Stars, Spades, and Aces

Twelve

Cinder paced anxiously around the bedroom. She had tucked Rikan in and there was nothing left to do but wait. Cress had told her earlier that Sage had landed safely in Canada but there was no word from him after that.

"You should get some rest." Kai pulled her in from behind, letting her cower into his body.

"I'm scared, Kai." She sobbed. "I'm so scared for our baby girl." Cinder blinked her eyes shut, trying to close out all the fear in her. Her greatest fear; losing someone she loved, would never go away. You could only get through it and move on. She had never known Adri would take things to this standard. Being tied up suited her right.

"I know," Kai whispered back with tears in his eyes. "But she's not dead, right? She's a survivor."

Cinder shook her head. So many things had happened in such a short span of time. All she wanted to do now was to see her own daughter one last time. She buried her head in Kai's chest and his arms immediately wrapped around her. Cinder had forgotten what it felt to be held like this. It had been so long, too long. It was a long time before the tears stopped, from both of them, and left her trembling.

"It's okay. She's okay. We're all going to be okay." Kai kept murmuring while rubbing his thumb on her cyborg hand.

Both of them didn't get a wink of sleep that night. It was dawn before Cinder finally felt sleepy. Just then, a very flustered Cress barged in, looking embarrassed at her intrusion.

Cinder immediately sat up urgently, bracing herself for the bad news that was about to come. But the grin Cress was trying to hide stuck on her face like honey.

"She's okay, they're both okay! And they're heading home!"