Echoed Lullabies (Lunar Chronicles x Reader)

Chapter 22

I watched as Cinder groaned, the impact of her most recent landing still reverberating through her spine. "Was that necessary?"

Wolf and Scarlet appeared beside her.

"I'm sorry," said Wolf. "I thought you had control. Are you all right?"

"Frustrated and sore, but, yes, I'm fine." She took Wolf's hand, and he and Scarlet helped her to her feet. "You're right. I lost focus. I felt your energy snap out of my hold, like a rubber band." She rubbed her hip. "I need a moment."

"Maybe you should call it quits for the day," said Scarlet. "We're almost to the satellite."

I swallowed a sigh. Skepticism crawled underneath my skin. Why were we doing this again?

I thought back to the girl on the netscreen, her wide blue eyes and pixie-like face. The girl who was willing to risk her life for our plan.

This detour might cost us greatly. The girl's guardian is Sybil Mira, for stars' sake. If she was the girl's sole provider, wouldn't she have access to her satellite at any time? I'd assume she would install some sort of security system or bug her room or something.

I guess we'd just have to be quick.

Iko chimed in. "Estimated time of arrival is nine minutes, thirty-four seconds. Which, by my estimation, is enough time for Cinder to be defeated and embarrassed in seven more brawls."

Cinder glared up at the ceiling. "Also just enough time to disconnect your audio device."

"Since we have a few minutes," said Scarlet, "maybe we should talk about how to handle this girl. If she's been stuck on a satellite for seven years, with no one to talk to but a Lunar thaumaturge, she might be ... socially awkward. I think we should all make an effort to be extra welcoming and supportive and ... try not to terrify her."

A laugh from the cockpit swallowed up my own. Thorne appeared in the doorway, strapping a gun holster around his waist. "You're asking the cyborg fugitive and the wild animal to be the welcoming committee? That's adorable."

Scarlet planted her hands on her hips. "I'm saying we should be aware of what she's been through and try to be sensitive to that. This may not be an easy transition for her."

Thorne shrugged. "The Rampion is going to be like a five-star hotel after living on that satellite. She'll adjust."

"I'll be nice to her!" said Iko. "I can take her net-shopping and she can help me pick out my future designer wardrobe. Look, I found this custom escort shop that has the best accessories, and some discounted models. What would you think of me with orange hair?" The netscreen on the wall switched to an escort-droid sale listing. The image of a model was slowly rotating, showing off the android's perfect proportions, peachy skin, and royalty-approved posture. She had purple irises and cropped tangerine hair and a tattoo of an old-fashioned carousel that rotated around her ankle.

Cinder squeezed an eye shut. "Iko, what does this have to do with the satellite girl?"

"I was getting to that." The screen scrolled through a menu, landing on hair accessories, and dozens of icons clustered together showing everything from dreadlock wigs to cat-ear headbands to rhinestone-encrusted barrettes. "Just think how much potential she has with hair like that!"

"You see?" said Thorne, nudging Scarlet in the shoulder. "Iko and the imprisoned, socially awkward satellite girl, best friends forever. Now, what I'm worried about is how we're going to be dividing the reward money when this is all over. Because this ship is starting to feel awfully crowded and I'm not sure I'm happy with all of you cutting into my profits."