Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) - Marissa Meyer Page 0,44
sorry. I didn’t know.”
He tucked his hands into his pockets and gazed down the hallway. Only now did Cinder notice the faint rim of red around his eyes.
“I wish my father’s death were the worst of it.”
“Your Highness?” Her netlink was still scanning for information, but nothing seemed worse than Emperor Rikan having passed away last night. The only other noteworthy tidbit was that Prince Kai’s coronation had been scheduled for the same evening of the Peace Festival, to take place before the ball.
He met her gaze, surprised, as if he’d forgotten who he was speaking with. Then, “You can call me Kai.”
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
“No more ‘Your Highness.’ I get enough of that from…everyone else. You should just call me Kai.”
“No. That wouldn’t be—”
“Don’t make me turn it into a royal command.” He hinted at a smile.
Cinder scrunched her shoulders up by her ears, suddenly embarrassed. “All right. I suppose.”
“Thank you.” He cocked his head toward the hall. “We should go, then.”
She had nearly forgotten that they were in the research hall, surrounded by people, everyone politely ignoring them as if they were not even there. She started down the hallway, wondering if she’d spoken out of place, and awkward beside the prince who was suddenly just Kai. It didn’t feel right.
“What was wrong with the android?”
She scratched at an oil stain on her glove. “Oh, I’m sorry. She’s not done yet. I’m working on her, I swear.”
“No, I meant the med-droid. That you fixed for Dr. Erland?”
“Oh. Oh, right. Um. It was…it had…a…dead wire. Between its optosensor and…control panel.” Kai lifted an eyebrow and she wasn’t sure that she’d convinced him. She cleared her throat. “You, uh, said something was worse? Before?”
When Kai said nothing for an awkward moment, she shrugged. “Never mind. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No, it’s all right. You’ll find out soon enough.” He lowered his voice, inclining his head toward her as they walked. “The Lunar queen informed us this morning that she is coming to the Commonwealth on a diplomatic mission. Supposedly.”
Cinder nearly tripped, but Kai kept walking. She stumbled after him. “The Lunar queen is coming here? You can’t be serious.”
“I wish I weren’t. Every android in the palace has spent the morning taking down every reflective surface in the guest wing. It’s ridiculous—like we have nothing better to do.”
“Reflective surfaces? I always thought that was just superstition.”
“Evidently not. Something about their glamour…” He twirled a finger around his face, then stopped. “It doesn’t really matter.”
“When is she coming?”
“Today.”
Cinder’s stomach plummeted. The Lunar queen? Coming to New Beijing? A chill crawled down her arms.
“I’ll be making an announcement in half an hour.”
“But why would she come now, when we’re in mourning?”
A grim smile. “Because we’re in mourning.”
Kai paused. With a glance around the hallway, he inched toward Cinder, lowering his voice. “Look, I really appreciate your helping with the med-droids, and I’m sure the best mechanic in the city has a million jobs to prioritize, but at the risk of sounding like a spoiled prince, could I ask that you move Nainsi to the top of your list? I’m starting to get anxious about getting her back. I—” He hesitated. “I think I could use the moral support of my childhood tutor right now. You know?” The intensity in his eyes did not try to hide his true meaning. He wanted her to know he was lying. This had nothing to do with moral support or childhood attachments.
The panic behind the prince’s eyes spoke volumes. What information could that android have that was so important? And what did it have to do with the Lunar queen?
“Of course, Your Highness. Sorry, Prince Kai. I’ll take a look at her as soon as I get home.”
She thought she spotted gratitude hidden somewhere beneath all his worry. Kai gestured at a door beside him, labeled DR. DMITRI ERLAND. He opened the door and ushered her in.
Dr. Erland was sitting at a lacquered desk, poring over a screen set into the surface. When he spotted Kai, he leaped to his feet, simultaneously snatching up his wool cap and rounding the desk toward them.
“Your Highness—I am so sorry. What can I do to help you?”
“Nothing, thank you,” said Kai, a practiced reaction. Then he pulled his shoulders back, reconsidering. “Find a cure.”
“I will, Your Highness.” He pulled his hat on. “Of course I will.” The conviction in the doctor’s face was almost startling, but also comforting. Cinder immediately wondered if he’d found something new in the hours