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.Ofcourse, she will waste no time in killing you.I am sure theyare planning their departure even at this moment.Cinder s mouth grew dry. Look at me, Cinder.She obeyed.And though the doctor s eyes werebreathtakingly blue and filled with pity and almost evencomforting, she somehow knew that he was not doinganything to manipulate her mind.This was just an old manwho was determined to dethrone Queen Levana.An old man who had somehow placed all his hopes onher. Does Kai know? she whispered.Dr.Erland shook his head, sadly. I cannot approach himso long as Levana is present, and this is not something Ican send via a comm.She will have taken you before I havea chance to see him.Besides, what could he do? If he knew, he would release me. And risk Levana turning her wrath against his entirecountry? Levana would find a way to kill you long before youhad any hope of taking back the throne.Kai would be a foolto do something so rash, not without a plan. But he deserves to know.He s been looking for her.For& he was looking for&  Many people have been looking for you.But finding youand being able to reinstate you as queen are two verydifferent goals.I have planned this moment for a long time.Ican help you.Cinder gawked at him as panic gripped her lungs. Reinstate me as queen?The doctor cleared his throat. I understand you arefrightened right now, and confused.Do not think too much.All I m asking is that you find a way out of this prison.I knowyou can do that.Then come to Africa.I will guide youthrough the rest.Please.We cannot let Levana win.She couldn t respond, couldn t even begin to fathomwhat he was asking of her.A princess? An heir?She shook her head. No.I can t.I can t be a queen or aprincess or I m nobody.I m a cyborg!Dr.Erland folded his hands together. If you won t let mehelp you, Cinder, then she will have already won, won tshe? Soon Queen Levana will take you away.She will finda way to marry Kai and become empress.She will wagewar against the Earthen Union and, I have no doubt, bevictorious.Many will die, the rest will become slaves, justlike us Lunars.It is a sad fate but unavoidable, I suppose, ifyou are not willing to accept who you truly are. That isn t fair! You can t just throw this on me and expectme to be able to do anything about it! I don t, Miss Linh.All I expect is for you to find a way outof this prison and come meet me in Africa.She stared at him, mouth agape, as those wordsgradually seeped into her brain.Escape from prison.Go to Africa.It seemed almost simple when he said it like that.The doctor must have seen something change in herface for he lightly tapped her wrist again, then stood withthe groans of old joints growing older. I believe in you, hesaid as he reached the doorway and rapped on the grate. And whether or not he knows it right now, Kai believes inyou too.The cell door opened, Dr.Erland tipped his hat to her,and he was gone.Cinder waited until two sets of footsteps had ricocheteddown the corridor before shuddering and collapsing overher knees, folding her hands over her ears.Her brain wasdownloading information faster than she could sort it: oldarticles about the princess s disappearance, interviewswith conspiracy theorists, images of the scorched rubble ofthe nursery where her burned flesh had been found.Dates.Statistics.The transcript of Levana s coronation as thecrown passed to her, next in line for the throne.Princess Selene s birth date.21 December 109 T.E.Shewas almost a month younger than she d always believed.Itwas a small fact, an insignificant fact, and yet for a momentshe had the distinct impression that she had no idea whoshe was anymore.No clue who she was supposed to be.And then came the cyborg draft.All the names of thosewho had been drawn flashed before her.Their pictures,their ID numbers, their birth dates, the dates they d beenpronounced dead, honorably, for their sacrifice for the goodof the Commonwealth.She heard a clock ticking inside her head.Cinder s breath came in jagged gasps as theinformation flooded her brain.Panic churned in herstomach.Bile seeped into her mouth, burning as sheswallowed it down.Queen Levana would come for her, and she would beexecuted.That was her fate.She d been resolved to it.She d been prepared for it.Not to be an heir.Not to be aqueen or a savior or a hero.It would be so simple to let it happen.So simple not tofight back [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]