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He puts the blood sample on the sideboard, beside a row of sharp wooden stakes

"So are you ready for your big day tomorrow?" he says

I can’t believe he wants to talk about school, here of all places Then I remind myself I’m supposed to act like this doesn’t bother o? Why can’t I just be hoo to the city school," Mother says, and a chill runs throughlook passes between Mother and Sebastian

"Because Purian Rose said so Those are his orders, so you’ll do as you’re told," Mother says

"I’ll have nothing in common with the other kids They’re all Workboots They’ll hate me," I say

There’s always been a tension between the proletarian class, known as Workboots because of the ugly leather ankle boots they all wear, and the Sentry--the ruling class Only Sentries can work for the adovernment; it’s just a way to remind the Workboots of their place in society

"It’s not fair I liked my Sentry school filled with my Sentry friends," I continue

"Just do as you’re told, Natalie," Mother snaps "I don’t want you ry; you knohat he’s like Do you want to put your sister at risk again?"

"No," I whisper, a thrill of fear rising in my throat

Sebastian throws me a sympathetic look He knows all about what happened to Polly I confided in hi, and Mother told Craven, since he’s the closest thing to a friend she has in Black City

"Do you want ets settled in?" Sebastian asks

"No! Mother, please I don’t need a bodyguard when I’ot hurt, Mother’s

"He can drop s and pick me up every afternoon," I offer quickly "Please I don’t want to be the only student with a bodyguard It’ll "

Mother considers this She looks at Sebastian "Make sure you bring her straight there and back each day, no dillydallying"

"Yes, Ee for one of the girls to keep her company," Mother replies

"I don’t need a rent-a-friend," I say

Mother slaps urney beside nore it

Mother notices the Darkling boy’s coat still slung over et that?"

"I traded for it," I say quickly "I thought I’d wear it to school, so I can fit in with the rest of the kids" Actually, that’s not a bad idea!

"No daughter ofto be hard enough fitting in as it is I need to look like them," I say

She opens her et!" Craven says a little too brightly as he takes a lab pass and a bottle of pills froh medication there to last you for the month And I’ve had your lab pass activated; feel free to pop dohenever you want and I can show you the ropes Welcome to the team"

I turn the bottle of heartto be so reliant on these tiny white pills Just one urney suddenly wails in pain, s in the cells around us howl in unison Craven picks up a wooden stake froes it twice into the creature’s chest, penetrating its two hearts It thrashes for a few seconds, spraying blood and spittle everywhere, before collapsing lifeless onto the gurney

"Was it really necessary to kill it when I was standing so close?" Sebastian counk off his red jacket

"It was the hu to do It was in pain," Craven replies "The acacia wood kills thelances at Mother, who returns a frosty look

Craven opens a ical sheet and covers the Darkling’s dead body with it Blood soaks through the h his clothes

I have to get out of here right now

I rush upstairs to Polly’s room She’s the only person I want to be around these days She’s sitting in a plain wooden chair in front of the s, staring at the drawn curtains, her hands folded in her lap She doesn’t acknowledge ht Father died The doctors say it’s post-traumatic stress Soot my old sister back, but most of the ti to anyone for days--sometimes weeks--on end

Our houses, not that my sister has much need for clothes, since she spends all day in her bathrobe and slippers All around the rooraphs of her at ballet recitals and school plays; paparazzi shots taken of her at glitzy events; posed black-and-white portraits by the fah the teeth for She’s so exquisitely beautiful in all of the-shot actress in Centru to happen I don’t kno she can stand having the photos all around her, re her of what she’s lost

Sebastian’s in some of the photos They were in the same year at school, and he was infatuated with her, the way I was obsessed with him When she turned him down, he opted for second best: me Not that I cared at the ti older boy would want to datein coht black hair and gorgeous silvery gray eyes, while I’m short, blue-eyed and have wild curly blond hair like my father’s You’d barely think ere related