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Adri’s cheeks tinted pink "Even that is too kind for her, Your Majesty Are you aware that she can’t even cry?"

Kai sat back After a usted as Adri clearly expected, he was left s?"

"I wouldn’t know, Your Majesty She is the first and hopefully the last cyborg I’ll ever have the s in the first place They’re dangerous and proud creatures, parading around like they think they’re better than everyone else Like they deserve special treat but a drain on our hardworking society"

Collar beginning to itch, Kai cleared his throat "I see You said so earlier about evidence that Cinder had been near the quarantines? And … done so sinister?"

"Yes, Your Majesty If you’d be so kind as to refer to e, you’ll see I’ve uploaded a video that is rather incri"

Kai unlatched his portscreen froe froe The video was at the top--a low-quality ied with the symbol of the Commonwealth’s law enforcement androids "What is this?"

"When Cinder wouldn’t respond tothe country, I enacted e fro his breath, Kai played the video It was shot fro down on a dusty street surrounded by abandoned warehouses And there was Cinder, panting and angry She raised a clenched fist toward the android "I didn’t steal it! It belongs to her family, not to you or anyone else!"

The camera shook as the hover landed and the android approached her

Scowling, Cinder took half a step back "I haven’t done anything wrong Thatme It was self-defense"

Kai watched, shoulders tense, as the android rauardian and the Cyborg Protection Act, until finally Cinder assented to come with them and the video ended

It took a irl attacking the quarantine htened around the device as he fit the puzzle pieces together He found hi like a fool, for the hundredth time that week

It made sense that it was Cinder Of course it was Cinder He had given the antidote just hours before to Dr Erland, right in front of her ErlandSunto And though the caood shot of her, the hasty ponytail and baggy cargo pants , he shut off the video and reattached the port to his belt "What was she talking about, that she didn’t steal? What belongs to her family?"

Adri set herinto her upper lip "So with her faiven proper respect to the deceased And Cinder mutilated that which was once et it"

"She what?"

"I believe she stole hter’s ID chip, not minutes after her death" Adri placed a hand on the swath of silk over her abdomen "It churns my stomach to think of, but I know I should have expected it Cinder was always jealous of both ined her sinking to such a low before, now that I know her true nature, I cannot be surprised by it She deserves to be found and punished for what she’s done"

Kai dreay from the venom in her tone, and couldn’t connect her accusations to his ownin the elevator, of her eyes filling with sadness as she spoke of her dying sister How she’d asked if Kai would save a dance for her in case she miraculously survived

Or was everymore than a Lunar trick? What did he know about her, really?

"Are you sure?"

"The reports claiainst the androids was a scalpel, and it all happened just hter …in her lap "And I can just see her trying to take Peony’s identity in that inhuri she would have done"

"And you think she could still have the ID chip with her?"

"That, Your Majesty, I cannot say But it is a possibility"

With a nod, Kai stood Adri and Pearl gawked up at hi to their own feet

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Linh-jiĕ I’ll have a tracker set up for the ID immediately If she has the chip, ill find her"