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She lets out a moan and shudders as a wave of pain washes over her, then another, then another
"Mo, but what can I do? There’s no eline rushes over to her, unafraid
"Evangeline, no!" I say
"I’eline tenderly strokes Morateful she’s here and able to coeline
I kneel down beside the reach
Another wave of pain grips Mo to the Wraths when she was nursing the to her, Ash"
My s Then one tune co toslowly co it softly to her
"Hush, hush, don’t you cry Listen toover thee Love, love, I love you true I will always be there for you"
Mo stops It seems to have helped a little She attee it
"Ash," Mom whispers
She stretches out a clawed hand toward me
I hesitate
She’s your ers meet I sht be the last tiet to school, but I’m desperate to see Natalie I pick up Beetle on the way and hurry toward the town square, not taking my usual detour down City End to visit the Boundary Wall
"How did it go with Mr Tubs yesterday?" Beetle asks
We didn’t get a chance to talk about it last night, since Sebastian turned up with Natalie I tell hi to run so a bit useless that there’s nothing more I can do to help
"I hope they work it out soon, before they try to pin the deaths on anyme of my arrest last week
"I’m sure Natalie ork it out," I say
"Have you heard from her?" Beetle asks as we enter the town square
"No"
"Well, ht," Beetle says
"Maybe," I say
Nearly a thousand protesters have congregated in the plaza outside the school, holding placards high in the air, soovernans into awith every word
"Don’t these people ever go hoh
"At least they care," Beetle says defensively "They’re trying to get the Boundary Wall dohich is more than I can say for you"
I turn on him "You knohat? Go to hell What exactly have you done to bring the wall down? All Humans for Unity does is paint placards and spout useless chants I’ in their boots"
"We do more than that," he says
"Oh, yeah? Like what?"
"You’ll see I have to go Have fun at school" He goes over to his aunt
What did he mean, you’ll see?
I wait for Natalie on the school steps, passing the TV reporter Juno Jones and her ca the way Day waits by the entrance too, holding a pile of books She opens her ain
"If you have so to say to me, just say it," I snap
"I’s she could’ve said, I wasn’t expecting that
"I rong to accuse you of getting Beetle hooked on Haze"
"Yeah, you were," I say
"I’e a faint sy"
Day smiles back "Sorry I mean it Friends?"
I hesitate, then nod It’s what Natalie would want "Friends"
We wait for Natalie in silence, things still aard between us despite our truce A hout the town square, and a fae draws up outside the school Sebastian ees and offers his hand to Natalie, who refuses it She steps out of the carriage, sweeping her beautiful blond curls away fro the two puncture e froht suddenly breaks out near the Boundary Wall, and Sebastian leaves to deal with it while Natalie walks up the school steps toward us Juno Jones blocks the path and thrusts a microphone in Natalie’s face
"Ms Buchanan! Can we have a second of your ti after the death of Chris Tho as well as can be expected," Natalie says irritably
"Why was your mother at his funeral yesterday? Did you know Chris well?"
Natalie shakes her head, trying to edge around Juno
"Chris was the sixth teenager to die from Golden Haze, and a dozen more are now in critical condition in the hospital Why do you think s?"
Natalie freezes "More people are sick?"
"Yes, and those are the only ones we know about--"
BOOM!
A loud blast echoes around the town square The shock waves knock lass rain down on us fro like there are church bells chi inside them I move my head, and my ears pop; sounds assault lass, heavy stones falling
Part of the Boundary Wall has been destroyed, revealing the Legion ghetto on the other side A thousand pale, fa beco its breath The Darklings don’t move at first, perhaps from shock or fear of reprisal
Then the scent of hus howl
They rush toward the hole in the wall, lured by freedom and smell of hot blood