Levana-
Levana was used to dealing with scandal; that was inevitable in her position. Rarely did she successfully avoid the press or someone tailing her. The key was not giving them anything to talk about. So stone cold and proud, that was her appearance. The press never tried hard with her, because she never changed. There was never a wild moment with Levana. She was cunning, and certainly not predictable, but never wild. Never plain either. She was Levana, and there simply was no other way of describing her.
So when her father shoved the newspaper bearing Kai's face in the headlines, she had to leave the room to read it. Within the privacy of her penthouse suite she could really think, and really feel.
With a slim excuse she left the fuming mayor, seeking her sanctuary.
The second the door closed, everything switched. Clean nails cut into her skin, perfectly white teeth bit hard into each other as she grit hard. The newspaper crumbled under her fist.
Slow, easy breaths. That was her trick. After a few moments of nothing but her chest slowly rising and falling, the newspaper was opened to reveal Kai standing outside the county jail, looking incredibly suspicious. Even now it was hard to hate her fiance when he looked like that. The photographer had caught the perfect picture, with Kai's dark eyes peering over his shoulder to look back at the camera. Thick hair was thrown to the side of his face, and a ghost of a smile tugged his lips. Through the thick coat it was easy to see the sharp muscles of his lean figure. If it wasn't for his insufferable honesty and goodwill, marrying him might have its perks.
But the photo still would raise questions, regardless of how attractive he was. The crowd would be left in doubt, and it could be her undoing. Especially after the rally, and the unexpected death of that brat, the sister of the missing troublemaker. The newsie they called Cinder had openly challenged her and her father several times, and it had almost been a relief to hear he'd gone missing.
Who knows how Cinder would react when he found out about his sister's death. Things were certainly going to get a little messy around here. She narrowed her eyes at the paper spitefully before crumbling it into bits and shoving it down the trash. Levana had solved bigger problems in the past. This one would just take a little help.
As if on que, a knock sounded from the door. She scrambled to correct her posture and dress, which had pulled up to one side running here.
"Who is it?" She called, forcing her voice to remain cool, when in reality she was seething.
"The Le Courtier's, Madam. Here on urgent business." The butler sounded stiff and professional, but Levana could see right through him. Most of her family and acquaintances hated the couple, for several reasons. She, on the other hand, considered herself to be a dear friend of Mrs. Le Courtier.
"Show them in please!" Knowing they only ever came with good news, Levana felt her spirits lift a little.
Mr. Le Courtier entered first, his wife trailing behind.
"We need to ask a favor of you, Lady Levana." He certainly wasn't one for camaraderie. Levana could feel her smile fall off, replaced with a thin line of distaste.
"Richard, we know each other well enough to know that I don't handle favors. For anyone."
He nodded impatiently, tired of her game.
"Yes, unless there's something in it for you."
She smirked to hide her surprise. The Le Courtier's handled their business very privately. It was unheard of that they were offering something like this to her.
"And what would that be? There is little more I could want at the moment."
A complete, horrific lie. She wanted Cinder dead. She wanted to be mayor without her father getting in the way. She wanted the newsies controlled, the press abolished. She...she wanted Kai to fall for her.
That train of thought went wildly off track.
Mr. Le Courtier was answering as the internal list started.
"We both know that is not the whole truth. We know you want an end to that newsie girl, Cinder. And we need your help."
Levana felt her blood run colder than usual. "I believe you have made a mistake. Cinder isn't a girl. He's the leader of the newsies." Even as she said it she knew they would prove her wrong. They'd set her up to look like a fool, and in her embarrassment, agree to help them. They were smarter than she'd anticipated.
The couple smirked in unison. "That's what she wants you to think. Due to the nature of our business, it was within our rights to look into who was sent to jail after the little episode last night. Turns out there's no record of the blond girl you put behind bars. The really interesting bit of information is that the friend who got taken was Scarlet, a close friend to someone we've been searching for for a long, long time. Somehow the two girls are connected, and as we looked into it..."
"What? What are you not telling me?" Her impatience was growing.
