and handed Kai a box labeled PROTEIN OATS . “We have a gift for you too.”
He flipped it over to the child’s game printed on the back. “Yum?”
“ Open it ,” said Iko, bouncing on her toes.
Prying open the top, Kai turned it over and dumped a thin silver chain and a medallion into his palm. He lifted it up to eye level, inspecting the rather tarnished insignia. “‘The American Republic 86th Space Regiment,’” he read. “I can see why it made you think of me.”
“We found it in one of the old military uniforms,” said Iko. “It’s to remind you that you’re one of us now, no matter what happens.”
Kai grinned. “It’s perfect.” He looped the chain around his neck and tucked the medallion under his shirt. He gave Cress a quick farewell embrace, then pulled Iko into a hug. Iko squeaked, frozen.
When Kai pulled away, Iko looked from him, to Cinder, then back. Her eyes suddenly rolled up into her head and she collapsed onto the floor.
Kai jumped back. “What happened? Did I hit her power button or something?”
Frowning, Cinder took a step closer. “Iko, what are you doing?”
“Kai hugged me,” said Iko, eyes still closed. “So I fainted.”
With an awkward laugh, Kai turned to face Cinder. “You’re not going to faint too, are you?”
“Doubtful.”
Kai wrapped his arms around Cinder and kissed her, and though she wasn’t used to having an audience, Cinder didn’t hesitate to kiss him back. An impractical, uncalculating part of her brain told her to not let go. To not say good-bye.
The light mood was gone when they separated. He set his brow against hers, the tips of his hair brushing her cheeks. “I’m on your side,” he said. “No matter what.”
“I know.”
Kai turned to face Wolf last. He lifted his chin and adjusted his fine shirt. “All right, I’m ready when you—”
The punch hit Kai square in the cheek, knocking him back into Cinder. Everyone gasped. Iko jerked upward with a surprised cry as Kai pressed a hand against his face.
“Sorry,” said Wolf, cringing with guilt. “It’s better when you don’t see it coming.”
“I somehow doubt that,” said Kai, his words slurred.
Cinder pried his hand away to examine the wound, which was flaming red and already beginning to swell. “You didn’t break the skin. He’s fine. It’ll bruise up nicely by the time he’s back on Earth.”
“Sorry,” Wolf said again.
Kai gave his head a shake and didn’t complain when Cinder pressed a kiss against his cheek. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “It’s weirdly attractive.”
His laugh was wry, but appreciative. He kissed her one last time before hurrying into the podship, like he might change his mind if he stayed for another moment.
“Do I get a good-bye kiss too?” said Thorne, stepping in front of Cinder.
Scowling, Cinder shoved him away. “Wolf’s not the only one who can throw a right hook around here.”
Thorne chuckled and raised a suggestive eyebrow at Iko.
The android, still on the floor, shrugged apologetically. “I would love to give you a good-bye kiss, Captain, but that lingering embrace from His Majesty may have fried a few wires, and I’m afraid a kiss from you would melt my central processor.”
“Oh, trust me,” said Thorne, winking at her. “It would.”
For an instant, while the joke was still written across his face, Thorne’s gaze flickered hopefully toward Cress, but Cress was captivated by her own fingernails.
Then the look vanished and Thorne was marching to the pilot’s side of the shuttle.
“Good luck,” said Cinder, watching them adjust their harnesses.
Thorne gave her a quick salute, but it was Kai she was worried about. He tried to smile, still rubbing his cheekbone, as the doors sank down around them. “You too.”
Twelve
Kai watched Thorne’s hands, seemingly competent, as they toggled a few switches on the podship’s control panel. They emerged from the Rampion’s dock and dove toward planet
He flipped it over to the child’s game printed on the back. “Yum?”
“ Open it ,” said Iko, bouncing on her toes.
Prying open the top, Kai turned it over and dumped a thin silver chain and a medallion into his palm. He lifted it up to eye level, inspecting the rather tarnished insignia. “‘The American Republic 86th Space Regiment,’” he read. “I can see why it made you think of me.”
“We found it in one of the old military uniforms,” said Iko. “It’s to remind you that you’re one of us now, no matter what happens.”
Kai grinned. “It’s perfect.” He looped the chain around his neck and tucked the medallion under his shirt. He gave Cress a quick farewell embrace, then pulled Iko into a hug. Iko squeaked, frozen.
When Kai pulled away, Iko looked from him, to Cinder, then back. Her eyes suddenly rolled up into her head and she collapsed onto the floor.
Kai jumped back. “What happened? Did I hit her power button or something?”
Frowning, Cinder took a step closer. “Iko, what are you doing?”
“Kai hugged me,” said Iko, eyes still closed. “So I fainted.”
With an awkward laugh, Kai turned to face Cinder. “You’re not going to faint too, are you?”
“Doubtful.”
Kai wrapped his arms around Cinder and kissed her, and though she wasn’t used to having an audience, Cinder didn’t hesitate to kiss him back. An impractical, uncalculating part of her brain told her to not let go. To not say good-bye.
The light mood was gone when they separated. He set his brow against hers, the tips of his hair brushing her cheeks. “I’m on your side,” he said. “No matter what.”
“I know.”
Kai turned to face Wolf last. He lifted his chin and adjusted his fine shirt. “All right, I’m ready when you—”
The punch hit Kai square in the cheek, knocking him back into Cinder. Everyone gasped. Iko jerked upward with a surprised cry as Kai pressed a hand against his face.
“Sorry,” said Wolf, cringing with guilt. “It’s better when you don’t see it coming.”
“I somehow doubt that,” said Kai, his words slurred.
Cinder pried his hand away to examine the wound, which was flaming red and already beginning to swell. “You didn’t break the skin. He’s fine. It’ll bruise up nicely by the time he’s back on Earth.”
“Sorry,” Wolf said again.
Kai gave his head a shake and didn’t complain when Cinder pressed a kiss against his cheek. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “It’s weirdly attractive.”
His laugh was wry, but appreciative. He kissed her one last time before hurrying into the podship, like he might change his mind if he stayed for another moment.
“Do I get a good-bye kiss too?” said Thorne, stepping in front of Cinder.
Scowling, Cinder shoved him away. “Wolf’s not the only one who can throw a right hook around here.”
Thorne chuckled and raised a suggestive eyebrow at Iko.
The android, still on the floor, shrugged apologetically. “I would love to give you a good-bye kiss, Captain, but that lingering embrace from His Majesty may have fried a few wires, and I’m afraid a kiss from you would melt my central processor.”
“Oh, trust me,” said Thorne, winking at her. “It would.”
For an instant, while the joke was still written across his face, Thorne’s gaze flickered hopefully toward Cress, but Cress was captivated by her own fingernails.
Then the look vanished and Thorne was marching to the pilot’s side of the shuttle.
“Good luck,” said Cinder, watching them adjust their harnesses.
Thorne gave her a quick salute, but it was Kai she was worried about. He tried to smile, still rubbing his cheekbone, as the doors sank down around them. “You too.”
Twelve
Kai watched Thorne’s hands, seemingly competent, as they toggled a few switches on the podship’s control panel. They emerged from the Rampion’s dock and dove toward planet
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