Winter

Thirty-Nine

Levana’s rebuttal video was playing for the third time that hour. Cinder was doing her best to ignore it, but every time Kai started speaking the sound of his voice made her jump, only to be reminded all over again that he wasn’t here. He was under Levana’s control, as Levana had so deftly illustrated.

From her spot around a worktable on the third floor of a regolith factory, Cinder could see most of one of the screens embedded on the dome. It showed a contented Levana and a peaceful Kai. So happy together. There was one moment when Kai turned to Levana and smiled all dreamy-like that made Cinder’s skin crawl. For the billionth time, she wished Cress was with them. She would have known how to turn it off.

Cinder turned away from the video to concentrate. She had no way of knowing how Levana’s message was being received across Luna, just as she had no way of knowing how her video was being received. The best she could do was move forward.

She was gathered among her allies—Iko, Thorne, Wolf, and Scarlet. Wolf’s mother was there, too, along with a handful of sector residents who had been nominated to represent the others. They had worked through the night, plotting and organizing, too energized to sleep.

Two runners had returned that morning from neighboring mining sectors and were reporting good news. The guards had been restrained, their weaponry confiscated, and the people would join Cinder on her march to Artemisia. Additional messengers had taken on the dangerous assignment of traveling through the mines, lava tubes, and maglev tunnels to confirm the truth of Cinder’s video and rally as many sectors as they could to the cause.

It was a promising start.

The rest of the sector residents had been sent home after Cinder encouraged them to get some rest. In truth, she needed space from their curiosity and awestruck whispers. Space to think.

When they regathered, she would divide the people into teams and assign each team a task. Though some volunteers had already been put on watch guarding the maglev platforms, she would soon have to establish a rotation to make sure they stayed alert. Some groups would be tasked with gathering what food and medical supplies they could find, another would watch the guardhouse, and still others would be sent to ransack the mines for potential weapons and tools. Wolf promised to spend time training any able-bodied citizens in basic combat techniques, to commence that afternoon.

She stared up at the holographic map of Luna, her brow drawn, as Wolf indicated what routes he thought they should take to the capital. Everyone agreed they should come at the city from as many directions as possible to force Levana to divide her own defenses against them.

“We should avoid Research and Development, and also Technical Services,” Wolf said, pointing out two sectors in Artemisia’s near vicinity. “Most people there will be Levana supporters.”

“RD-1 seems easy enough to get around.” Cinder spun the holograph for a better view. “But TS-1 and 2 are right in our path if we’re going to hit these agricultural sectors on the way.”

“Maybe we don’t avoid them,” said Thorne. “Is there some way we can blockade the platforms under those sectors, trapping anyone inside? It would allow us safe passage through, and also keep anyone from sneaking up behind us afterward and trapping us in these tunnels.”

Cinder tapped a finger against her lower lip. “That might work, but what do we block them with?”

“Doesn’t this sector manufacture building materials?” asked Scarlet, gesturing to a sector labeled GC-6: GENERAL CONSTRUCTION. “Maybe they’ll have something we can use.”

Cinder turned to one of the miners. “Can I appoint you to look into that?”

He clapped a hand to his heart in proud salute. “Of course, Your Majesty. We can take some of the mining carts to transport the materials too.”

“Perfect.” Trying not to feel awkward about the Your Majesty part, Cinder turned back to the group.

Wolf stiffened—a small change that sent an alarm through Cinder.

“What is it?”

He started to shake his head, but stopped, his frown deepening. His piercing eyes turned toward the window. The screens on the dome had once again fallen silent.

“I thought I … I smelled something.”

Hair prickled on the back of Cinder’s neck. If it had been anyone other than Wolf, she would have laughed. But his senses were uncanny, and his instincts hadn’t led them astray yet.

“What sort of something?” she asked.

“I can’t place it. There are a lot of bodies here, a lot of scents. But there was something…” His fists tightened. “Someone is near. Someone who was also on the rooftop in New Beijing.”

Cinder’s heart thumped—Kai!

But, no, Wolf would have recognized Kai for sure.

It had to be one of the royal guards who had attacked them.

Iko grabbed the portscreen—a device that had stunned and awed the civilians—and shut off the holograph.

A shrill scream echoed through the streets outside.

Cinder ran for the window, pressing her body against the wall, ready to duck out of view. Thorne plastered himself to the wall beside her. “You should hide,” he whispered.

“So should you.”

Neither of them moved.

She watched the scene below, trying to make sense of it as horror built inside her. Countless guards were marching through the streets, along with at least half a dozen thaumaturges that she could see.

A white coat drew her attention and her stomach sank. Thaumaturge Aimery stood on the edge of the central fountain, right where Cinder had stood before. He carried himself like a prince with his beautiful face and proud stance.

