Scarlet wouldn’t have recognized the queen’s hacker, having only seen her once through a comm link. The girl’s long, unruly hair had been chopped short and her skin, though still pale, had at least seen the sun in the recent past.
Thorne launched himself from his seat, circling the room to put himself in front of the holograph as she began to speak.
“Hello, everyone. If you’re seeing this, our good friends from the palace must have found you. I wish I could have joined them. My current guardian gave me the option of leaving, but I had to stay behind to assist with their travels. I know you’ll understand. I wanted you to know I’m all right, though. I’m safe and unhurt, and I know you’ll come for me. When you do, I’ll be ready. Until then, I promise to be careful and stay hidden.” She paused. A fleeting smile crossed her lips, like proof of her courage, though her eyes stayed anxious. After a deep breath, she continued, “My absence has probably changed some things for you, and I know you were relying on me for help with some of your plans. I’ve built a program into this file. Insert this cylinder into the universal port in the dome’s broadcast receiver and follow the prompts I’ve set up for you. On the chance this could fall into the wrong hands, I have locked the program with the same passcode we used on the ship.” Her lashes dipped, and there was that weak smile again. “I hope this message reaches you safely. I … I miss you.” She opened her mouth to say more, but hesitated and shut it again. A second later, the message ended.
They stared at the empty air where Cress had been. Scarlet fidgeted with her hoodie’s zipper, knowing for sure now that the girl had been the one watching over her and Winter during their escape. She had saved them, and sacrificed her own safety to do it.
“Brave, stupid girl,” Thorne muttered. He sank back down to the floor, his expression torn between relief and increased distress.
“She’s still with Jacin, then,” said Cinder. “I guess … I’m grateful for what he’s done, but … I don’t like him knowing where we are, or being responsible for Cress. I don’t trust him.”
Winter stared at her, aghast. “Jacin is a good person. He would never betray you, or Cress.”
“Too late,” said Thorne. “He already did once.”
Winter laced her fingers together. “He regrets betraying you. It was never his intention. He only … he had to come back to Luna. For me.”
Iko made a noise that was probably meant to be a snort. Scarlet cocked her head to inspect the android. What had been endearing tics when she had been the Rampion’s control system were a little disconcerting in her humanoid body.
“It’s true,” Winter insisted, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I understand why you don’t trust him, but he’s trying to make amends. He wants to see you back on your throne as much as anyone.”
“He did save my life,” added Scarlet. Then, after a pause, she shrugged. “Probably just because he needed me to save her life, but still, it has to count for something.”
Thorne crossed his arms and said grudgingly, “I wish he would have tried a little harder to send Cress with you.”
“At least we know she’s alive,” said Cinder.
Thorne grunted. “All we know is she’s still in Artemisia and under the protection of a guy who betrayed us once. The princess thinks he’s on our side? Fine. But that doesn’t change the fact he sold us out in New Beijing, and I don’t doubt he’ll do it again if it means saving his own skin.”
“On the contrary, he cares very little for his own skin.” Winter’s voice was sharp, her shoulders trembling. “It is my safety alone that he cares about, and I will never be safe again so long as my stepmother is the queen.” She turned to Cinder. “I believe he will do anything he can to help your revolution succeed. We both will.”
A long silence was followed by Thorne grumbling, “I still plan on punching him if I ever see him again.”
Scarlet rolled her eyes.
Cinder tapped her fingers against the table. “I don’t understand why Levana tried to have you killed now. She has Kai. She’s getting what she wants.”
“I believe she’s afraid of losing her grip on Luna,” said Winter, “especially with the rumors that our true queen is still alive. She’s become paranoid, afraid of every potential threat.”
Cinder shook her head. “But you’re not her real daughter. Isn’t there some superstition about bloodlines?”
“Yes. Only a person of royal blood can sit on Luna’s throne. It is believed that should a person of nonroyal blood ascend to the throne, the gift bestowed upon our people will cease to exist. There have been countless studies proving this.”
Scarlet laughed. “Let me guess—the studies were paid for by the royal family.”
“Does it matter?” said Winter. “Whether the people believe it or not, my stepmother is frightened. She’s desperate to maintain her power. That is why she tried to kill me.”
“Good,” said Cinder. “People make mistakes when they’re desperate, and trying to kill you could be a big one.” She leaned back on her hands. “From what I can tell, the people adore you. If they knew Levana tried to have you murdered, it could be just the thing to persuade them to choose me over her. Listen, Your Highness—we have a video. If Cress’s program works, we’ll be able to play it across all outer sectors. It will tell the people who I am and ask them to join me in ending Levana’s reign.” She inhaled. “I’d like to include a message from you, to show the people you’re alive and tell them Levana was the one who tried to have you killed. Having your support would mean a lot. To them, and to me.”
Winter held her gaze for a long time, considering, before she sighed. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. Levana would find out, and she can’t know I’m alive.”
“Why not?” said Scarlet. “The people care about you. They deserve to know the truth.”
“Jacin was ordered to kill me,” said Winter, her voice growing weak, “and he went through a lot of trouble to make it look like he succeeded. I won’t endanger him by announcing the truth. The longer she goes on believing that Jacin is loyal to her, the safer he’ll be.” She looked up again. “The safer your Cress will be too.”
Thorne looked away.
“I’m sorry that I can’t help you with this. For what it’s worth, you do have my support, even if it must be a secret.” Winter slumped. Scarlet could see her withdrawing into herself and her worries over Jacin’s safety. She wished she could offer some comfort, but she had spent enough time under Levana’s thumb to know there was nothing she could say that would make Winter feel any better.
“All right,” Cinder conceded. “I understand. We’ll just have to hope the video succeeds without you.”
The front door opened and they all started. Scarlet spun around as a woman shut the door behind her. She wore coveralls dusted with regolith particles and was carrying a worn wooden box full of food. She had Wolf’s dark hair and olive-toned skin, but she also had the bone structure of a bird. Wolf could have crushed her with his fingertips.