Lunar Palace

Chapter 1: Cinder

The hallways were dark, the shadows creeping along the corners. Cinder shivered, though she wasn't sure if it was because of the coldness of the place or fear. Even after Levana had been killed, the palace still harbored fear.

Fear. It was a word that she had hoped she wouldn't know after defeating Levana-but she still felt the familiar creeping fear all the time. Fear that a rebel from the outskirts of Luna would kill her, just like her grandparents had been killed. Fear that something would happen to turn Luna against them again-or more than it was already turned against them. Fear that, somehow, Levana had survived the mess of a fire that had been the reason for her death. It would be fitting, she mused. She was a part of the Lunar lineage. If anything bad was to happen, it would probably be to her.
Yet she had noticed, every time Cress, Thorne, Winter, Jacin, Scarlet, Wolf, Kai, and herself left the palace, all the jeering and anger seemed to be directed at Kai. She didn't understand why-it wasn't his fault Levana had died. In fact, if any anger was to be directed, it had to be at her. She was the one who had killed Levana, anyway-shoved her into the fire.

Footsteps alerted her to another presence. Whirling around, her eyes found Thorne. She sighed in relief, not even realizing her shoulders had stiffened until she relaxed. Her gaze swept over her friend.

Thorne had been very different ever since the final battle. His hair was shaggy, wild, and unkempt-even though Cinder had seen it like this before, Thorne had always made an effort to maintain his looks before. But ever since the fight-ever since Cress-

Cinder reached out and patted Thorne awkwardly. It was the most simple comforting gesture she could think of to reassure a friend. Sighing, Thorne pulled away, and Cinder let her hand fall, averting her eyes. It was so strange, seeing Thorne like this.

"Thorne...Are you okay?"

He blinked, startled. "I'm-I'm fine." He stepped even farther away from her, turning his head."Just tired."

Cinder blinked, realization dawning on her. She had once seen someone else act like this, when their own heart was aching and they were crying out for their loved one. "Thorne, Cress will be-" She never got to finish. Thorne backed away, his hands in front of him, and left, his eyes as hollow as the air around them. The air where he had been felt cold and empty, and Cinder shivered.

Cinder sighed. She wiped her sweaty palms on her smudged shirt-only then realizing that she had been sweating-had she been scared? But she couldn't be. Not of Thorne.

Stalking down the corridor, Cinder pushed open the door to the dining hall, her eyes misted with worry and the stone-cold floor's temperature seeping into her metal foot.