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I know! I know this My parents received sosides: pro-science, which favors genetic research and the pursuit of an antidote; and pro-naturalis new children and subjecting them to experimentation is unethical In short, pro-naturalism believes that it’s natural to let the huhn says "You’re warood thing you have here You’re more special than you realize; if Linden were to lose you, it just ht destroy his spirit You don’t want that"

And suddenly itIt wasn’t simply because she wanted Linden to have a co to warn me, to spare me whatever punishment she faced for her own escape attehn’s, that whispers the final words into ain"

Chapter 13

Linden see to run away froarden when the storm came," Jenna whispers one afternoon, while Linden sleeps with his aro out theWhat were you doing?"

"I don’t know," I say "Whatever it was, I failed"

She looks like she wants to hug h for me just to lie there and be looked at "Did he believe you?" I ask

"Governor Linden did despite the brokenI don’t know about Househn Everyone in the kitchen said they saw you out in the garden before the storet back inside when you heard the alarht have convinced him"

"They did that?" I say

She smiles a little, tucks my hair behind my ear "They must like you Especially Gabriel"

Gabriel! His blue eyes stabbing through the frenzy

His ar into hi safe, before the world disappeared into nothingness

"He came after me," I say

"Half the house went after you," she says "Even Governor Linden He took a few hits fro atfroer

"I thought you were dead," she says "Gabriel carried you into the kitchen and it looked like every bone in your body was broken"

"Pretty close," I say

"Cecily was screa her up to her roo to miscarry if she didn’t quiet down But she’s fine, of course You kno she gets"

"What happened to Gabriel?" I say I haven’t seen hi up I still don’t knoainst my shoulder, and I wait for his eyes to open, but his breathing remains deep and even with sleep

Jenna, whose eyes are suddenly serious, leans close to , she wants to be extra sure nobody will hear us "I don’t knohat’s going on between you two, but be careful Okay? I think Househn Just o cold

I haven’t spoken to anyone about what he said about Rose, partly because the memory is so fuzzy that I can’t delineate fact from dream, but also because I’m afraid of what he’ll do I force him out of my mind

I don’t kno to answer Jenna because I don’t knohat’s going on between me and Gabriel And suddenly all I can think of is the fear that hn is nearby Is it because he’s been threatened? I s so painful "Is he okay?"

"He’s fine Just a little scratched up He’s been in a few times, but you were asleep"

I can always trust Jenna to knohat’s happening in this house She’s quiet, a background fixture, but sheher back into the water I think about her sisters being shot in that van, and tears are filling , and she says "Shh, shh" and kisses my forehead "It’s okay I’ll look out for him," she whispers "It’s okay"

"It’s not okay," I choke But I can’t say ht overhear He already knows everything He’s already everywhere, this awfulto die here, so Ito think he’sbeside me is as much a prisoner as his own brides

Jenna stays with s and my head beco I awaken to Cecily standing uneasily in the doorway She is noticeably s and a full moon of a stomach "Hi," she says It’s a child’s voice

"Hi," lass, but I knoill hurt to clearher head off when she saw ?" she asks And before I can answer, she takes her hands out from behind her back and shows me a vase of white star-shaped flowers "Lilies, like in your story," she says

And they are just likefrohtstand and then touches her hand to ht fever," she says