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"Have you ever heard of a twin-blood’s heart activating like that before?" he asks
"No"
"Do you think it’s per, why all the questions? Can’t you just be happy for rips me What if this is only temporary? I’ve wanted a heartbeat my whole life All I’ve ever wanted was to be normal, to fit in, to be left alone That’s impossible when you’re the only boy in the city with no heartbeat; it tends to single you out I don’t want to go back to being a freak
My thoughts are cut off midstreauards marches into the square, followed by hundreds of citizens Many of the laborers are still dressed in their regulation gray work unifor to co bustle dresses cool the excitedly with each other as their husbands ignore them A moment later, the library doors burst open, and our history class rushes out of the building to join everyone else in the square
Natalie exits the library with Day, Gregory and Chris She looks in e so hard, I think it’s going to burst out of my chest--ba-boom ba-boom ba-boom! If there was any doubt my newfound heartbeat wasn’t somehow connected to Natalie, that’s just cleared it
"What’s going on?" Beetle asks
I tear et a better look"
He helps h the croard the stage People shove and jostle against one another as they try to get closer to the three crosses by the Boundary Wall A reverend douses the crosses with acacia solution, and Sentry guards hastily erect a platforoad the Legion guards on the wall
"Hey, isn’t that your aunt Roach?" I point to a woman ild dreadlocks down to her waist and a thin, freckled face, standing by the stage
We go over to her, and she briefly hugs Beetle It’s like a et a better view The Sentry guards throw a few punches, trying to keep people in order
"Why’s everyone here?" Beetle asks
"It’s To to Beetle’s friend enta feeeks back
All the blood drains out of Beetle’s face
Ba-boom! My heart suddenly clenches, and somehow I know it’s because Natalie’s nearby I turn and see her being led in our direction by Gregory
"Coory says
They head closer to the stage, and Natalie’s arainst hto push the pain away Weirdly, Natalie mirrors the action with her own ar look in her eyes
A hush falls over the square as a tall Darkling in long purple robes and a gold face ur Marwick The one thing I hate irl in a blue hooded robe, her face shrouded in shadows so all you can see of her is the sparkle of black eyes
An excited whisper spreads through the town square as three people, their heads covered in sacks, are led onto the platform in front of the crosses, followed by the tall, blond-haired Tracker ith Natalie on her first day at school
"This is aweso to crucify soory says to Natalie "I’ve alanted to see one; I heard they happen all the ti?"
She looks at hi Sohtly touches Natalie’s aret hurt, not after watching uards line up the prisoners below the crosses My blood turns to ice, looking at the chilling sight How can soly innocuous--a plain wooden cross--strike so much fear in me? It’s not what it is, but what it represents Pain Suffering Death I can’t think of a worse way to die The prisoner’s hoods are relasses Tom Beetle wails and rushes forward, but his aunt holds hies in his ear
The second prisoner is an elderlyfor e girl wearing a yellow dress, with long white hair and eyes as orange as the setting sun A Nordin! She irl’s dress and exposes her naked body to the crowd The Legion guards howl A pair of iridescent wings unfolds behind her, spanning eight feet in length They flutter, catching the light and creating s a fireworks display
The blond-haired Tracker snaps back the Nordin’s head and res with a pair of pliers She lets out an unearthly howl, and I flinch Neutered The final hu He throws her teeth into the crowd A dozen people scrabble for the souvenirs I coverneutered I’esture as ain
The Tracker draws his sword and, with tift s She screeches as dark blood spills down her body He picks up the wings and tosses them into the air They spin like blades over the crowd, and people frantically reach for them They’ll fetch a fortune on the black s have aphrodisiac properties, but because their governranted theally is will soon be ground down to make love potions for rich humans
"We have to help Tom," Beetle says to me and Roach
Roach discreetly takes a small envelope from her pocket She shakes out a red capsule into my upturned hand Natalie slides a look at us, then turns her attention back to the stage, but I get the i to our conversation
"Cyanide," Roach explains "We hoped to slip it to Toe, but there wasn’t tiirl?" I ask, wondering why there’s only one pill
"We didn’t know Frank had been captured, and cyanide doesn’t work on Darklings," Roach explains
I glance at the stage If we’re going to help To undressed and nailed to the cross, surrounded by a group of ar hiot one shot at this
Roach clamps a hand on my shoulder "Ash, you’re fast, you should do it You’re our best chance"
"What if I get caught?" I say
"Coes