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CHAPTER ONE

BOXER REBELLION

Mid-December

Chicago, Illinois

It was like a scene fros divided into piles; books labeled with one owner's name or the other; and everyone emotionally exhausted

But in this case, there was no breakup Not of the human variety, anyway This was more of a secession A declaration of independence

It was a rebellion, and the golden-haired vae Ethan Sullivan, the unofficial co-Master of Chicago's Cadogan House, and my boyfriend

That was still a strange thing to say

Ethan, looking exceptionally handsome in black pants, a button-down, and a black tie, examined a slim, leather-bound book

"This one belongs to the GP," he said, glancing at the spine "The Metamorphosis of Man," he read "Fros"

"That's an awful title," I said

"It's their awful title now" Ethan's words were humorous, but the tone in his voice wasn't The entire House was nervous, the building fogged with ical tension as aited for the final countdown: Seventy-two hours remained until our official split from the Greenwich Presidium, the European council that ruled A over our heads like Dao for the sole purpose of for up with us in public

Our preparations had been largely uneventful We'd been separating and packing up the GP's goods and readying our finances, which seemed to be in order The GP had been unusually quiet since we'd announced our intention to leave, co with the House only about the details of the cereo

Ethan found that silence very suspicious He'd gone so far as to appoint a "transition team" comprised of vaht advice about the split

Ethan leaned back and glanced at the bookshelves that lined a long wall in his large office "This is going to take a while"

"Yes," I agreed, "but our other option is letting Darius do it himself And I don't think ant that"

Darius West was head of the GP He was very proper, very British, and very much not a fan of our House

"We don't want that," Ethan agreed He handed his book toas he passed it over

My blood war at the intensity of his eaze Ethan and I had been officially a couple for only a feeeks, and the honeymoon period wasn't over I may have been fierce with a katana - the sa myself, carried for protection - but my heart still fluttered when he looked at me

But we had h, so I pulled away and placed this one into the old-fashioned, brass-hinged steamer trunk on the floor

"Work now, play later," I reminded him

"I find "

"I find I'd rather spendaway dusty books"

"Being a va what you want, Sentinel Although I'll concede I can i our time" Sentinel was my title, a kind of House protector Ethan used it when he was aggravated withto make a point

"Then you probably shouldn't have irritated the GP so much they kicked you out"