Chapter Thirty-Four

Cinder cringed at the words that scrawled across Darragh's gigantic netscreen. Kai typed confidently, muttering to himself, sometimes furrowing his brow in thought but then nodding and continuing. They were words that spoke of trust in a long-lost princess, of an attack on the palace, of a revolution.

Though it was what they had discussed all along, the tangibility of it in front of her now was almost more than she could handle. She was not this brave, not this confident, not this eloquent. This was the voice of a politician, a ruler, a true heir to the throne.

If only Kai could deliver the speech for her.

Pending that everything worked out and the rest of the Lunar resistance approved their final plans, he would be otherwise occupied, however. He would be in more immediate danger than all of them. She could only hope that Levana's plans hadn't changed—that she still did want to marry him and take over Earth through an alliance. They needed Kai to make this work.

Her familiar headache began to throb.

"You're doing it again," said Kai, his hand on her knee jerking her back to reality. "Playing with your titanium hand."

She scrunched her fingers up awkwardly and shoved her hands in her pockets. "All that time with gloves. It's a hard habit to break."

He rubbed her knee gently. "I know. I'm sure that after years of being forced to hide who you are, it's difficult to accept that it's okay for everyone to see you now."

"That's a metaphor, isn't it," she said glumly.

Kai kissed her on the cheek. Once, twice, three times, until he leaned his forehead into hers. She twisted in the chair to better reach him, and soon her hand was in his.

Metal on skin.

It was so natural for the two of them now that she barely gave it a second thought. It was hard to think about anything when the breath between them was the only thing separating their lips.

"You're going to be a great leader, Cinder," he murmured. Her orange light didn't blink on. He believed every word he was saying.

And maybe if he believed it, she would believe it too.

"I hate this," she whispered back.

His free hand came up to cup her chin and he pulled away from her. Though he was still within centimeters of her, it was agonizingly far away.

"Use that, Cinder. If we do nothing, it stays the same."

"I know."

"She tried to kill you."

"I know."

"She killed thousands of Earthens."

"I know."

"Destroyed Lunar families, genetically modified innocent children, withheld a cure that would have saved your sister—"

"Kai. I know why we have to do this."

He dropped his hand and turned back to the screen. "Then let's make sure this is the best speech you're ever going to give."

Two hours later, she still wasn't doing a very good at sounding convincing. Sure, she had downloaded the words and could read them, but Kai kept reiterating that it had to sound like she wasn't reading. It had to come from the heart.

Just when she thought her throat couldn't get any more dry from reciting the lines, Thorne and Cress emerged from the hallway.

Holding hands.

"Yes," muttered Kai under his breath at the same time that Cinder let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't ruined their chances of getting together after all.

When they caught Cinder's eye, Cress blushed furiously, unable to contain her smile. Thorne just shrugged, the corners of his lips twitching, as if holding hands with Cress was the most natural thing he'd ever done.

Iko would have called them adorable.

Kai stood. "Are we ready to go, then?"

"Of course," said Thorne.

Kai grabbed Cinder's hand too and together the four of them went to find the rest of the group.

As well as some much needed water.

Many people had arrived to discuss Revolution: Phase One, as Cinder and Garrison had begun to call it since arriving at Eira and Abbott's.

The Kesleys had shown up for the meeting as well, which had pleased Wolf. Cinder was starting to enjoy the way his energy calmed down in their presence, and she imagined that nothing but a sense of home and belonging could do that. Wolf was still a wild card, based on his emotions, and she hoped that these small moments gave him the strength to focus on the task at hand.

The first half hour of the meeting had just been introductions. No one could believe that the lost princess was really with them in the tunnels. They wanted to see her cyborg parts for proof that she had been burned, to ask about her recollections as a baby, and to test out her glamour.

Apparently, Cinder was even able to glamour herself to look like her mother. When she'd done it the first time without knowing that she looked like Channary when she did it, the room had fallen silent. She was beautiful, they told her. Cinder didn't even have a picture of her, and at the moment, she resented not being able to see her own glamour.

She didn't call it up again.

