Page 24 of Cinder's Adventure: Get Me To the Wedding!

Cinder looked suspiciously at Adrian. “He just tried to arrest me.”

“He won’t this time. You have my word.”

And even though Cinder wasn’t sure she could trust anything about this strange city, somehow, she trusted this boy.

Exhaling, she let her control fall away—releasing not just Adrian, but everyone.

All around her, people seemed to shake themselves out of their stupors.

Magpie was the first to gather her wits. She glanced from Cinder to Adrian to the new boy.

“Hi, Magpie,” he said.

She glared. “Max,” she said, treating the word like a curse. “Always a pleasure.” Her cheeks darkened even more. Then she pivoted on her heel and stomped away, fast disappearing around a corner.

Cinder scowled after her. “I think that girl might be trouble.”

“Yeah,” said Adrian. “We’ve noticed that. So, Max?” He glanced at the younger boy, who was still staring after Magpie with a quizzical expression. But he gave himself a shake and turned to his brother. “What did you want me to draw?”

Max thought for a moment, then smiled. “How about… a pumpkin carriage?”

Cinder guffawed. “A pumpkinwhat?”

“Trust me,” said Max. “I have a feeling it’s just the thing.”

As the crowd dispersed, shaking away the threads of Lunar control, Adrian uncapped his marker again and, to Cinder’s surprise, started to draw right onto the side of one of the canvas tents—even though it was clearly vandalism, and evidently he was a part of this city’s law enforcement.

But Cinder didn’t mention this, because she was too awestruck by his work. It took only seconds for his drawing to take shape—the large pumpkin with ornate vines curling over the top. Two horses harnessed at the front.

As soon as he was finished, Adrian passed a hand over the drawing and it came to life.

Cinder leaped back to make space. Because a second later, a real-life carriage, smelling distinctly of pumpkin pie, stood before her.

“There you are,” he said, with a pleased nod. He capped the marker and tucked it into his sleeve.

Max added, “I hope it takes you to where you need to go.”

Proceed to Chapter 11.

Chapter 24

Cinder paced back and forth in her small prison, arms folded, ruminating over all that had happened since she had left New Beijing Palace that morning.

She was tired and frustrated and horrified that she wouldn’t get out of here in time. What if she missed her own wedding? What if she never got her ring back? What would the newsfeeds say?

What wouldKaisay?

Her heart lurched. This was supposed to be one of the best days of her life. She checked the time on her brain interface, but something was malfunctioning, because it had been stuck at the same time all day. But it felt like she’d been gone from the palace for hours. Any minute now she was supposed to be stepping into the ballroom, making her way down the steps, and down the aisle that would take her to her groom. She could picture him, the way he looked so dashing and composed in red silk and gold embroidery, the dragon on his suit a complement to the phoenix on her gown. The way his smile made her heart skip, even after all these years.

But instead, she was trapped in some dungeon in—well, honestly, she wasn’t entirely surewhereshe was.

With a huff, she spun back toward the lock on the door and bent down in front of it. A long time had passed since she’d been shut in here, and she was done waiting for someone to come let her out, to let her explain who she was and how she needed to be set free.

She had escaped from prison cells before. She could do it again.

Just as she started to inspect the lock, she heard footsteps and melodic whistling from somewhere beyond the door.

Her hair prickled on the back of her neck as she stood, considering.

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