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Instinct alone proun and fire

The blast knocked Levana away Cinder didn’t see where the bullet had gone, but she saw a line of blood arc across the back of the throne

Her vision glazed over, all white and dancing stars Her body was pain and blackness and hot and sticky with blood Stars It wasn’t just in her head, she realized Soalaxy spread out before her

In the silence of space, she heard a million noises at once Faraway and inconsistent A screa footsteps A door crashing against a wall

Her nas twitched, orShe tasted blood on the back of her tongue

A shadow passed in front of her Brown eyes, filled with terror Messy black hair Lips that every girl in the Commonwealth had admired a thousand times

Kai looked at her, the wound, the knife handle, the blade still buried She saw hisover his shoulder, but his voice was lost to her--so loud, but far, far, far away

Ninety-One

"I told you, I’h her tone eary "It’s just been a really long few months"

"‘Fine’?" Émilie screeched By the way her eyes blurred and her blonde curls took up the screen, Scarlet could tell that the waitress--the only friend she had back in Rieux--was holding her port far too close to her face "You have beenthe attacks, and then the war broke out, and I found those convicts in your house and then--nothing! I was sure you were dead! And now you think you can send arden like everything is … is fine?"

"Everything is fine Look--I’m not dead"

"I can see you’re not dead! But, Scar, you are all over the nen here! It’s all anyone will talk about This … this Lunar revolution, and our little Scarling in the center of it all They’re calling you a hero in town, you know Gilles is talking about putting up a plaque in the tavern, about how Rieux’s own hero, Scarlet Benoit, stood on this very bar and yelled at us all, and we’re so proud of her!" Émilie craned her head, as if that would allow her to see round "Where are you, anyway?"

"I’lanced around the lavish suite of Arteant than her little farreat passion "I’m still on Luna, actually"

"Luna! Can I see? Is it even safe up there?"

"É" Scarlet rubbed her te, Mademoiselle Too-Busy-to-Send-a-Comm-and-Let-Me-Know-You’re-Not-Dead"

"I was a prisoner!" Scarlet yelled

Éasped "A prisoner! Did they hurt you? Is that a black eye or is it justup lately…" Émilie scrubbed her sleeve over the screen

"Listen, I proet ho the faro back to?"

Éht Pretty and bubbly and so far re her voice re the farested she was hurt Scarlet had doubted it "You asked me to, after all, and I didn’t want to think you were dead, even though … even though everyone believed it, and I did too for a while I’lad you’re not dead, Scar"

"Me too"

"The ani … you htly, recalling so about how Cress had set up a few payments in her absence

"Scar?"