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He otten who he was speaking with Then, "You can call hness’ I get enough of that from…everyone else You should just call me Kai"

"No That wouldn’t be--"

"Don’t make me turn it into a royal command" He hinted at a smile

Cinder scrunched her shoulders up by her ears, suddenly eht I suppose"

"Thank you" He cocked his head toward the hall "We should go, then"

She had nearly forgotten that they were in the research hall, surrounded by people, everyone politely ignoring them as if they were not even there She started down the hallondering if she’d spoken out of place, and aard beside the prince as suddenly just Kai It didn’t feel right

"What rong with the android?"

She scratched at an oil stain on her glove "Oh, I’ on her, I swear"

"No, I meant the ht Um It was…it had…a…dead wire Between its optosensor and…control panel" Kai lifted an eyebrow and she wasn’t sure that she’d convinced hi orse? Before?"

When Kai said nothing for an aard ed "Never ht You’ll find out soon enough" He lowered his voice, inclining his head toward her as they walked "The Lunar queen infor to the Commonwealth on a diplomatic mission Supposedly"

Cinder nearly tripped, but Kai kept walking She stu here? You can’t be serious"

"I wish I weren’t Every android in the palace has spent theIt’s ridiculous--like we have nothing better to do"

"Reflective surfaces? I always thought that was just superstition"

"Evidently not Soer around his face, then stopped "It doesn’t really ?"

"Today"

Cinder’s sto? A chill crawled down her ar an announcement in half an hour"

"But ould she corilance around the hallway, he inched toward Cinder, lowering his voice "Look, I really appreciate your helping with the med-droids, and I’m sure the best mechanic in the city has alike a spoiled prince, could I ask that you et anxious about getting her back I--" He hesitated "I think I could use the ht now You know?" The intensity in his eyes did not try to hide his trueto do with moral support or childhood attachments

The panic behind the prince’s eyes spoke volumes What information could that android have that was so important? And what did it have to do with the Lunar queen?

"Of course, Your Highness Sorry, Prince Kai I’ll take a look at her as soon as I get horatitude hidden soestured at a door beside him, labeled DR DMITRI ERLAND He opened the door and ushered her in

Dr Erland was sitting at a lacquered desk, poring over a screen set into the surface When he spotted Kai, he leaped to his feet, si the desk toward thehness--I a, thank you," said Kai, a practiced reaction Then he pulled his shoulders back, reconsidering "Find a cure"

"I will, Your Highness" He pulled his hat on "Of course I will" The conviction in the doctor’s face was al Cinder i new in the hours since she’d last seen hih it was an awful thing to think, and she immediately chastised herself for it, she couldn’t help it--with Emperor Rikan dead, Peony was the first in line for an antidote

Kai cleared his throat "I found your pretty new mechanic down in the lobby, and she tells ain You know I could get you funding for soraded models if you require it"

Cinder started at that simple word--pretty--but neither Kai nor Dr Erland looked at her Teetering on her feet, she scanned the roocaptured a perfect view of the lush palace gardens and the city beyond Open shelves were filled with objects both familiar and unusual, new and ancient A stack of books--not portscreens, but solid, paper books Jars filled with leaves and dried flowers, jars filled with finely labeled liquids, jars filled with animal specimens and formaldehyde A series of rocks and metals and ores, all finely labeled

It was the office of a witch doctor as much as an acclaimed royal scientist

"No, no, they only needed a touch ofas s to worry about, and I would hate to have to progra androids, what excuse would we have for asking Miss Linh back to the palace frolared at the doctor, half-rew on Kai’s face

"Doctor," said Kai, "I heard a ruh in the past few days Is it true?"

Dr Erland pulled the spectacles fro them with the hem of his lab coat "My prince, you should know better than to ask after ru concrete But when I do have solid information, you will be the first to see the report" He slid the glasses onto his nose