"You've already won, Levana. Cinder is currently sitting in a jail cell, a few blocks from here. She's done for." The shock etched through her, stiffening her spine. How could she have gotten so lucky? There must be a catch.
"So what do you need me for?"
"There are two other prisoners you took in; Carswell Thorne and Scarlet. They are key to an investigation we are going through. We need them in our keeping."
She knew they were up to no good, but they would never let the scandal slip. So it didn't matter to her what they chose to do with the prisoners. Levana shrugged, truly not caring.
"Go ahead. I'm not entirely sure why they were arrested in the first place."
Mrs. Le Courtier finally spoke up.
"Shall we go meet them together? I feel this will make for a very intriguing conversation." A ruthless smile echoed on the two women's lips.
Finally. Time for a little bit of fun.
Cinder-
How could things have gone so incredibly wrong, so impossibly fast? It wasn't even a full week yet, and already her whole life had gone from predictable to chaotic.
And to be truthful, she was growing exhausted. And a little uncomfortable, thanks to the cold concrete floor Scarlet and her were slouched on. They hadn't spoken for hours; there wasn't much to say. Through the night, after processing and brief interviews, Cinder had curled up in the corner, pretending to be asleep. Pretending not to hear Scarlet sobbing through her nightmares, pretending not to hear her cry out for Ze'ev. It tore Cinder's heart in two to think that it was her fault Scarlet wasn't home asleep next to her husband. It was her fault her friend was spending the night on a grimy floor.
It didn't help that she now knew where Cress was, but had no way of getting to her. Or that she didn't know where her crew and Peony were. Or where Thorne had been taken. She'd heard one of the guards call it the "reserve," as if someone had claimed ownership of him. Just one more thing to make her sick.
"Are you avake?" Scarlet's voice wasn't strong any more, but broken and thin.
"Ise been awakes fa hours. Hows is youse doin?" She faced Scarlet this time, to see her wrapped tightly in on herself, as if holding it all in. Her gorgeous red hair was askew and frizzy, and tear stains ran down her cheeks and neck. Cinder could bet she look exactly the same, only her dress was far more ripped up.
"I am ok, considering dat ve could 'ave been 'urt a lot more than ve vere." It was true, they only sported a few cuts and bruises. Thinking of cuts only turned her mind to Cress's bloodied face in the window, and she shuddered, trying to push the memory out of her head.
Scarlet noticed.
"You saw 'er too?" Cinder bit her cheek and nodded, fiddling with her hands.
"I-I wish Ise hadn't. I actually wish dat I still didn't knows at alls where dat goil was. 'Cause now Ise have ta live with da pain knowin Ise can't be dere for ha any more." Her voice broke a little at the end, and she turned her head away in embarrassment.
"Don't lose 'ope, Cinder. I know, without a doubt dans mon coeur, zat my Ze'ev vill come for us. 'E 'as always found me, even when I didn't t'ink I could be saved."
Cinder turned to look back at her new friend curiously. How often had Scarlet gotten in danger before?
Scarlet let out a wry little laugh. "Believe me, zat is a story for anozer time."
The second she finished speaking, the door to their cell swung open, newfound light burning and blinding them for a moment.
"Cinder! How could they do this to you?! Nevermind that, come on, you're freed." Cinder blinked the pain away, impatient for her eyes to adjust.
It was Kai. He stood in the doorway, one hand in his pocket and the other stretched out towards her hopefully. She stared in awe, confused at fate.
His cheeky grin grew at her astonished, open mouth look. Taking initiative, he gently grabbed her good elbow and pulled her to her feet, carefully avoiding her brace.
She could hear Scarlet standing to thank him behind her, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his smile.
No one had ever done something like this for her. Sure, she had her boys and her Peony, but they had made it understood they fended for themselves. She'd never met anyone as selfless as Kai, and it scared her to death.
She cleared her throat, begging silently for her fake voice to work.
"I have to repay de-the debt. For bail." He didn't reply, just held her elbow a little tighter. A zing crawled up her spine.
