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  Reader Letter

  Dear Reader,

  Warning! This story contains spoilers for

  The Lunar Chronicles

  The Renegades Trilogy

  Heartless

  It also contains references to Gilded and Instant Karma, but those chapters aren’t quite as spoilery …

  If you have not yet read the above works, proceed at your own risk!

  Also, I would like to officially state that nothing included within this tale should be considered canon to any of the above works.

  Happy reading! Make good choices! *wink*

  Marissa

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  From the Lunar Chronicles

  Cinder (also called Linh Cinder)

  Cress

  Scarlet

  Winter

  Iko

  Jacin

  Prince Kai

  Kinney

  Queen Levana

  Peony

  Rikan

  Captain Thorne

  Torin

  Wolf

  From the Renegades Trilogy

  Adrian, also called Sketch

  Max

  Magpie

  Nova

  From Instant Karma

  Ari

  Jude

  Quint/Quintonian

  Pru

  From Heartless

  Cath

  Hatta

  The Jabberwock

  Jest

  Mary Ann

  Peter Peter

  From Gilded

  The Erlking (also called the Alder King)

  Fricz and Nickel (twins)

  Gerdrut

  Hans

  Serilda

  Chapter 1

  Cinder sat on a tufted chair in the private quarters in New Beijing Palace, ignoring her reflection in the large mirror that loomed over the vanity before her. It wasn’t that she was displeased with her reflection, even though she never felt quite like herself after the retinue of servants had gotten ahold of her, and today’s regime was perhaps the most intensive progression of pastes, creams, and cosmetics she’d ever endured. Iko had finally stepped in—she could always tell when Cinder was at the end of her tolerance level for these things—and had shooed the retainers away before doing Cinder’s hair herself. No ponytail today, she’d insisted. Instead, Cinder’s brown hair had been done up in a classic twist, ornamented with a single white peony flower. Homage to the sister she wished could have been there.

  But Cinder wasn’t thinking about Peony or the past or what could have or should have been. Not at that moment. She was staring at her engagement ring. A single ruby set into a golden band, framed by a ring of diamonds. The ring had a history that sometimes left her feeling panicked when she stopped to think about it. It had been passed down through the Eastern Commonwealth’s royal family for generations, from empress to empress—worn by Kai’s great-grandmother and grandmother and mother—and now it had made its way to her.

  There were times when she could hardly breathe for fear that she might lose it somehow.

  But even those fears weren’t what was swirling through her thoughts now.

  No, she was admiring the way the jewels glittering against her steel fingers made her cyborg hand seem almost … elegant.

  In a few short hours, she would be married.

  As the lights from the room caught on the gems and sent a kaleidoscope of sparkles across the mirror, she wondered what Kai was doing now. Probably being hassled by attendants, as well, though it never bothered him like it did her. Was he as nervous as she was?

  She tore her gaze from the ring and met her own eyes in the reflection.

  Yes—she was nervous, but she was also smiling.

  Could anyone be as happy as she was in this moment? After all that had happened in their first year of knowing each other—from imprisonment and escapes to kidnappings, revolutions, and wars—the years since had been relatively quiet. She and Kai had enjoyed a long engagement. There had never felt like much need to hurry, and their lives had been so hectic with their own responsibilities—him to the Eastern Commonwealth and her to Luna. Months of diplomatic meetings between Earth and Luna, and finally ushering in a new era in Luna’s history when Cinder chose to dissolve the monarchy and host their first elections for a new leader.

  Until finally, finally, the time had felt right.

  Her new role as a Lunar ambassador had brought her to Earth more frequently, and everyone knew that eventually she would become the empress. She knew that she would eventually become the empress.

  But those words paled in comparison to a greater joy unfurling in her stomach.

  After today, she would be Kai’s wife. Kai would be her husband.

  And it would happen, strangely enough, in the very ballroom where she had once fought off Queen Levana, her wicked aunt, in an effort to save Kai’s life. The wedding would happen in the same ballroom where Kai had learned that she was cyborg and Lunar, where he had once ordered her arrest.

  Who would have imagined that now, all these years later—

  “Cinder, what are you doing?”

  Her head snapped up. She looked at the reflection of the room’s door in the mirror, expecting to see Iko. But the door was closed and Iko wasn’t there.

  Frowning, she glanced around and spotted Iko, not at the door, but seated on the sill of the open window.

  Cinder gasped and launched herself from the seat. “Iko, what are you—?”

  “You’re going to be late!” Iko interrupted. “Torin is in a tizzy over it all. Come on, come with me, before we’re both in huge trouble.”

  “Late?” Cinder noted the time on the clock embedded in her retinal interface. “We still have hours, and I’m not even in my dress yet.” She gestured at the elaborate gown hung on the wardrobe doors—bold red with a golden phoenix embroidered on the skirt, its tail feathers flowing down into a train so long she imagined it unfurling all the way Scarlet and Wolf’s farm in southern France.

