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"It can’t be true," I say quietly "Natalie?"

"I didn’t know the heart was hers You have to believe eline "Is that why you killed Truffles and Malcoleline nods "I wanted you to experience the same fear I felt when they tore my heart out I was conscious when they did it, you know?"

Natalie gasps "No I’eline curls her lip "You’re sorry?"

"Yes I never eline turns back to ine how I felt e irl with ht sinks into ht expression reflects my own

I look back at Evangeline

"Natalie’s not eline shakes her head "No I am"

27

ASH

I SINK TO MY KNEES, unable to take this in The dah my trousers, but I don’t care

Natalie’s not ht tieline says "I wasn’t even sure if you’d believe s for her, but they’re not real You only feel connected to her because she hasover to me

I look up at her

"Please, tell her that’s not true," Natalie repeats "Ash?"

I don’t say anything

Part of ht Do I only care for Natalie because she has a stolen heart? I look at Evangeline, and desire burns deep in my stomach She’s my real Blood Mate All these years I’ve been alone, lost, thinking I was the only twin-blood in the city, and the whole ti for me Is that why I was drawn to the Boundary Wall? Could I sense her on the other side?

Natalie’s lip quivers "Ash? Do you feel anything real for me at all?"

"I don’t know," I admit

She sucks in a pained breath

Before I can stop her, Natalie clih the hole in the wall and sprints away My heart crarabs eline says

"Get off eline follows The city is still in an uproar, with people running through the streets, trying to escape the Darklings that are roa!

The roads are crawling with Sentry guards and tanks There’s a scatter of gunfire froround, dead We dart down an alley and cli the rooftops to navigate the city I head toward the Sentry HQ, the only place I can think of to find Natalie

"Ash, where are you going?" Evangeline says

"Where do you think?" I reply as we reach Bleak Street, just outside the Sentry headquarters

We cli and enter the alleyway beside the Sentry HQ Evangeline takesyellow garbage bin

"She’s not worth it You said so yourself, you don’t even know if you have feelings for her--"

"Then why doesheart feel like it’s been ripped out ofher head

"This is where Sigur found e bin "After they tore out my heart, they threw me out here with the rest of the trash"

I shut ine

"I don’t knohat to do," I whisper "I love Natalie, but she’s notconfused"

Soft lips suddenly press against eline’s lips They feelincredible Her kiss is firmer, more intense, more desperate than Natalie’s kisses I pull away

"What are you doing?" I ask, opening ," she says, and kisses h eline towardto know if there’s so to throay everything I have with Natalie, I need to be certain I’eline’s lips part, and her tongue flicks acrossEven so, only one naister a door behind us opening There’s a gasp I break the kiss and turn to see Natalie in the alleyway, her eyes brione for ten minutes, and you’ve already replacedto find you, so I could fight for you, for us, when it’s clear you don’t care about ht now," I say

"Ash, don’t say our kiss eline says

"Well, letfor the both of you I never, ever want to see you again!" Natalie says

She slaeline walks up behind me "She had to know She was never meant to be with you"

She tries to take my hand, but I move it away

"Leave , didn’t you?" I ask

Evangeline’s silence is answer enough

"Just go!" I snap

"No," she says