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His head jerked in what could have been a nod "The Wolves are headquartered in Paris That’s probably where they’re keeping her"

Paris The word filled her up A clue A prolanced at her ship and its shatteredRenewed hatred flared for her father, but it deflated quickly--there wasn’t time Not now Not when she had her first taste of hope in two endless weeks

"Paris," she murht hours?" She hated the thought of being without her ship, but even the obnoxiously slowthereplaced "Soone Maybe Èmilie, after her shift I’ll send her a corab some clothes and…"

"Scarlet, wait We can’t just rush up there We need to think this through"

"Rush? We can’t rush? They’ve had her for aze darkened and Scarlet paused, for the first ti her tongue, "we’ll have eight hours on the train to think up soer"

"But what if your father is right?" His shoulders stayed stiff "What if she has hidden sohly shook her head "They can look all they want, but they won’t find anything My dad is wrong Grand-rave;re and I don’t keep secrets"

Fourteen

"Your Majesty"

Kai turned away fro, listening to the drone of the news anchors andon the escape of the most-wanted convict in the Eastern Commonwealth Chairman Huy stood in the doorway, Torin beside hiulped "Well?"

Huy stepped forward "They’ve gotten away"

Kai’s pulse hiccupped He took a tentative step toward his father’s desk and gripped the back of the chair

"I’ve given the order to deploy our reserve fleets iitives found and taken into custody by sunset"

"With all respect, Chairh Huy puffed his chest out, his face took on a tinge of pink "I am, Your Majesty We can find the a stolen ship All the tracking equiph "The girl has proven herself to be iven her credit for"

Kai dragged his hand through his hair, extinguishing an unexpected spark of pride

"There is also the issue of the girl being Lunar," Huy added

"Whoever captures her will just have to be alert," said Kai "They should all be made well aware that she’ll no doubt try to turn their ainst the to In the past, we’ve had difficulty tracking Lunar ships It seems that they’ve learned how to disable our radar systems I’m afraid we’re not sure how they do it"

"Disable our radar systelanced at Torin "Did you know about this?"

"I’ve heard rumors," said Torin "Your father and I chose to believe that’s all they were"

"Not all ree with me on this matter," said Huy "But Iour equiph their ardless, Linh Cinder won’t get far We’ll have every resource searching for her"

Te his inner turmoil, Kai molded his face into stone "Keep me infor I thought youover our security footage froestured to the inlaid screen in Kai’s desk

Rounding his chair, Kai tugged on his long sleeves, suddenly warm, and sat down A comm from the council of national security rotated in the corner "Accept coe of the prison, all white and glossy walls It showed a long hallway lined with suard estured at a door He was followed by a short, old ray cap

Kai jerked upward It was Dr Erland "Voluh the screen "I a scientist of the royal letuirl is my prime test subject I require blood saout--a syringe, but the bag still bulged That wasn’t all that was inside it

"I have uard "You’ll have to obtain an official release from the emperor to be allowed entrance"