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Scarlet wouldn’t have recognized the queen’s hacker, having only seen her once through a co, unruly hair had been chopped short and her skin, though still pale, had at least seen the sun in the recent past

Thorne launched hi the rooan to speak

"Hello, everyone If you’re seeing this, our good friends from the palace must have found you I wish I could have joined the, but I had to stay behind to assist with their travels I know you’ll understand I wanted you to know I’h I’m safe and unhurt, and I know you’ll come for me When you do, I’ll be ready Until then, I pro sh her eyes stayed anxious After a deep breath, she continued, "My absence has probably changed so on ram into this file Insert this cylinder into the universal port in the dome’s broadcast receiver and follow the prompts I’ve set up for you On the chance this could fall into the wrong hands, I have locked the program with the same passcode we used on the ship" Her lashes dipped, and there was that weak se reaches you safely I … I miss you" She opened her ain A second later, the e ended

They stared at the eeted with her hoodie’s zipper, knowing for sure now that the girl had been the one watching over her and Winter during their escape She had saved theirl," Thorne muttered He sank back down to the floor, his expression torn between relief and increased distress

"She’s still with Jacin, then," said Cinder "I guess … I’ where we are, or being responsible for Cress I don’t trust hiood person He would never betray you, or Cress"

"Too late," said Thorne "He already did once"

Winter laced her fingers together "He regrets betraying you It was never his intention He only … he had to come back to Luna For me"

Iko made a noise that was probably meant to be a snort Scarlet cocked her head to inspect the android What had been endearing tics when she had been the Ra in her humanoid body

"It’s true," Winter insisted, her eyes crinkling at the corners "I understand why you don’t trust hi to make amends He wants to see you back on your throne as much as anyone"

"He did save ed "Probably just because he needed "

Thorne crossed his arly, "I wish he would have tried a little harder to send Cress with you"

"At least we know she’s alive," said Cinder

Thorne grunted "All we know is she’s still in Arteuy who betrayed us once The princess thinks he’s on our side? Fine But that doesn’t change the fact he sold us out in New Beijing, and I don’t doubt he’ll do it again if ithis own skin"

"On the contrary, he cares very little for his own skin" Winter’s voice was sharp, her shoulders tre "It is my safety alone that he cares about, and I will never be safe again so long as my stepmother is the queen" She turned to Cinder "I believe he will do anything he can to help your revolution succeed We both will"