“Roar is ruining everything by being here,” Liv continued. “I’m not strong enough. How can I forget him when he’s right in front of me? How can I marry Sable if all I’m thinking about is Roar?”
Tears brimmed in Liv’s eyes, and she breathed raggedly. Aria didn’t want to feel sympathy for her. Not when she’d hurt Roar as much as she had. “He’s here to bring you back, Liv. There has to be a way you can come back to the Tides.”
“Go back?” Liv said with a thin laugh. “Perry can’t repay the dowry. And I can’t run away from this any longer. I know what it’s like out there. I know the Tides need help, and Sable can give it. He’ll keep helping if we marry. How can I walk away from that? How can I leave if it means my family could starve—or die?”
Aria shook her head. She didn’t know. She let out a breath and sat on the bed as a sudden wave of exhaustion swept over her. Aether flashed through the small window, making the room flicker softly with blue light.
Liv’s problem felt uncomfortably familiar. Aria had been so focused on finding the Still Blue for Hess and on getting Talon back that she hadn’t let herself think about what would happen afterward. Would there ever be a way she and Perry could be together? The Tides had rejected her, and Reverie wasn’t even an option. Everyone, and everything, was against them.
Aria pushed away the thoughts. Worrying wouldn’t help anything. She looked up at Liv. “What about Sable?” She rubbed her wrist, feeling the echo of his grip.
Liv shrugged. “He’s not terrible.... I know … it’s not much of a way to think of the man I’m marrying, but it’s better than I’d hoped. I thought I’d hate him, and I don’t.”
She bit her bottom lip, hesitating, like she was deciding whether to say anything more. Then she came to the bed, sitting beside Aria. “When I got here earlier this spring, he was going to let me leave. He told me I could go whenever I wanted, but that since I’d finally arrived, we might as well get to know each other. I didn’t feel as trapped after he said that. It helped me feel less like a thing that was being passed around.”
Aria wondered if Sable had said that on purpose. Scires were known for manipulating people. But shouldn’t Liv have seen that?
“I don’t fawn over him,” Liv continued, “and he likes that. I think he sees me as a challenge.” She fiddled with the green rope around her waist. “And he’s attracted to me. The scent he gives off when I enter a room … it’s not something you can fake.”
Aria stared at the door, listening to footsteps outside fade. “Do you feel the same way about him?” she asked when it was quiet again.
“No … not the same.” Liv tied the ends of her belt into an elaborate knot as she thought. “When he kisses me, he makes me nervous, but I think it’s because it feels different.” She met Aria’s eyes. “I’ve never kissed anyone other than Roar, and that’s—”
She shut her eyes, wincing. “This is what I can’t have. I can’t sit here and remember how it feels to kiss Roar when I’m marrying someone else in days. He has to leave. It’s too hard for me like this, and I can’t stand to see him hurting.” She shook her head. “I hate that he makes me feel weak.”
Aria sat back against the iron headboard, remembering Perry on their last night together, bruised and beaten after a fight that had happened because of her. The next day, he lost part of his tribe. She didn’t feel weak because of him. She felt too powerful, like every choice she made had the potential to hurt him, and that was the last thing she wanted.
“Roar will move on,” Liv said quietly. Her eyes had softened, and Aria knew she’d read her temper. “He’ll forget about me.”
“You can’t really believe that.”
Liv bit her lower lip. “No,” she said. “I don’t.”
“Will you tell him the truth? Roar needs to know what you’re doing. He needs to know why.”
“You think it will help?”
“No. But you owe it to him.”
Liv watched her for a long moment. “All right. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” She scooted higher on the bed, drawing the blanket over her legs. The sounds of the storm filtered into the room, and a cold draft flowed in beneath the bedroom door. “How is my brother really doing?”
Just a short while ago, she had threatened Aria. Now she was close and relaxed. Lost in her thoughts. Hot and cold, Aria thought. She wondered if there was anything in-between with Liv.
