Page 3 of Cinder's Adventure: Get Me To the Wedding!

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. “Whatisthis 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!

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