Garrison, however, suggested that if it ever came to a final showdown, Cinder should use her Channary-like glamour to hurt Levana. She had always been afraid of her older sister, intimidated even. There had even been rumors that Levana had tried to murder Channary, when in fact she had died of regolith poisoning. Cinder pushed the thoughts of her mother and aunt away, an uncomfortable churning appearing in her stomach when she dwelled on it.

Mostly, she was surprised that these people actually supported her—believed in her.

Kai had been right.

Moving up the start of Phase One to the following day had been another story.

The first argument was over Scarlet.

"It's not necessary! We don't know this Earthen! She's not worth the risk!"

Cinder had taken that matter into her own hands before Wolf could cause a scene. His presence already made many of the Lunars uncomfortable, though they tried to hide that discomfort in front of Eira and Abbott.

"It's my fault that Scarlet Benoit has been captured," she said, making the room once again fall into a hush. It was disconcerting how much weight her own opinions carried when she was used to not even being acknowledged in a group. "And if Scarlet's family hadn't risked their lives for my life, I wouldn't be here today."

That had caused some murmuring as the group discussed the late Michelle Benoit and Logan Tanner.

The next argument was over Kai. Most thought that returning the Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth to Levana was the worst idea in the galaxy. Kai had handled the situation delicately but firmly, declaring that it was his decision. They argued that it wasn't—that he was now on Lunar territory and thus had no dominion over anything. "Not yet," he said.

But the idea of using Kai as a diversion while they got Scarlet was not overruled, in the end. Levana would not stop her attacks on Earth until she had him in her company. And if Levana was busy dealing with Kai's sudden appearance, she wouldn't notice someone slipping into the menagerie—especially if Cress and Darragh diverted the feeds.

Besides, they needed an inciting incident to cause the Lunars to fight. Kai didn't think that Levana's attacks would stop, no matter what they did, and that would be enough to march on the palace. It was up to them to show the Lunar population that they, too, would continue to be oppressed despite Levana's union with Kai.

There would be consequences, of course. Dire, even. But how much did the outer sectors want their freedom? How much did they want this reign of terror to end?

"Would you allow Lunars to freely come to Earth afterwards?" asked a rugged-looking woman who had a child hugging her knees.

Kai had scratched behind his ear and finally shaken his head. "That is not my decision to make alone. The Earthen Union as a whole needs to make that decision."

He had not added that they were still trying to figure out where Garan had hidden the blueprints to the chips that could disrupt glamour. They had decided not to mention anything about this while aboard the Rampion, since it would likely not be seen favorably among the Lunar population. Cinder was pretty sure that Kai wouldn't have a problem with Lunars coming to the Commonwealth if he knew that they wouldn't be able to manipulate Earthens anymore.

His response was met with a collective boo, however. Cinder tried to convince them that she would make Luna better for them, but she knew that if she were a cyborg watching herself, her orange light would flicker at her lie. She did not yet know enough about Luna to make such promises.

It was a good thing, then, that Kai revealed his plans to make an alliance with Cinder in the end.

Yes; she had never been more relieved that she couldn't blush.

The biggest argument, however, had been about Cress. No one had anticipated that argument, especially not Cress herself. The fact that there was a Shell among them—a living one, at that—had caused somewhat of an uproar among the resistance members.

"A Shell murdered the king and queen before!" yelled a man from the crowd. "We can train up this one to do the same!"

Cress had tried to hide behind Thorne as another person had scoffed, "You think the palace doesn't have enough security now to take on a single Shell? After the Shell Infanticide laws?"

"Ludicrous!"

"But the easiest way to overthrow Levana is to assassinate her. Let's send the Shell!"

There were a few cheers from the back of the crowd.

"We're not sending Cress to assassinate Levana," said Cinder calmly.

"You've got that right," said Thorne angrily.

"This is not going to get resolved with just one person," Cinder continued.

"It's going to take collaboration," Kai added. "I've prepared a speech for Princess Selene. Once I have gone to the palace, certain things will get set in motion. One of them will be my wedding. That is when you attack. Together."

