"Kai! Cinder!"

Cinder and Kai sat up quickly as their friends walked into the clearing.

"Where were you?" Scarlet demanded.

"Umm, here?" Cinder replied.

"You just disappeared," Iko said, frazzled. "We thought something happened!"

"Well, we're fine," Kai said.

"More than fine," Cinder corrected. She beamed at him and squeezed his hand.

"What's going on with you two?" Thorne asked, suspicious.

Cress gasped, noticing the gem on Cinder's finger. "Cinder!" she exclaimed. She looked back and forth between Kai and Cinder. "You- what happened?"

Winter was the next one to spot the ring on Cinder's metal hand. "Congrats!" She squealed and hugged Cinder. "You guys are great together," she whispered in Cinder's ear. If Cinder could have blushed, she would've.

Jacin noticed it after, but only gave one of his signature half-smiles.

"What's going on?" Scarlet demanded. Wolf motioned to Cinder's finger, and she gasped. "Oh my. Congrats!"

Then Iko finally noticed, and there was a whole lot of squealing and hugging and laughing and more squealing. They finally left Kai and Cinder alone and went back to the house. Kai turned to follow but Cinder grabbed his hand.

"Wait," she said. "Did Thorne know?"

"Know what?" Kai asked.

"About, all of this?" She motioned to the ring on her finger.

"No, why?"

"Because he mentioned something on the way here about Imperial Majesty's."

Kai laughed. "No, Cinder. I didn't tell anyone."

Cinder raised an eyebrow. "Not one person?"

"Fine. I told Torin, but that's it."

It was Cinder's turn to laugh. "And what'd he say? I know he isn't my biggest fan."

"He isn't," Kai agreed. "But he trusts my judgment, for the most part, and he supported me."

"Good. Because I'd hate for me to come back with you to the palace and have him hate me for the rest of my life."

Kai's eyes softened. "Cinder, he doesn't hate you. He may not appreciate you kidnapping me, but he knows we love each other. He knows you won't hurt me."

Cinder smiled and gave him a quick kiss before saying, "We'd better get back to the Rampion so we can get some sleep."

The two walked hand in hand back to their bunk on the ship.