Cinder bit the inside of her cheek, and watched as the most talked about male of the West exited the canteen. She smiled awkwardly, at how uncomfortable Kaito had seemed. She took a sip of water and glanced at the center of the bar, where an old couple was dancing to the lively music.
"Can I get some apple juice?" a small voice asked from beside her.
Cinder turned her head and saw Sunto, Chang Sacha's son. It was a wonder how the canteen allowed people of all ages to come. Cinder didn't think it was right.
The small boy turned to her. "Have you fixed my cat yet?"
Cinder blinked, caught completely off guard. Why would she be fixing a cat? Then she remembered and she mentally scolded her self. She was a vet. She nodded. "He just had a small fracture in his--"
"Sunto!"
The boy turned towards his name. Chang Sacha picked him up off the stool and onto the ground. "I told you not to go near that thing." She trailed off, and simply dragged her son behind him, making her way to the table she was sitting at, completely ignoring Cinder. Though not really, since she was referring to her.
She rolled her eyes, and then banged her head on the counter. She winced, bringing her head up. "Ow."
"Cinder!" a voice screeched.
Cinder opened her eyes still rubbing at her forehead and focused her eyes on Peony. "What?" she grunted.
"Émilie says I'm not allowed to help her anymore," she stated, looking down.
"What did you do?" Cinder asked in a deadpan.
Peony scratched at the skin above her elbow, uncomfortably. "I burned the back door."
Cinder frowned. "How is that possible? The door isn't close to the stove or the ovens. Unless you were being completely irresponsible and just playing around, then I don't even know how you did tha-- what?" She stopped, seeing as how Peony wasn't paying attention to her anymore. The music silenced a second after, and so did the chatter of the people in the canteen. Peony's brown eyes were focused on the entrance of the canteen. Cinder dropped her voice to a whisper so she wouldn't be the only one heard talking in the silence. "Peony, what--" She stopped, for she had turned around and was now aware of the people in the canteen.
Two men stood behind a tall woman. Everything they wore was black with the exception of their red shirts. The two men's faces were covered by a white bandana, the woman's by a black one. She stepped into the canteen, her boots clacking, and surveyed the crowd. Pushing her long braid out of the way and touching a hand to the gun in her waistband, she said in a singsong voice, "Where are you?" Nobody said anything, and she turned around to the two men. In less than a second, they were shooting randomly.
Cinder's eyes widened and she motioned for Peony to go hide, but she froze as the woman approached Chang Sacha and her son. She grabbed her by the collar of her silk shirt. "You owed us, and you didn't pay," the woman spat.
"You have the wrong person!" Sacha exclaimed. The woman took out the gun, pointing it to her temple.
"Ma'!" Sunto yelled, but the woman kicked him away with her boot. He fell to the ground.
Out of the corner of her eye, Cinder saw as Peony moved. Her eyes flicked to her, urging her to stay put. In response, Peony nodded in Sunto's direction. Cinder's heartbeat increased as she shook her head, no. But Peony didn't listen. She got out of Cinder's reach and rushed to Sunto, trying to get him away from the woman and his mother.
But it wasn't quick enough.
Chang Sacha was dragged out of the canteen as one of the men shot a bullet into Peony's shoulder and Sunto's side, and they yelled out in pain. They left, shooting two more random bullets.
Cinder felt the world spin and she fell from the counter. The words and screams couldn't escape her throat as she crawled to the small girl on the ground with the pool of blood around her. She noticed a dark spot forming around where the bullet had hit and she crawled away.
The canteen was empty now, only Cinder and Peony were left. Somebody had hauled Sunto away. Finally, Cinder spoke. "Peony," she whispered painfully.
"I-- I'm fine, Cinder. It's just a bullet. I can stand, see?" She sat up and gave Cinder a reassuring smile.
But Cinder knew it wasn't just a bullet. Peony was infected. The bullet had it.
Cinder shook her head, her heart shattering. "No, Peony. It-- it had it..."
And that's when Peony looked to her side, at the wound, at the dark circle. Her eyes filled with sadness and her shaky hand reached out to touch it. "I have it," she whispered to herself. "I have it!" she yelled, falling to the ground, her knees to her stomach.
"Peony--"
"Stay away, Cinder. Don't touch me... I have it! You-- you need to go, Cinder!" she cried out.
"Peony, it's not contagious..."
"You don't know that yet, Cinder!"
Letumosis. The new blood poisoning the Lunars had been putting in their bullets. It had just recently been discovered, and Peony was right. Scientists didn't know if it was contagious yet. Cinder felt her eyes water. Poor innocent Peony. Why her?
"Peony, I'm sorry. If I hadn't brought you here--"
"Call the sheriff or whoever you're supposed to call over, Cinder. Please," she said through her loud sobs.
Cinder swallowed, but did as she asked. "I'm sorry, Peony," she whispered.
"It's-- It's not your fault, Ci-- Cinde-- Cinder," Peony said, hiccuping as she spoke.
The medics stepped into the bar. Without even acknowledging Cinder's presence, they took Peony and set her on the wooden plank they had brought along. She sat on it, her head down, blood still covering her bare shoulder, the dark spot spreading. Before she left the canteen, she looked up, and with a small smile, said, "I love you, Cinder."
Cinder took in a deep shaky breath and wiped at her eyes with the heel of her hand. "Peony, I--" But she didn't finish her response. Peony was already gone. And when she said gone, she really meant it. There was no cure for the poison yet, up to date. That would be the last of Peony she would see, and the pain of it consumed her.
Taking weak steps, Cinder made her way to where she had left Iko.
Cinder mounted the horse. She sniffled as she pulled on the reigns for Iko to go on.
Cinder muffled a sob, bringing one hand to her mouth. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to steady herself. Then, once she was calm, "Peony won't be coming home with us today, Iko." She paused and looked ahead at the sun. "She won't ever be coming home again."
