Okay people,

I know. This chapter is later than late, but still better than never, right? I had I bit of trouble with this chapter because it was the turning point for the whole story and I'm really, really sorry I keep on making excuses. *sigh* The moment you've been waiting for guys. I hope I didn't disappoint.

She could feel the heat of him through the press of his suit and the soft crinkling of her dress. If Cress was any saner than she was at the moment, she would have chided Cinder for damaging the fabric just hours after she put it on. Not that she wasn't dirtying most of her dresses. In fact, much of her wardrobe died the same death. By careless contact with rough surfaces.

Kai. Kai. Kai. Her inner voice chanted giddily and she wondered if it was callous of her to be so elated to be so near him even when her mind worried about her friends and the blasted assassin who couldn't leave her alone. Kai crushed his hands into her hair, letting out a long shuddering sigh. His warm breath brushed her cheek in a soft gust and Cinder pressed herself closer, taking comfort in the way his body felt against hers. The sounds around her muted and all she was aware of was his warmth, the smooth motion of his limbs as he encased her in his arms, the rough bristle of his jaw moving against her hair.

"It's okay," he murmured. "You're safe. You are fine." His voice was enough to break the bubble and Cinder stiffened pulling away. She pressed her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment and her eyes darted to the far wall to avoid seeing his stung expression.

The paramedics arrived and carted Scarlet, Thorne and Tandoori away. Cress was sobbing and clinging to Thorne's side ignoring the med-droids repeated attempts to get her to move away from the gurney. Wolf, who had stumbled in moments later cradled Scarlet's hand, shaking, his eyes as frantic and dead as the time they were in Farafrah without his alpha female. Reece stood a few feet away, his jaw clenched and eyes carefully averted away from the formerly embracing couple. Kai's head advisor, Master Torin, stood calmly listing order after order to the guards securing the palace and rooms. Something about a third level breach. Not that it mattered anymore. The assassin had already struck. Cinder watched the scene before her as if from afar her heartstrings wringing her insides. This wasn't supposed to happen. She had been so careful, so utterly careful. But not enough. It was never enough. Cinder bit down hard on her lip to stifle a cry of despair. Her teeth sank into flesh and blood welled, coppery and bitter. How had this gone so wrong? She had placed precaution after precaution. Cinder was sure that the plans she had laid down with Sasha had been through and discreet. How could he have known?

Reece came forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. Cinder slumped and turned away fisting her hands. "I have to talk to Sasha," she said in a low voice. "Reece, comm him. I need him here. Call for Sage's release and the charges to be dropped." Reece tensed.

"Are you kidding me?"

Cinder swung on him. "It is an order, Blackcrest," she snapped, her voice clipped and harsh. "If you have a problem with it, take it up with Cress." A muscle feathered along his jaw. She didn't soften, instead, her glare intensified. "I have enough problems as it is. Don't you dare add to them. You are seventh-tier. Act like it." Reece met her gaze, his golden gaze smouldering with resentment. Then, his eye lowered in deference and the heated mutiny vanished as if it had never been.

Reece bowed stiffly. "Of course, Your Majesty. As you will it, it will be done."

Cinder rubbed her head, marginally regretting her sharp tone. "I expect no complications, Reece. This will be quick. Request a contingent of Wolves Guard. I also want a detachment from the Ember Guard patrol, specifically the Ruby Sector. I believe Aiden Finn is assigned there." Cinder started toward the doors, the train of her red dress pooling on the marble floors like blood. She looked down at it, her lips curling. How appropriate. Kai caught her wrist as she swung around. The ends of her fingers jerked as they sparked with sudden heat. Cinder cursed herself inwardly for her reaction to such a small, simple touch.

"Where are you going?" he asked in an anxious tone. "It is not safe yet." Cinder stared down at their linked hands. Kai's eyes followed her gaze and his ears tinted pink as he realized he still had a grip on her. Kai released her hurriedly, not desiring to invoke her wrath again so soon. Cinder's lips compressed.

"To go see how my friends are," she hissed. "What else? They might as well be dying because of our stupid date and your palace's incompetent security." Kai's face melded into a blank expressionless mask. Cinder gave Torin a withering look. "If my friends..." Her face contracted with anguish as she trailed off, her voice catching. Cinder bit her trembling lip and glanced away from them to compose herself. She faced them. "If either Scarlet or Thorne are hurt, the Eastern Commonwealth will pay for this inadequacy. Mark my words, Emperor. You do not want to kindle my ire. It will not be pleasant for you or the empire. I graciously overlooked the restaurant fire. I even disregarding the palace ambush where two of your own guards attacked me outside my chamber a mere quarter hour after my release from the infirmary. But there has been enough of that hasn't there. I have had enough of this seemingly habitual failure. This time I won't be so lenient." With that, Cinder brushed past them to the doors. Reece shadowed her, his presence a steady wall of comfort.

As soon as they entered her suite, Cinder slumped onto the wall, her head falling into her hands. "Why is it so hard, Reece?" she whispered. "How far is the assassin going to go before he stops? After everything I've left is gone?" Reece crouched down beside her and was silent for a long while.

