Rosetta

9

Kai's portscreen chimed from under his pillow. He slid it out and looked at it, despite being half awake. The first thing he noticed was the time- 5.42. The second thing he noticed was the reason he was awake. There was one comm- from Cinder. With a jolt, he realised that her shaking body was no longer in his arms. He remembered how frail she had looked next to him; how vulnerable. He knew that she hated to be seen as vulnerable. He opened the comm and read its few words.

COMM RECEIVED FOR EMPEROR KATIO OF THE EASTERN COMMONWEALTH FROM EMPRESS CINDER OF THE EASTERN COMMONWEALTH:

sorry if i woke you up. I need you to come to Adri's house as soon as possible. I'm not hurt, just need you.

He scanned them over and over again, each time with more confusion. Needed him? Strong Cinder, needed him? That alone scared him. He rushed into some more comfortable clothes and snuck outside the castle, earning himself a few peculiar glances from the guards.

                                        *

He paid the taxi and went straight into the lift. He yanked his hood up, concealing his face. Even though it used to unnerve him, he suddenly wished that he could use a glamor to escape sometimes. He knew that's how Cinder got around, anyway.

The lift chimed and he walked the last floor on the stairs, so that he could drop his hood down. This was what Cinder had told him to do when they came to sort out the finances of her stepfathers invention. He remembered how awkward the silences were, and how Cinder had managed to maintain a clear head every time she saw Peony's new jar. They both always touched it out of respect when they came, Cinder cursing herself at the same time. He also saw the look Pearl had given their entwined hands every time they came, and Kai found it very hard not to start coming to Cinder's defence every time she had snapped at her. But instead, he squeezed her hand tighter and kissed her cheek, and watched as Pearl turned green with jealousy.

Soon, he was at the top of the stairs and presented with the Linh family's door. Well, it wasn't theirs anymore. He pushed the thought aside and knocked.

"Cinder?" He asked, gently so as not to startle her. He tested the doorknob. It was unlocked. "Cinder? Can I come in?"
He heard shuffling before curiosity gave in and he opened it anyway. The room looked the same. The sofa was in the corner, clean except for one black stain that had never come off, the netscreen was hanging on the wall above the banister where Peony's jar was. Standing in the middle of the room, on the carpet, was Cinder. She was in the gown from yesterday, her hair in a neat ponytail. She just stood there. Kai closed the door behind him. Everything was right. Except everything was wrong.

"Cinder?" He asked.

She stared at him with her dark eyes, and he realised that they were slowly turning redder and redder by the second. She shoved her head in her hands.

"Cinder? Are you-"

"Wire cutters" she said.

"Wha-" but then he understood. The room slowly was turning black as ash surrounded them. The sofa was scorched, the netscreen was shattered on the floor, Peony's jar was gone, the carpet was singed and Cinder- Cinder was on her knees, head still in her hands. She was not wearing her gown; she was wearing a plain shirt with jeans and her hair had lost its ponytail and was instead hiding her face.

Kai was by her in a second. He ignored the room, but kneeled in front of Cinder and pushed her onto him. She buried her head in his chest and he moved the hair from her face. She began to shake again, and they stayed like that until she finally spoke.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't like using my glamour with you, but I didn't want you to get worried, and-"

"Don't be sorry. It's alright, you know that don't need to be sorry at all." He squeezed her tighter and he could feel her shaking gradually end. He wanted to ask her about the room, but decided that he wouldn't pressure her now.