After more deliberation, Garrison had raised his hands for quiet. Cinder was impressed with the way that he, too, commanded the room. "I support the start of Phase One tomorrow evening, approximately one hour before the end of curfew. There will be many people milling about the streets of Luna, taking the subway, and it'll be easier for us to blend in."

The murmuring began again.

It was Darragh who managed to convince them. "I've received word of a gathering of the Artemisian Court tomorrow. There is always more security around the palace then. Princess Winter will also be required to attend, so the menagerie would be vacant with the exception of a single guard."

"But getting the Emperor there!"

"I will take him," said Garrison calmly, surprising even Cinder and Kai. "I still know people in the guard. They will believe what I tell them." He frowned at Kai. "He will not, however, be well received in such a…healthy…state." His stare was pointed and piercing and made even Thorne wince.

Kai nodded, unflinching. "I understand."

"Very well," said Garrison. "All in favor?"

Not everyone raised their hands, but it was enough.

"No, Thorne should do it."

The four of them, gathered back in the room where Cress had slept the night before, stared at Kai. Wolf lowered his raised fists. Thorne, however, took a step back.

"No way. I've already hit you once."

"Exactly. I know you've got a weak punch. Wolf will probably kill me."

Wolf rolled his eyes. "I don't want the blood of an Emperor on my rap sheet. I've done a lot of fighting. I know how to make this look authentic.

Kai winced. "I know, that's what I'm worried about."

"Cinder could hit you," suggested Cress.

"Good idea," said Thorne. "Those metal parts of hers hurt a lot."

"I'm not hitting Kai!"

"Wimp," said Thorne.

"Coward," retorted Cinder.

Kai raised his hands in the air. "Stop. Cinder isn't hitting me. Cinder gets to take care of me after," he said, his smile broadening.

"Aww," said Cress, making Cinder once again so thankful that she wasn't able to blush.

"Cinder, can you make it not hurt while it's happening?" Kai looked at her hopefully.

She wasn't sure. She knew she could make people forget about her, or not really see her, or desire her. But making them not feel pain? Was it possible? "Of course," she said.

Thorne eyed them warily. "So who's beating him up?"

"We're just giving him some cuts and bruises," said Wolf. "And I think I should do it. Someone inexperienced could hit you incorrectly and cause a lot more damage."

"Wolf it is," said Kai.

"Thank the stars," said Thorne. "I already felt bad enough about the first hit."

"I sort of deserved it," said Kai, shrugging.

"Maybe we could attach a note to him," said Thorne to Cinder. "Something along the lines of…" he trailed off, until he smirked. "Sorry he doesn't look so pretty anymore."

"Don't you worry," said Kai. "I'll still look pretty, Captain."

Cinder hugged her knees into her chest, the artificial air in the tunnels chilling her to the core. Strong arms crept around her waist, and soon her body warmed with Kai's chest pressed into her back. She sighed against him happily, letting him hold her as tightly as he wanted and, for once, not feeling pressured to pull away.

Kai had made sure that they were completely alone and would remain so for the remainder of the evening. The excuse that she needed to tend to his wounds did not keep Thorne from snickering, but they both decided they didn't care.

With Kai leaving tomorrow, everything had changed.

"This is my favorite evening," she said, nuzzling her cheek against his neck.

He brushed her cheek with kisses until he tired, then rested his chin on her head. "Your favorite, huh?"

She gazed at the regolith walls that surrounded them. They were plain and not decorated like the entryway walls with all the glimmering names, but they were peaceful. She could relax in here, away from prying eyes, scheming minds, and burdened hearts.

"Yes." She closed her eyes, almost scared to admit how she really felt. "Despite everything we know is going to happen, we know where you and I stand now. A day that ends like this, with us together and happy together—how could it not be?"

Kai tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, because for once she'd worn it down in front of him. They both stayed silent for a few minutes, with Cinder's mind counting the breaths between them.

"When this all over," he finally said, "no matter where we end up, I'm going to make sure that every day is your favorite."