More reinforcements kept pouring in from the narrow streets that stretched out from the square like spokes on a wheel. Far too many reinforcements to quell a simple uprising in a nonthreatening mining sector.

Cinder’s gut knotted.

They knew she was here.

The guards were dragging the people out of their homes, corralling them into uniform lines around the fountain. She recognized the man who had been beaten by the guards, still bruised and limping. There was the old woman who had been stockpiling what she could of her meager rations for years and who had already offered to give it up to those who would be fighting in Artemisia. And there was the twelve-year-old boy who had trailed Iko around all morning with a swoony expression on his face.

“They’re rounding up everyone in the sector,” whispered Maha, peering out of the next window. “No doubt they’ll search these buildings too.” Her expression was fierce as she stepped back. “You should all hide. The rest of us will give ourselves up. They might not search these upper floors if they think everyone is accounted for.”

Cinder gulped. “They won’t stop looking.”

Maha squeezed her hand. “Then hide well.”

She wrapped Wolf in a tight embrace. He bent down to accept it, his knuckles going white as he held her.

They heard the factory door bang open on the first floor. Cinder jumped. She wanted to grab Maha and force her to stay, but Maha extricated herself from her son’s embrace and walked away with her head up. The remaining citizens followed. Without a word from Cinder, it seemed they had unanimously agreed that keeping her safe was the priority.

A chill washed down her spine as she watched them go.

It wasn’t long before she heard orders shouted by the guards, and Maha’s calm voice stating that they were unarmed and coming down voluntarily. A moment later she saw them being shoved out toward the crowd in the square with guns pointed at their backs.

Scarlet gasped. “What about Winter?”

Cinder turned wide eyes on her. They had left the princess at Maha’s house, thinking it was the safest place for her, but now …

“I can go,” said Iko. “They won’t be able to detect me like they would any of you.”

Cinder pressed her lips in a firm line, debating. She wanted Iko here with her, as her only ally that couldn’t be manipulated. But that also made her the best choice for securing the princess.

She assented. “Be careful. Sneak out through the loading bay.”

Iko gave a brief nod and then she, too, was gone.

Cinder was shaking as she looked around at Thorne, Wolf, and Scarlet. From this far up she wasn’t able to feel the bioelectricity of the thaumaturges down in the crowd, so she was confident they couldn’t feel her and her friends up here, either, but that did little to comfort her.

They had come for her, she knew it. She had nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide.

What was more, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hide. These people had put their trust in her. How could she abandon them?

Aimery’s voice reached her ears. Though he didn’t yell, the sound carried upward, echoing off the hard surfaces of the factory walls. Cinder adjusted her audio interface to be sure she caught every word.

“Residents of Regolith Mining Sector 9,” he said, “you have been gathered here to face the consequences of your unlawful behavior. In harboring and aiding known criminals, you are all guilty of high treason against the crown.” He paused, allowing the full impact of his words to settle. “The sentence for this crime is death.”

Cinder’s body was wound tight as she peeked through the window again. The people who had been gathered into orderly groups were forced to their knees. There were over two thousand residents, minus only those who had been sent as messengers into the neighboring sectors. Their kneeling bodies filled up the streets as far as she could see.

He wouldn’t kill all of them. He wouldn’t dare reduce Luna’s labor force so severely.

Would he?

Aimery studied those gathered before him, while the statue of Levana watched over them like a proud mother. Two guards stood to either side of the fountain. Cinder recognized the red-haired guard and wondered if this was the one Wolf had scented before. The rest of the guards were spread out in their helmets and armor, boxing in the civilians with guns at the ready. The other thaumaturges remained interspersed throughout the crowd, arms tucked into their sleeves.

Cinder stretched her thoughts out as far as she could. Reaching, reaching for Aimery’s energy. If she could take control of just him, she could force him to offer mercy. He could order these people to be let go.

But no. He was too far away.

It frustrated her, knowing that Levana would have been able to stretch her gift that far. Levana could have easily controlled Aimery from up here—probably could have controlled all of them from here. Cinder didn’t care that her aunt had a lifetime of practice over her. She should have been as strong. She should have been capable of protecting the people who would protect her.

Panting, she turned her attention to the nearest guards, those stationed beneath the window. She could detect them, at least, but they were already under the control of one of the thaumaturges.

Panic simmered through her. She had to think.

She still had five bullets in her hand. Thorne and Scarlet were both armed too. She was confident she could hit one of the nearest guards and maybe even a thaumaturge, but the attempt would give away their location.

Plus, as soon as Aimery realized they were under attack, he would start using the sector residents as shields.

She didn’t know if she could risk it.

She didn’t know if she had a choice.

“However,” said Aimery, his dark gaze fixed on the crowd, “Her Majesty is prepared to offer you all amnesty. Each one of you will be spared.” His lips turned upward in a kind smile. “All you must do is tell us where you’re keeping the cyborg.”