"We're hoping to see results in the aftermath of the alliance with Luna," Kai was saying. Cinder watched him, feeling slightly mesmerized by the fall of his bangs and the confidence he held himself with even as his world fell apart. "An antidote will be distributed following the coronation, and we hope to see an antidote obtained soon. That will be all for today. Thank you."
He paused, as if unaware of whether it was appropriate to move or not. Deciding that it was, he gave what might have been a curt nod but came off as more of a bob of his head and moved off the podium.
Cinder sighed, clicking off the tab in her head. She'd been watching newsfeeds for hours, trying to be up to date with all the details about the alliance.
It felt as though the blaring lights from each video were imprinted permanently into her brain. Her head was starting to ache. She sipped a glass of water from beside her bed, but all it did was prove that the idea that water helped headaches was just a myth.
"Thorne, what do you think she's doing?"
Cinder rolled her eyes at the familiar voices echoing from outdoors.
"Well, let me guess," Thorne said, peeking his head through the door. "She's probably obsessively stalking the emperor like she's been doing for the past two hours."
This proclamation was followed by a flash of red hair appearing next to Thorne's head by the door. Feigning surprise, Scarlet made her way towards where Cinder was perched on the side of her bed. "Oh is she still? Even after I told her to take a break?" Scarlet's slight frown was how Cinder thought a grandmother's would look—fierce, but well-meaning and caring at the same time.
Cinder tapped her finger against her arm. "I'm sure I'll have plenty of time for coffee breaks after the war is over. In the meanwhile-"
"You need torest," Scarlet emphasized, her tone close to admonishing. This, Cinder realized, was coming from the same girl who only a day ago had berated her for hiding and doing nothing while lives were in danger.
Her mood swings were nothing short of terrifying.
Still, in the few short hours that she'd known her, Scarlet had almost started to feel like a surrogate mother—a parental figure where Cinder had never had one.
She didn't think she'd mind being like Scarlet when she was a few years older.
"I dunno, Scarlet," Thorne jumped in. "What's to say she hasn't been on a net fangroup?"
"Valid point," Scarlet agreed.
Cinder scowled, sitting up taller and crossing her arms over her chest. "One of you leave right now, because I can't tolerate the two of you together any longer."
"You didn't answer the question," Scarlet sang.
Cinder huffed. "Well, I was not, for your kind information. I was monitoring newsfeeds, seeing if there are any new items of business."
"Glorified stalking," Thorne interjected.
Cinder's glare could've burned holes through him. "I tend to leave the celebrity stalking up to Iko, important work to do."
"But that can be put on hold, right?" Thorne asked, elbowing Scarlet.
"Absolutely," Scarlet agreed. "Right now, it's time for a little heart-to-heart."
Cinder threw her hands up "Aboutwhat? My enviable life? I'm considering leaving it up for grabs."
"Don't deflect," Scarlet said, grabbing the pillow Cinder was attempting to bury her head in. "You know what I mean—orwhoI mean."
"What is there to say about it?" She asked. "I'm trying to save the world, he doesn't know that and hates me—end of story."
"That's what she always says," Thorne felt the need to input. "But we'll get it out of her soon."
Cinder could have torn out her hair. "Get out what?"
"How you really feel," said Scarlet. "It's a good thing there's none of that angsty obliviousness. That's one stage we can skip-"
"What do you mean, there's no obliviousness?" Cinder had to ask.
"I mean," Scarlet said, "a day ago, you admitted to me that you may have gone to the ball knowing your true identity just for his sake. And he's not doing a good job of hiding his feelings either-"
Cinder muttered about irrelevant discussions under her breath.
"-so we know that there's none of that 'what are you talking about?'nonsense. All we have to do is get you reunited and then-"
Here Scarlet paused, as if even she didn't know what to say. They would be reunited and then what? Shake hands? Apologize? Declare a political relationship?
It was absurd.
With any luck, they would see each other again soon, and to hope it would be a happy reunion was nothing beyond plain wishful thinking.
"Well," Scarlet continued as if nothing had happened, "then we can get to all the net-drama type stuff."
Cinder stared at her. "Net dramas?You?"
"I had this friend back in Rieux who-" Scarlet broke off. "Stop trying to change the topic, we're talking about you here."
"You'd really rather not talk about more important stuff?"
Thorne, standing beside Scarlet, considered this. "No, I'd really rather not."
Cinder rolled her eyes. "Neither of you even know the full story."
"And the full story is...?" Scarlet pressed.
Cinder spread her fingers over her eyes. "I was just a mechanic who needed to fix an android. But I was also a cyborg. Convenient, isn't it? That's how I got into this mess in the first place."
She looked up. Two eager eyes were focusing on her, beckoning her to continue.
Cinder took a deep breath, glancing at the two people she hardly knew but already felt as much as family as Iko did, and Peony had.
This realization was shattered when Thorne asked, "So you didn't dance with him?"
"And he didn't invite you to the ball?" Scarlet added. "And who knows how many other things I haven't heard?"
Cinder's stomach flipped, thinking ofthat timein the elevator. Shaking her head to clear it, she sighed. "It's not like this matters anyways. We're trying to save the world, and who knows how many people with it?"
She knew they knew how severe this really was. But sometimes, it still felt like they needed a reminder.
And she really didn't need to talk about this. It was unnecessary. It wasbullshit.
She didn't need a reminder of how it had ended.
You're even more painful to look at than she is.
She shuddered.
Scarlet must have noticed, because she ordered, "Okay, Thorne, out of here. We have some talking to do."
"What? But-"
"Out, before I make you."
Thorne ultimately left, grumbling about how there was no respect left in the world. "I'll be eavesdropping!" he called before closing the door.
Cinder rolled her eyes. "He won't really."
"He's scared of both of us," Scarlet agreed. "So anyway. You don't have to tell me what made you flinch-but you do know he still likes you, right?" She pulled away the pillow Cinder tried to bury her face in. "Nope, no dodging."
"I'm not dodging."
He did. Now he hates me.
Proving that she really could read minds, Scarlet's expression softened. "You don't want to talk about it, do you?"
"I'd really rather not," she agreed. "Wouldn't mind talking about you and Wolf, though."
A flush colored Scarlet's cheeks. "That's not-" She dropped it. "Well, if we don't want to talk about the same thing, why don't we just get back to, as you put it,saving the world?"
"Please," Cinder agreed, happy at the topic change. "I should practice my gift, and Thorne should practice his flying."
"His flying? What's wrong with it?"
"Let's just say it's a miracle I'm alive."
Grateful that the embarrassing subject had been left behind, Cinder turned to leave the room.
But then Scarlet called from behind her.
"Cinder?"
She turned.
A wicked grin spread over Scarlet's face. "For what it's worth, you and the emperor have my vote."