She twisted so she could give him a response with her lips, even though they weren't capable of forming any words. The deep longing that he had awoken in her when they had first kissed on the Rampion ignited again, like it always did. She doubted she would ever be able to get enough of him.

"Every day, Your Majesty?"

"Every day," he said, then added: "As long as you call me Kai."

"I can do that."

"Promise you won't forget?"

His question hung between them as they looked into each other's eyes for what must have been the hundredth time that evening. Cinder knew he was asking about more than just a name or a title, and its meaning was enough to spread light over all the darkness she'd experienced every other day of her life.

"I promise," she whispered.

When they kissed, she tried to stop herself from feeling around for his emotions, but his calm and loving energy made it hard. Whenever they embraced, his emotions always mirrored hers.

This was not the end, but a beginning.

Cress' hands flew over the keys. Unlike their mission at the palace, she wasn't in danger of being discovered by Queen Levana or Sybil Mira, so she could even have a little fun while she protected her friends.

"Cyborg and wolf en route to package with seven Lunars trailing," she said to Darragh. "Location trackers indicate they are nearing the subway."

"They're glamoured, right?" asked Thorne from behind her. He stood watch with Sebastian, who was overseeing today's mission from home base in Garrison's absence.

"Better be," said Darragh. "Won't be able to see from the feeds. Meanwhile, Emperor Kaito is set to be dropped off at 19:43 hours."

"It's no fun if you don't use code names," Cress complained. For this mission, she was an agent. A spy.

Thorne laughed and massaged her shoulders. "Cress, cyborg and wolf aren't exactly discrete code names."

"Shhh," she said. "I need to focus." She typed more commands, synching her rhythm with Darragh's. "I'm ready to scramble their signal when you are."

"Ready."

"Let's get this show on the road," said Thorne.

Sebastian cleared his throat. "Don't forget to loop the feeds on the subway and menagerie so it looks like there are new people entering."

Cress rolled her eyes but made sure he didn't see. What an amateur. "Don't forget to tell your people to plant the transmitters where I specified."

"That's my girlfriend," whispered Thorne to Sebastian, making Cress smile and puff up at the same time. "She's kind of a big deal."

Scarlet had grown accustomed to Princess Winter's visits. The girl was definitely crazy, that had no doubt, but at least she had offered Scarlet some company while she waited to be rescued. That was the message she had received, after all: that her friends were coming for her.

Clearly no one was in any kind of hurry.

Winter's visits were usually filled with tales about what a hero Jacin was, which still made Scarlet sneer. It was one thing to think that maybe she could trust the princess. It was another thing entirely to try to trust the man who was partly responsible for killing Thorne and the satellite girl, getting Wolf shot, and her present condition on the moon.

No, she dreamed of the day she could strangle him with her own bare hands. That is, if Winter ever let her out of her cage and allowed her within walking distance of him.

She was losing track of time in her cage without the company of a portscreen or the net to tell her how many hours or days had passed. She had counted the nights she had slept since she'd been on Luna, but she'd had periods when she had blacked out from glamour or pain before being delivered to the menagerie.

Ryu didn't seem to mind the bars.

She was talking to him one evening—because that was what her time resorted to when Winter wasn't around—when there was a commotion down the path. Scarlet scrambled to her knees and craned her neck to the right, towards the exit of the menagerie where the guard normally stood.

"You can't be in here!"

Two men in royal guard uniforms smacked him around. "Princess Winter is in danger and you're still standing here guarding animals?" asked the one guard in a grating voice.

"I haven't received any notifications…" said the guard, trailing off. "Ah, I see. Of course. I must leave at once."

The man sprinted off, leaving the two guards in his wake. But if it was such an emergency, why wouldn't they go too? Scarlet's skin crawled at the thought of their intentions. She hadn't had much luck with royal guards so far.

One of the guards flew over to Scarlet's cage and his image flickered. She retreated into her cage, away from him, away from the Lunar.

But soon the man standing in front of the bars was Wolf.

A sob escaped Scarlet's throat, and she shrank back further in the cage. It was a trick…just another Lunar trick.

