Echoed Lullabies (Lunar Chronicles x Reader)

Chapter 43

I shifted from one foot to the other in the empty hallway, then let out a breath while drumming my fingertips on the handle of my gun.

"Alright, it's been long enough," I muttered, looking side to side to make sure no one was passing by and then slipping through the door.

I shut it behind me and turned around just in time to see His Majesty crumple to the floor.

"You tranqued him?" I asked incredulously.

"He was being...less than cooperative," Cinder said.

"What are you going to do to him?"

It was only then I noticed the other presence in the room. Advisor Torin stood behind Kai's desk, gripping the edge of it so tightly his knuckles were white. His face was red with fury.

"We're taking him somewhere safe," Cinder said. "Somewhere Levana can't get to him."

"And you think there won't be repercussions for that? Not only for you, but for everyone on this planet. Don't you realize that we are in the middle of a war?"

"We're not in the middle of a war, we're at the very beginning." She fixed her gaze on him. "And I'm going to put an end to it."

"She can put an end to it," said Iko. "We have a plan. And His Majesty will be safe with us."

Cinder refocused on Kai's wrist and inserted her knife. A thick drop of blood welled up on his skin and Cinder tilted his arm so that it would roll down his fingers without soiling his white shirt.

"He believes that you've found the lost Princess Selene."

She paused and, after a beat, glanced up at Iko, then at the adviser. "He ... what?"

"Is it true? Have you found her?"

Gulping, Cinder drew the ID chip from out of the emperor's skin. "Yes," she said, her voice wary as she fished some clean bandages from her calf compartment and wrapped them around the wound. "She's with us."

"Then you also believe she can make a difference."

"She will make a difference. The people of Luna are going to rally around her. She's going to reclaim her throne." Retracting the knife blade, she met the adviser's glare again. "But if this wedding goes through, it won't matter. No revolution on Luna is going to nullify a marriage and a coronation. If you give her this power, there's nothing I or anyone can do to take it from her. And I know that you're smart enough to see the repercussions of that." With a sigh, Cinder rolled down her pant leg again and stood up. "I understand that you have no reason to trust me, but I'm going to ask you to anyway. I promise, no harm will come to Kai while he's with us."

She was met with silence and a simmering glare.

Cinder nodded. "Fair enough. Iko?"

"Wait," I said. "Look for a second ID chip. I'm not sure where it is, but feel around for any type of lump on the surface of his skin—"

"It's behind his ear."

Torin, still leaning on the desk, still glaring, sneered as if irritated with himself.

I swallowed. "Thank you, Advisor."

He spoke to Cinder. "If anything happens to him, Linh-mèi, I will hunt you down and kill you myself."

Cinder held his gaze, then nodded. She ejected the knife from her fingertip and inserted it into the skin behind his ear, extracting the second ID chip.

Cinder and Iko hoisted the emperor onto his feet and dragged him towards the door. I followed.

"Commander L/n."