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The lights flick on, and I quickly step away fro’s wrong Her lips are pale, and she’s struggling to breathe

"What did you do to her, rel?" Sebastian demands as he rushes over to her

She opens her mouth, but no words form Instead she turns on her heel and runs out of the hall, slaone, the pain in my chest fades, until I aline it? Then why did she react like that?

Did she feel it too?

17

NATALIE

SEBASTIAN TAKES ME HOME, fussing over me the whole way back As soon as we step inside the door, I head to Craven’s lab, pretending to need sole fro at my reckless behavior What possessed me to caress him like that, in front of everyone? He must think I’ really strange happened between us in that hall Did I really feel Ash’s heart beating inside me? How is that even possible? Twin-bloods’ hearts don’t beat! I need to speak to Craven Maybe he’s heard about this happening before

He’s alone in the laboratory, hunched over a microscope, his half- nose On the workbench beside him are beakers filled with a rainbow of pretty, colorful liquids: reds, golds, greens, whites and blues

I pass the door with the silver marker above it onlady What can I do for you?" he says

I can’t look directly at hiuilt written all over my face No one must ever knohat I did with Ash

"I have a science question We’re covering genetics in biology, and ht?"

Craven wipes his glasses "That’s correct"

"A boy in my class said he knew of a twin-blood who had a heartbeat, but is that even possible? Has it ever happened?"

"I don’t think so Half-breeds’ hearts don’t beat, because there’s simply no need for them to"

"Why’s that?"

"Well, the official line is that twin-bloods are Da and the dead" Craven raises a skeptical brow He collects a blood sae and places the slide under the h the lens Tiny le around in the blood plasma

"What are they?"

"Trypanosoma vaen to their organs--"

"So their hearts don’t have to do it?"

"Exactly So it beco Darkling and human DNA"

"Can their hearts ever becomeerundor"

My shoulders slus I irl’s heart pop, right? That’s clearly all it was

I go upstairs, ht at Beetle’s party, but ill I say? I don’t kno I feel about our near kiss Mother would never forgive , and I can’t siet the fact a Wrath killed ether, as equals? Would he reallyon There’s no point getting my head in a spin until I kno Ash feels about what happened First things first I need to ditch Sebastian so hi My best bet is getting a new guard to look after et to Beetle’s place

I go to Mother’s roo at the pearl bracelet in her hand She’s dressed in a long blue gown, cinched in at the waist to accentuate her fashionably skinny fra her gaunt face a stretched look If I hugged her, I’uess it’s lucky she never wantsokay?" I ask

"I can’t do up the clasp"

I clip the bracelet around her sli this wasn’t a social call What do you want?" Mother says

"I want a new bodyguard"

"This again?"

"Yes, this again You know Sebastian and I aren’t dating any hiot a date with a twin-blood tonight and don’t want Sebastian finding out

"Fine," Mother says wearily

"Thanks!" Wow, that was easier than I expected

"But only in the evenings and weekends Sebastian will continue to take you to and frootten aith that too easily "Why?"

"Because I said so," she says

It’s better than nothing

I hurry tofor the perfect outfit to wear tonight, pulling off lithon the raised scar scratched down my heart It was so silly ofinside me Like Craven said, it’s not possible Besides, even if twin-bloods did have a heartbeat, that wouldn’t explain what I felt inside my own chest The only rational explanation isand I had a funny turn, that’s all Then why don’t I believe that?

Half an hour later, I’ black cropped pants tucked into over-knee boots, a bustier top and Ash’s jacket I openfor me in the hallway