Aria pulled the other side of the blanket over her. The last time she’d seen Perry, he’d been bruised and abandoned by so many people. By her. She hated knowing she’d added to his pain. “It hasn’t been easy.”
“It’s so much to do. So much to take care of,” Liv said. “He must be out of his mind missing Talon.”
“He is, but we’re getting Talon back,” Aria said before she could stop herself.
Liv frowned, her green eyes roaming over Aria’s face. “Where are you from?”
Aria hesitated. She had the feeling her answer would shape their relationship from that moment on. Should she risk telling Liv the truth? She wanted trust between them, and here, late at night and in the quiet of her room, she just wanted to be herself. She drew a breath and answered. “I’m from Reverie.”
Liv blinked at her. “You’re a Dweller?”
“Yes.... Well, a half Dweller.”
Liv smiled, a small laugh bubbling out of her. “How did that happen?”
Aria shifted to her side and rested her head on her arm, mirroring Liv. Then she explained how she’d been cast out of the Pod in the fall and met Perry. She told Liv everything that had happened at the Tides’, and how she needed to find the Still Blue to get Talon back. When Aria finished, Liv was silent, and the sounds of the Aether funnels had faded. Rim had seen the worst of the storm.
“I’ve heard Sable mention the Still Blue a few times,” Liv said. Her eyes were heavy with sleep. “He knows where it is. We’ll find out and get Talon back.”
We. Such a small word, but it felt huge. Aria felt a grounding, settling sort of thrill. Liv would help.
Liv studied her for a long moment. “So you don’t care what happened at the Tides’? That you were poisoned? You’re going back to my brother?”
Aria nodded. “I care, but I can’t imagine not going back to him.” Lyrics sprang into mind, well-worn in her singer’s memory. “‘Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame,’” she said. “It’s from an opera called Carmen.”
Liv narrowed her eyes. “Are you the bird, or is my brother?”
Aria smiled. “I think the bird is the connection between us.... I’d do anything for him,” she said, and realized that it really was that simple.
Liv’s gaze grew distant. “It’s a good saying,” she said after a long while. She yawned. “I’m going to sleep here. Sorry if I snore.”
“Sure, why don’t you stay? There’s plenty of room if neither one of us moves.”
“That won’t be a problem. I can’t move anyway. This dress is like wearing a tourniquet.”
“You tied the belt wrong. I’ve worn that style of dress before in the Realms. I could show you the right way.”
“No need. It’s a stupid dress.”
Aria laughed. “It’s not stupid. You look amazing in it. Like Athena.”
“Yeah?” Liv yawned again and closed her eyes. “I thought Roar would like it. All right. Show me how to tie the stupid dress tomorrow.”
Soon, as promised, Liv snored. It wasn’t loud. Just a soft purr that wove with the sound of the wind, lulling Aria to sleep.
27
PEREGRINE
What’s she doing up there?” Perry asked.
He stopped in the clearing and looked to the roof of his house. Kirra’s hair caught his eye like a red flag flapping in the breeze. The sound of hammers pounding carried down to him.
He’d spent the morning at the cavern with Marron, going over plans to grade the bluff that led to the cove. If they could create a switchback path, they’d be able to bring carts and horses
down the slope. It would be far better than steps, so it was worth a try, but they’d need more help.
“You don’t know about this?” Reef said, beside him.
“No. I don’t.” Perry climbed the ladder to the roof. Kirra stood a dozen paces away, watching two of her men, Forest and Lark, rip up roof tiles. As he walked over, Perry’s anger built with every step. He felt more protective over this space than he did about his house. This was his perch.
Kirra turned to face him, smiling. She rested her hands on her hips and tipped her head to the side.
“Good morning,” she said. “I saw the crack in the ceiling last night. I thought we’d take care of it.”
She’d spoken louder than necessary, letting her voice carry. Her men looked over, sizing him up. They’d pulled off a section of stone tiles, exposing the battens beneath. Perry knew a dozen Auds in the clearing had heard her as well. It was no mystery what the tribe would think. Everyone knew that gap was above his loft.
