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Chapter Seventeen

A PING DARTED THROUGH CINDER’S HEAD, FOLLOWED BY A e scrolled across the blackness of sleep

COMM RECEIVED FROM NEW BEIJING DISTRICT 29, LETUMOSIS QUARANTINE LINH PEONY ENTERED THIRD STAGE OF LETUMOSIS AT 04:57 ON 22 AUG 126 TE

It took a iness of sleep andwords She opened her eyes to the less bedrooht trip to the junkyard Her back hurt so bad it felt as though that old car had run her over, rather than sat in neutral while she and Iko pushed and pulled it through the back roads But they had succeeded The car was hers,garage, where she’d be able to work on it every spareas no one complained about the smell, it would remain her and Iko’s little secret

When they’d finally returned home, Cinder had crashed like sohte woke her

The thought of Peony all alone in the quarantines spurred her out of her pile of blankets with a stifled groan She pulled on a pair of gloves, stole a green brocade blanket from the linen closet in the hall, and passed Iko--set to conservationroo without the android, but she planned on going straight to the palace afterward

In the apart on the next floor and a netscreennews Cinder commed a hover for the first tiot down to the street She scanned her ID and gave it the quarantine’s coordinates before settling into the far back Cinder netlinked so she could trace the hover’s path to the quarantine The map that overlaid her vision indicated it was in the industrial district, fifteen miles outside the city limits

The city was all shadows, blurry, sleepy apartrew shorter with more space between theht crawled down the streets, sending long shadows across the pavement

Cinder knew they’d reached the industrial district without the map’s help She blinked it away and watched the factories roll by alongside squat concrete warehouses with gigantic roll-up doors that could accoo ships

Cinder scanned her ID as she exited so the hover could debit her nearly depleted account, then ordered it to wait for her She headed toward the nearest warehouse where a group of androids stood by the door Above the door was a brand-new netscreen flashing,

LETUMOSIS QUARANTINE PATIENTS AND ANDROIDS ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT

She draped the blanket over her forear what she would say if the androids questioned her But the ra into the quarantines; they hardly even noticed her as she passed She hoped it would be as easy to leave Perhaps she should have asked Dr Erland for a pass

The stench of excrement and rot reached out to her as she stepped into the warehouse She reeled back, cupping her pal her brain interface could dull odors as easily as it could noise

Sucking in a breath through her glove and holding it, she forced herself into the warehouse

It was cooler inside, the concrete floor untouched by the sun Opaque green plastic covered a thin ros near the high ceilings, swathing the building in a dingy haze Gray lightbulbs hummed overhead, but they did little to dispel the darkness

Hundreds of beds were lined up between the distant walls, covered in lad to have brought a nice one for Peony Most of the beds sat empty This quarantine had been hastily constructed in just the past weeks as the sickness crept closer to the city Still, the flies had already caught on and filled the roo or staring blankly up at the ceiling, their skin covered in a blue-black rash Those who still had their senses were hunkered over portscreens--their last connection to the outside world Glossy eyes looked up, following Cinder as she hurried by

Morefood and water, but none of theled in a baby blue blanket Cinder wasn’t sure she would have recognized her if it hadn’t been for the chestnut curls draped over the pillow The purplish blotches had spread up her arlistened with sweat She looked like an old wolove and placed the back of her hand against Peony’s forehead Ware of letureen blanket over Peony, then stood, wondering if she should wake her or if it was better to let her rest Rocking back on her heels, she looked around The bed behind her was empty The one on the opposite side of Peony was occupied by a petite form turned away from her, curled in a fetal position A child

Cinder started as she felt a tug on her left wrist Peony was gripping her steel fingers, squeezing with the little strength she had left Her eyes watched Cinder, pleading Afraid Awed, as if Peony were seeing a ghost

Cinder sed hard and sat down on the bed It was almost as hard as the floor in her own bedroo at the words

Cinder flinched She covered Peony’s hand "I brought you a blanket," she said, as if it explained her presence

Peony’s gaze fell from her Her free hand traced the texture of the brocade They said nothing for a long time, until a shrill scream reached the, sure soin her bed, screeching, begging to be left alone as a cale A minute later, twoher down on the bed, holding her ar Peony curl up beside her, Cinder turned back Peony was shaking

"I’ her eyes

"Don’t be ridiculous," Cinder said "The plague, it’s just…it isn’t fair I know But you didn’t do anything wrong"