Echoed Lullabies (Lunar Chronicles x Reader)

Chapter 17

I sat cross-legged on my bunk staring at the newscast pulled up on the port in my hand.

The screen showed a shaking image of a bloodied man running full speed toward the camera. There was screaming, and then static. A male anchorman behind a desk replaced the video, his face pale. "This is footage fed to us from the attacks in Manhattan earlier tonight, and sources have confirmed that more than a dozen cities across the Union are also under siege."

I fidgeted with the sleeve of my freshly washed undershirt.

The anchorman continued, "Citizens are urged to stay in their homes and lock all doors and windows. We are now going to a live feed from Capitol City where President Vargas will be making an address."

I clicked off the port and tossed it to the side. It bounced on the mattress before lying still.

With a sigh, I hung my head in my hands.

"Hey."

I looked up to see Cinder hovering in the doorway. Her hair was damp from a recent shower.

"Hey," I echoed.

Cinder stepped into my room as one would a field of landmines. She hesitantly perched on the edge of my bunk.

"How...how is Scarlet doing?" A flush spread across the back of my neck.

"A little shaken, but Wolf woke up and that seemed to calm her down. They disappeared into the galley." Cinder listed her head to the side. "How are you doing?"

"Embarrassed." I leaned my head back against the wall with a heavy exhale. "Stars, I'm embarrassed. I can't believe I exploded like that. Thorne had to drag me out of the room."

"It wasn't your fault," Cinder assured.

"It wasn't Scarlet's, either," I replied. I shook my head. "I don't know, it...we lost the opportunity to talk to Michelle and then the thaumaturge got shot...Everything was just too much. I needed something to blame."

I glanced at Cinder and really looked at her for the first time since she walked in. Her face was drained of all color and a sheen of sweat coated her brow. She clenched and unclenched her metal hand repeatedly. She looked like she was about to fall over.

Immediate alarm washed over me. "Cinder? What's wrong?"

"Have you seen the net?"

"Just the clips of the soldiers." I glanced at the port on my bed. "Why? What happened?"

"Kai, um..." She bundled the hem of her shirt and gripped it so hard her knuckles turned white. "He made an announcement. In return for the attacks to stop he's going to marry Levana."

"What?" I exclaimed, bolting to my feet. "He can't do that! I didn't work my ass off keeping watch over those Lunars for weeks in the palace just for him to hand the Commonwealth over to the queen like that."

Cinder stood and threw her hands up. "Well I didn't work my ass off to get to that ball and warn the guy just for him to practically invite Levana to kill him!" She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "And now I have to deal with being trained by a Lunar operative and mastering my gift while his girlfriend blames me for this mess."

"Why would—" I cut off, the realization hitting like a bus.

The suspended animation tank room. Cinder knowing exactly where it was. Cinder looking like she'd seen a ghost the moment we had walked in. The half-finished cyborg hand on the operating table. Her being Lunar.

They're looking for you, Scarlet had said.

"You're her, aren't you?" I asked quietly.

Her head snapped to me. "What?"