Cress

He shook a strand of hair out of his face. “So that’s it? Some overzealous sense of patriotism for a country that’s trying to hunt you down as we speak? You do have some fried wires. In case you didn’t realize it, the second you step foot on Commonwealth soil, you’re dead.”

“Thanks for that stellar vote of confidence.”

“And you don’t really seem like the type of girl to sacrifice herself over some hyped-up delusions of true love. So what aren’t you telling me?”

Cinder turned away.

“Oh, come on. Please don’t tell me you’re obsessing over this wedding because you actually think you’re in love with him?”

“I am,” said Iko. “Madly.”

Cinder massaged her temple.

After an awkward silence, Iko said, “We are still talking about Kai, right?”

“Where did you even find her?” said Jacin, gesturing at the ceiling speakers.

“I’m not just doing this for Kai.” Cinder dropped her hand to her side. “I’m doing this because I’m the only one who can. I’m going to overthrow Levana. I’m going to make sure she can’t hurt anyone else.”

Jacin gaped at her like she’d just sprouted an android arm from the top of her head. “You think that you are capable of overthrowing Levana?”

Screaming, Cinder threw her arms into the air. “That’s kind of the whole idea! Don’t you? Isn’t that the entire reason you’re helping us?”

“Stars, no. I’m not crazy. I’m here because I saw an opportunity to get away from that thaumaturge without getting killed, and—” He cut himself off.

“And what?”

His jaw flexed.

“And what?”

“And it’s what Her Highness would have wanted me to do, although now she’s probably going to die for it.”

Cinder furrowed her brow. “What?”

“And now I’m stuck with you and some backward plan you have that’s going to get us all back to square one—right in the hands of Queen Levana.”

“Wha—but—Her Highness? What are you even talking about?”

“Princess Winter. Who do you think?”

“Princess…” Cinder drew a step away from him. “You mean, the queen’s stepdaughter?”

“Ooooooooooohhh,” said Iko.

“Yeah, the only princess we’ve got, if you haven’t noticed. Who did you think I was talking about?”

Cinder gulped. Her gaze flickered to the netscreen, where their original plan had long since been hidden beneath newsfeeds and that blasted clock. Jacin had never been told about their intentions of interrupting the wedding and announcing her identity to the world.

“Um. Nobody,” she stammered, scratching her wrist. “So, um … when you say you’re loyal to ‘your princess’ … you’re talking about her. Right?”

Jacin peered at her like he couldn’t figure out why he was wasting his time with such an idiot.

Cinder cleared her throat. “Right.”

“I should have let Sybil have you,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I thought maybe the princess would be proud if she heard about me turning against Sybil. That she would approve of my decision. But who am I kidding? She’ll never even know.”

“Do you … do you love her?”

He glared at her, disgusted. “Don’t try to push your swoony psychodrama on me. I’m sworn to protect her. Can’t very well do that from down here, can I?”

“Protect her from what? Levana?”

“Among other things.”

Cinder collapsed onto one of the storage crates, feeling like she’d just sprinted halfway across the desert. Her body was drained, her brain frazzled. Jacin didn’t care about her at all—he was loyal to the queen’s stepdaughter. She hadn’t even known the queen’s stepdaughter had people who were loyal to her.

“Help me,” she said, not hiding the pleading in her tone as she met Jacin’s gaze again. “I swear to you, I can stop Levana. I can get you back to Luna, where you can protect your princess, or do whatever you need to do. But I need help.”

“That much is pretty obvious. Are you going to let me in on this miracle plan of yours?”

She gulped. “Maybe. Eventually.”

He shook his head, looking like he wanted to laugh as he gestured out toward the streets of Farafrah. “You’re just desperate because the strongest ally you have right now is lying in a drug-induced coma.”

“Wolf is going to be fine,” Cinder said, with more conviction than she expected. Then she sighed. “I’m desperate because I need as many allies as I can get.”

Thirty-Six

They stopped again that night and Cress was given some bread, dried fruit, and water. She listened to the sounds of camp outside the van and tried to sleep, but it came only in fits.

They started early again the next morning.

She became less and less sure that Thorne would come for her. She kept seeing him embracing that other woman, and imagined that he was glad he no longer had to bother himself with the weak, naïve Lunar shell.

Even the fantasies that had consoled and comforted her for so many years aboard the satellite were growing feeble. She was not a warrior, brave and strong and ready to defend justice. She was not the most beautiful girl in the land, able to evoke empathy and respect from even the most hard-hearted villain. She was not even a damsel knowing that a hero would someday rescue her.