The nearest soldier took Winter’s wrist and pulled her arm across his shoulders, so she could use his body as a support to climb the stairs. Soon, he was carrying her.
They made it to the top, emerging into a steel holding tank that would have been used to keep in the artificial atmosphere while the domes were under construction. Then they were outside.
Or, as outside as one could ever be on Luna, which Scarlet felt was a sad representation.
“Is this supposed to be a forest?” she muttered, taking in the short, skinny trees in their perfect rows. Through the trunks in the distance she could see a vast area that had been recently cleared for timber, and to the other side, acres of young saplings.
Straight ahead, in the direct center of the dome, she could make out the shape of a water fountain, identical to the one from the mining sector, situated in a clearing among the trees. The grass looked untended around it.
Alpha Strom took the lead, heading away from the fountain and toward the residences on the perimeter. They could hear people. A lot of people. When they reached the main residential street, Scarlet saw dozens of civilians holding an assortment of weapons (mostly wooden sticks), standing in neat rows and being guided through a series of attack maneuvers. A barrel-chested, bearded man was walking through the rows, yelling things like, “Parry! Jab! There’s someone behind you!”
Even Scarlet’s untrained eye could see that the people’s movements were jerky and uncoordinated, and the people were a sad lot—most as gaunt and hungry looking as those in the mining sector. Still, it was heartening to know the people were heeding Cinder’s call.
Scarlet had the gut-wrenching thought that they could be sending these people to their deaths, but she shook it off.
A bewildered scream interrupted the training. They’d been spotted.
Scarlet and a hundred mutants emerged from the forest’s shadows. The scream turned into a dozen more and the rows broke apart, pulled back. But the people didn’t run. Instead, as Scarlet and the mountainous soldiers came nearer, the people lifted their weapons, trying to disguise their terror behind feigned courage. Or perhaps this was the truest courage there was.
The people had probably expected something like this. It would not be a surprise that Levana would punish them for this blatant show of rebellion. But a hundred soldiers must have been far beyond their expectations.
True to their word, the soldiers did not attack, just lumbered forward until they stood twenty paces from the first row of citizens.
Scarlet kept going, separating herself from the crowd.
“I know they’re scary looking,” she said, “but we’re not here to hurt you. We’re friends of Princess Selene’s. And you might recognize Her Highness, Princess Winter.”
Winter’s head rolled against the shoulder of the man who was holding her. “It is a most profound pleasure to meet you all,” she murmured, sounding half-drunk. Scarlet was proud of her for making the effort.
The people tightened their grips around their staffs, or spears, or whatever those were supposed to be.
The bearded man pushed his way to the front of the crowd, looking both tough and anxious at once. “Princess Winter is dead.”
“No, she’s not,” said Scarlet. “The queen tried to have her killed, but she failed. Everything she’s told you has been a lie.”
The man stared at Winter for a long time, his face contorted with suspicion.
“It’s not a glamour,” said Scarlet. “It really is her.” She hesitated, rolling her eyes. “Not that I have any way to prove that. But if we wanted to kill you, why bother with this charade? Look, we’re here to join you in your siege on Artemisia. These men have agreed to fight on our behalf.”
The man studied her. “Who are you?”
“My name is Scarlet Benoit. I’m—” She struggled to think of what to call herself. The pilot? The alpha female?
“She’s an Earthen,” someone said. It annoyed her that they could tell so easily, like she was branded somehow.
“I’m a friend of Princess Selene’s,” she said. “And I’m a friend of Princess Winter’s. And not very long ago I was a prisoner of Queen Levana. She took my finger”—she held up her hand—“and she took my grandmother, and now I intend to help Selene take everything from her.” She gestured at the soldiers. “These men have chosen our side over Levana’s, just like you have, and they’re the best assets we’ve got. Maybe they can help with your combat training.” She turned to Strom. “Right?”
Strom’s expression, though, was not appeasing as he stepped up beside her. “We said we would help and we will, but we’re not going to stand out here all night listening to negotiations with a bunch of lumberjacks. If they don’t want us here, we’ll find a sector that does.”
Scarlet snorted. “Good luck.”