Stars Above: A Lunar Chronicles Collection (The Lunar Chronicles)(81)

“You can handle this?” she asked.

Thorne saluted her. “No problem. Just distract her for as long as you can.”

Wolf reappeared from his trip to the kitchen and settled an enormous hand on Cinder’s shoulder, so heavy it made her jump in surprise.

“Don’t let her come down here without the Something Old,” he whispered.

“Something Old?”

He nodded. “She’ll explain. She didn’t mention it before, but I know it’s one of the traditions that is important to her.”

“Better hurry up,” said Jacin, nudging Winter, Cinder, and Cress toward the staircase. “You’re in our way, and evidently we have decorating to do.”

He didn’t try to hide his disgust at the idea, and Cinder snorted at the mental image of Jacin decorating anything.

She turned and hurried up to the second floor, but paused halfway up the staircase. Cress crashed into her, nearly knocking Cinder to her knees, but she grabbed the rail and steadied herself.

“What is it?” asked Cress.

“Nothing,” said Cinder, trying to shake off the wave of memories that was accosting her. She had climbed these stairs once before, when she and Thorne had come to the farm searching for Michelle Benoit. When they’d come searching for answers to Cinder’s past. “It’s just weird being here again,” she said, as much to herself as to Cress and Winter. “Being here, and not feeling hunted or afraid.” She glanced back and shrugged. “It’s a big difference from the last time I was here.”

With a smile she hoped looked cavalier, she vaulted up the rest of the steps.

The second floor held a small corridor and three doors—two of which were shut. The open door revealed a bedroom with blankets in disarray, sun-bleached curtains, and a large tuxedo hanging from a hook on one wall. Iko was sitting on the mussed bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, watching as Scarlet wrestled with a garment bag. No sooner had Cinder and the others filed in than Scarlet spun toward them with a pronounced “Voilà!” and held up the dress for them to see.

A mutual gasp arose from Iko, Cress, and Winter, followed by a round of giddy oohs. Cinder couldn’t help chuckling at the drama of it all.

The dress was beautiful, though, and uniquely Scarlet. A simple white cotton dress, with a sweetheart neckline accented with sheer fabric that continued to her neck and was finished with white piping. A full skirt that would hang just below Scarlet’s knees. A bright red sash around the waist was tied in a simple bow, matching the red vest and bow tie of the tuxedo.

“It’s perfect!” said Iko, scrambling off the bed to touch the dress. She ran her fingers adoringly over the sash and down the full gathering of the skirt. “Simple and lovely—just like you, Scarlet.” She sighed dreamily. “You have to try it on for us.”

Scarlet waved away the suggestion. “You’ll see it on me in a couple of days.”

“Oh, please,” gushed Cress, tucking her clasped hands under her chin. She was joined by pleading doe eyes from Iko, but Scarlet just shook her head and made to put the dress back into the garment bag.

“I don’t want to risk spilling something on it,” she said.

“It’s good luck!” Winter said suddenly, her eyes bright with mischief.

Scarlet paused. “What’s good luck?”

“On Luna,” said Winter, folding her hands as if she were reciting from a wedding etiquette guide, “it’s considered good luck for the bride to don her dress for at least an hour for each of the three days leading up to the wedding. It symbolizes her commitment to the marriage. And as your groom is Lunar, I think we should follow some of his traditions, don’t you?”

“An hour?” said Scarlet. “That’s really pushing it, don’t you think?”

Winter shrugged.

With a drawn-out sigh, Scarlet said, “Fine, I’ll go put it on. But I’m not going to stay in it for an hour. I still have chores to do.” She slipped out of the bedroom carrying the dress, and a moment later they heard the click of the bathroom door in the hall.

“I’ve never heard of that tradition before,” said Cress.

“That’s because I made it up,” said Winter.

Iko beamed at her. “Well done. Now, quick.” She hurried to the tuxedo and pulled it off the peg, passing it to Cress, who passed it to Cinder. “Get that down to Wolf before she comes back.”

Cinder rushed it to the staircase and hissed. Within seconds, Kai appeared in the foyer below with a garland of ribbon and roses draped across his shoulders. Cinder smirked. “Having fun down there?”

“Surprisingly, I sort of am. Turns out Thorne has a weird knack for this wedding thing. He says it’s because Cress has been poring over wedding feeds for the past few months, but … I think he’s secretly enjoying it.”

Thorne’s voice came booming from the sitting room: “Don’t mock a guy for having good taste!”

“Here, give this to Wolf,” said Cinder, lowering the tuxedo to Kai. He flashed her a thumbs-up before retreating.

Hearing the click of a door, Cinder pivoted around to see Scarlet emerging from the bathroom, wearing the white dress. “I need someone to zip it up,” she said, pulling her curls over one shoulder and turning her back to Cinder.