"Scarlet, you're free to go. Your husband is waiting outside. They...well, they had to restrain him unless he wanted to end up in that cell next to you. He looked ready to beat the living--" But Scarlet was already bolting for the exit, shouting her thanks several times, glee resounding from her voice. Cinder had to laugh at that, feeling that hope she'd been talking about for the first time in a while.
Her laughter died as Kai's fingers slipped under her chin, turning her face back up towards his.
"There's no way I'm letting you pay your own bail fine. You shouldn't have even ended up here in the first place."
"There has to be somethin...g. I can't live knowing I owe anyone." It was the longest thing she'd said to him, and he recognized it too.
"Well, there is one thing..." Before she had time to gasp, his lips were ghosting across her cheek. It was the warmest she'd ever felt. In surprise her hands shot out and grabbed his collar, seeking support. His hand left her elbow, curling around her waist, then pulling her into a tight hug. She sighed, a little disappointed, but very relieved. He was getting too close, and soon she would be in danger of spilling her----
"GET AWAY FROM THAT BRAT, KAI! By order of the law, I demand you step away from her. Now." Cinder flew out of his grasp, turning to see the woman who was about to ruin her life.
Levana.
Kai whirled around too, fists curled.
"How dare you speak about her that way? She's just a civilian who wrongfully got shoved in jail. How dare you call her a brat. How dare you?!" He was close to yelling, and Cinder once again was stunned. When was the last time she'd ever had help defending herself? Never. Not once.
Levana didn't even look phased.
"Kai, darling, don't be so naive. Pull her hair away from her face."
There was a heart-stopping pause.
"What did you say?" He asked, turning to Cinder with hundreds of questions in his eyes. She said nothing to ease him, just bit the inside of her cheek again.
Levana motioned for him to pull back her hair. He visibly gulped, then slowly reached out. Cinder stood stock-still, hating herself for still feeling shivers. His hands ran through her hair, pulling it back from her face.
"Now picture her in a shirt and trousers, with a newsboy's cap covering half of her face." Levana was grinning now, because they both knew the truth. She'd won.
Kai stared hard at Cinder, his cheeks flushing. Then in shock, his eyes widened and he shot backward, accidentally yanking a few strands of hair out of her. She winced as tears formed.
"No..." His voice was barely a whisper now. She felt panic rising.
Just like that, she'd lost.
Cress-
Cress was fighting for her life. The second she'd seen Cinder through the window, Winter had yanked her back, and Cress had gone tumbling down, banging her foot against the floorboards. An unearthly scream ripped from her throat, continuing as Winter walked closer.
"Aw, pet's hurt. Where's the little pet hurt, hm? Maybe...here?!" She plunged her foot down onto Cress's ankle, and Cress howled. The pain was excruciating, and she couldn't hold on much longer. Winter sat down next to her huddled figure, laughing softly.
"I know what you're feeling, pet. I know how it feels to be cut off from the world, to feel like you don't have air." As she spoke, her hands wrapped around Cress's neck, and in an instant, Cress realized she was about to die.
THORNE. She had to see him again. All of them. Her new family's faces flashed before her eyes, Cinder, Scarlet, Wolf, Ben, the newsies, Thorne. She had to make it out of here.
With seconds ticking away, she twisted her gaze as much as she could. One of the chair legs was only a few feet away. Gritting her teeth, she yanked her good foot upwards, colliding with Winter's stomach. With a cough, she fell back, her nails ripping against Cress's throat.
With a gasp of cold air, Cress grabbed the leg and whirled around, slamming it with all of her might into Winter's head. Her eyes lolled back in shock before her body crumbled to the ground.
A whimper escaped Cress as she forced herself to stand, not bothering to look back at the chaos.
It was over, and she was going to meet her prince.
That was a bit hard to picture though, considering that she couldn't even manage to walk down the stairs normally. Her mind ran hundreds of miles a minute, trying to figure out how she was even going to get to Thorne.
Crawling on the floor back into the room seemed the only option. The bits of chair still lay in a pile, and at the last second, she grabbed the post that was the length of the chair. It would have to do as a crutch.
Hobbling down the stairs, she found it hard to focus on more than the task ahead. She needed to be forming a plan on how to find them, how to get help for her ankle, how to save them. But all that was coming to mind was pain.