Then Linh Cinder was standing next to him. "Hurry, we don't have much time. Cress says Kai's only been there for five minutes. That gives us three more to get out of here." She paused. "Hi Scarlet. Sorry about the glamour, but I couldn't risk you seeing who we were and giving us away. "

Scarlet couldn't say anything. Neither, apparently, could Wolf, who was paralyzed in front of her, his eyes wide and green and brimming with pain. He had more scars, she thought, than what she remembered, but she wasn't sure anymore about she really knew and didn't.

"Wolf," said Cinder urgently. "We need to go."

"Scarlet," Wolf said, his voice sounding as dry and cracked as her own parched mouth. "You're okay." He reached his hands through the bars for her. She stared at them, still unable to grasp whether it was a Lunar trick. "Scarlet?" he said again, this time a question.

Scarlet looked from Wolf back to Cinder and back to Wolf again. Their eyes clashed and hers began to fill with tears.

"Scar. Please," he said, stretching his hand. "I couldn't come any sooner. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

"Wolf, I think she's in shock. Break the cage," said Cinder. "We have one minute to leave."

He retracted his hand reluctantly, not taking his eyes off her. She wiped her nose on her dirty, tattered sleeve and in that moment, he gasped. Scarlet looked down at herself and then remembered her missing finger.

He would want blood for that.

Wolf stood up, eyes flashing with anger and told her to back into the cage even more. She did as she was told.

That was all she did lately, anyway.

With one fell swoop, Wolf launched himself at the cage and bent the bars away from each other, the creaking of metal biting into her ears. When he had finished, he reached his hand through the bars again.

"Scarlet, please."

This time, she reached out for him. When her hand met his, warmth and safety flooded her. He pulled her through the cage. One hand still gripping his, she righted herself unsteadily and nearly collapsed.

Wolf caught her; of course he did.

She began to cry even more.

"I'm so relieved you're okay, Scarlet," said Cinder. "We'll explain everything later when you're safe, but now we need to run. I'm going to glamour us so please, keep as quiet as possible."

Wolf's hand made its way to her back. "I know you don't like being carried, but in the condition you're in, we can't take any chances. You can yell at me later."

Her stomach swooped as he scooped her up in his arms, cradling her like she was the most precious thing he'd ever encountered. Unlike the time on the train, however, she wasn't angry about it. Instead, that feeling of warmth and relief filled her even more. As he ran behind Cinder, she buried herself in his chest.

"Wolf…" she whispered, finally letting herself believe that this was real.

"My real name is Ze'ev," he whispered back.

Kai's head throbbed as he was thrown to the ground.

"I need a royal guard!" called Garrison Clay frantically. "I need a royal guard! Help!"

Two boots appeared at his head. "What seems to be the trouble here?" asked a young, male voice. Then: "Sir Clay, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. How can I be of assistance?"

"My wife and I were coming out of AR-5 and heard a group of men beating this man. They ran when we saw them, but when I discovered who it was, I called for assistance immediately. These men helped me bring him here."

A boot nudged Kai over until he faced the sky. A red-haired guard looked down on him. "Is that…?"

"I believe so. He says he has a message for Her Majesty."

"The Queen is in court."

"Then let's get to court immediately, you imbecile!" Garrison barked. "If this is really the Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth then we will need to interrupt any proceedings."

The guard saluted. "Very well. I will call for a hover. I assume—Sir—that Her Majesty will want to question you."

"Of course," said Garrison. "I insist on nothing else."

The hover came almost immediately, with three more royal guards descending on him. They picked Kai up and helped him get in.

The ride to Artemisia was short and unlike anything Kai had imagined. He had only seen pictures of Artemisia, but it was a marvel to behold. At least, it was through one eye. His other one was sealed shut, sprouting a black and blue welt.

He practiced his lines as they flew. He had never been more happy to know that Levana would not be able to read his mind, but he had to practice his lying. He could not let his emotions give him away this time.

He only hoped that Cress and Darragh were able to do their job.

