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Looking like he ht keel over from exhaustion, Kai shook his head "No Of course not I--naively, it seems--was under the impression that there were no Lunars in the Couests here at the palace, of course Now that it’s been brought to my attention how easy it is for the additional securityhere, as well as to find and export any that may be within our borders I have every intention to coree Her Majesty, Queen Levana, has she or any of the Lunar court commented on the escape of the convict?"

Kai’s jaw tensed "Oh, she’s had a thing or two to say about it"

Behind Kai, a government official cleared his throat The irritation quickly evaporated from Kai’s face, replaced with tactful vacancy

"Queen Levana wants Linh Cinder to be found," he aht to justice"

"Your Majesty, do you think these events s between Earth and Luna?"

"I don’t think they helped"

"Your Majesty" A man stood, three rows back "Witness accounts from the ball seereeo could be cause for war Is there reason to believe the cyborg’s escape could lead to a greater threat to our national security?"

Kai ht the nervous tick and placed his hand back on the podium "The ar has been thrown around between Earth and Luna for generations It is ative, as it was always my father’s, to avoid that at all costs I assure you, I aile relationship with Luna, starting with finding Linh Cinder That’s all, thank you"

He stepped off the stage to a wave of unanswered questions, and was pulled into a whispered conversation with a group of officials

Pouting, Thorne slumped into the copilot’s seat "He didn’t mention me Not once"

"Me either," said Iko, without pity

"You’re not an escaped convict"

"True, but His Majesty and Iconnection Didn’t you think so, Cinder?"

The words slipped h Cinder’s audio interface She didn’t respond, unable to tear her focus away fro forced to take responsibility for her actions He was being unfairly faced with the repercussions of her decisions In the aftermath of her escape, he alone had to deal with Queen Levana

Shutting her eyes against the sight of hiitive, like Cinder," Thorne continued "They do realize I’rateful," Cinderincoherent, followed by a long silence during which Cinder ed her brow and tried to convince herself she’d done the right thing

Spinning, Thorne kicked his feet onto the ar her elbow off it "Now I understand why you’ve been so i with an eh hand to beat, even for me"

She snorted "Don’t be ridiculous I hardly know hi his thureat instincts when it comes to a to the ball? That takes guts I generally dislike royalty and governive hi, Cinder shoved Thorne’s feet off her chair, freeing her path to the door "He didn’t knoas cyborg"

Thorne tilted his head as she passed "He didn’t?"

"Of course not," she said,out of the s now and he still likes you"

She spun back to hiot that fro everything in his power to hunt me down and turn me over for execution?"

Thorne suessed was meant to be a Kai i is relevant’"

Rolling her eyes, Cinder spun away

"Hey, coround behind her "I have so else to show you"

"I’m busy"

"I promise not to make fun of your boyfriend anymore"

"He’s not my boyfriend!"

"It’s about Michelle Benoit"

Cinder sucked down a slow breath, and turned back around "What?"

Thorne hesitated, as if afraid tohis head toward the cockpit’s dash behind hied back toward him She settled her elbows on the back of Thorne’s chair

Thorne dismissed the news channel "Did you know that Michelle Benoit has a teenage granddaughter?"