The Fire Didn't Stop Her

The Hijacked Speech

Kai sat on the edge of his bed, almost completely motionless. His hands in his lap, and head hanging low. He'd run out of tears to cry days ago, and he had no desire to eat, drink, sleep.

She'd been in Rieux. The police almost got to her. The Lunar Soldiers had been either killed or taken at the scene. And Cinder had been held at gunpoint as they got away.

But worst of all, Levana had been right. Right about the Benoit Family, right about where Cinder was, and right that it would take more than a few police officers to get her back. They had the chance to get her back, and they missed it.

So close, and they failed.

It had been a week since Cinder was kidnapped, and the world wanted answers. In less than an hour, Torin was going to give a speech on behalf of Kaito. But now, Kai didn't want to hide behind others as Cinder was being ripped from him. He wanted those criminals to know that they were going to be punished for their crimes.

The rings around his eyes were obvious, his hair a wild mess. But the trembling in his voice had left him with every sob he'd made over the past seven days. The only emotion he knew how to express now were anger and rage from the absence of his only love.

It took him a minute, but Kai got his barrings and stood up from his bed. Standing straight and firm, he walked out of his room and to the Emperor's Office. His future office.

When he opened the door, he saw Torin conversing with the same investigators that had been with him on the day Cinder had been taken. Some investigators. They hadn't even known about the lead to Cinder in France. Now, she was still out there, and they were running around like headless chickens, hoping that she would just be given back to them so they could collect a reward.

"Prince Kaito," Torin addressed, half astonished that he'd made it out of bed and of how murderous Kaito must have looked to them.

Kai took a deep breath, making sure not to look at the investigators as to not strangle them. "I'm going to make the speech," he announced. At first, everyone was silent. Kai thought it was because no one was going to take him seriously. That was until Torin spoke up.

"Kaito, you're in no shape to make the speech. You're practically falling apart."

Rage flared inside of him. "Well I have to do something! These investigator aren't doing anything to find Cinder! She could be dead by now- all because these idiots aren't doing their job! The only ones trying to find her are Levana and me!"

While the investigators stared down at their feet in embarrassment, Torin tried to reason, "Everyone is looking for Princess Selene. But it appears that someone must be helping the kidnapper stay hidden. Even so, you can't go on the podium, Kaito. You're too distraught. If you go up, it won't end well."

"I don't care!" Kai bellowed. "I can't sit around and mope until she gets back. I have to do something. And as Prince Regent, I order you to hand the speech over to me."

The demand rolled off his tongue before he could stop it. He'd never in his life used his status to get what he wanted or as leverage. But this was different. Cinder's life was at stake, and someone had to act. If Torin and the rest of the world were just going to sit by and wait for her to come back, that was their choice. Kai's choice – the smart choice – was to act out and announce the inevitable punishment for those involved in the kidnapping of Cinder.

Within half an hour, Kaito had been adorned with make-up and proper attire for the public speech. And the second he stepped out the doors to the stand, he was met with more light than he had been in the last week.