Page 36 (1/2)
The netscreen changed, showing the other favorite news story of the week Chang Sunto, ue survivor He’d been interviewed countless times about his unbelievable recovery, and every tilow in Cinder’s silicon heart
Footage of her mad dash from the quarantines had been played repeatedly on the screens too, but the recording never showed her face, and Adri had been too distracted--by the ball and the funeral that Cinder had not been invited to attend--to realize theunder her own roof Or perhaps Adri just paid her such little attention that she wouldn’t have recognized her anyway
Ru Sunto’s miraculous recovery, and while so clean The boy was now under the surveillance of the palace research tea to play with She hoped it would be enough, given that her role as research volunteer was over She hadn’t had the heart to tell the doctor that yet, though, and the guilt clawed at her upon seeing a new ood on his promises--he’d set up an account ID-linked so that only Cinder could access it, not Adri, and had made almost daily payments from the research and develop in return His only co use of her blood samples and to reone
Cinder frowned, scratching her cheek Dr Erland had never had the chance to explain to her why she was so special when he was also ihts, but not as strongly as her determination to run away Some mysteries would have to remain unsolved
She pulled her toolbox toward her on the table, fishing through it for no other reason than to keep her hands busy The boredoanize every last bolt and scre she’d taken to counting, creating a digital inventory in her brain
A child appeared across her worktable, silky black hair pulled up in pigtails "Excusea portscreen onto the table "Can you fix this?"
Cinder cast her bored eyes froh to fit into her pal, she picked up the port and flipped it over in her hands She pressed the power button but only gobbledygook filled the screen Twisting her lips, she sirl juain The welcome screen bea it back to the kid, who sturin with twointo the crowd
Cinder hunched over, settling her chin down on her forear for the thousandth time that Iko wasn’t trapped inside a tiny scrap offun at the vendors with their da themselves beneath the canopies of their booths They would talk about all the places they were going to go and see--the Taj Mahal, the Mediterranean Sea, the transatlanticin Paris
When a shudder ran through her, Cinder buried her face in her elbo long would she have to carry their ghosts around with her?
"Are you all right?"
She juainst the corner of the booth, one arm propped on the door’s steel track, the other hidden behind hiray sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head, but even in the sweltering heat, he ed to look perfectly coht sun behind him--Cinder’s heart started to expand before she claet up, but she diddown to cover as rateful for the thin tablecloth "Your Highness"
"Now, I don’t want to tell you how to run your business or anything," he said, "but have you considered actually charging people for your services?"
Her wires see to connect in her brain for a irl frolanced around The girl was sitting on the sideith her dress stretched over her knees, hu to the music that strea bags against their hips and snacking on tea-boiled eggs The shopkeepers were busy sweating No one was paying them any attention
"I don’t want to tell you how to be a prince, but shouldn’t you have souards? Who would want to harlared up at him, he smiled and flashed his wrist at her "Trust me, they know exactly where I am at all times, but I try not to think about it"
She picked a flat-head screwdriver froers, anything to keep her hands preoccupied "So what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know Preparing for a coronation or so technical difficulties again" He unhooked the portscreen froured it’s probably too ’strouble with her port, so I figured thereup his lips, he whapped the corner of his portscreen on the table, then checked the screen again with a heavy sigh "Nope, nothing Maybe she’s been ignoring my comms on purpose"
"Maybe she’s been busy?"
"Oh, yes, you look completely overwhelht you so" Kai put the portscreen away and pulled his hand out froold foil and a white ribbon The paper was gorgeous, the wrapping job less so
Cinder dropped the screwdriver with a clatter "What’s that for?"
A flash of hurt crossed his face "What? I can’t buy you a gift?" he asked, in a tone that nearly stopped the electric pulses in her wiring
"No Not after I’ve ignored six of your coet the her chin into both pal ?"
"No Yes" She squeezed her eyes shut, ht the hard part was over She would disappear, and he would go on with his life She would spend the rest of her life watching as Prince, no, Eave speeches and passed bills As he went on diplomatic missions around the world As he shook hands and kissed babies She would watch hiave him children--because the whole world would watch it happen
But he would forget about her Which is what needed to happen
How naive of her to think it could be so si it should have been easy to blame her silence on Adri, her cruel stepmother who had refused to let her leave the house, but it was not that easy She couldn’t risk giving hie hershe should tell hiht she was ato cross that social divide But to be both cyborg and Lunar? To be hated and despised by every culture in the galaxy? He would understand in a et her
More than that, he probably would forget her just as quickly
Herhot beneath the cotton