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it was possible. The fallout that obscured our skies had appeared impenetrable for so many years, ever since the war.
    “Not much manages to surprise you,” he said. “But something as simple as seeing the sun fills you with wonder, doesn’t it?”
    I rose from the bed and the luxurious white sheets rustled as they slipped off my body. Being naked as I took a few steps toward him didn’t bother me. That warm light was far too enticing. “Why do you say that?” I asked.
    “It’s very obvious the tragedy of your mother’s death jaded you with regard to society and our world. Why wouldn’t it? She was the one person you could count on – the one who was always there for you, as a mother should be.” He lifted his chin slightly as he stared out the window, and did not bother to look at me when he spoke. “The loss of someone who knows and loves you so well is the worst kind there is.”
    Taken aback by his words, I stood frozen in place. He spoke like someone who knew the same kind of loss – bitterly, sadly, knowingly.
    Another emotion-laden moment passed, and then Icharus turned and smiled at me. It was an endearing grin in its careless nonchalance, with no trace of malice or danger, and I found my own lips twitching in response.
    “I’ve told you what I want from you,” he said, approaching me. He bent to scoop my dress and undergarments off the floor and set them on the bed. “I won’t force you to acquiesce to my wishes. All I ask is that when you go back to the school, you consider my request.”
    Taking a deep breath, I answered, “You have a right to demand my companionship and cooperation, just as I have a right to refuse it. Why ask?”
    “Because I may be a DeVille, but I am not my father. I want you to work with me because you see the mutual benefit of it, not because you feel threatened or compelled to do so. My father has wronged us both, not to mention hundreds of others in the city alone, and probably every citizen of this country. His power within the Regime grows every day, as does his avarice. I won’t let things as they are continue unchecked. If you decide to help me, I’ll make it worth your while. If not, all I ask is that you not say a word of this to anyone.”
    “Make it worth my while?” I echoed, tossing my torn panties aside and then slipping into my dress.
    “I will compensate you handsomely and you will be free to do as you choose with your life.”
    His words gave me pause once more. As a courtesan, I was practically a slave, dependent upon a patron’s favor to make my living. Of course, I could leave St. Eden’s without a patron. The headmistress gave unpaired girls career opportunities. The girls who became dressmakers, tea-room proprietors, and even tinkerers made modest livings, but they were not beholden to any man. However, all of us remained obligated to Headmistress Eden no matter what path we chose. We were all part of whatever scheme compelled her to call upon graduates for information and favors. I started to wonder if this match was more beneficial to me or the headmistress, if the service Icharus was asking me to render was what she wanted of me.
    There was only one way out of that web of societal intrigue, and that was accumulating enough money to take oneself far from Los Angeles to a place where even she could not find me again.
    “If I do this, you won’t try to keep me here under contract?”
    Icharus shook his head and I took a deep breath.
    “Then I don’t need time to think about it.” I looked into Icharus’s eyes. “I accept.”
    His fingers twitched at his side, then he brought his hand up to run those same fingers along my jaw. That gentle touch made me shudder with remembered pleasure.
    “The headmistress will be pleased with your decision,” he said. “I will contact her to finalize our contract and your new living arrangements. When you have served your purpose, I will burn the contract and it will be as if this never happened.”