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Her chest ached as she wondered how many secrets had been kept from her

Wolf’s attention darted to the south, one ear cocked to the sky

Instantly, Scarlet’s thoughts settled She listened, but there was only a breeze in the forest, a char, Wolf whispered, "A train is coain, concern etched across his brow She could see that he believed he’d said too much, but she thirsted for round and pushed herself to standing "And these people thinkabout the princess because…?"

Wolf skirted to the edge of the short cliff, peering off down the rails "They believe Dr Tanner asked your grandht the princess to Earth"

"They believe, but they can’t know that for sure"

"Perhaps not, but that’s why they took her," he said, testing the fallen log with his foot again "To find out what she knew"

"And did they ever consider that ?"

"They’re convinced that she does Or at least, they hen I left theh I don’t knohat they’ve learned since--"

"Well, why don’t they find this Dr Tanner and ask hi, he grabbed their forgotten pack and draped it over his elbow "He killed himself, earlier this year In an insane asyluer fizzled out, replaced with pity for a man who had not existed to her minutes before "An asylum?"

"He was a patient there Self-admitted"

"How? He was Lunar Why wasn’t he captured and sent back to Luna?"

"He ured out how to blend in with Earthen society"

Wolf held out his hand and Scarlet took it instinctively, starting when his hot fingers enclosed hers After a heartbeat, his hold relaxed as he stepped out onto the tree trunk

Scarlet angled her portscreen toward their treacherous footings and struggled to find her train of thought over the pounding in her ears "There must be someone else he had contact with on Earth The trail can’t end with , after weeks of … of who knohat they’ve been doing to her Theyperson!"

There was a peculiar restraint when Wolf responded "Are you sure they have?"

She glared The Lunar heir was a rand in small-town Rieux, possibly be involved?

But she couldn’t be entirely sure of anything any froh the forest’s whispers The ers sent a shock up Scarlet’s spine

"Scarlet," said Wolf, "it’s in her best interest, and yours, to give the at all, we e"

"About Princess Selene"

He nodded

"I don’t know anything" Scarlet shrugged, helpless "I don’t know anything"

She felt captured beneath his stare, until, with a deep frown, he released her His hand slipped away, hanging at his sides "It’s all right We’ll figure out soht These ht in the edly happened forty years ago … and there was nothing Scarlet could do

She glanced down--her stoh up they were With the encroaching darkness, it felt like she was standing at the edge of an abyss

"We have maybe thirty seconds," said Wolf "Once it’s here, we’ll need to act fast No hesitation Can you do that?"

Scarlet tried to wet her parched tongue, but it was as dry as the crackled bark beneath her She tried to cal by too fast Thelouder She heard the whistle of air down the tracks