And that’s when I see him. Dad. His hands and chest are bound with rope and he’s on his knees in front of Jag, surrounded by four guards. There is blood on his face and I see cuts on his arms. He makes eye contact with me, and despite his banged-up appearance, his eyes have the same steady look they always do. A sob rises in my throat.

Jag leans back in his throne, exuding self-assurance as the guards line us up in a neat row. He’s the picture of poise, transformed from his unassuming private persona to his showy public one. I glance around the room, searching for some sign that Layla is safe, but find none. There are twelve guards standing with us, thirteen if you count the bouncer. Plus two with Jag and two more at the entrance we came through, which is the only way in or out of this room. There is no place to hide in here, nowhere Layla could be.

Jag clears his throat and the room falls eerily silent. “Welcome, Family and friends,” he says, and his tone is easy and imbued with his usual charisma.

I scan the crowd, wondering how many different Families are here, but it’s impossible to tell based on appearance alone.

“Today we meet under unusual circumstances.” Jag takes his time getting up from his throne and moving between us and the crowd. “As I told you all last night, the Ferryman apprehended the man who not only killed our former Regent but made a mockery of our Family. A worthy capture, one that is a testament to our Family’s strength and dominance, and one that will be remembered for decades to come. This is the man who appears before you.” Jag gestures at my dad. “While I knew the criminal would be cunning, and I knew he would be resourceful, what I did not imagine, could not imagine, was that he would also be someone I once knew better than my own self. This man, who has committed unspeakable acts of betrayal, of cold-blooded cruelty, this man…is my son, Christopher.” Jag pauses, letting the information sink in.

There are low murmurs from the crowd and people look at one another, unsure. I hear my dad’s name being whispered.

“Like you, I was led to believe that Christopher was murdered as a young man,” Jag says. “Like you, I trusted my son, believed that he was unshakably loyal to this Family.”

I look at my dad, but he just stares forward at the crowd, unflinching. And it becomes clear why Jag invited all these people—this public display is meant to show his Family and all of Strategia what happens if you challenge him. He’s spinning fear behind the façade of justice.