My finger twitched toward the switch on the back, the one that would reveal the picture of my real face and Benjy. But with Hannah lurking behind me, I couldn’t risk it. Not even for a split second.
“Knox is the reason I’m here,” I said, tracing the golden labyrinth. “He killed my—he killed my best friend and sent me here all because he thought he couldn’t control me anymore. If he loved me the way you think he does, I’d be back in D.C. right now, and you wouldn’t be on babysitting duty.”
“I’m always on babysitting duty.” She stepped beside me. “Who is that?”
“Greyson. My cousin.” It took me a moment to remember that until his older brother had been killed last year, Greyson had been the spare and had spent his life out of the public eye. I’d barely known anything about him before being Masked as Lila, and someone Elsewhere likely wouldn’t recognize him at all. “He’ll be Prime Minister next, after Daxton.”
“Right.” Hannah hesitated. “I’m sure we’ll meet him soon enough.”
“I hope not.” I set the picture frame down gently. The knowledge of what lay behind that photograph would have to be enough for now. Maybe later, when Hannah wasn’t trailing me, I would have the chance to sneak in and see Benjy’s face one last time.
Instead of leading me back out, Hannah remained standing in the room for a long moment, her gaze focused on me. “Whatever happened between you and Knox...I’m sure he had his reasons for it, and I hope you find it in yourself to forgive him. That kind of love is rare in this world, and if you’re lucky enough to find it...” Her lips pursed, and for a moment, she looked away. “You shouldn’t throw it away all because of a stupid mistake.”
I opened my mouth to tell her that it hadn’t been a mistake—that Knox had known exactly what he’d been doing when he’d pulled the trigger and murdered Benjy, but my protest died on my lips. Hannah was focused on something far beyond this room, and it was obvious we were no longer talking about me and Knox.
“I’ll talk to him once I’m settled,” I said, trying to sound like I was really considering the option. Inwardly I began to wonder if there wasn’t more to Hannah than I’d already assumed. Whoever she was thinking about, it was obvious it wasn’t her husband.
At last she led me to the grand staircase. The steps were cold and sharp, made of marble with no carpet to protect them, and as I followed Hannah down to the foyer, I fantasized about pushing Knox down the stairs. It would work just as well as a shard of glass to the throat, and this way, I could reasonably claim innocence. No doubt Hannah would suspect me, but without any proof...
Hannah knocked on the double doors that had remained shut throughout her tour. “Jonathan, Lila’s here.”
“Come in,” called a muffled voice. Hannah pushed the door open, revealing an office with a long desk in the middle and a pair of uncomfortable chairs facing it, clearly meant for guests. Mercer stood in front of a wall of wooden filing cabinets, and he hastily closed a middle drawer, locking it with something hanging from a cord. Before I could get a good look at it, he hung the cord around his neck and dropped the key underneath his shirt.
“Ah, Lila,” said Mercer, and he moved around his desk to join us. Kissing Hannah on the cheek, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders possessively before focusing on me. Up close, I could see the fine lines on his face and the bags under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. “I’m so pleased you’ve decided to join us.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” I said, forcing a smile. Whether Mercer could tell or not, he didn’t seem to care.
“Lunch is about to be served,” said Hannah. She slumped underneath his weight, and though she snaked her arm around his waist, her hand was clenched in a fist. “Is Knox back from his hunt yet?”
The reminder of what had happened that morning made a block of ice form in my stomach, and I dug my nails into my palm. How could Hannah insist he loved me when he was in a forest nearby hunting three of the girls I’d shared a bunk with?
“He canceled,” said Mercer with a sigh. “Got an important note from D.C., something he had to take care of right away. I gave him use of your office for the morning.”
As Hannah’s displeasure settled clearly over her face, I struggled to hide my relief. There was still time to talk him out of it. I didn’t want to die, not until he was dead right alongside me, but if I could spare just one of those girls’ lives, it would be worth it.
“I take it he’ll be joining us for lunch, then,” said Hannah.
“I will,” said another voice from behind me—Knox. I stiffened and stayed still, refusing to turn around. “I see I’m not your only guest.”
“Lila decided to join us after all,” said Mercer. “It seems your allure was too much for her to resist.”
Knox chuckled, and I could feel his warmth directly behind me. His hands settled on my shoulders, and I struggled not to wince. “I’m sure it has less to do with me and more to do with the warmth and food.”
Mercer laughed as if this was some sort of hilarious joke—as if men and women in his section weren’t freezing to death at night and eating food most IIs wouldn’t serve to their pets. At least Hannah didn’t crack a smile as he led the way into the dining room, where a hot lunch of turkey, potatoes, crisp vegetables, and biscuits with gravy waited for us. Compared to the pale pancakes and questionable bacon I’d had for breakfast, it was a feast fit for a king.
Knox sat beside me at the table, and though I could feel his stare on me several times, I refused to look up from my plate. He and Mercer carried on a conversation about hunting—deer, I was relieved to figure out only a minute in—and later on, the various issues Mercer had been facing with Elsewhere lately.
“Everyone wants to be a guard,” he said. “We have to be careful who we pick—can’t put a weapon in the hands of anyone who might use it against us.”
“Is there some kind of test or screening you do?” said Knox as he dipped a bite of turkey and potato in gravy. “How do you determine the rebels from the obedient?”
“We watch them.” Mercer tapped his temple. “That’s what we do here—we watch. I know everything that goes on in this place. If anyone steps a toe out of line, I’m right there. Thinning the herd is important—without it, we’d be overcrowded, with too many mouths to feed and not enough beds.”