*
The house was too small to accommodate them all, so while Winter and Jacin had taken the one spare bedroom, the others stayed aboard the Rampion, and they made their way across the drive together once they’d all showered and dressed. The journalists were out in force again, screaming their questions and snapping their pictures, but Wolf and Jacin had erected a simple rope barrier the evening before and, for now at least, the journalists were content to stay behind it rather than risk Scarlet’s wrath.
Cinder tried to ignore them, but their presence made her a hundred times more aware of the warmth of Kai’s hand pressing against her lower back.
The house smelled of bacon and strong coffee when they entered. Jacin was sitting at the round table in the kitchen, peeling apart a croissant, while Scarlet, Wolf, and Winter bustled around him in an assortment of patterned cooking aprons—even Wolf had blue-checkered fabric tied around his waist.
“Grab a plate,” Scarlet ordered, pointing at a stack of plates on the counter with a wooden spoon. “We’re going to eat in the sitting room. It’s too crowded in here.”
Cinder did as she was told, helping herself to a cinnamon pastry, some bacon, a casserole of potatoes, onions, and peppers, and a cluster of garnet-purple grapes. Then she retreated to the sitting room, where Iko was waiting with one leg thrown over the arm of a rocking chair. She sighed when Cinder sat on the floor beside her.
“I don’t want to hear one word about how delicious that is,” said Iko.
“It’s terrible,” said Cinder, biting a piece of bacon in half. After swallowing, she added, “Especially the bacon. You would hate bacon.”
The others filed in, taking over the sofa and nearly every available spot on the worn rug. Wolf and Scarlet came last.
“One of you had better be planning on making lunch,” said Scarlet, untying her apron as she claimed the last spot on the sofa. Wolf handed her a plate of food, then sat between her feet, draping one arm over her knee as he gobbled down his own food.
Thorne lifted his fork. “I’ll make a run for takeout?”
“Deal,” said Scarlet, clinking the side of her fork against his.
Iko stopped rocking in her chair and leaned forward. “So tell us what’s in store for your big day. Have you had fun planning it? What are you most excited about?”
Scarlet leaned her head against the sofa. “I’m most excited for it to be over, and for all those stupid media people to leave so we can have our lives back.”
Wolf petted her knee and kept eating.
Cress frowned. “Aren’t you excited to be married?”
“Oh, sure,” said Scarlet. “That part will be nice. But I never wanted to have a big wedding, and I certainly didn’t expect it to turn into this jamboree.” She straightened again. “Not that I’m regretting inviting you guys,” she added, looking pointedly at Kai and Cinder, with an extra glance at Winter. “Obviously, I want you here. It’s just…” She heaved a big sigh.
“We understand,” said Kai, picking apart the sections of an orange. “Having lived with paparazzi my whole life, I would never wish it on anyone.”
“You don’t really think they’ll interrupt the ceremony, do you?” asked Iko.
Scarlet shrugged. “I hope they have more integrity than that. Although it is tradition for the bride and groom to walk to the ceremony through the streets of town and cut through ribbons that the children are supposed to have prepared for us. But I can’t even fathom walking down my own driveway with those goons out there, so I don’t know if that’s going to happen.”
Cinder cleared her throat. “Is that tradition … important to you?”
Scarlet scoffed. “The only tradition that I care about is saying I do.”
There was an almost visible sigh of relief around the room and Cinder flinched, sure it would be obvious to Scarlet, but she was buttering a slice of bread and didn’t seem to notice anything unusual. Kai caught Cinder’s eyes and mimed wiping sweat from his brow. She buried a laugh.
“Tell us more,” said Winter. “I know very little about your Earthen customs, and it could come in useful for my role as cultural ambassador someday.” She cupped her cheek with her hand, nearly obscuring her scars. “But mostly, I want to know what traditions Scarlet Benoit-Kesley deems important.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” said Scarlet. “We’ll exchange rings and say some vows, but you do that on Luna too, don’t you?”
Winter nodded. “Will you carry a bouquet?”
“Probably. I thought I’d pick whatever looked good in the garden that day.”
“Do you have a color scheme?” asked Iko.
Scarlet hesitated. “Um … white?”
“Will there be cake?” asked Cress.
Scarlet grinned. “Of a sort. émilie is bringing croquembouche, which is a big stack of doughy pastry balls drizzled with caramel. It’ll be delicious.”