After making it out the door, she blinked at the light and noise and atmosphere. She'd missed it.
She realized quickly, however, that she had no sense of direction. And Cress didn't think anyone was going to be of much help. Already several women had shielded their children's gaze from her, and looking down Cress could see why.
Her shirt gaped open, revealing a crusted over wound, red and raw with blood. Her skirt hung in shreds, and her arms were covered in blood from the cut. She was leaning on a broken chair, and her hair was all over the place in tiny, knotted braids.
And she felt every bit the way she looked. But she was free, and that was one step closer.
Taking a deep breath, she eased herself towards a quieter looking woman to the side of the building.
"Excuse me, ma'am, I was wondering if you could direct me to the jail?" Moments before seeing Cinder, she'd seen Thorne being pulled away into a coach in the distance. She could only assume the others ended up there too. It was a start, at least.
The woman looked as though this wasn't a normal question to be asked. Cress was still trying to figure out social cues, evidently this was failing.
She walked closer to the woman, holding out a hand as if in surrender.
"I mean no harm, but I...need to report a kidnapping." Better to be honest than lie. Who knows if this woman would ever get in trouble for helping her.
The woman grew more agitated.
"Are you alright, deary? What on earth happened to ya?" As she talked, a thick Irish accent appeared, and Cress reared back in surprise. The woman was Iko! Cress was half delirious, that was why she hadn't noticed before, and Iko probably couldn't recognize her without her hair.
"Iko, it's me! Crescent!" Iko's eyes shot wide open, and a smile beamed as she enveloped her in her wiry arms.
"Oh you darling girl, you made me worried sick. I was so scared. Kidnapped?! How could this happen?"
The warmth of being held threatened to overwhelm Cress, and she even felt her eyes roll back a little in comfort. She could've fallen asleep, and only then did she realize just how exhausted she was. Iko seemed to notice too; the second Cress's legs gave out. The chair post clattered to the cobblestones, and a nearby child screamed as Cress's body slumped to the ground.
"CRESS! What on earth happened to you?" Iko grasped her underneath the shoulders and pulled, easing her into the building she'd just stepped away from.
"My friend here needs medical attention, and fast! Someone please help!"
Cress only had the energy to move her eyes, and the sight...
It was a gigantic library, with lopsided shelves filled to the brim rising all the way to the ceiling. Hundreds of novels and series and encyclopedias were buried deep, and the smell of paper was amazing. Once again Brooklyn didn't cease to amaze her.
She was pushed gently into a soft, plump chair as someone bent over to look at her stomach. She closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing and keep her mind off the blood pouring out. Just breathe. Breathe.
"She can't leave this spot, or the rest of the wound will unscab. She's lost so much blood, it's a wonder she made it out this far. And there's something irregular about this ankle, no, the left one, yes. See the bruising and twist, right there? It looks as though someone broke it on purpose." A gasp went throughout the room, and Cress felt she could throw up if she had anything in her stomach.
"This poor girl will have to stay here a few nights." The older man's voice spoke kindly, but Cress would have none of it.
"No. No. I have somewhere to be, there's someone I have to save. Right now. Please." She opened her eyes, staring the man down. "Please. He's my wings. I need my wings." The man wavered, looking extremely confused. Even Iko couldn't understand.
"Who are you trying to save? What's this about wings..." Cress actually got impatient!
"Stars above, Iko! Thorne! It's Thorne. In fact, it's always been him, ever since that horrid day he saved me. You never did hear my story, did you? Well he was supposed to be my enemy, but he risked everything to save me. And he did. Sure he's flawed, but I am too. We all are. He's been there when I needed him, and right now, he needs me. He needs me. And I lo--I love him too much to let him go. So please. Please let me find my wings." She could barely breathe. The room had grown so silent you could hear a needle drop. Iko was staring at her with tears in her eyes, a slow smile creeping onto her face.
"Come on Doc, I know you have a few splints and a carriage out back." Before he could protest, she cut him off, and Cress felt a surge of gratitude and love for this amazing friend. "No. Sometimes there are more important things than being practical. Sometimes you just need to take a leap..." she paused, giving Cress a glance. "In order to find out if you have the wings to fly."