"Here," he rumbled lightly. Reece opened his arms and Cinder fell into him, eyes pressed tight. She could smell his scent, A woodsy slightly flowery scent and a dash of expensive cologne. Cinder's eyes closed, a clap of pain striking her heart with the force of a maglev train. They huddled there on the floor, just breathing. In and out. Finally: "You don't understand his motive for trying to kill you," he stated. Cinder smiled bitterly.

"I have a slight clue," she said, biting out each syllable deliberately. Cinder stepped out of his embrace and went to her night table. Cinder pulled the lower drawer open, the wood making a slight scraping sound. She reached in, then hesitated, her cyborg hand hovering in the air. Steeling herself, Cinder's hand dipped and grasped the thin folio. Hugging it to her chest, she turned to face her thaumaturge. "Do you remember this?"

Reece's brow rose. "Of course," he replied. Cinder fingered the worn pages and opened the folder. The first entry. The second, third, fourth.

Cinder's lips quirked. "Did you read it?" She heard a soft inhaled breath and smirked, a grim, ruthless mask. His hesitation told her all she needed to know. Cinder changed the subject brutally quick. "Why were you in my room the night after the date? Before the nightmare." She tilted her head to look at him. "You switched up the journal entries."

Reece scowled. "I just wanted to help you, Cinder. I needed to know what I was up against. You have to trust someone." Cinder stared at him for a long time. Then, Reece threw up his hands and continued. "I read them, yes, but I swear I did nothing else. What else could I have done with them?"

"You read the folio at night, without a flashlight and knew exactly where I put it," Cinder said sceptically.

His face darkened. "You were spying on me."

She snorted darkly. "You were in my bedroom in the middle of the night, rummaging in my drawers like a thieving criminal. I almost whapped you in the head with a baseball bat."

"You don't have a baseball bat," Reece said automatically.

"That is besides the point and you know it, Blackcrest." She stepped closer. "How did you know where I put it? How were you able to forge the writing so accurately? On the exact stationary no less." He narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Cinder rubbed her head and sighed. "You're one of my best friends, Reece, but I can't..." She stopped. "I don't know what to do with you anymore. I don't want to believe what I'm seeing, but Reece, are- I mean- you are behind this aren't you?" Cinder shook her head. "I mean- I just. Just tell me you're not the assassin. Please, Reece," Cinder said quietly. She was close enough to touch him now. Cinder brought a trembling hand to his arm and brushed it gently. Reece tensed at her touch and his hands clenched. He kept his eyes diverted away from her. "Look at me, Reece." Her voice was choked.

"You don't understand," he hissed, jerking his arm away. "You have never understood. "

Something in Cinder snapped. "Then make me understand!" she shouted. "What is it that I don't understand?!" Reece turned away and Cinder caught his arm. "You don't get to just say something like that. Why did you do it? I am your friend and friends don't hurt each other!"

He spun on her, shrugging off her hand roughly. The folio slipped to the floor, forgotten. "You don't think of me as your friend," he roared. "Mistress Cress is your friend, Commander Thorne is your friend, Scarlet and Wolf are your friends. You don't treat them the way you treat me! I am a toy to you. A consolation prize. You can't get the emperor and come crying to me. I can't stand it anymore!" Cinder stood frozen, throat dry. "What? Can't say anything in your defense?" Reece taunted. Then he deflated. "I'm not blind, Cinder. Every time you look at him I'm reminded of what we don't have."

"So you decided to have me killed?" Cinder asked, her voice strangled. She shook her head. "I am truly sorry for how I treated you, Reece. I- I know there's no excuse. I just wasn't thinking, I guess."

"You never do," he said stormily. "You are too naive, Cinder."

"But why?!" Cinder cried. "What did the Selkirk family have to do with it, or Sage? What did Thorne or Scarlet have to do with it? They are innocent!"

Reece finally looked at her. His liquid gold eyes burned like rising flames. "They are innocent of what?" he hissed. "How many times have they talked about me behind my back? Criticised my character based on my family name?"

"Look, I know they don't like you much-"

Reece gave a harsh chuckle. "Don't like me much? What an utterly laughable understatement. What planet have you been living on? They hate my guts!" Cinder hesitated. "This is merely my revenge for how they treated me. Starting with Scarlet and Thorne."

Cinder felt something press against her breastbone and she smiled sadly. Cinder reached out a hand to him, but froze as the safety clicked off. She stared down at the taser.

"I am really sorry, Cinder. If there was any other way, this would not have happened. Was it my fault you forgot? No." Reece smiled lightly at her. "No hard feelings, right? I mean, I went through a lot more for you."

"Of course," Cinder murmured faintly. "I prepared for every contingency as have you. But tell me, was it all a lie? All those years?"

She watched as his face skipped through emotions. "No," Reece said, his face soft. "Not all, but most." Cinder nodded.

"Then I thank you for all those little times you were truly my friend."

"No. I was always your friend. Always. You were the one who left," Reece said shaking his head. "You were the one who abandoned me. You were always supposed to be mine." There were tears in his eyes. "You left," he repeated, his grip on the gun shaking. "You forgot." Cinder closed her eyes. There was nothing for her to say.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Reece shook his head. "Not sorry enough."

Then pain exploded through her body and the darkness came for her.

Yeah, kinda depressing, but that's how it is. Until the next chapter.

-Silverleaf