  Then she gestured at her much more practical outfit of cargo pants and a black tank top.

  Iko rolled her eyes. “One of these days, I’m going to burn every pair of cargo pants you own.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “I would, and you know it. Also—what’s with the boots? We’re in a palace. All you have to do is walk from here to the ballroom. It isn’t like you’re going to be tromping through mud puddles or something.”

  Cinder shrugged uncomfortably. “Well—you’re wearing bunny ears,” she muttered.

  The diversion worked. Iko preened and touched one of the soft white ears poking up from amid her blue braids. “I had them imported. They’re all the rage in Artemisia right now.”

  Cinder rolled her eyes. “Would you come inside? We’re on the fourth floor! How did you even get up here?”

  She reached for Iko’s arm to pull her in, but Iko pulled away with a shake of her head, braids swinging. “No time for that, mi amor! We have to go.”

  “Go where?” asked Cinder—at the same moment she heard a thundering knock at the bedroom door. Whoever it was sounded impatient. Could it be Torin? Or the attendants sent to wrestle her into the wedding gown?

  “Quick, follow me!” said Iko. Then, quick as a blink, she … fell.

  “Wait—Iko!”

  Cinder looked from the open and empty window to the shut door. The knock came again.

  * * *

  If Cinder should follow Iko out the window, go to Chapter 2.

  If Cinder should answer the knock at the door, go to Chapter 10.

  Chapter 2

  Ignoring the knock, Cinder rushed to the window. A huge tree grew just outside, and she distantly thought that she couldn’t recall a tree being at this window before, especially one with … were those roses? It was far too early in the year for such lush, fragrant blooms.

  But she was too distracted searching for Iko to give it much thought, and—there, she caught a flash of fluffy white ears deep in the foliage.

  “Iko, wait!” she cried, hauling herself out through the window. She grasped for the nearest branch and had no sooner pulled herself out onto the limb when she heard the tree groan beneath her weight. Then—

  Crack.

  The branch splintered.

  Cinder fell, hitting twigs and leaves and thorns as she screamed, plummeting to the ground so far below.

  But she didn’t hit the ground.

  Instead, she fell into … nothingness.

  Cinder struggled to catch her breath as her descent slowed to a lazy drifting. It felt like being in space before they figured out how to instate art ificial gravity on the ships. She was surrounded by nothing but utter blackness and the smell of wet earth. Until, somewhere far below, she spotted a single star.

  Expanding.

  Widening.

  Not a star—a hole.

  Cinder tumbled through the hole. Gravity latched on to her again, yanking her the final bit of distance so that she landed on her stomach with a grunt.

  “What just happened?” she muttered, pushing herself upward. She felt disoriented, her head spinning like she’d just been put through an engine turbine. Her brain interface was flashing with warnings and system checks, but she dismissed it all to clear her vision as she looked around.

  Her lips parted.

  She was not on the grounds of New Beijing Palace anymore.

  In fact, she had no idea where she was. A meadow of some sort, surrounded by what might have been a forest, but the plants here were like none she’d ever seen. A towering pine tree had needles that shimmered silver in the sunlight like … well, sewing needles. And what she thought might be an ash tree, except its limbs were smoking, and when a breeze blew through its branches, drifts of actual ash were scattered to the forest floor.

  And there were the strangest flowers. Polka dot petunias and zebra-striped zinnias and—

  Movement dragged Cinder’s gaze to the edge of the meadow.

  Iko!

  Scampering off into the trees.

  “Iko!” Cinder yelled, bolting to her feet and chasing after her. “Iko, come back! Where are you going?”

  It might have been an illusion, for as Cinder darted in between spiraling and knotted tree trunks, she lost sight of her best friend. She kept pushing forward, swatting away vines and bugs, until a spark of pain shot up her human hand. She yelped and spun to face the insect she had just knocked away.

  The insect that was sitting on a broad, flat leaf, its entire body burning like the lit end of a match, toasting a hole right through the plant.

  Cinder shook her head, baffled. She’d seen so much of Earth and Luna during her time as queen and diplomat, but she’d never seen anything like this before. “What is this place?” she murmured to herself.

  “Haven’t you ever seen a firefly before?” said a dreamy voice.

  Cinder looked up. Her heart leaped at the sight of a beautiful, familiar face. Winter was lounging in a tree branch, grinning a secretive smile. She, too, wore a headband settled into her thick black curls, but instead of rabbit ears, hers were of a purple cat.

  “You look a little lost,” Winter purred, letting one of her legs slip off the branch to sway back and forth. “You might want to find a way home before long. People have a habit of … losing their heads, here in the Kingdom of Hearts.”

  Cinder frowned. “The Kingdom of Hearts?”

