”
Daxton stiffened. Whether he liked it or not, we both knew each other’s secrets, and he had two options: kill me and run the risk of being revealed as an impostor, or trust me with his secret like I trusted him with mine. I had no idea which one he’d take.
After several seconds, Knox cut through the crowd to join us. “Everything all right?” he said, and I widened my eyes innocently.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “Is everything okay, Daxton?”
He and Knox exchanged a look, and then an unforgiving smile curled across Daxton’s lips. “Everything’s fine, my dear. I’m tired, that’s all. Though it seems the car is ready for us now. Shall we?”
Daxton offered me his arm, and I had no choice but to take it.