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"Yes, Mistress Pereira"

The footsteps scattered The front door shut again

It was a small house Only moments had passed before the wo sleeves of a red thaue coat She came to stand in the center of the closet-size kitchen, so close Iko could have touched her But she didn’t look down or bother to open any of the cupboards

From her crouched position, Iko stared up at the woh she was one of the older thaues Iko had seen, she was still beautiful, with sharp cheekbones and full lips Her hands were tucked into her sleeves

She stood still for a longfor more traces of bioelectricity, and it became clear she was not about to notice Iko beside her

Iko held still, glad she didn’t have to stifle her breathing--good stars above, when she’d been trapped in the spaceship closet with Cinder and the others, the noise of their co

But then her fan kicked in again

The wo "Hello"

The thau moment, before she stammered, "A shell?"

"Close" Iko snatched a dish towel off the counter and lunged for the woainst her face, stifling the screaainst the wall, biting back her instinctive apology as she watched the woman’s face pale, her eyes widen in panic

"Just pass out," Iko said, trying to sound coo"

"Hey!"

She snapped her head around as a royal guard spotted theh the kitchenHe ran for the back door and swung it open and …

Holy stars alht Kai was the most attractive huly beautiful, with tan skin and roguish wavy hair, and he was …

He was …

Pointing a gun at her

Iko yanked the thauer The bullet hit the woman somewhere in her torso and she collapsed, already weak from Iko’s suffocation