  She’d never heard of it, and a quick scan of her encyclopedic brain didn’t bring up any matches.

  “Right. Um. Winter … did you see Iko come through here recently?” She hesitated, before adding, “Also, why aren’t you back at the palace? The ceremony is going to be starting soon.”

  “Ceremony?” Winter perked up—even her faux ears seemed to swivel forward excitedly. “You mean, the queen’s garden party?”

  “Um, no … I mean my—”

  “Best be going, then. I would hate to be late. I do love an enthralling round of croquet…”

  With a grin and a wink, Winter snapped her fingers, and vanished.

  Cinder stood gaping at where she had just been for a long moment, before she gave herself a firm shake. “Anxiety dream,” she said to herself. “That’s what this is. An anxiety dream. I just have to close my eyes and tell myself to wake up.”

  But no sooner had she squeezed her eyes shut than she heard … singing. A little bawdy and off-key, and not too far away.

  She opened her eyes, and after noting that she was definitely still in the strange forest and that neither Iko or Winter was anywhere to be seen, she started picking her way through the brush.

  She hadn’t gone far before she was stepping out into another clearing, where a long table had been set with colorful cloths and scarves, candlesticks and flower posies, trays of treats and steaming teapots and dozens of brightly painted teacups.

  And there, sitting at opposite ends of the table, were Thorne and Cress—Thorne in a ridiculously tall top hat and Cress in yet another set of bunny ears.

  Maybe those headbands really were all the rage in Artemisia. Iko did have an eye for strange new fashion trends …

  Most unusual of all, though, was how both Thorne and Cress were singing an obnoxious space shanty.

  Aye, she’s prettiest thing you could see—

  As silver and shiny could be.

  The curve of her thrusters,

  The hull with its luster,

  A cockpit no podship could beat!

  Oh, soon my Rampion will be

  A’bringin’ us crumpets and tea.

  Then we’ll be leavin’ Hearts

  With our cargo of tarts—

  Aye, then you and I’ll fly free!

  Cress cut off suddenly when she spotted Cinder.

  “Ah—here she is!” she squealed, launching herself so fast from the table that her chair toppled over into the grass and tea splashed across the tablecloths. She took Cinder by the hand. “Come join the tea party! We’ve been waiting for you!”

  “You have?” Cinder looked down at the array of cakes and scones. She picked up a pretty glass bottle with a tag on it that read, in flourishing script, Drink me. “What is this? Some sort of pre-wedding party or something?”

  Thorne laughed and kicked his feet up onto the table, while lifting a cup of tea in a toast. “More like an un-wedding party.”

  Cinder hesitated. “Un-wedding?”

  He shrugged. “Can’t very well be there if you’re here, now can you?’

  “Oh!” said Cress. “That reminds me of a song. Ready?” She took in a deep breath and began singing: “Aaaaaa … very merry un-wedding … to you!”

  Thorne beamed and piped up, “To you!”

  “A very merry un-wedding … to her!”

  “For sure!”

  “You think you’re getting married … today!”

  “No way!”

  “That’s only if you don’t want to stay—”

  “And play!”

  Growing more annoyed with the song by the moment, Cinder looked out to the thick forest around her. Where had Iko gone?

  “Go on, drink it,” said Thorne.

  Cinder started. She hadn’t realized they’d stopped singing, and the clearing felt eerily silent all of a sudden in the wake of their racket.

  He nodded at the bottle in her hand. “I always follow the directions scrawled on weird little tags. Drink me, eat me, don’t push this button”—he paused, his brows furrowing—“wait, no, I did push the button. That was the problem.”

  “What is it?” Cinder asked. “In the bottle?”

  Cress giggled. “Who knows? That’s the fun of it. Go on, give it a try!”

  * * *

  If Cinder should drink the bottle, go to Chapter 3.

  If Cinder should walk away, go to Chapter 47.

  Chapter 3

  With a strange premonition that she was probably going to regret this, Cinder uncorked the bottle with her thumb and raised it to her lips. She took a long swig. The liquid inside tasted a bit like cooked mushrooms mixed with rainbow sprinkles, and she grimaced as it slid down her throat, warming her from the inside.

  She set the bottle back down on the table and just had time to take in the looks of curious anticipation on Cress’s and Thorne’s faces, when she felt herself … changing.

  Shrinking.

  Her whole body was tingling and squeezing in on itself. The table was suddenly eye-level.

  A second later, the table was towering high above her.

  She cried out in shock.

  What was happening?

  The next thing she knew, she was surrounded by a jungle of grass.

  She checked her limbs, patting her sides and arms with her hands. Everything seemed intact, just … smaller. Even her cyborg parts had shrunk down, which didn’t seem possible, biologically speaking. She was now no taller than one of those Princess Selene action figures that had been all the rage after the Lunar Revolution.

 

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