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"Day!"

"Sorry, wasn’t I supposed to ask that?"

I laugh "It’s a little blunt Yes, I’in, but that was no excuse for him to cheat on ainst the pillow, blowing on her nails

"Are you a virgin?" I ask

She blushes furiously "No"

My mouth drops I didn’t expect that

"What was your first tihs "Sort of crap, really It wasn’t romantic like in the books It was uncomfortable and squelchy, and neither of us knehat to do Plus it was super e naked in front of Beet--" She cuts herself short, but the dae is already done

"You slept with Beetle?" I say

"Yeah," she whispers "On ht ere in love Then his parents were killed, he started hanging out with Ash and doing Haze, and that was it I wasn’t ih and helping out with the ‘Darkling cause’ I hate Ash Fisher He took Beetle away from me--he ruined my life"

"I’m sorry"

"It doesn’t matter I’m so over him"

"No you’re not"

"Maybe not, but what’s the point in loving hi You heard us earlier in history class How can two people who are so opposite to each other ever be happy?"

"I don’t know," I say quietly An i on with me?

After we eat dinner in my room, I put on an old movie, but we’re both too tired to watch it after such an eventful day and agree to call it a night I lend Day one of et a chance to introduce you to"She works such long hours"

"That’s fine I didn’t agree to stay over tonight so I couldout with you"

I beam My friends in Centrum only visited when my mother was around None of them have calleda fun tiain?" I say

"I’d like that" Day cli for Day to drop off, but I lie awake, tossing and turning in habout the about hihty’s sake I roll over so I can’t see the stars any onhiet up and open the balconyas quietly as possible Truffles slips from my hands and clio back totheopen to let in so

I’et a sense I’ve done so, but what? I have to find it, they want it back Panicked, I search for the object inside the cave, but it’s e walls and

A whimper

Fear rises in my throat

In the center of the cave is a sreen sheet modestly wrapped around its waist I can’t see its face All I see is a shaved head A boy? Who is he? Somehow, I feel I know him

The walls start to contract I knohat’s about to happen I have to get out of here I try to y earth The cave starts to close around et closer and closer, until they’re squeezingsuffocated--

Screafrom someone else So through s out as she points toward an object dangling fro warlance up At first I don’t knohat I’led shape above me: patches of white fur, a paw, an ear

Before I screa

12

NATALIE

AFTER TRUFFLES’S MURDER a few days ago, Mother decided the best way forwith our houseave me thirty coins, since I didn’t have any cash after she cut offWhy deal with s when she can just fob me off with money?

"I bet it was a member of Humans for Unity," Sebastian says as alk down Bleak Street toward the station "It’s the kind of despicable thing they’d do"

I sigh, tired of having the same discussion with hiion Liberation Front The day before that, he thought it ht be so in Centrum; it just cohter None of the options makes me feel any better about the fact that a cat et in, when my room’s on the top floor?

"But why kill Truffles? He was just an innocent kitty Why did they have to rip his heart out?" I say

"They were probably sending yourher knohat could happen if she doesn’t listen to their de down the Boundary Wall," Sebastian replies "Just be grateful it was your cat and not you"

I can’t get the ie of Truffles’s twisted, battered body out of ht Father diedMy chest starts to tighten with panic I take a deep breath, trying to rerateful for the s with activity The boundary negotiations started today between Mother and the Darkling aur Marwick, so protesters have swarovernainst them If Humans for Unity really did kill my cat, all they’ve done is shoot themselves in the foot Mother doesn’t respond to threats If anything, it strengthens her resolve

Footage of the opening of boundary negotiations is being broadcast on the giant screens on the rooftops around us The news report shows Hu outside the Boundary Gates as hetto

A fee froovernment"

The story cuts to a still picture of Tom Shreve and Jana Marwick, their charred bodies bound to the crosses All the citizens stop and gaze up at the screen Text scrolls below the ihty

I shiver

The steam-powered streetcar pulls up at the Bleak Street station, and we hop on It’s crae to squeeze on, pushing through the jungle of bodies to find so Ash’s heavy coat, but I don’t own many Workboot clothes, and I don’t want to draw attention to myself as we trade for supplies in the ed to persuade Sebastian to wear his civilian clothes, so it will be easier for us to blend in

The tra white clouds of steam into the air Every fewdown a road, and I lose count of the nu the streets Civilians hurry past them, heads bowed, and scurry inside as quickly as they can Down one alley I see the burned-out shell of a Sentry truck and several sh the city, and it’s only the first day of negotiations It’s like the war never ended<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>