-Chapter 19-

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  Once we have all made it inside, we make our way into the ballroom. I can't help but gawk at the colorful banisters, the statues, and even the carvings carved into the walls to give them texture. Everything in the ballroom seems like it belongs in a princess's castle, not a Government Leader's mansion.

   Most of the men in our group spread out, trying to blend in with the crowd, some grabbing a woman or two to dance with. Kane stays by me though, because he is Lady Paul's escort. I watch as Charlie walks over to a server and grabs a glass of champagne.

   "Would you like to dance?" Mr. Laneer asks, his voice calm and even.

   "I'm not sure," I hear Lady Paula say. I don't remember how to dance.

   "Oh come on, it's a simple waltz," He says, and I stand up. Maybe I can remember a few steps? It's all about following the leader right? And Kane is the leader.

   Kane grabs my hand and leads me out to the ballroom floor. I smile, but feel my heart beat out of time. I don't think I remember how to waltz. My mother taught me when I was very little, but I don't think I was ever particularly good at it. What she taught me was probably very little in comparison to a real waltz. I was too young to need to actually know how to waltz.

   Kane takes one of my hands in his, putting his other hand on the lower part of my back. I shiver, having forgotten that there is bare skin exposed on my back due to the design of the dress. I put my one free hand on Kane's shoulder, and we begin to fall into the dance as if we have done this our whole lives. I begin to wonder if Kane has ever been to a Social Gathering. Just the way he acts when it comes to anything that has to do with the Government, I would guess probably not. The song comes to its climax, and all the couples swaying beside us lean in closer, the ladies laying their heads on their partner's chests, wrapping their arms around the men's necks.

   I decide to follow suite, putting my arms up around Kane's neck. He tightens his grip on my waist, also noticing the change in the waltz. We dance like this for a while, and that is when an idea dawns on me, and I wonder why I didn't think of it before.

   I let my right hand settle just below Kane's UCP. I hear his breath catch as I run my fingers over it, but I don't press it. I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of this decision. Is this the best way to expose him? Do I still want to follow through with my plan? Isn't this what I should do? Turn Kane in? For my family. For Amelia. I feel Kane's breath by my ear, warm and soft. He brings the hand that I let go of up to my neck, putting his hand on the skin just below my UCP. To anyone watching, we probably look like a normal couple, enjoying a dance, but we are far from it. We are two people, daring each other to do it; daring each other to be the one to bring this whole thing to an end

   "I wouldn't do that Felisha," He warns. His voice isn't half as gentle as it had been earlier when he had asked me to dance. I shudder, letting my fingers fall to the skin just below the UCP. He drops his hand back down near my waist just as the song comes to a close.

   The second the last note has been played, Kane grabs my hand harshly, and leads me off of the dance floor. He takes rushed steps, dragging me behind him as he takes a sharp turn around a corner. A server offers us each a glass of shimmering champagne, holding out a silver platter. Kane rushes right past, and I send the server an apologetic look. Kane rounds yet another corner, and this time we come into a darkly lit hallway, where only one or two partygoers are standing. They laugh amongst themselves, holding empty wine glasses.

   "If I didn't know any better I'd say this was your plan all along," Kane says, running his hands through Mr. Laneer's hair. "To turn me in? To make sure that the Feds saw me?"

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