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Day, Beetle and Elijah folloithout needing to be asked We head to Ash’s and my bedroom Once we’re all in the roolass jar on the nightstand rattle We find places to sit on the plush carpet or king-sized bed, except Ash, who paces up and down the sizable roouy," Ash says "He only cares about ending this war because of the da about s"

"Then what do we do?" I say

Ash slumps down on the bed "I don’t know"

Elijah slides a look at the jar on the table "There is one thing we could try"

"Lucinda’s plan," I say, catching on "You think it could work?"

Elijah shrugs "It’s worth a shot, pretty girl Rose made a Blood Mate connection with Theora’s heart once It could work again"

"Dr Craven could perform the operation on Ash," Day says

"Whoa! Wait! I’ it," Ash says "There is no way in hell you’re ripping out my heart so I can become Purian Rose’s boy toy"

"You said you wanted us to take down Purian Rose, whatever the cost," Elijah says

"That’s not what I ly at Beetle "Back ed up, bro," Beetle admits "But if we could end the war, shouldn’t we try? It’s e’ve been fighting for"

Ash turns to ently "We can implant your heart back into you afterward"

Hurt flashes across his face "And what if that doesn’t work? I thought you of all people would understand why I can’t do this"

Before I can say another word, he stor the door behind him

27

ASH

BLOOD POUNDS IN lass doors leading onto the balcony, needing some fresh air The balcony is massive--easily thirty feet deep and loops around the entire circu You could walk around the whole building if you wanted to Giltstone tiles line the floor, and ornate trees grow in terra-cotta pots and rosebushes cli to let off stea I craved a heartbeat, so how can she consider letting someone take that away from me? I knoe can iuarantee it’ll work again Our Blood Mate connection will be severed, and I won’t be hers anymore, and she won’t be mine

And it’s not just that I’ Theora’s vessel I don’t want Purian Rosea Blood Mate connection with gest this? I’d rather die! I furiously kick over one of the potted plants, and the terra-cotta pot sround A door slides open behind ur says

I turn I realize I’ room

"How are the discussions?" I say with a note of bitterness

Sigur sighs deeply "I do not believe that Eut tells me we cannot trust him, and I sense Roach feels the same way"

"That makes three of us then"

We wander over to the balustrade and stare across the city In the distance, church bells chiri The city is joyous and at peace The war hasn’t touched the lives of anyone here It’s a different world I can see how the Sentry citizens could easily turn a blind eye to the suffering of others, as long as they continue living their happy lives in their golden city

"Beetle and the others want me to try out Lucinda’s plan," I reed with theur says

I rub the back of"What if they put my heart back into risk everything we have together?"

"What you and Natalie share is more powerful than any Blood Mate connection," he says "Love does not vanish once a heart stops beating I will forever love your mother, and Natalie will always love you And Purian Rose clearly still cares for Theora, or he wouldn’t be trying to transfore," he continues "But you already know your love for Natalie isn’t just based on your Blood Mate connection So what is really bothering you?"

"What if I lose aze at the Golden Citadel in the distance "They don’t understand what it’s like not to have a heartbeat I was a ghost walking a, never really part of this world," I say "It was hell I can’t go through it again"

Sigur puts a hand onout"

With that, he heads back inside I lean against the balustrade and shutrhyth to lose that sound, when I spent a whole lifetiine what it would feel like to get it back