The "Doc" couldn't seem to argue with that, and Cress let out a little sigh of relief.
I'm coming, Thorne.
Thorne-
This was not the kind of dream Thorne had been hoping for. He was looking for something nice, peaceful, maybe involving large amounts of money and a cleared name. Not this.
He was standing on a balcony, looking in at a sleeping figure. It was Cress. She still had her long hair, and it rippled down the side of the bed in waves, the moonlight making it look like pale blue water. A long nightgown clung to her small figure, showing just how beautiful she was. Her mouth was opened slightly, her fists curled into her chest, as if she was holding someone close.
The sheets was twisted around her, becoming more and more entangled as she thrashed, caught up in a nightmare of her own. With a muffled yelp, she flung out, as if shielding herself, and connected with the bedside table(the only other piece of furniture in the room). She awoke instantly sitting up to discover her hand seeping blood. She stared at it, transfixed for a moment, before they both turned to hear the pounding of feet coming up the stairs. She gasped and fell back on the bed, eyes squeezing shut.
Her parents burst in, and they weren't fooled for a second. Richard was seething, although he didn't seem nearly as intimidating in a nightshirt.
But to Cress this was not the truth. He yanked her up into sitting position by her hair, and she visibly bit back a scream.
"You foolish, naive, idiotic, pathetic excuse for a daughter! You can't even sleep properly! We have a party tomorrow, how are we supposed to hide that gash on your hand? You'll have to stitch it up." Her mother was already leaving to get the needle and thread. Cress shook her head, pleading with her father, begging him silently. But he only laughed, throwing her head back as he let go of her hair.
"You are the reason this is happening, my dear. Remember; it was never our fault. This is for the greater good. Am I correct, Crescent?" He forced her to make eye contact. She nodded, barely able to keep her eyes from watering.
"Yes f-Father."
"There's no need to call me that any more." And with a grim smile, he left the room.
The second he left, however, Thorne bolted into the room, ignoring Cress's squeak to lock the door and barricade it with the nightstand.
"Alright, Birdy, we only have a few seconds, so you're going to hop on my back and we'll climb out the back wall." He turned to see her cowering from him, shakily holding a book in front of her in protection.
"P-p-please don't h-hurt me. P-please." She was scrambling to get as far away as possible and Thorne had never felt more confused.
"Cress, darling, what's going on? You have nothing to be scared of."
"Why do you act as if you know me? I don't know you, and I don't know why you're pretending to save me with that in your hand."
His gaze fell to his hand, and stumbled back a few steps at seeing a massive pistol clenched in his fist. He'd never seen a gun like that before. What was going on?
The second he looked up, however, Richard's face loomed up at him, nodding in approval.
"Nice choice of weapon, I have to admit." They'd both gotten through the door like it was nothing.
"Now, we need it to only be one shot, understand? Can't have the neighbors too riled up." He chuckled as if this was some sort of sick joke, but all of a sudden Thorne realized his hand was lifting in the air without his consent.
The gun clicked, the bullet sliding into its place. Cress whimpered, crouched in a corner in despair.
"What are you waiting for, boy? Shoot her already, we haven't got the time for this."
He fired.
She fell.
He moaned.
She bled.
He collapsed.
She paled.
He died inside.
She died with him.
Coughing was his first clue that it had only been a dream. The cold floor greeting his head was the next. With a groan, he sat up, rubbing the back of his head where the bandana was knotted. It had been bothering him for a while, as though his eyes were begging him to open again. He didn't feel like getting used to the disappointment, but he was still a sucker for hope. A deep breath, and then the blindfold was off.
And the world exploded with color.
Cress-
They hadn't been able to restrain her the second she learned Thorne was there. She brushed past the guard, hobbling with all her pathetic might to get to the back door, where the cells were located. He'd mentioned reserves, which didn't mean anything to Cress, but either way she was going to find him. Because in the end, that's what they would always do. Find each other.
