Fanning the Flames of Rebellion [A Lunar Chronicles Fanfic]

Chapter 54

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"Cinder? What-what are you doing here? Where have you been? What's going on?" Wolf pressed, taking another step closer.

"Wait--Cinder? Is that you?" Thorne asked.

Cinder, taking another step back, held her hands up in front of her. "Thorne, Wolf. I mean it. Don't come any closer."

"What's going on?" Wolf rushed down the hallway to where Cinder stood. She quickly picked up the gun and aimed it at his forehead before he could reach her.

"I said, don't come any closer." She seethed.

"Hey, hey, hey, put that down, Cinder." Wolf took several steps backward.

"Wait, what's happening?" Thorne asked. Cinder ignored him.

"Why are you here?"

"I could ask the same to you." Wolf replied.

"I mean it."

Wolf took a deep breath. "Do you know how much we've all been worried about you? Do you have any idea?"

Cinder was silent. She dropped the gun and slid down the wall beside her. "I didn't want to leave. I really didn't." She took a deep breath. "But I had no choice, Wolf. I had no choice."

Wolf was silent for a moment. "What do you mean?"

Cinder shut her eyes and tilted her head back against the wall. "I have it, Wolf. They gave it to me."

Wolf looked at her quizzically. "I don't understand."

"The plague, Wolf. I'm infected." Cinder opened her eyes and turned her head towards Wolf and Thorne. They looked awestruck.

"The mutation." Thorne mumbled. "Dr. Erland told us the plague had mutated so it could now infect Lunars."

"H-how?" Wolf asked.

"Down in the Tunnels. Before they took me into surgery, they inserted a violet liquid into me. I had no idea I had it. I'm so sorry."

They were silent.

"But you don't look like you're infected." Wolf said.

Cinder took a deep breath, suddenly exhausted. "I'll tell you later." She looked around the hallway. How did they get into this mess? Nothing had gone by their plans. A chill racked Cinder's body. She was completely unprepared for everything. How was she going to do it?

"So... what now?" Thorne asked. He leaned against the wall and blew a piece of overgrown brown hair away from his face.

Cinder laughed. A short, rough laugh. "Honestly," she looked down the other hallway, "I have no idea. Everything... everything is a mess. I don't know if there's anything we can do."

Wolf looked at Cinder. He tilted his head to the side and gave a confused look. "Are you saying we should just give up?"

"We're already too la--"

"No. What have you always told us? Tell me, Cinder, because you seem to be doing the exact opposite right now. It's always going to be too late if we just sit here and do nothing about it."

"Wolf, you don't understa--"

"I do, Cinder. For once, I do understand. I know that we need to move. I know that every second we waste, we're losing this war. I finally understand this. But please, Cinder, we've come too far to just surrender, to give up everything we've fought for to Levana." Wolf looked at Cinder, really looked at her. "You are our leader, Cinder. We can't do this without you."

Thorne whipped his head around to face Wolf. "Now wait just a second, how did she become the lea--" Wolf punched his shoulder to quiet him.

"What a leader I am," Cinder shook her head. "Sitting here, when everyone needs me." She looked up at them. "I'm sorry. For everything I got you into."

Wolf took a deep breath. "You didn't get us into anything. We are all responsible for what happened. You can't blame yourself for all of it."

"Alrighty then," Thorne grinned, "now we wait for the parents."

"They're at work right now. I can't remember what time they're supposed to get back." Cinder held the wall for support as she picked herself up from the cold floor.

"Where?"

"The labs." Cinder brushed a few locks of dark, wet hair from her face. "In the Lunar palace." she quickly added.

"That's odd. I don't remember them working there." Wolf said.

"Yes. They were rewarded with a new job in the palace after their 'well appreciated contribution to Luna's econimical, political, and martial advancements' ."

"So they were given a job in the home of the same woman who took their only children and turned them into --no offense, Wolfie-- monsters?" Thorne asked.

"I guess so. Any job would be better than the ones they offer here." Wolf replied.

No one spoke for a while.

Cinder needed the silence. It made it easier to trick herself into thinking that everyone was safe and that everything would be okay. A soft laugh escaped Cinder's lips. Thorne and Wolf looked at her with baffled expressions.

Helena and Lucas would sure love to hear about this.