He drew a breath, forcing down his rage. She was changing something that didn’t need to be changed. He’d watched the Aether through that gap for as long as he could remember, but he couldn’t stop the work now. The sliver that had been a few inches wide had grown to a hole more than a foot across, exposing the inner beams. Through it, he could see the blankets in his loft below.
“Bear told me about a few other things we could take care of while we’re here,” Kirra said.
“Take a walk with me, Kirra,” he said.
“I’d love to.” The sound of her voice—sweet as nectar—chafed at his nerves.
Perry felt the eyes of people on them as they came down the ladder and crossed the clearing together. He took the trail to the harbor, knowing he’d find it empty. It was too early in the day for the fishermen to be back.
“I thought we’d make ourselves useful,” Kirra said when they stopped.
It streaked him that she’d spoken first. “If you want work, come to me, not Bear.”
“I tried, but I couldn’t find you.” She lifted an eyebrow. “Does that mean you want us to stay?”
Perry had considered it all morning as he’d listened to Marron describe the work needed at the cave. He saw no reason to turn away a band of able-bodied people. If he was right about the Aether, they were on borrowed time.
“Yes,” he said. “I want you to stay.”
Kirra’s eyes widened in surprise, but she recovered quickly. “I was expecting you to fight me a little more. I wouldn’t have minded, actually.”
Her words were flirty, but her temper was difficult to read, an odd mixture of warm and cool. Bitter and sweet.
She laughed, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. “You make me nervous, staring at me with those eyes.”
“They’re the only ones I have.”
“I didn’t mean that I don’t like them.”
“I know what you meant.”
She shifted her weight, her scent warming. “Right,” she said, her gaze wandering to his chest and then to the chain at his neck.
Her attraction to him was real—there was no hiding that—but he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was trying to bait him.
“So where do you want us to work?” she asked.
“Finish the roof. I’ll show you the cave tomorrow.” He turned to go.
She touched his arm, rooting him in place. A shot of adrenaline pulsed through his body. “Perry, it’ll be easier if we can find a way to get along.”
“We are getting along,” he said, and walked away.
At supper, Kirra’s group was as rowdy as the previous night. The two men who had fixed the hole in Perry’s roof, Lark and Forest, came from the deep south, like Kirra did. They carried on loudly, telling jokes and stories back and forth in a battle of wits. By the time supper ended, they had the Tides cheering for more.
Kirra fit right in with the Tides. Perry watched her laughing with Gren and Twig, and then later with Brooke. She even spent time talking with Old Will, turning his face red beneath his white beard.
Perry wasn’t surprised by how quickly she gained the Tides’ acceptance. He understood how relieved they were to have her there and wished he felt the same way, but everything she said and did made him feel like a target.
Bear came over when the cookhouse had almost emptied, sitting across from Perry and wringing his huge hands. “Can we talk, Peregrine?”
Perry straightened his back at the formal tone in his voice. “Of course. What’s going on?”
Bear sighed and wove his fingers together. “Some of us have been talking, and we don’t want to move to the cave. There’s no reason for it now. We’ve got food—enough to get us on our feet again—and Kirra’s people to help defend us. It’s all we need.”
Perry’s stomach churned. Bear had questioned his decisions before, but this felt different. This felt like something more. He cleared his throat. “I’m not changing my plan. I swore an oath to do what’s right for the tribe. That’s what I’m doing.”
“I understand,” Bear said. “I don’t want to go against you. None of us do.” He stood, his thick eyebrows knotted together. “I’m sorry, Perry. I wanted you to know.”
Later, at his house, Perry sat around the table with Marron and Reef as the rest of the Six played dice. They were in high spirits from another night of music and entertainment, their hunger sated for the second day in a row.
Perry listened absently as they passed around a bottle of Luster, joking with one another. The conversation with Bear had left him uneasy. As much as Wylan’s departure had hurt, watching Bear turn against him would be worse. He liked Bear. Respected him. It was much harder failing someone he cared about.
