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"We could if they were a twin-blood," Lucinda says, sliding a look at me

My stomach knots as it dawns on me that Lucinda intends to use me as the vessel It makes sense Twin-bloods don’t need their hearts to live, so I won’t die, even if the organ fails I’ solution the heart has been preserved in won’t poison enerate dead tissue Lucinda’s thought of everything, except one thing: I don’t want to do it I don’t want someone to rip my heart out and replace it with another one Not to mention, I’d be Purian Rose’s Blood Mate! That’s twisted on so ; I’ve had plenty of ot steamy--my "added extras" hy clients ca vials of Haze from the hus, not to h Natalie takesmy discomfort

"It’s a Lupine heart Surely Ash would reject it," Day says

"Not if he had a geneticist who specialized in xenotransplantation," Yolanda replies

So that’s why Lucinda needed Yolanda’s expertise It wasn’t anything to do with her research into yellowpox; it was because of her ith cross-species transplants I can’t believe we didn’t pick up on this earlier What better way to bring down Purian Rose, without risking anyone’s life?

"This is all assu out his heart," Acelot says distractedly fro out the dusty , checking our periuard jacket in the truck, so he’s just wearing a white vest, black pants and boots His speckled tail sways rhythlances at o ahead with this fukaka plan, huh?"

I give hi secretly relieved I’m not sure I’d be able to do it if push came to shove Lucinda shoots a quizzical look at me and at Natalie, who briefly explains about the Sentry rebel stronghold in Gallium

"And you trust those people?" Lucinda asks

"Those people are my parents," Natalie replies tersely "So, yes, I trust them"

"They do have an a arsenal of weapons," Elijah says to his mom "Not to mention a whole fleet of Transporters, which have all been weaponized It’s very professional They’re planning an attack on Centrum in four days"

"And then what?" Lucinda snarls "We’ll replace one fragging Sentry for another Hoill things be any different?"

Natalie looks atbehind her blue eyes Lucinda has a point If the Sentry rebels take control of Centru to iovernment, filled with people ill put their needs above ours At least if Hudoms took control, they would try to create a fair and representative government

Natalie’s watch suddenly beeps "That’s Destiny"

"I see the Transporter," Acelot confir away frouess this is good-bye, cousin"

"You won’t come with us?" he asks

She shakes her head "This is my h--"

Her words suddenly cut off The lines in her forehead deepen with confusion She opens her lips to speak, and a bubble of blood pools out of a s hole in the pane that Acelot was standing in front of moments before Ulrika crashes to the floor

"GET DOWN!" I yell just as the back s shatter in a rain of bullets They thulasses

Elijah shoves his round just as a book explodes above her head, sending a confetti of words into the air Everybody hits the floor Kieran lands beside

"Kieran!" Lucinda’s wail piercesfacedown, her hands clasped over her head I grip the back of her jacket and drag her towardA shadow blocks out the diines Another burst of bullets punctuate the room as Beetle crawls across the floor toward the front door He inches it open and checks outside

"Destiny’s landing the Transporter! We can unfire, and Natalie flinches Day leaps to her feet and helps Martha up They hurry out the door, followed by Beetle, Elijah, Acelot and then Yolanda Lucinda is under the table, frozen with fear, her eyes fixed on Kieran’s destroyed face

I look down at Natalie "Go"

"Not without you!" she says

"I’ll be right behind you"

Natalie quickly kisses me, then scrambles to her feet and darts out the front door, her blond curls fanning behind her A bullet sla her by an inch My heart clenches There’s no tio," I say, stretching out a hand toward her

So else in the room shatters and Lucinda cowers

"Takeback to her senses, and takes lass jar containing Theora’s heart--we ca without it--and we dash outside

The aircraft is about fifty feet away, the engines roaring,the trees sway and their leaves stir Beetle is by the hatch, his gun raised toward the trees "Hurry up, mate!" he says The others are already inside

Above the tree line, I hear the telltale hu