Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) - Marissa Meyer Page 0,203

to be up here?”

Hesitating, Cress glanced back. “I’m sorry?”

“Her Majesty guaranteed we would not be pestered during our stay. I think you should leave.”

“Oh. I’m … I have a message to deliver. I’ll just be a minute. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

Cress scooted backward, but the woman persisted, pulling her penciled eyebrows into a tight frown. Stepping forward, she held out her hand. “Who is your message for? I will see that he or she receives it.”

Cress stared down at the open palm, soft and wrinkled. “It’s … confidential.”

The woman pursed her lips. “Well, I’m afraid if you don’t leave immediately, I will have to call a guard to confirm your story. We were promised our privacy and I don’t—”

“Cress?”

Her heart hiccuped.

Kai.

He stood there blinking at her as if he thought she might be a trick.

An ocean’s worth of relief crashed into Cress, nearly knocking her off her feet. She braced herself with one hand against the wall. “Kai!” Shaking herself, she amended, “I mean, Emperor—Your Majesty.” She dipped into a flustered curtsy.

Brow drawn, Kai looked at the speaker. “Gliebe-dàren, you haven’t gone down yet?”

“I was just on my way,” said the woman, and though Cress didn’t meet her gaze, she could sense her distrust. “But I saw this girl and … as you know, we were guaranteed privacy on this floor, and I don’t think she should—”

“It’s all right,” said Kai. “I know this girl. I’ll take care of it.”

Cress studied the floor, listening to the crinkle of the taffeta skirt.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, how can I be sure she isn’t manipulating you into siding with her?”

“With all due respect,” said Kai, sounding exhausted, “if she wanted to manipulate someone, why wouldn’t she have manipulated you into leaving her alone?”

Cress chewed on the inside of her cheek while a moment stretched out between them. Finally, the woman bowed. “Of course, you would know best. Congratulations on your forthcoming coronation.”

The woman’s footsteps clipped toward the elevator bank. When she had gone, Cress waited three whole seconds before launching herself into Kai’s arms with a sob she hadn’t known she’d been holding in.

Kai stumbled back in surprise, but returned the embrace, letting her cry into his very fine silk shirt.

The adviser made a strangled noise and Cress felt the handgun being lifted from her hand. She was glad to let it go.

“Calm down,” Kai said, stroking her hair. “You’re all right now.”

She shook her head. “They took Thorne. They shot him and they took him and I don’t know if he’s alive and I don’t know … I don’t know what they’re going to do to him.”

Cress gave up on speaking until the flood of sobs started to wane. Ducking her head, she pulled her hands back and swiped at her hot cheeks. “I’m sorry.” She sniffed. “I’m sorry. It’s just … really, really good to see you.”

“It’s all right.” Kai gently held Cress away so he could see her face. “Start from the beginning. Why are you here?”

She was trying to rein in the stampede of emotions when she saw the damp spot she’d left on his shirt. “Oh—aces. I’m so sorry.” She swiped at it with her fingers.

He gave her a little shake. “It’s fine. Cress. Look at me.”

She looked at him, rubbing her wrist across her eyes again. Despite the splotch she’d left, Kai was quite dapper in a cream-colored silk tunic. It was fastened with gold frogs and a sash striped with the colors of the Eastern Commonwealth flag: sea-foam green, teal blue, sunset orange. If the sash had been red, it would have been an exact replica of the outfit he’d been wearing when Cinder and the others had kidnapped him.

But no. He was already married. He was Queen Levana’s husband now, the man who was on his way to be crowned king consort of Luna.

Her focus darted to the side. Royal Adviser Konn Torin was wearing a basic black tuxedo and Cress could sense his concern despite his composure. He was holding the gun’s handle between two pinched fingers, looking about as comfortable with it as Cress had been.

“Cress?” said Kai, stealing back her attention.

She licked her lips. “Thorne and I were supposed to get to the system control center, but he was captured. They said something about taking him to a holding cell? And I got away, but now I—”

“Why are you trying to get to the control center?”

“To play another video Cinder recorded. It shows the queen—oh! You probably don’t