Alpha Strom finished demonstrating the upward-stab movement with the staff and handed it back to a young woman, before turning to face Scarlet. I have not.

Scarlet scanned the hectic crowd for the thousandth time. Me either, not for a long time. She has a tendency to wander off

Tilting his head back, Strom sniffed a few times at the air, then shook his head. It seems she hasnt been around for a while now. Perhaps shes found somewhere to rest.

Or perhaps shes poking out her own eye with a stick. Im telling you, its not good for her to be left alone.

Grumbling, Strom gestured at one of the beta members of his pack, then shambled toward a bench. He paused to sniff again, sending his keen eyes into the crowd, before turning and gazing into the forest.

Youre being creepy, said Scarlet.

You asked for my help.

Not technically.

When Strom headed into the shadows of the not-really-a-forest, Scarlet followed, though she couldnt imagine why Winter would have left everyone behind and wandered off all by her

Never mind. She could imagine it after all.

She came this way, Strom said, running his fingers over a trees bark. He turned to the right and increased his speed. Ive picked up on her now.

Scarlet trotted along beside him.

There.

She saw her at the same moment, and broke into a run before Strom did.

Winter! she screamed, dropping to her knees. Winters body was sprawled out in the patchy grass. Scarlet rolled the princess onto her back and checked for a pulse, relieved to find one fluttering at Winters neck.

A hand grabbed Scarlets hood and dragged her back. She yelped, flailing to get away, but Strom ignored her pummeling fists. Let me go! What are you doing?

She is sick.

What? Unzipping her hoodie, Scarlet scrambled out of the sleeves and fell at Winters side again. What are you talking about?

I can smell it on her, Strom growled. He didnt come any closer. Diseased flesh. Vile.

Scarlet frowned up at him before refocusing on the princess. Winter, wake up, she said, smacking the princesss cheek a few times, but Winter didnt even flinch. Scarlet pressed a hand to her forehead. She was clammy and hot. She felt the back of her head, wondering if the princess had hit her head again, but there was no blood and the only bump was from the fight at Mahas house. Winter!

Strom kicked something and it skipped through a tuft of grass and hit Scarlets knee. Scarlet blinked and picked it up. A sour apple petite, one of the candies Winter had often brought to her in the menagerie, usually laced with painkillers. It had a bite taken out of it. Picking up Winters hand, Scarlet found bits of melted candy shell stuck to her fingertips.

Poison?

I dont know, said Strom. She isnt deadjust dying.

With some sort of disease?

He gave a curt nod. You should not be so close to her. It smells He looked like he might be sick.

Oh, pull yourself together. All those muscles and teeth and youre afraid of a little cold?

His expression darkened, but he didnt come any closer. In fact, after a second, he stepped back. There is something wrong with her.

Obviously! But what? And how? She shook her head. Look, I saw a little med-clinic on the main street. Can you carry her there? Well have a doctor check her out. She might need her stomach pumped or

Scarlets gaze landed on Winters arm and she gasped. She skittered away from the princesss unconscious form, every instinct telling her to hold her breath. To clean the skin that had come in contact with the princess. To run.

Now she listens.

Ignoring him, Scarlet cursed, loudly. When you said she had a disease, I didnt think you meant she had the plague!

I do not know what this is, said Strom. I have never smelled this before.

Scarlet hesitated a moment more, then let out a painful, frustrated sound, and forced herself to crawl back to Winter again. She grimaced as she lifted Winters arm to inspect the dark spots scattered across her elbow. The red-tinged rings around the bruises had swollen above the skin, puffed and glossy like blisters.

For as long as she could remember, the plague had worked in predictable stages, though how long they took to manifest varied by victim. Once the rash of bruise-colored rings marred a persons skin, they may have three days or three weeks still to live. But given that Winter hadnt been gone for more than an hour, the disease seemed to be working especially fast.

She scrutinized Winters fingertips, relieved to see them pink and healthyno tinge of blue. Blood loss to the extremities was the final symptom of the disease before death.

She scowled. Hadnt Cinder once told her that Lunars were immune to letumosis? This disease shouldnt even be here.

Its called letumosis, she said. Its a pandemic on Earth. It acts fast and no one survives. But Levana has an antidote. Its half the reason Emperor Kai is marrying her in the first place. We just we need to keep Winter alive long enough to get it. We have to keep her alive until the revolution is over. All right?