Cinder stood frozen, her wired nerves humming.
She heard Dr. Erland grunt in curiosity, but the door opened again as soon as it had closed.
“Gracious,” Dr. Erland muttered as Kai stepped back inside.
“Pardon me, but might I have one more brief word with Linh-mèi?”
Dr. Erland flicked his wrist toward her. “By all means.”
Kai turned to her, still in the doorway. “I know this sounds like very poor timing, but trust me when I say my motives are based on self-preservation.” He inhaled a sharp breath. “Would you consider being my personal guest at the ball?”
The floor dissolved beneath Cinder. Her mind blanked. Surely, she hadn’t heard correctly.
But he just stood, patient, and after a long moment raised both his eyebrows in a mute prompt.
“E-excuse me?”
Kai cleared his throat. Stood straighter. “I assume you are going to the ball?”
“I-I don’t know. I mean, no. No, I’m sorry, I’m not going to the ball.”
Kai drew back, confused. “Oh. Well…but…maybe you would change your mind? Because I am, you know.”
“The prince.”
“Not bragging,” he said quickly. “Just a fact.”
“I know.” She gulped. The ball. Prince Kai was asking her to the ball. But that was the night she and Iko would be running away, if the car was fixed in time. The night she would escape.
Besides, he didn’t know who, what, he was asking. If he knew the truth…how mortified would he be if anyone found out?
Kai shifted on his feet, casting a nervous glance toward the doctor.
“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “Thank you—I…Thank you, Your Highness. But I must respectfully decline.”
He blinked. His eyes fell as he processed her response. Then he lifted his chin and attempted a grin that was almost painfully dejected. “No, it’s all right. I understand.”
Dr. Erland leaned back against his desk. “My sincerest condolences, Your Highness. In more ways than one, it seems.”
Cinder cast him a frosty glare, but he focused his attention on cleaning his spectacles again.
Kai scratched behind his neck. “It was nice to see you again, Linh-mèi.”
She flinched at the return of the formality and made to speak, her voice catching at apologies, explanations, but the prince didn’t wait for them. The door was already shutting behind him.
She snapped her jaw shut, thoughts sparking in her head. Dr. Erland clucked his tongue, and Cinder prepared to rail at him with those budding explanations, but he turned away before she could and paced back to his seat.
“What a shame you cannot blush, Miss Linh.”
Chapter Nineteen
DR. ERLAND HELD BOTH HANDS TOWARD A CHAIR ON THE other side of his desk. “Please sit down. I only need to finish up a few notes, and then I will tell you some things I’ve learned since yesterday afternoon.”
Cinder sat down, glad to get off her weak legs. “The prince just…”
“Yes. I was standing right here.” Dr. Erland reclaimed his own seat and tapped at the screen in his desk.
Cinder leaned back against the chair, gripping its arms to quell her shaking. Her mind was replaying the conversation while her retina scanner informed her that her body was producing mass amounts of endorphins and she should try to calm down.