Chapter Sixteen: In Hiding

River Black

She sat on a pile of cushions and fanned herself. It was stifling in the ‘room’. Cinder didn’t seem bothered, but he was wearing far less than she was. He grinned at her, like the cat who caught the canary, clearly proud of himself.

“Something wrong, Princess?” he asked, tone sarcastic and sly. She wasn’t sure if he actually cared if she were upset or not. She guessed not.

“Several things. When are we leaving?” she asked, trying to keep him on topic. She’d learned, in the short time she’d been in Cinder’s company, that he hopped from topic to topic like a bee flitting from flower to flower. And every topic was about -him- in some way or another.

He pouted. “Suit yourself! Soon. When the sun rises. You should rest, you know.” He waved a hand, as though her question was a bad smell he was trying to get rid of.

She snorted, though she reluctantly tried to get a little more comfortable. It was hard because it was so wa