Page 44 (1/2)

A growl rolled up fro teeth that came to a fine point, ainst the bench, sure her , that her optobionics were sending crossed es to her brain But her vision didn’t clear

In unison, the uns on the man, but he showed no concern He seeed away froed for the nearest officer before he could pull the trigger His hands wrapped around the officer’s head--a loud snap and the officer fell lifeless to the ground It happened so fast, everyfilled the tavern There was a sta over the crashed tables and chairs

Ignoring the crowd, the man s

"Hello, little girl," he said, his voice too hu for you"

He leaped for her Cinder pulled back, unable to screa Cinder, her arms spread out wide in protection Her face completely, entirely blank Her lifeless eyes peered down at Cinder, even as the rabbed her fro her back and sinking his fangs into her throat

She didn’t screale erupted froun fired

The crazedher around like a dog would a toy and tossing her halfway across the tavern She cru thethe gun away fro officer with one hand He swiped with the other, his fingers curled into a claw that left four red gashes on the officer’s face

Heart haaped down at the woasps stuck in her throat Her heart was pounding so hard it was sure to break out of her chest White spots specked her vision She couldn’t breathe

"Cinder!"

She searched the roo out from behind a toppled table with his hands still latched behind his back He collapsed to his knees beside the bench

"Co She was hyperventilating

"I--I killed her--" she stammered

"What?"

"I killed--she was--"

"This is not the tio crazy, Cinder!"

"You don’t understand It washers so hard she yelped and fell back onto the bench

"Pull yourself together and help rabbed on to the table and hauled herself back up Head aching, she blinked at Thorne, then at the officer who lay slule

Her brain struggling to grasp on to reality, she lurched forward, dragging Thorne with her through the toppled chairs Crouching beside the first fallen officer, she grabbed his arm and held up his wrist Thorne twisted his hands toward her and the cuffs blinked and fell open

Cinder dropped the lirabbed her ponytail and hauled her backward She cried out, falling onto a table Glass bottles shattered beneath her, water and alcohol soaking into the back of her shirt

The crazedout from his lips and his bullet wounds but he hardly seemed to notice

Cinder tried to scra through her palht you to little Rieux, France, but I think I already know" He s canines slicked with blood "So sad for you that we found the old lady first, and now my pack has you both I wonder whatyour leftover pieces to my queen in a plastic box"

Thorne roared and heaved a chair upward, breaking it over the man’s back

The man spun around and Cinder used the distraction to roll off the table She collapsed to the floor, looking up just as the man buried his teeth in Thorne’s ar with blood, and let Thorne collapse to his knees

His eyes glinted "Your turn"

He took two sauntering steps toward her Cinder upended the table, creating a blockade between the, she raised her hand and fired a tranquilizer dart into his chest

He snarled and yanked the dart out like aover a fallen chair, she cried out and collapsed backward onto the waret off two useless bullets

TheHis cruel smile vanished and, with one round

Cinder stared, stoe

When he didn’t lance at the dead officer whose blood was leaking onto her collarbone Rolling off hiun that had been tossed onto the floor and shoved herself back to her feet

She seized Thorne’s elbow and stuffed the gun into his hand He ht her as she hauled hi back to the booth, Cinder tucked the power cell under her ar after hi out of the buildings and crying hysterically

Cinder spotted the two police to direct a fleeing crowd Ashattered as a lass--the creepy man from the parts store--and tackled one of the police in the same movement His jaws latched on to the officer’s neck