That Cinder was safe. That they would be able to rescue Scarlet.

When they arrived at the palace, they were flanked by guards. They buzzed around, some of them panicking, others barking out commands as Garrison had done earlier.

Clearly, no one had been expecting this.

The first person he recognized was Thaumaturge Aimery Park. Oh, how he hated that Thaumaturge. His gleaming smile was even more repugnant up here on the moon. Thaumaturge Park seemed simply delighted to find him hand-delivered to the palace.

He did not bother to remove Kai's binds, instead dumping him on the floor again.

Levana arrived shortly thereafter, nostrils flaring despite her overwhelming beauty.

"What is the meaning of this?" she hissed. "I am in the middle of an important council. How dare you—"

She stopped short when she saw Kai. Her eyes narrowed into slits. To Aimery, she said: "I demand explanations."

Thaumaturge Park grinned wickedly. "A guard found him being beat up in AR-5. He wasn't strong enough to tell if he was being glamoured or not, so he called for verification that it really was the Emperor."

Levana peered down at him, then up at the guards again. "Why is he still bound?"

Aimery flourished his hands, his big sleeves billowing. "Your Majesty, we were unsure of his intentions. He said he had a message for you. We could not simply take him at his word that he had no intention of harming you."

"I intend to marry Levana as I promised," said Kai, glaring at Aimery. "Before my wedding was so rudely interrupted by Linh Cinder." He spat her name, hoping his disgust at Cinder would show on his features as well. "And it didn't occur to you that when an Earthen podship landed on Luna I might be on it? I could have used your help, Thaumaturge, considering that I've been kidnapped and mistreated under your watch."

Aimery's eyes glinted, but the smile did not leave his face. They had known about the podship. Of course they had. But what had they done with that information? Kai was determined to find out in the following days.

Levana harrumphed. She circled him, like a hawk watching its prey, studying his cuts and bruises. She lifted his chin to inspect his eye. He resisted the urge to gag with her breath so close to his.

"I also have a message for you, Your Majesty," said Kai.

Levana pursed her lips. Kai thanked his lucky stars that he currently had an audience, even if it consisted only of a handful of Lunar guards and Thaumaturge Park.

"Let's hear it, then," said Levana, her voice dripping sugar and venom at the same time.

"I'm supposed to deliver a message from Princess Selene. Apparently she's angry that she didn't get the homecoming party she deserved, so she's giving out her own presents." He grimaced. "I'm supposed to be yours."

The rage over Levana's face was unmistakable. With a single gesture, he had dealt her a blow she hadn't expected. Kai coming to her freely? Selene offering Levana the one thing she wanted? Levana had to know that Cinder didn't have any good intentions.

"She also said to tell you one more thing," Kai continued, before he lost his courage. "If you don't stop the attacks on Earth after this peace offering, she's going to start her own war here on Luna." He closed his eyes, sure that a wave of glamoured pain would wash over him. When it didn't come, he let his fists uncurl ever so slightly behind his back.

"Anything else, Emperor Kaito?" asked Levana, her voice still dangerously full of syrup.

"Two things, actually," said Kai. "First, I'd like a doctor to tend to my wounds, if it's not too much trouble." He shook his arms. "Second, I'd like you to know if your palace security is better than mine, because we have a wedding to plan. That is, if you'll still have me."

The End

Dear Lunartic readers,

Thus comes to end my very first fanfiction. I started this story because when I finished Cress, I simply couldn't wait a year and a half for Winter to come out—I needed more. I hope that the story has helped tide you over a bit too while you waited for Winter. I know that this fic ends on a bit of a cliffhanger but did you really expect me to write the entire book? ;) I am so excited to see what Marissa Meyer has in store for us and how she will handle the revolution as well as all the relationships. Enjoy the book!

THANK YOU to everyone who stuck with this story and encouraged me to keep going with it. Because of you guys, I wrote more fics and realized that I really like writing!

Thank you also to tumblr users lorebeth-the-lunar and moon-mirage for providing two cover images for this story. Check out their pages, as they are both very talented artists.

Love,

LLC