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He snatched the officer’s stolen gun froe Then froze

"Oh no"

From the corner of her eye, Cinder saw Thorne’s are direction, until the barrel was aimed at her temple instead

"Cinder…" His voice nearly broke froe’s expression re her nerves, and targeted her last tranquilizer at Thorne’s leg The thunk un had clattered froers and his body collapsed h spilled out of the thaue "Hello, Miss Linh How pleasant to aze over the seven ry, ready to pounce on her and tear her lihtest provocation

Soleeful a their intentions

She’d taken three steps forward before she realized it She braced herself and strained to keep her feet still, wobbling for asolid on the pavement, at the same time that her bionics picked up on the intrusion

BIOELECTRICAL MANIPULATION DETECTED INITIALIZING RESISTANCE PROCED--

The text vanished as Cinder regained purchase of her own thoughts, her own body Her brain was being stretched in two directions as the thauainst him

"So it’s true," he said

The pressure released, her ears popped, and she was back in her own head again She was panting, feeling like she’d just run across the whole continent

"You will forgive linted He didn’t seem at all put off by the fact that she couldn’t be controlled as easily as Thorne had been

As easily as the seven lanced at the nearest y dark blond hair and a scar that ran froed the desperation to subside, and reached her thoughts toward him

His ift yet Not open and focused like Thorne’s, not cold and determined like Alak’s, not petrified like Émilie’s, not anxious or proud like the military officers’

Thiswith primal instinct The desire to kill, the need to feast, the constant awareness of where he stood in the pack and how he could improve his station Kill Eat Destroy

With a shudder, she pulled her thoughts away froain "What do you think of my pets? How easily they fit in with the humans, but how quickly they turn into beasts"

"You’re controlling the her voice

"You flattertheir natural instincts"

"No No person--not even animals have instincts like this To hunt or defend, maybe, but you’ve turned theenetic modifications involved" He finished the stateuilty pleasure "But don’t worry, Miss Linh I won’t let them hurt you I want my queen to have that pleasure Your friends, unfortunately…"

In unison, two of the soldiers stepped forward and grasped Cinder by the elbows

"Take her to the theater," said the thaue "I will inform Her Majesty that Michelle Benoit turned out to be useful for so after all"

But Cinder’s captors hadn’t taken her two steps when the roar of an engine rattled the pavelanced back as the Raht above the street The ra, the storage crates rattling against one another

"Cinder!" Iko’s voice cut through her thundering pulse "Get down!"

She sank to her knees, hanging lied forward The lowered platform collided with the two lanced up as the ra down all but one who had the sense to dodge out of its way, before the raling as he clung to the edge

Staying low as the belly of the ship hovered overhead, Cinder spun around and scrambled for Thorne’s dropped pistol She waited until she was sure she had a clear shot before firing The bullet lodged itself in the thau the raone, his face contorted with rage

The blond soldier ca the gun skidding across the paveled to push hiround She swung a punch at him with her metal fist--heard the bones crunch on impact, but he didn’t release her

He snarled and opened his jaide

Just as he brought his ear took the soldier in his side, throwing hi with Thorne’s and Wolf’s prone bodies