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"Southern--" Kai glanced at Torin just as his adviser shut his eyes, wearied by the same realization "Was it a town called Rieux?"

Huy’s eyes widened "How did you know?"

Kai groaned and rounded to the back of his desk "Levana’s men attacked Rieux, the only non-major city they went after They must have been able to track her too That’s why they were there"

"We must alert the other Union leaders," said Torin "At least we know she isn’t attacking at random"

"But how did they find her? Her sister’s ID chip was our only lead How else could she be…" He trailed off, yanking both hands through his hair "Of course She knew about the chip I’m such an idiot"

"Your Majesty?"

He spun back toward Huy, but it was Torin that caught his eye "Don’t you say this is paranoia She is listening I don’t kno she does it, but she is spying on us This very office is probably bugged That’s how she knew about the chip, that’s how she knehen e in here unannounced, that’s how she knehen my father died!"

Torin’s expression darkened, but for once he made no snide comment about Kai and his ridiculous theories

"So--we’ve found her then? Cinder?"

Embarrassment flickered over Huy’s brow "I’et away in the chaos We found the ID chip on a farns of a ship’s takeoff We’re working on rounding up anyone who ht have seen her, but unfortunately … all three officers who first identified her were killed in the attack"

Kai began to shake, his entire body burning up fro, half screa "Well, see that, Your Majesty? If it wasn’t for your attack, ould have had her! I hope you’re pleased with yourself!"

Huffing, he crossed his arain "Enough of this Call off the search"

"Your Majesty?" said Torin

"I want all availablethesean end to this That’s our new priority"

As if relieved by the decision, Huy gave a curt bow and clipped out of the office, leaving the door open in his wake

"Your Majesty," said Torin, "while I don’t disagree with this course of action, we have to consider how Levana will react We should consider the possibility that this attack, awful as it is, is only an annoyance compared to what she is truly capable of Perhaps we should attee"

"I know" Kai faced the screen and the otten those pictures that the American Republic had"

The memory still sent a chill down his back--hundreds of soldiers standing in for fangs and enormous claws, hunched shoulders and a fine layer of fur up their broad ar all over Earth were vicious and wild and brutal, that much was clear But they were still only men Kai suspected they were just the precursor to what Levana’s beast arht he couldn’t loathe her anymore Not after she’d purposely withheld the letumosis antidote from him Or attacked one of his servants to prove a political point Or forced him to betray Cinder, for no other reason than she’d escaped froo

But he could not have fathomed this cruelty

Which is why he would forever hate hiive me a moment?"

"Your Majesty?" Torin’s eyes rinkled in the corner, as if carved into his skin Perhaps they’d all aged unfairly this week "You want me to leave?"

He bit the inside of his cheek and nodded

Torin’s lips perched, but it see tie on his adviser’s face--Torin knehat he was planning

"Your Majesty, are you sure you don’t wish to discuss this? Let uidance Letrimace "I can’t stand here, safe in this palace, and not do anything I can’t let her kill anyone else Not with thesethe letumosis antidote, not by … whatever she has planned next We both knohat she wants We both knoill stop this"

"Then let me stay and support you, Your Majesty"

He shook his head "This isn’t a good choice for the Comood one" He fidgeted with his collar "The Como"

He saw Torin take in a slow, painful breath, before bowing deeply "I will be right outside should you needsupre the door behind hi with anxiety He straightened his shirt, wrinkled fro day, but at least he’d still been in his office when the alert had coht of sleep again after this

After what he was about to do

In his frenzied thoughts, he couldn’t help thinking of Cinder at the ball How happy he’d been to see her descending the stairs into the ball room How innocently amused he’d been at her rain-drenched hair and wrinkled dress, thinking it was a fitting look for the city’s ht she must be immune to society’s whims of fashion and decorum So comfortable in her own skin that she could couest with h as she did so

That was before he knew that she’d rushed to the ball to give hi