Austin -

Sofia laughs as I whisper something funny in her ear. I don't miss Dusk's irritated expression as she watches me from the farthest seat.

"Wanna get out of here?" I ask Sofia.

She smiles. "Do I?"

I laugh. Maybe this isn't so bad. Compromise. I stand up and pull out her chair for her.

"What a gentleman," she teases, standing up.

"What can I say, I was raised as a prince."

We walk out of the dining room. As we go, I watch Dusk aggressively saw at her crab cakes and feel a mix of regret and satisfaction at her jealousy. But I'm done with her. I can't keep waiting for someone that hasn't even started walking yet. Sofia loops her arm in mine and starts chattering endlessly about her family. They're not a very interesting bunch, but I don't see how Dusk's could be any more interesting. Suddenly, I stop Sofia.

"Sofia, it's been a month. I've decided to announce the names of the Elite during dinner tomorrow."

She gasps. "Am I-"

"Of course you are. I told you so myself earlier, don't you remember?"

She squeals and throws her arms around my neck. I let her, breathing in the scent of vanilla. I could get used to this, I decide. I take her chin. I can hear her breaths coming in short gasps. I've kissed other girls before, done more than kiss them, but this feels different. Perhaps because I've never kissed someone I actually considered.

I lean in and she closes her eyes, meeting me halfway. My hands go to the back of her neck as she deepens the kiss. I respond, but I feel odd. Is this... love? Suddenly, I hear a loud gasp and break away from Sofia. Dusk stands a few yards away, looking utterly shocked. Then, she spins on her heel and leaves. Shit.

"I... wasn't expecting that." Sofia says, catching her breath and blushing.

"Neither was I," I admit, "it's too bad we were caught."

I hate that I mean it.

Dawn -

I'm not in love with Austin, so I don't know why I'm upset. Besides, I've kissed plenty of boys before, even done a little more.

I wipe my eyes on my arm and some white mascara comes off on it. I wipe harder, making sure there are no obvious smudges. As I walk, I bump straight into a woman and instantly stop, mumbling an apology. However, she stops me from walking away and forces me to look into her eyes.

"Are you alright, Dawn?" she asks.

My heart freezes and I stagger back into a chaise lounge.

"Who are you?" I manage to get out.

She smiles, her brown eyes sparkling with what seems to be kindness.

"A friend." That's the last thing I hear before everything turns black.

-o-

When I wake up, the same woman who knew my real name is talking to a nurse. She turns her attention to me and grins down at me, dismissing the nurse. She must have some kind of rank.

"Welcome back."

She winks. I sit up and almost hit my head on a metal bar on the bed frame.

"Who put that there?" I complain, sagging.

She laughs and shakes her head. Somehow, not a single blond strand is out of place.

"I'm Mira. It's good to meet you."

Mira? The name is somewhat familiar, but I can't place where I've heard it before.

"Mira Woodwork," she adds.

Woodwork? As in, Marlee and Carter Woodwork? Mira is a lady of the palace! I scramble out of bed and curtsy.

"My Lady," I say, wincing at the pain in my leg. That was supposed to stop by now.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"I should've known you would ask that question. Don't worry, you were only out for ten minutes. Nowhere near as long as the last time you passed out." She winks again.

"How do you know my name?" I ask her.

The corners of her lips curve up into a smirk, not unkind. "That's for me to know and you to find out. Until then, just know your secret is safe with me."

I feel dizzy. "Okay?" I say.

She sighs. "I know it seems strange, but you can trust me. Believe me, there is nothing for me to gain by divulging your identity. However, I do have a lot to lose."

I nod and stand, gingerly testing out my leg.

"All will be revealed in due time," she says before leaving.

I'm left feeling extremely confused. It doesn't seem like she's a rebel, so how does she know who I am? I find a small pill bottle on the table next to the hospital bed labeled with my sister's name. It also has a note next to it in neat handwriting. It says the pills are painkillers and that if my leg is still hurting, I should take one at every meal. I pocket the bottle and toss the note in the trash can on my way out. A nurse turns to me.

"All set, Lady Dusk?" she asks.

It's Annette. I smile at her, remembering how she took care of me when I was shot.

"Yes, thank you."

-o-

With nothing better to do, I plop down in a chaise lounge next to the library and crack open the book I've checked out. It's called: Mistakes. The story follows a girl who's been forced into an arranged marriage with a man that barely speaks to her. They don't sleep in the same bed, don't eat at the same table. He is the prince of a large kingdom, and she, by marriage, is the princess.

I scowl, flipping through the pages. They're going to fall in love and have kids, it's obvious. Ah hah! I stop on a page where the girl finds out she's pregnant. But she's crying. The doctor is worried because the prince doesn't want a child yet. She tells the prince about the baby, and he accuses her of cheating on him because the only time they've lain together was on their wedding night. It's been two months since then, he retorts. She gets angry and yells at him about how she never thought she could've gotten pregnant from that, but the doctor started seeing the signs and decided to check. She says that if he doesn't want a child and doesn't believe it's his, she'll leave right now and never come back. Then she walks away angrily.

I slam the book shut, remembering how I yelled at Austin. I won't be getting into the Elite now. Our story was over before it even started. I want to cry, but I've cried enough. If I'm going to leave, I need to help the rebels as much as I can in my time here. I need to call Ginevra.