“And you don’t think this changes anything? Knowing it’s all been a strategy to coerce you into this alliance, you still plan on going through with it? Your Majesty, there must be another way. Something we haven’t considered yet.” Torin’s expression tightened. “I should inform you that in your absence, we’ve had a team focused on designing a new class of military-grade weaponry that will be able to penetrate even the biodomes on Luna.”
Kai held his gaze. “We’re building bombs.”
“Yes. It’s been a slow process. No Earthen military has built or harbored such weapons since the end of the Fourth World War, and there are unique modifications required to weaken Luna. But we believe that with Luna’s limited resources and dependency on the domes to protect them—the success of a few bombs could mean a swift end to the war.”
Kai stared down at his desk. All of Luna’s population lived beneath specially designed biodomes that provided them with breathable atmosphere and artificial gravity and the ability to grow trees and crops. Destroying one of those protective barriers would kill everyone inside.
“How long before these weapons are ready?” he asked.
“We’ve finished the first prototype, and hope to have the first batch complete in four to six weeks. The fleet of spaceships required to transport the weapons is ready now.”
Kai grimaced. He didn’t want to say it, but he despised the thought of reducing Luna’s cities to rubble. Already he had begun to think of Luna as belonging to Cinder, and he didn’t want to destroy the kingdom that could someday be hers. But if it could end the war, and protect Earth …
“Keep me informed of any developments,” he said, “and have the space fleet ready at a moment’s notice. This is a last resort. First, we will try to reach a peaceful resolution. Unfortunately, that begins with appeasing Levana.”
“Your Majesty, I beg you to reconsider. We are not losing this war. Not yet.”
“But we aren’t winning it, either.” Kai’s lips twitched upward. “And one thing has changed. Until now, Levana has been calling all the shots, but for the first time, I might be a step ahead of her.”
Eyes narrowing, Torin took a step closer. “This isn’t about an alliance at all, is it?”
“Oh, I fully intend to form an alliance with Luna.” Kai glanced at the cyborg foot again. “I just intend to put a different queen on the throne first.”
Fifteen
The communication link took ages to connect, while Kai stood before the netscreen with his hands clasped behind his back and his heart thudding louder than the Rampion’s engine. He hadn’t bothered to change from the white silk wedding shirt he’d been wearing when he’d been kidnapped, though it was wrinkled and had a tiny hole where Cinder’s tranquilizer dart had punctured it. Still, he thought Levana might appreciate that contacting her was his first priority—above a fresh change of clothes, above even alerting the Earthen media to his return.
He was going to use every tactic he could think of to get on her good side. Anything to make this believable.
Finally, finally, the small globe in the corner stopped turning and the netscreen brightened, revealing Levana in her sheer white veil.
“Could it be my dear young emperor?” she cooed. “I had all but given you up for lost. What has it been, more than a month, I believe? I thought for sure your captors had murdered and dismembered you by now.”
Kai smiled, pretending she’d made an amusing joke. “A few bumps and scratches here and there, but nothing so horrible as all that.”
“I see,” Levana mused, tilting her head. “That bruise on your cheek looks recent.”
“More recent than some of the others, yes,” said Kai. Pretending his time aboard the Rampion had been a trial, barely endured, was the first step in his strategy. “Linh Cinder made it clear from the start that I was a prisoner aboard her ship, not a guest. Between you and me, I think she was still bitter I’d had her arrested at the ball.”
“How savage.”
“I’m considering myself lucky for now. I was finally able to negotiate my freedom. I’ve just returned to New Beijing. Informing you of my return was my highest priority.”
“And to what do we owe this happy occasion? I suspect those negotiations must have been cumbersome.”
“My kidnappers had many demands. A monetary payout, of course, and also that I call off the ongoing search for the fugitives, both Linh Cinder and Carswell Thorne.”
The veil fluttered as Levana adjusted her hands on her lap. “They must have believed their capture was imminent,” she said, her tone unimpressed. “Although I can’t see how that would be, given that you could not apprehend them whilst they were in your own palace.”
Kai’s smile remained poised. “Nevertheless, I agreed to it. However, I made no guarantees for the rest of the Union, nor Luna. I expect these criminals will be found and brought to justice for their crimes, including my own assault and kidnapping.”