Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-24573226-20160820181058/@comment-25936766-20160823191148

Maybe Cinder was speaking to the Dragon in the same way one speaks to their dog or cat: Sure, they hear you, but they won't understand what you're actually saying letter-per-letter, though they'll still understand the tone of voice and such.

At the same time, Cinder knew, or at least expected, the Dragon to "smell" Salem's "stench" on Cinder, and thus knowing she was on it's side.