Echoed Lullabies (Lunar Chronicles x Reader)

Chapter 62

I stared at the wall ahead of me while Cress typed something out on her port. Even with Cress being as small as she was, there was hardly enough room for the both of us on Jacin's bed.

Surprisingly, he had kept his promise to make sure we remain hidden. We've been seeking refuge in his personal quarters since our arrival. While I was most grateful for his efforts, I was beginning to grow frustrated. Every time I asked, he never had any news as to where our friends ended up.

But I knew they were safe. They had to be, what with a skilled Lunar operative, a testy cyborg mechanic, and a scheming ex-cadet in their mix.

I moved my gaze from the gray wall down to the gray baseboards.

God, I hated this stupid room. It was cramped, cold, and stuffy. It only served as a reminder as to all that I could have been doing at that time. Cress was able to make herself useful as she continued interrupting propaganda messages and hacking into videos of the queen's announcements. But there was nothing for me. I was useless, and stars I hated being useless.

Hard-soled footsteps in the hall made me tense.

They stopped outside Jacin's door. Cress threw herself underneath the bed while I scurried to pin myself against the back wall of his closet. Outside, I heard the input of a code and fingerprint check on the lock. The door opened and shut.

I held my breath and reached for my gun.

"Just me," came Jacin's voice, sounding as disillusioned as ever.

Exhaling, I climbed out from my hiding spot and returned to my place on the bed.

"Any news?" Cress asked.

Jacin leaned against the door, his shadowed eyes caught on the ceiling. He seemed strangely disheveled. "No."

I narrowed my eyes. "What's wrong?"

Still entranced by the ceiling, he muttered, "Cress, you disabled the cameras in the dock."

I blinked.

"Could you do it again? To any cameras in the palace?"

Cress brushed her fingers along the strands of her short hair. "If I had access to the system. Which I don't."

He opened his mouth, paused, shut it again.

Finally, he said, "I could get you access to the system."

"What's going on?" I demanded. "Why do you need cameras disabled?"

His chest rose and his focus traveled down the bare stone walls and landed on Cress. "You're leaving. You, Winter, Y/n, and that redhead girl are leaving the palace. Tonight."

I shot to my feet. "Hold on, Scarlet is here in the palace? As in, you know exactly where she is?" I hissed. "And you never thought to mention that little detail?"

"It wasn't important at the time."

"I decide what's important regarding my friends," I growled. "You don't get to undermine my—"

"Your what, 'authority?'" He glared icily. "In case you hadn't realized, we're on Luna. You have no jurisdiction here."

"That doesn't mean I'm not capable of taking any weak-minded Lunar guard down with one shot," I spat.

"That's enough!" exclaimed Cress. She took a deep breath. "Jacin, could you please continue? What were you talking about, us leaving?"

He shook his head quickly as if resetting his thoughts. "Winter can't stay here, and she won't leave without that friend of hers. You help me get them out of here, and it's your ticket too." He started to massage his temple. "You know where Cinder was heading, right? You can find her. She'll keep Winter safe. She better keep her safe."