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"Not everyone knohat Haze looks like," Ash says quietly "They probably thought it was redient"

"Here’s what I don’t get about Wings," Evangeline says "I understand why Purian Rose wants to give people the retrovirus, but why did he add Haze and Night Whisper to it as well? Where do they fit in?"

"Drinking crushed Night Whisper puts people into a hypnotic state," Elijah says quietly "They’d do whatever Purian Rose says"

"Unless they happen to be a Dacian," Ash adds darkly "Didn’t Giselle say her people have a natural tolerance to Night Whisper, so it wouldn’t work on them?"

"That’s probably why he sent them all to the Tenth," I say

"But why does he need to use a ri he says," Beetle adds

"Many people attending the public cereular citizens," Mother says "In order for his One Nation plan to work, he has to get the citizens thinking like his truly devoted followers"

Roach sits back in her chair "It’s cunning People will get addicted to the Haze, so they’ll keep going back for e them into hybrids," Day says

"And the crushed Night Whisper willto follow his every command," Elijah adds

"Everyone would think the sae," I say "One faith, one race, one nation, under His Mighty"

"Fragg," Ash says

"When’s the cereital screen, which is running a report on the cere it sink in Two days until Purian Rose unleashes the retrovirus onto the population Two days to transplant Theora’s heart into Evangeline and soet her to the Golden Citadel Two days and the victors of this ill be decided

Two days

I stand up "What are aiting for? Let’s get prepared"

30

ASH

THE ELEVATOR DOORS SLIDE OPEN and we step into E roohts The rooly sets and s my nostrils

Day and Natalie assist Dr Craven and Yolanda as they prep for surgery, and I place the glass jar on a nearby counter Evangeline lies down on the operating table and anxiously plays with her hair Everyone else is upstairs, waiting for us in Patrick’s penthouse I sit beside Evangeline and take her hand in mine

"You don’t have to do this," I say to her

"Yes I do" She gazes up atblack eyes Her dark hair is pooled across her pillow, fraular face "I want to help, Ash, and I have less to lose than you"

She lightly presses a hand to my chest andDesire aches through eline’s the only person in this room who truly understands what it’s like not to have a heartbeat; she knoould destroy ain Natalie looks at us and sently reeline’s hand from my chest Dr Craven and Yolanda stroll over to us

"Are you ready, Evangeline?" Dr Craven asks

She nods confidently, but her hand findsto work," Yolanda says "Even if the heart isn’t rejected, the only e’ll know for certain it’s worked is when Purian Rose touches you"

I recall thehistory class, when Natalie and I accidentally bumped heads e bent to retrieve her dropped pen The brief touch was all it took to activate htly squeeze her hand "I’ll see you when you wake up"

She givesher on the forehead, before heading upstairs with Amy Natalie and Day stay in the hospital to assist Dr Craven and Yolanda

We find everyone on the balcony outside Patrick’s penthouse Elijah is sitting precariously on the narrow balustrade, his tail hanging lazily over the side as he gazes across the city From here I can see the famous domed roof of the Golden Citadel and nearby the shard-shaped building that’s currently ho out in prayer across Centru through my bones It’s easy to see how people beco On the billboard-sized digital screens built into all the skyscrapers are co cere Two days and this will be over one way or another

Elijah rubs a tired hand over his face He looks exhausted, and I know it’s not just fro its toll too It’s exhausting being sad all the time I kno he feels I could happily crawl into bed and never wake up again, given half the chance I don’t want to constantly remember why my heart hurts so iven the fact that she’s curled up in a ball on one of the plush balcony seats, fast asleep, the cool breeze rustling her cropped black hair Garrick is slu his stomach Nearby, the adults talk quietly to each other Occasionally, Sigur glances toward the door, as if expecting Dr Craven to walk through, but the operation will take a few hours Beetle is leaning against a gold pillar, s to watch the operation?" he says

"I’ve seen enough blood for one day," I reply, plucking the cigarette fro it back

"What are we going to do about Emissary Bradshaw?" Beetle says "People will notice he’s uards he’s sick, then make a few phone calls and cancel his appoint other things; it won’t seeuards off our backs for a few days," Beetle says, taking another drag of his cigarette "So how exactly are we going to get Evangeline and Purian Rose together in the same room?" The question is pitched to everyone on the balcony

"How about the Cleansing cereht breeze drifts over the balcony, ruffling his wavy blond hair "Purian Rose is supposed to be attending the event in Rose Plaza"

"The place will be swaranizing the security I can get you the files," Amy says

She heads inside and returns a fewit on the table next to Sigur We all converge around it On the screen is aon it

"The green dots on the roofs un turrets," General Buchanan explains e all look blankly at him "We had those in Black City to shoot down any Nordins who tried to fly over the wall Garrick and I can override them"

Natalie’s mom points toward the yellow dots Her black hair has been swept back into a tight bun, highlighting her painfully thin face "The yellow dots uards will be positioned around the plaza But I suspect there will be a separate squad roas kick off, we’ll just use the MGTs to take the into a crowd of innocent people," I reply "Purian Rose ht not care about their lives, but I do"