Aimee Carter - Pawn

More than Celia knew. It would be so easy to stand on a podium and tell the world that Daxton wasn’t really Daxton after all; it would give Celia the opening she needed to snatch the country from her mother, but I would also be signing my own death warrant. Along with Benjy’s. “What will Augusta do to me?”

“Nothing. She’ll threaten and posture, but in the end, with Daxton in such bad condition, she needs you more than ever. Tell the world she’s lying about Daxton’s health, and they’ll flock to you. Lila’s supporters have more power than Daxton and Augusta want to admit,” she added. “That’s why you were Masked, and that’s why Augusta will still need you even if you go off script. Without Daxton, she won’t be able to charm the country into believing whatever she wants. Lila has that power. Do what I tell you, and I swear nothing will happen to you—or your boyfriend.”

I stared out the dark window, and I could feel her eyes boring into me. Celia would only accept one answer, and as long as Knox was going along with this, I had to believe that she was telling the truth. Knowing someone had been Masked as Daxton didn’t give me the upper hand; it painted an even bigger target on my back. If I didn’t gain some leverage I could use, my days after he died would be numbered. And if he woke up, I could very well be looking at the last hours of my life. Gaining the public’s trust after proving everyone else was lying to them could be the insurance I needed to buy more time. “Fine. Send Benjy with us, and I’ll do it.”

Celia’s smile was about as welcoming as broken glass. “Good girl.”

That night I crawled through the air vent toward Knox’s room again. Celia had left shortly after giving me a recording of a twenty-minute speech to memorize, and after listening to it twice, I needed a break. Walking over to Knox’s room would have been much easier, but I hoped Benjy would be there, and if Knox left, I didn’t want anyone wondering why I spent so much time alone with him.

I didn’t want to run into Celia again, either. When she’d handed me the earpiece with the recording of my speech, her hand had lingered, and even though I couldn’t be sure, I thought I saw her eyes watering. I didn’t know what that meant, but I knew it couldn’t be good.

Just as I reached the opening that would drop me into Knox’s suite, I heard the murmur of voices rise to meet me. I stopped, careful not to make a sound. The first person was Knox, but the second voice didn’t belong to Benjy.

“I know it isn’t ideal, but my mother has him under her thumb, and we can’t leave it like this. If we do, it will have all been for nothing.”

Celia. I inched closer to the opening, straining to catch her every word. They were going to finish Daxton off after all. Good.

“There has to be a better way,” said Knox, his voice tense with anger. “You can’t just get rid of him.”

“Of course I can. I have a responsibility to do whatever it takes.”

“Maybe it won’t come to that,” said Knox. “How do you know for sure he’ll do whatever Augusta wants? Have you considered talking to him about it instead of jumping to conclusions?”

I frowned. Knox had been fine with it before. Why had he suddenly changed his mind?

“And risk the entire operation?” Celia paused, and when she spoke again, her voice was much more sympathetic. “I know how much you care about him, Knox. I love him, too. But I’m not asking for your permission. I’m telling you as a courtesy, so you can say goodbye.”

“I’m not going to say goodbye to him, because you’re not going to do a damn thing,” said Knox. “And if you do, so help me, I will destroy you.”

“No, you won’t. You have just as much at stake as I do, and if I go down for it, so will you.”

“Then I’ll go down for it, too. But I’m not going to leave without warning him.”

“Go ahead, but don’t expect it to change things. Daxton killed my daughter, Knox, and I’m not going to let him get away with it.”

“So this is your solution?”

“Do you have a better one?”

“I can think of a dozen.”

Celia sighed. “You only think you can. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. Lila understood that, and so do you.”

“This isn’t for the greater good,” said Knox. “It’s revenge. They killed Lila, and your plan for Daxton didn’t work, so now you’re going to go after him.”

My eyes widened, and I covered my mouth to stay silent. She wasn’t talking about Daxton.

“Revenge or not, having Greyson in power will still give Augusta a direct line to the pulse of the country,” she said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stop her.”

“Then stop her. Leave Greyson out of it.”

“You don’t think I’ve tried? Mother is too well protected. She won’t let her guard down like Daxton.”

“Then find another way.”

“I’m sorry, Knox,” she said. “But there is none.”

I slid back through the vent, not waiting to hear the rest. Whether or not Knox warned Greyson, I would. He’d done nothing to deserve this, and no matter what it took, I wasn’t going to let Celia kill him.

I burst into Greyson’s suite, not bothering to knock. He stood behind a table, wearing goggles that made his eyes look twice as big as they were supposed to be. His living room had been converted into a workshop, with long counters covered with bits and pieces of things I couldn’t identify.

Looking up at my unannounced entrance, he set down whatever new thing he was working on. “Everything all right?”

I shook my head, grateful he wasn’t wasting time with pleasantries. “Celia wants to kill you.”

Greyson blinked owlishly. “Nothing new there. She’s had it in for all of us for ages.”

“This time she means it. I overheard her and Knox talking, and—”

“Kitty.” His voice cut through mine. “It’s all right. Even if she does try something, I have guards, and I can take care of myself. I appreciate the worry, but I know my aunt, and I know that no matter how fast she talks, she’d never hurt me.”

I balled my hands into fists. He didn’t get it. “No matter what you think she’s capable of doing, this time she’s going through with it. She has a plan.”

“What is it?” he said with the air of someone who had better things to do but knew the conversation wouldn’t be over until he heard it all.

I hesitated. “I don’t know. I overheard her and Knox talking, and I think he knows, but—”

“So you broke down the door to tell me that Celia’s going to kill me, and that’s it?” he said, not unkindly. “Do you know when?”

“Tomorrow. Knox and I are going to New York, and she’s going to do it then so we aren’t here to help you.”

“Then I’ll make sure to keep an eye out for her,” he said. I started to protest, but he cut me off. “Kitty, really. This is my family, and I know how they operate. Nothing’s going to happen.”

“Please,” I said, bursting with frustration. “Just listen to me. Celia’s crazy. She’s determined to get revenge on Daxton for what happened to Lila, and she said she’d do whatever it takes, even if it means hurting you.”

“She talks a lot, that’s all. She was blowing off steam. I’m flattered you came to warn me, but—”

“I’m the one who tried to kill Daxton.”

He stilled. “What?”

A knot of panic formed in my stomach. “Not because—I didn’t do it on my own, I mean. Celia, she told me to—”

“And you just do whatever Celia wants?” said Greyson softly.

“You have to understand. Daxton killed my friend, he killed the only parent I’ve ever had, he took away who I was—”