Echoed Lullabies (Lunar Chronicles x Reader)

Chapter 10

It was easy for Cinder to convince the girl to let us borrow her podship.

I was amazed we hadn't crashed and died yet as Thorne piloted it into Rieux, France.

"She's going to be fine, you know."

Cinder jumped, startled from a reverie. "Who's going to be fine?"

"That Émilie girl. You shouldn't feel bad about knocking her out with your Lunar mind-trick thing. She'll probably be extra refreshed when she wakes up."

Cinder shook her head. "I just hope we're long gone before she wakes up," she muttered, then returned her gaze to the window.

The town came into focus beneath them and Thorne made a too-fast descent. Jolting, I grabbed for the harness around my waist.

Thorne straightened the ship and coughed. "There was a gust of wind."

"Sure there was." Cinder let her head fall against the rest.

"You're extra gloomy today," Thorne said, nicking her chin. "Cheer up. We may not have found Michelle Benoit, but now we know for sure that she housed the princess. This is good. This is progress."

"We found a ransacked house and were identified by the first civilian who spotted us."

"Yeah, because we're famous." He sang the word with a certain measure of pride. When Cinder rolled her eyes, he nudged her in the arm. "Oh, come on, it could be worse."

She quirked an eyebrow at him and his grin broadened.

"At least we have each other." He held out his arms, like he would have given her a huge hug if they hadn't been strapped into their seats. The nose of the ship tipped to the right and he quickly grasped the controls again, leveling it out just in time to dodge a flock of pigeons.

I'm not proud to say that I yelped.

Thorne glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "And Ms. Commander back there, of course."

"How could one forget?" I said bitterly.

Thorne narrowed his eyes. "Well, you can't blame us. You don't talk much."

"My thoughts are much more interesting than what comes out of your mouth. Besides, I'm supposed to be your captive, remember?"

"I'll let you be my captive anytime, darling."

Cinder covered a laugh with her metal hand.

Thorne landed crookedly on a cobblestoned side street. This plan was terrible, but we didn't have a choice. We needed a new power cell if we wanted to get the Rampion back into space.

Another thought occurred to me, and I almost slapped myself for being too distracted to think of it before.

We were not in space. We were in a tiny little French town. One that would be easy to slip away in, find a portscreen.

I could comm for reinforcements.

But could I really live with myself if I didn't at least try to figure out what my role in all this was?

The picture flared up in my memory.

I knew Michelle Benoit, and I had apparently been close with her at a young age. So why do I not remember it at all?

Cinder glanced around wearily as we emerged from the podship. "People are going to see us."

The street was empty, serenely overshadowed by centuries-old stone buildings and silver-leafed maples. But the tranquility did nothing to quell any nerves.