Stories Unknown

Mind Reader

The sky beyond the trees of the Benoit farm was pink, tinting the clouds a soft gold. Kai could hardly take his eyes off the progression of the sky, marveling at how much closer the clouds here felt than the ones back home. He thought that, if he tried hard enough, he could reach up and touch one.

Beside him, Cinder clutched his hand, fingers intertwined with his. He squeezed her hand, turning his gaze from the angelic sky to look at her, face bathed in golden light and eyes bright with happiness. He was about to say something when Thorne—curse him—snagged Cinder's attention away.

"Turn the heart eyes off for a moment, your majesticness," Thorne said, nudging Cinder's shoulder hard. He pointed at a tree, his hand raised in the air, displaying his missing fingers. "How much do you bet I can climb to the top of that tree?"

"I will never in my life bet anything that you can climb," Cinder drawled. "Let alone a tree."

Thorne made a face. "Is this because I'm missing fingers? You don't think I can climb a tree without them?"

"Please, Thorne," Scarlet cut in, knife in hand as she cut vegetables at a small camp table. "Not this again."

"She's just bitter we won't let her in the club," Thorne replied. He stood and placed his hands on his hips, glaring down at Cinder. Kai wrapped his arm around her. "I'm sorry, Cinder, but we took it under consideration, and the cyborg hand cancels out the lack of a hand of flesh and bone."

"For the millionth time, Thorne, there is no stupid club," Scarlet said, pointing her knife at him like a witch would a wand.

"And even if there were," Cinder added, "I wouldn't want to be in it."

Thorne turned his gaze to Kai, giving him a look that seemed to ask whether he wanted to go to war with him or not. Kai simply shook his head, and Thorne stomped off, head turning every which way until he found Cress, who was having her hair braided by Winter.

Kai leaned toward Cinder, his lips brushing her ear. "You were pretty bitter when he said he wouldn't let you be a member of the missing fingers club," he teased. Cinder rolled her eyes and turned to him.

"You're just butt-hurt that you weren't even taken into consideration."

"How could I be?" Kai postulated, sliding a little closer on the wooden bench. "I'm not—" he held up both hands, wiggling his fingers "—missing any fingers."

"We could change that," Cinder whispered, leaning her face closer to his. "I don't know which method you prefer—gunshot, ax, whatever—but we could make it happen."

"Hmm," Kai hummed. His nose brushed hers. Cinder's lashes fluttered. "Those are some tempting options. But I think I'll pass for now. Maybe some other time?"

"Sure," Cinder breathed, lips barely brushing his. Her hand reached up to entangle with his, pulling his arm tighter about her neck. Kai's eyes closed for only a second, then startled open as someone plopped down beside him.

Kai turned, his heart pounding, having forgotten where he was, to see Wolf. He looked forlorn, despite the tuft of hair Winter—or possibly Cress—had braided with purple ribbon and the festive floral-print button down Thorne had gotten them all. In his hand he held a beautifully red apple with a single bite taken out of it.

"Hey, Wolf." Cinder smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hi," Wolf responded, taking another hesitant bite out of the apple. He grimaced, but continued munching on the fruit all the same. "Scar says if we make a fire we can have s'mores. You guys ever had those?"

"No," Kai and Cinder said in unison. They looked at each other, goofy smiles tipping the corners of their lips up. Between growing up in a palace and a suspended-animation tank respectively, neither had gotten around to it.