The Fire Didn't Stop Her

I Can't Chapter Titles

Cinder jumped from the ramp of the Rampion and out onto the sandy terrain. The town of Farafrah just a few hundred feet from her position on the ground.

"Do you really think they're there?" Cinder asked Jacin, who was just over her shoulder.

"They have to be," he answered. "There aren't any towns in this wasteland for miles."

When Jacin said wasteland, the terrain morphed into that of the gray, rocky plains of Luna. The planet she would soon be queen of. A useless rock in the sky, and that was where she was destined to rule.

She used to have nightmares about ruling over Luna. But now, they were all filled and replaced by dreams of what her life could be in another universe. Somewhere she could pursue her love of mechanics, have a sister like Peony, maybe still meet Kai in a different way.

She could imagine herself and Kai in a quiet home in the Commonwealth. Maybe settle down and have a few kids. And let the years role by as they had a perfectly boring life together.

Cinder sighed in contentment. That would be such a nice alternative to what they were living now. Him thinking she was kidnapped and Levana having her Thaumaturges trying to kill her and all. But it was still a great pass time to think of what could have been if she wasn't the heir to the Lunar Thorne and Kai didn't have to become Emperor.

Which was only in two days.

Time was going by far too quickly. Add in the fact that Cinder had to save Kaito from marrying her aunt, that meant she had to find Thorne and Cress before nightfall and wake Wolf up simultaneously. Her head was pounding at the loss of her remedy of made-up memories.

"We have to find a doctor for Wolf. And don't tell them he's a lunar soldier, please," she urged Jacin. He gave her a weird look. "I know you would."

"How do you know?"

"Because Winter says you would," she smiled.

"And Winter knows everything about me?" he questioned.

Cinder nodded and began walking towards the town. Finding a doctor for Wolf and her two missing friends were her two most important priorities at the moment. Soon, her top mission would be to save Kai from her aunt.

Why did that have to be one of her priorities, she would have to talk about with her aunt someday. That is, if she lived to see the day. Because Cinder had been growing curious about the dreams she'd been having in the E.C. And how they were so close to Kai's. She wondered if they were truly a coincidence. Or if Levana had been doing what she called, "Match Making".

................

Cress slept on the mattress with great ease. Thorne was amazed at how well she was able to fall into slumber. He also found it kind of adorable. But she deserved to sleep. She'd done so much on her own recently. She led him through the desert, booked the room in the motel, and found a doctor to look at his eyes.

Somehow, she convinced the doctor to do it for free.

The apparently old man had taken a look at his eyes and declared that he was not only blind, but had a mild concussion. He also let them know that he wouldn't be blind forever. He'd just have to get some supplies together and the wait would be a few weeks.

But that wasn't why he didn't like the doctor. And yes, Thorne had accumulated a disliking for the man. It was because he kept making comments about Cress's appearance. He said she had beautiful blue eyes, pretty gold hair that any girl would be envious of, and a smile that could make anyone grin.

He talked about her like that, and it made Thorne feel the need to get up and tell him to back off. The guy was old and weird, he didn't need his eyes to see that. But if he thought he was going to get anywhere with Cress, he would have to think again.

Sure, Cress could be a pain when she wanted to be. He knew this from their conversations over the robot communication device that Cinder made. Still, Thorne made sure he was between the doctor and Cress at all times to protect her from whatever he could do.

Yeah, he couldn't see, but he knew that that doctor was fascinated with her in a creepy way.

And that doctor better figure it out soon that Carswell Thorne would not tolerate those kinds of actions or words towards Cress. He knew Cress was a little naive from all of the time she spent locked away on the satellite. And that she wasn't exactly used to being in public or around people yet.

But she was his. He'd never felt for anyone else the way he felt for Cress. She was so innocent and sweet when she was happy. It melted his heart into a puddle.

He sat on the side of the bed Cress was sleeping on and played with the ends of her short hair. It was a shame that he had to cut it so they could leave. He thought her hair was beautiful and softer than clouds. And that she was incredibly selfless for letting him cut it so they could get somewhere safe.

A knock came from the door, and Thorne got off the bed to tell them to go away. After all, he needed to make sure his wife got enough sleep. He trudged to the door, clipping the side of his leg into the frame of the bed. A stir rose from Cress.

"Mhhhhh?" she groaned. Thorne chastised himself for waking her.

"It's okay, Crescent," he told her. "Someone just at the door. I'll get it." He heard her moving around in the sheets and her sitting up. Even though he told her it was fine.

He too groaned, for whoever was at the door was going to get an earful now. He gripped the knob ans swung the door open. "I can't see who you are and I don't know why you're here, but I think you need to leave, now."

As he tried to close the door, the person on the other side held it open. "Are you deaf?" he asked.

"No," a familiar voice said. One he knew all too well. "But you're obviously blind. Why are you wearing that filthy bandanna?"

Thorne took a minute to decide of the person he thought he was talking to was really that person. After thirteen seconds, his thoughts nearly confirmed it. "Cinder?"

He could sense the smile on her face. "Carswell. I can't believe you left like that. I've had to make sure your ship doesn't go into ruins."

Albeit, it was awkward at first. But eventually, they hugged and Cinder said if he ever crashed a satellite again, she would lock him in his room on the Rampion for a week.

Over his shoulder, Cinder also mentioned, "Hi Cress. How's Earth?"

"Less green than I thought it would be," she admitted.

"Don't worry. We'll take you somewhere better and more green later," he promised. He'd show Cress the world someday. Cinder had come for them, and now they could save the world.

And after all of this was over, he'd take Cress to anywhere she wanted to go. He'd steal one last thing before this was all over.

Cress's heart.