“So my mom knew about the code?”

Zach shrugs. “Most likely. It would have ensured that the code didn’t get overlooked. That someone knew there was an important message in that letter. I’m sure he also warned her to never speak his name again. For her safety. And yours.”

“Our safety?”

“Being an Elysian isn’t safe. Why do you think we have so many guards? We can’t be Registered, but we can be killed. The rebels already tried to do that in their little uprising a few years ago.”

The uprising Daniel was a part of, Lynell thinks. Daniel joined a group fighting against a man who is now his friend.

“By leaving you and practically erasing himself from your life, Eli was trying to keep you safe. I guess he took the whole ‘if you love someone, let them go’ to a whole new extreme.” He grins, trying to infuse some levity into the conversation.

Lynell doesn’t return the smile. “It didn’t work.”

“I guess not.”

Family has never kept her safe. Family has only ever caused her pain. And now family was going to kill her. She plops down on the bed, dropping her face into her hands. She wants to cry. Her throat is tight and her head is hot with the need to shed tears. But none fall.

Zach scoots closer to her on the bed and wraps his arm around her shoulders. She leans into him, allowing him to rub her back. Her heart seems to instantly recognize him as family and craves his comfort and touch. But her body still hates him and recoils in fear.

“What happens if I tell your dad what the letter said?” she asks.

He shrugs. “He figures out the code.”

“What does the code do?”

“I don’t know if . . .” Zach says, looking away from her.

“You don’t know shit, but you’re going to tell me anyway. It’s the least you can do,” Lynell says, leaving their embrace and moving away from Zach.

Zach sighs and stares at the ground as he talks. “The code does two things. First, it proves your legitimacy.”

“How does it do that?”

“Well, I mean, not technically,” Zach says, scoffing. “The rule was to only give the code to legitimate Elysian children, so no one else except a few trusted employees would know the code. Gideon Elysian, Eli and Eric’s father, was a selfish man and a bit of an elitist.”

Gideon, the original creator of the Registration. Something connects in Lynell’s brain and she gasps. “Wait. Their father, so . . .”

Zach nods. “Our grandfather, which, incidentally, is what I used to call him. ‘Grandfather Elysian.’ Cozy, right?” He laughs again and stands, walking around the room as he speaks.

“Good old grandpa preached that the Registration is good and just but made sure no one in his family could ever be Registered. I mean, in a screwed up way, he really valued family. Thought himself royalty and, therefore, only his legitimate heirs should be able to inherit the dynasty. Here’s the catch. His two sons, our fathers, had different moms. Your dad’s mom was Gideon’s wife. My dad’s mom was a mistress.” Zach finally meets Lynell’s eyes.