Echoed Lullabies (Lunar Chronicles x Reader)

Chapter 99

The burn on my chest had scabbed over—the edges of the "A" seemed to bleed into my skin, an ugly mess of red and purple and yellow.

I exited the restroom, glad to be out of that scrap of clothing someone had called a dress. Cinder had brought me a spare outfit one of the civilians offered up. The cargo pants, boots, and plain white T-shirt were comforting—they reminded me of our time aboard the Rampion.

It was almost the same here. I was with Cinder and Scarlet and Jacin. And Winter, though she never accompanied us on board.

My reunions with the last three were...different. Jacin was as tight-lipped as ever, but I thought I spotted some form of relief in those cold eyes. Scarlet had been incredibly warm, hugging me the second she saw me. I suppose the last time I saw her was...wow. Before we had crashed in the desert. It was good to be in the fiery redhead's presence again.

And Winter...was still treating me like a childhood best friend. Not that her efforts weren't sweet, but...I think her hallucinations were getting worse. She had to have thought I was someone else.

I tucked the gun into the back of my waistband as I emerged onto the main road. Lunar civilians and operatives alike were sparring, training for the revolt that was about to take place. Among them, I spotted my brother.

It was strange, seeing him barking orders at people and being able to hold his own during training. He was so different from the round-faced boy I knew before.

But he was here, and he was alive. The entirety of it was surreal, but I needed to not become so suffocating. Everytime he was out of my sight, I grew antsy. My brain kept deciding to play tricks on me, convincing me that I would never see him again. That I'd lose him again, even if he was gone for just a few moments.

I came to stand beside him. "How's training going?"

He shrugged. "Okay enough. The civilians aren't exactly fighting material, but...we're working with what we have."

I rocked back on my heels. "Is this weird for you? Going to war against the people who made you...you?"

A muscle in his jaw jumped. "I don't think you understand what they've done to me...to us," he said, nodding at the other operatives on the street. "This is a chance for us to take back some of our humanity."

My eyes saddened. "I do understand." I pulled down the collar of my shirt to expose the scab on my chest.

Isaac balked. "What—"

"Aimery," I replied. "I know he's...done things to you, too."

His claws twitched, and something dark crawled into his expression as he stared at the brand. "If I ever see that man again, I'll kill him."

I put my shirt back into place. "That makes two of us."

It was at that moment a whooping cheer swelled up in the dome. I turned my head to see Princess Winter stepping out of the medical center, alive and well.

"The people love her, don't they?"

I nodded. "It makes me wonder if they'll treat Cinder the same way once she's queen. I think they will. Everything that we've done to help her in overthrowing Levana has received positive responses so far."

Isaac sighed. "God. I don't see you for three, four years and you're stuck smack-dab in the center of a revolution."

I shoved his shoulder. "Hey, you're one to talk, Mr. Alpha L/n. And besides, I didn't really have a choice. I was kind of taken onto the crew by accident."

"'The crew,'" Isaac mocked.

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up."

"Speaking of," he said, his eyes turning mischievous, "isn't there a space captain that's a part of this crew?"