She was glad that Wolf seemed to have memorized the palace
blueprint better than she had, because with all this running up
and down stairwells, around corners, and down countless
corridors, Cress was completely lost.
Wolf, however, hadn't shown a moment's hesitation as they ran
down the abandoned halls.
"Perfect timing," Wolf muttered under his breath as they swung
around another corner.
He grabbed Cress's elbow and yanked her back before she
could collide with Cinder and Iko and the unconscious man
hanging between them.
"Well, hello there, strangers," said Iko.
Wolf nodded, first at Cinder, then the unconscious emperor.
"I thought that might be his cologne.
Need help?"
Neither Cinder not Iko objected when he stooped down and
swung Kai over one shoulder.
If Cress hadn't been panicked and flustered and running on
eight quarts of throbbing adrenaline, she would have been
much more impressed.
Labs are this way," Cinder said, taking the lead.
Cress picked up her skirt and hurried after her.
"Any surprises?"
"Not so far," Cress answered. "You?"
Cinder show her head as they darted across the sky bridge
into the research wing.
"Not really. Just a lot of ... this."
A palace guard appeared in front of them, gripping his gun.
"Stop ri—!"
The word became a strangled gasp as his face went blank.
His hands felt slack at his sides, the gun dropping to the floor.
Cress gasped, but Cinder pulled her around his dazed from
without breaking pace.
"Wow," said Cress between her paining.
"Good thing you've been practicing, right?"
"I wish that were the reason it's so easy," she said, shaking
her head as they rounded another corner.
"With Wolf, at least there was some struggle.
Some effort involved. But with Earthens ... it's too easy."
She gulped.
"If she becomes empress, Earth doesn't stand a chance."
They arrived at an elevator bank and Cress punched in the
override code.
"Well then," she said, flashing a weary smile.
"Good thing she's not going to be empress."
YOU ARE READING
Cress
Teen FictionTheir best hope lies with Cress, a girl trapped on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's being force to work for Queen Levana, and she...
