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"We’re splitting up," said Cinder

Iko wrapped an arm around Cinder’s waist "Only te an attack," said Thorne, "and getting as many people in front of that palace as possible, which is the whole point, isn’t it? Strength in nued a nod She was studying the holograph again when an ano with that sector?" she asked, pointing to one that was tinged red on the ht the sector into focus "LW-12, lu Quarantined?"

"Like a disease quarantine?" Cinder asked

"That’s all we need," Thornetime since we had an outbreak of any sort of disease on Luna There aren’t many environmental influences that we can’t control" He crossed his ar happens, though With the domes confined like they are, it wouldn’t take h"

"Could it be letu in her voice

"That’s an Earthen disease," said Jacin "We’ve never had any cases here"

"It’s not just an Earthen disease," said Cinder "Not anymore Dr Erland discovered a mutated strain in Africa, reulped "And a whole lot of Earthens just arrived on Luna Anyone could be a carrier One of the diploestured to the holograph "Have any of you gone into a lumber sector lately?"

Cinder pressed her lips

"That’s what I thought I doubt any of your political friends have, either It’s probably a coincidence"

"Actually," said Cress, pulling her wide-eyed gaze away from her portscreen, "one of us has been there" She input a new coraph

It was a collection of the queen’s surveillance videos, all labeled LW-12 They were dark and grainy, but as Cinder’s eyes adjusted she could see rows of trees in the outside shots and wood-paneled walls on the interiors She focused on one of the more crowded feeds, which appeared to be inside alike the sleek, shiny laboratories of New Beijing

There were soup what few beds there hile others curled against walls or collapsed in corners

Stepping closer to the i in on a rash of blue-and-red rings across one patient’s throat, then to the bloodstained pillow beneath another patient’s head

"It does look like letu with instinctive fear

"Are those what I think they are?" asked Iko, pointing

"Lunar soldiers," Cress confir one of the outside feeds that showed dozens of ht up in a fervent conversation Cinder had never seen them when they weren’t in attack mode, and if it wasn’t for their defor, scarythan the irl with red hair and a hooded sweatshirt and hands settled stubbornly on her hips "Scarlet!"

Veryher In fact, as she watched, Scarlet seeer toward the main doors of the clinic Half a dozen of the soldiers nodded at her and left

"I don’t cohed, as jovial as Cinder felt "What’s to co to build an army"

"Yes, but Scarlet wasn’t with us in the desert How could she be a carrier of the new strain of the disease?"

Cinder started "You’re right She could have … picked it up from one of us?"