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Chapter 1
Riskingto do, but today of all days, I didn’t care about the consequences If I were lucky, the Shields would throw round and put a bullet in my brain
Dead at seventeen It would be a relief
As I hurried through the crowded market, I touched the back of , my skin had been pale and smooth, with only a freckle below my hairline Now that noon had come and the test was over, my skin was es that would never disappear
III At least it wasn’t a II, though that wasn’t much of a consolation
“Kitty,” called Benjy,red hair behind his ears as he sauntered toward me, taller and more muscular than lanced at him as he passed, and I frowned
I couldn’t tell whether Benjy was oblivious or siave me a quick kiss and a mischievous look “I have a birthday present for you”
“You do?” I said Guilt washed over e ina crime He should have been safe at school instead of here with me, but he’d insisted, and I had to do this I’d had one chance to prove I could be hile to society, and I’d failed Noas conde less than everyone in that market, all because of the tattoo on the back ofa piece of fruit meant only for IVs and above wouldn’t make my life any easier, but I needed one last moment of control, even if the Shields arrested me Even if they really did kill me after all
Benjy opened his hand and revealed a tiny purple blossoer than my thumbnail, nestled in his palm
“It’s a violet,” he said “They’re a perennial flower”
“I don’t knohat that ht have found it Three tables down, next to a booth selling pictures of the Hart fa colorful bottles of perfume Tiny purple flowers covered the table They were only dec- orations, not goods Not anything that could get hie
The seller must have let him take one
“Perennialyear after year” He placed the flower in ive up, like someone I know”
I kissed hi myself to relax “Thank you
It’s beautiful” I sniffed the violet, but if it had a scent, it was lost in the s us
Despite the cool autu inside thea stench thats the vendors tried to sell I usually didn’t mind, but today it made my stomach turn
“We need to go,” I said, cupping e insecond, and it wouldn’t be long before someone noticed us Benjy stood out in a crowd
He glanced at the orange, but he said nothing as he followed uidefor him to brush my hair away and spot my tattoo He hadn’t asked yet, but that courtesy wouldn’t last forever
I’d seen the posters and heard the speeches Everyone had We all had our rightful place in society, and it was up to us to decide what that was Study hard, earn good grades, learn everything we could, and prove ere special And e turned seventeen and took the test, ould be rewarded with a good job, a nice place to live, and the satisfaction that we contributed to our society—everything ould ever need to lead a ful life
That was all I’d ever wanted: to prove myself, to prove that I was better than the Extra I really was To prove I deserved to exist even though I was a second child To prove the govern me Elsewhere
Now e IV Instead of living the ful life I’d been proed a III There was nothing special about me—I was just another Extra who should never have been born in the first place
I was a waste
Worst of all, as overnment’s fault Everyone had an equal shot, and I’d blowna permanent record of my failure tattooed onto the back of my neck for everyone to see, and I wasn’t so sure I could do it
Benjy and I had nearly reached the exit when a weedy ray Shield uniform stepped in front of me, his arm outstretched as he silently demanded my loot The pistol holstered to his side left me no choice
“I found it on the ground,” I lied as I forked over the orange “I was about to give it back to the merchant”
“Of course you were,” said the Shield He rotated his finger, a clear sign he wanted me to turn around Benjy dropped his hand, and panic spread throughme to run
But if I took off, he ht blame Benjy, and all I could hope for noas that my stupid decision didn’t affect hio before he turned seventeen, and until then, he wouldn’t be held responsible for his actions Until that , I hadn’t been, either
At last I turned and pulled my dirty blond hair away from the nape of my neck Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t hide theit, still painful from the needle that had etched my rank into my skin
Benjy stiffened at the sight ofwith shame I’d let him down
I’d let both of us down And now everything was going to change
Thethe three ridges underneath that proved it wasn’t altered Satisfied, he dropped his hand “Is she telling the truth?” he said, and Benjy nodded, nota beat
“Yes, sir We were on our way to the stall now” Benjy twisted around to give hilimpse of his bare neck
“We’re only here to look around”
The Shield grunted, and he tossed the orange in the air and caught it I scowled Was he going to let o or force me to my knees and shoot me? Less than five feet away, browned blood froround I looked away Maybe he’d send me Elsewhere instead, but I doubted it The bastard looked triggerhappy
“I see” He leaned in, and I wrinkled my nose at his sour breath “Did you know your eyes are the same shade as Lila Hart’s?”
I clenched my jaw Lila Hart, the niece of the prime minister, was so wildly popular that hardly a ent by when someone didn’t mention that the bizarre blue shade of my eyes matched hers
“No,” I said through gritted teeth “Never heard that before in my life”
The Shield straightened “What’s your name?”