Luckily enough, the back door opened up to two hallways, one which had a hand painted sign marking the 'reserved' section. She eased open the door with her shoulder, sliding through the slim crack.
The air was dank and moist, as if everything was moldy. Her shoes clicked against the freezing floor, and the cold spread up her legs, numbing the pain.
There he was.
Her heart stopped.
He was sitting up in the middle of the floor to his cell, staring at his hands. He was staring. As if he could...see. Oh!
She was so happy she laughed, and his gaze leapt up to capture hers.
Her chest hitched, breath becoming difficult. He was actually seeing her, all of her.
What if this had been a mistake? What if he wasn't impressed? What if she was still the nobody she was destined to be?
Yet as these doubts ran through her mind, he had run up to the bars, pressing his whole body against them, staring at her in a way that made her feel weak and gooey inside.
"Cress?"
"Mhm?"
"If you have the keys, you better unlock this door right now." She couldn't look away, slowly unlocking the door using the ring of keys she yanked from the guard.
The door creaked open, neither one of them moving. Just staring. One breathing in, one breathing out.
Then, in an instant, Cress was in his arms. He sunk to the floor, leaning against the door frame, breathing heavily into her neck, her hair, her heart. She closed her eyes and held him, cradling his head to hers.
"You're ok. It's alright, we're together now, see? Sh, it's ok..." She whispered sweet nothings into his ears, feeling him take a shaky breath.
He pulled away, taking a minute to stare. She felt herself flushing red for the first time in ages. Thorne noticed, and his familiar grin eased on as his finger traced the red dotting her cheeks.
"I missed that. I missed seeing that blush so badly." HIs finger fell from her cheek to her collarbone, which felt frail under his touch. "You are the smallest girl I've ever seen, and yet you have more to you than anyone I know."
She frowned, confused, but he refused to answer, his fingers coming back up to trace her lips.
Everything froze. Cress was looking at him, feeling shock rolling off her in waves, but he was staring at her lips with his brow furrowed, as if he couldn't understand them. His fingertips were rough against the skin, but it wasn't painful. Far from it.
"Do you have any idea," he laughed softly, tugging her chin towards his, "how long I've wanted to figure out what you'd taste like?"
She didn't even have time to gasp. His lips were on hers, and the whole entire world melted away. He was so painfully gentle, only slightly moving her lips with his. His arms came around her body, pulling her flush against him. It was so unreal that for a moment she forgot to respond.
He realized this too, and began to pull away.
"No!" She hissed, and with a yank of his vest they were kissing again. This time he was the one who forgot to breathe, a wicked smile forming as their lips connected. She felt his teeth against her lips and his hands in her hair, slowly undoing the knots and tangles. And all of a sudden it wasn't gentle any more. She kissed him back, hard, and he responded with ease, first kissing her bottom lip, then the top, and then she was running her hands through his hair, something she'd wanted to do since they'd met.
And as soon as they began, it was over.
He was staring at her in awe, his hair askew and lips bright red. She giggled nervously, not sure what to do next.
"You're beautiful, you know that?" He was still whispering, his face only inches from hers. She shook her head, and he growled under his breath.
"Believe me, Birdy. If only you could see yourself the way I do..." He paused to kiss her cheek. "You have so much built up passion. There's so much you want to do and see." A kiss to the ear.
"You are selfless, always wanting others to be happy."
A kiss to the jaw.
"You won't accept what's wrong, and do whatever it takes to protect someone you care about."
A kiss to the nose.
"You are the smartest, most innocently pure person I've ever met."
A kiss on the neck.
"Thorne?" She interrupted, breathless as he continued to burrow into the skin where her neck and shoulder met.
"Mhm?"
"I think I'm in love with you." His lips froze against her, freezing her entire self along with it.
"Don't tell me it took you a week to realize that. I must be losing my touch." She felt him grin against her, and she laughed, loving that he hadn't changed too much. They were still them, just a little bit stronger. A little bit better.
And...that was what I have been waiting to write for a very, very long time. PLEASE let me know what you thought, cause a lot of very bad stuff is about to go down, and I wanted to give you this to keep you going.