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She glanced over her shoulder to see whether Wolf was still listening His eyes were glued to the screen, his brow set, as silent and brooding as usual When he said nothing, she cleared her throat and clicked to a new tab "As far as the finances are concerned, Michelle Benoit did own the land outright, and these bank statements show that the property and business taxes continue to be autoh to the labor android rentals too She missed last month’s payment, but I’llenough the rainy photo "This satellite io and shows the full tea this crop" She shrugged and turned to face Wolf "The bills are being paid, the anied Any accounts that were expecting regular deliveries are probably annoyed at Scarlet’s absence, but that’s the worst of it right now I esti for … oh, another two to three months"

Wolf didn’t take his forlorn stare froe "She loves that faret her back" Cress sounded as opti to be fine, that every day they were getting closer to rescuing her--but she bit her tongue The words had been tossed around so , even to her

The truth was that no one had any idea if Scarlet was still alive, or what shape they would find her in Wolf knew that better than anyone

"Is there anything else you want an to shake his head, but stopped His eyes flashed to her, sharp with curiosity

Cress gulped Though she’d war her time aboard the ship, he still sort of terrified her

"Can you find information about people on Luna?"

Her shoulders sank with an apology "If I could have found out about her by now, I--"

"Not Scarlet," he said, his voice rough when he said her na about ined Wolf with parents The idea of this hulkingonce been a dependent child didn’t fit In fact, she couldn’t i once been children, having once been loved But of course they had--once

"Oh Right," she sta down the skirt of the worn cotton dress she’d taken froh she’d spent a day wearing one of the military uniforms found in her crew quarters, a lifetime spent barefoot and in simple dresses had made the clothes feel heavy and cu on her "Do you think you ht see them? When we’re on Luna?"

"It’s not a priority" He said it like a eneral, but his expression carriedif they’re still alive Maybe seeing theain, someday" His jaw flexed "I elve when I was taken away They must think I’h her body, leaving her chest vibrating For sixteen years, her father had thought she was dead too, while she’d been told that her parents had willingly sacrificed her to Luna’s shell infanticide She’d barely been reunited with her father before he died of letu Palace She’d tried toa father at all and the loss of all the tiet to know each other

She still thought of hieonly olddraft in the Eastern Co in Africa

He was also the s he’d done--soood, some terrible And all, Cinder had told her, because he was detere her

"Cress?"

She jolted "Sorry I don’t … I can’t access Luna’s databases from here But once we’re on Luna--"

"Never ainst the cockpit wall and clawed his hands into his unkee of a meltdown, but that was his normal look these days "Scarlet’s the priority The only priority"