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.Cinder folded her arms, cowering into herself. But whyme? I m not a shell.I wasn t in any danger.It doesn t makesense. It will, I promise.Listen carefully, as this may besomething of a shock to you. A shock? You mean all that was just the precursor?His eyes softened. Your gift is returning, Miss Linh.Iwas able to manipulate your bioelectricity to temporarilyoverwhelm Linh Garan s prototype.That s what I did the firstday you were here, when you lost consciousness, and thelock on your gift has been irreparably damaged because ofit.With practice, you will be able to override the fail-safeson your own, until you are in complete control of your giftagain.I understand it is painful when it comes on quicklylike it did today, but those instances should be rare, onlyduring times of extreme emotional disturbance.Can youthink of anything that may have set it off earlier?Cinder s stomach flipped, recalling Kai s closeness inthe elevator.She cleared her throat. What you re saying isthat I m becoming Lunar for real.Magic and all.Dr.Erland screwed up his lips, but didn t correct heragain. Yes.It will take some time, but you will eventuallyhave all the use of your natural gift that you were born with.He spun his fingers in the air. Would you like to try and useit now? You may be able to.I m not sure.Cinder imagined a spark in her wires, somethingcrackling at the base of her spine.She knew it wasprobably in her head, self-induced panic, but she couldn tbe sure.What did it feel like to be Lunar? To have that kindof power?She shook her head. No, that s all right.I m not ready forthat.A thin smile stretched across the doctor s lips, as if hewere faintly disappointed. Of course.When you re ready.Hugging her arms around her waist, she inhaled a shakybreath. Doctor? Yes? Are you immune to letumosis, like me?Dr.Erland s held her focus, unflinching. Yes.I am. Then why haven t you just used your own blood samplesto find a cure? So many people have died&.And thecyborg draft& The wrinkles on his face softened. I have been, MissLinh.Where do you think the twenty-seven antidotes we vealready been through came from? And none of them worked. She tucked her feet beneathher chair, feeling small.Insignificant again. So myimmunity isn t the miracle you made it out to be. Her eyesfell on the vial.The queen s antidote. Miss Linh.Meeting the doctor s gaze, Cinder found a glint there.Barely contained giddiness, like the first time she d methim. You are the miracle I was looking for, he said. But youare right.It was not because of your immunity.Cinder stared at him, waiting for him to explain.Whatelse could be special about her? Had he actually beensearching for the ingenious lock on her magic LinhGaran s prototype?Her internal comm pinged before he could continue.Shejolted, turning away from the doctor as green text skitteredacross her eyesight.COMM RECEIVED FROM NEW BEIJING DISTRICT29, LETUMOSIS QUARANTINE.LINH PEONYENTERED FOURTH STAGE OF LETUMOSIS AT17:24 ON 18 AUG 126 T.E. Miss Linh?Her fingers trembled. My sister s entered the fourthstage. Her gaze settled on the vial atop Dr.Erland s desk.He followed the look. I see, he said. The fourth stageworks quickly.There isn t much time to lose. Reachingforward, he grasped the vial between his forefingers. Apromise is a promise.Cinder s heart thumped against her ribs. But don t youneed it? To duplicate?Standing, the doctor paced to the bookshelf and pulled abeaker stand toward him. How old is she? Fourteen. Then I think this will be sufficient. He poured a quarterof the antidote into the beaker.Corking the vial, he turnedback to Cinder. You do realize it came from QueenLevana.I do not know what her plan could be, but I know itwill not be for the greater good of Earth.This could very wellbe a trick. My sister is already dying.He nodded and held it out to her. That is what I thought.Cinder s stood up and took the vial, cradling it in herpalm. You re sure? On one condition, Miss Linh.Gulping, she clutched the vial against her chest. You must promise me not to come near this palaceagain so long as Queen Levana is here.Chapter Twenty-SixPRINCE KAI ARRIVED AT THE MEETING SEVENTEEN MINUTES late [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]