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Cinder gathered up theinside of her He understood her warnings He understood the reed to marry Levana She had succeeded

But then he turned toward her, and the hope shattered at seeing the helplessness etched in deep lines across his brow

"Thank you for warninginto this blindly"

She shook her head "Kai You can’t"

"I don’t have a choice She has an army that could destroy us An antidote that we need… I have to take my chances"

Cinder stumbled back as if his words had landed the blow that he had protected her fro to marry Queen Levana

Queen Levana would be empress

"I’m sorry, Cinder"

He looked as crushed as Cinder felt, and yet while her body becath to turn aith head lifted and start walking toward the platform at the far end of the ballrooathered

She searched her brain for anything she could do to change his mind But what else was there?

He knew Levana would still start a war He knew Levana would probably try to kill hi He probably knew about more cruel and evil deeds she’d committed than Cinder did, and none of it h to think that ood than bad could co

The only other person who had the power to stop the e alliance was the queen herself

A fist clenched over Cinder’s heart

Before she knehat she was doing, she was storrabbed his elbow and spun hi, Cinder wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed hiainst her, but his lips were soft and warh Cinder had intended for it to be a short kiss, she found herself lingering Hot tingles coursed through her body, surprising and scary but not unpleasant, surging like electricity through her wires This time, they did not overwhelm her This time, they did not threaten to burn her from the inside out

The desperation melted and, for the briefest of one She found herself kissing him for no other reason than she wanted to She wanted him to know that she wanted to

She didn’t realize how badly she wanted Kai to kiss her back until it became quite clear that he wouldn’t

Cinder pried herself away Her hands lingered on his shoulders, still shaking froaped at her, lips left hanging open, and though Cinder’s gut reaction was to back away and apologize profusely, she sed it down

"Perhaps," she said, testing her voice before raising it loud enough that she was sure the croould hear her "Perhaps the queen will not accept your proposal, once she finds out you’re already in love with her "Wha--?"

Beside hiasps and rustles passed through the crowd It occurred to Cinder that the et a look at as happening

A burst of jovial, tittering laughter split through the aardness The sound, though filled with the sweetness of a child’s giggle, sent a chill down Cinder’s spine

Pulling her hands away from Kai’s neck, she slowly turned The crowd followed the noise as well, swiveling in unison like puppets on strings

And there was Queen Levana