Perry shifted the chain around his neck. Suddenly, loyalty felt like such a fragile thing. He’d never thought he would need to earn it day in and day out. Though he didn’t forgive his brother for what he’d done, Perry was beginning to understand the pressure that had forced Vale to sell off Talon and Clara. He’d sacrificed a few for the good of the whole. Perry tried to imagine trading Willow to the Dwellers for solutions to his problems. Just the thought made him sick.
“Snake eyes again. Damn dice,” Straggler said. He lifted the cup to reveal two ones on the table.
Hyde smirked. “Strag, I didn’t think it was possible to be as unlucky as you are.”
“He’s so unlucky it’s almost lucky,” Gren said. “It’s like he has reverse luck.”
“He’s reverse good-looking, too,” said Hyde.
“I’m going to reverse punch you,” Strag said to his brother.
“That was reverse smart, man. It means you’re going to punch yourself.”
Beside Perry, Marron smiled softly as he made notes in Vale’s ledger. He was designing portable furnaces that would provide both heat and light for the cave. It was just one of the things he had thought of that impressed Perry.
Reef sat back in his chair with his arms crossed, eyes heavy. Ignoring the game, Perry told him what Bear had said.
Reef scratched his head, pushing back his braids. “It’s because of Kirra,” he said. “She’s changed things around here.”
It wasn’t just because of Kirra, Perry thought. It was because of Liv. By marrying Sable, she’d given the Tides a chance. He wondered if she knew how much they’d needed it. He felt a sharp pang in his chest, missing his sister. Grateful for her. Sorry for the sacrifice she’d had to make. Liv had a new life now. A new home. When would he see her again? He shook the thoughts from his mind.
“So you agree with Bear?” he asked Reef. “You think we should stay here?”
“I agree with Bear, but I follow you.” Reef tipped his chin at the others around the table. “We all do.”
Perry’s stomach dropped. He had their support, but it was based on fealty. On a promise they’d made to him months ago on bended knee. They followed blindly, without seeing any wisdom in his thinking, and that didn’t feel right either.
“I agree with you,” Marr
on said quietly. “For what it’s worth.”
Perry nodded in thanks. It was worth a lot just then.
“What about you, Per?” Straggler asked. “You still think we should move?”
“I do,” Perry said, resting his arms on the table. “Kirra’s brought food and fighters, but she hasn’t stopped the Aether. And we have to be ready. For all I know, she could pack up and leave tomorrow.”
Instantly, he regretted his words. The game of dice halted, and an awkward silence fell over the group. He sounded paranoid, like he thought everyone ran off.
He was relieved when Cinder called down from the loft, breaking the silence. “I don’t like Kirra either.”
“Because she patched up the roof?”
Cinder peered over the edge, holding on to his hat to keep it from falling. “No. I just don’t.”
Perry had figured as much. Cinder knew Scires could scent the Aether on him. But with its sting always in the air now, he had nothing to worry about in Kirra.
Twig rolled his eyes and rattled the dice in the cup. “The kid doesn’t like anyone.”
Gren jabbed him with an elbow. “That’s not true. He likes Willow—don’t you, Cinder? And you’re one to talk, frog kisser.”
When the house was filled with sounds of six men—and one boy—croaking at the top of their lungs, Marron closed the ledger. Before he left, he leaned toward Perry and said, “Leaders need to see clearly in darkness, Peregrine. You already do that.”
An hour later, Perry rose from the table and stretched his back. The house was quiet, but outside, the wind had picked up. He heard its low whistle and saw the embers in the hearth glowing, struggling to rekindle.
Looking up to the loft, he searched in vain for the sliver of light that had always been there. Cinder’s foot hung over the edge, twitching in sleep. Perry climbed over Hayden and Straggler, opened the door to Vale’s room, and stepped inside.
Under the Never Sky: The Complete Series Collection Page 50
