Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky, #3)(51)

[page]UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

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28


PEREGRINE


As the Komodo shuddered to a halt, Perry sat up on the cot and counted off the seconds in total darkness.

Five.

Ten.

Fifteen.

That was enough sitting around for him.

He rose from the cot, his bare feet settling silently on the cold floor. His eyes needed little light in order to see, but there was none—not a single glowing point. Just an impossible blackness, as thick and heavy as iron.

He found the wall and followed it, feeling his way to the door. He stopped and listened. Muffled sounds came from outside—two men, arguing.

Guardians or Horns, he couldn’t tell, but it didn’t matter.

He briefly considered trying to find a weapon but abandoned the idea. His chamber contained only a few towels and a cot that was bolted to the floor. He hadn’t even been given shoes or a shirt for fear he’d turn them into weapons. He might have attempted exactly that if he’d had either, but with nothing at his disposal, he’d just have to improvise.

Perry’s hands drifted over the control panel set in the wall beside the door. Hess and others had used it to come and go, but with no power, the panel was useless—which meant the locking mechanism might be useless as well.

He familiarized himself with the release bar for a few seconds. Then he unlatched it and pulled. The door slid open.

In the corridor, two Guardians were carrying on a panicked exchange. Perry spotted them easily, as both were using the red sighting lasers on their pistols for illumination. One man stood only steps away, his back to Perry; the other stood farther down the corridor. They broke off sharply at the sound of the opening door.

“What was that?” said the closest Guardian, wheeling around and searching the darkness.

The thin beam of red light from the other man’s weapon swept toward Perry.

“Stop! Don’t move!” he yelled.

No chance of that. Perry drove his legs the few short steps to the nearest Guardian. As he reached the man, he thought better of delivering a punch with swollen knuckles and fingers. He slammed his elbow across the Guardian’s face, pain ripping through his muscles. Then he grabbed the weapon and drove the stock into the man’s stomach.

The Guardian fell, smacking to the floor.

Down the hall, the other man opened fire.

A loud metallic ting exploded behind Perry. He dropped to his knees, shouldering the gun as he aimed for the Guardian’s legs and squeezed the trigger.

Nothing. The safety switch—something he never had to consider with a bow. He flipped it, pressed the trigger again, and didn’t miss.

Standing, he flew down the corridor, bursting with the need to take action. To find Cinder, Aria, Roar. With Hess and Sable chin-deep in a crisis, this was their chance of escaping.

Halfway down the corridor, a high-powered flashlight blinded him. He brought a hand up, shielding his aching eyes, blinking until he saw Hess appear at the far end.

Half a dozen Guardians stood with him, guns raised, demanding that Perry surrender his weapon.

Outnumbered and outgunned, Perry let out a curse and tossed the gun to the floor.

Hess came forward, his gaze flicking to the Guardians Perry had overpowered. “You make yourself very hard to like, Outsider.” The bright light swung to the end of the corridor. “Get them to the infirmary,” Hess commanded the men behind him. Then to Perry, he said, “We have only minutes. Come. Quickly.”

Perry followed. Guardians fell in behind him as Hess led the way, hurrying through the tunnels of the Komodo. Perry felt like tearing the walls down with his hands. He’d never spent so much time indoors in his entire life.

Far sooner than he expected, Hess took him into a chamber. He found himself staring at Aria, Roar, and Soren, Hess’s flashlight moving from one stunned face to the other.

Neither Roar nor Soren hid their shock when they saw the dark welts over Perry’s arms and chest. Shame made his face burn, but Perry stood as he always did, ready. Aria moved to his side, weaving her fingers gently through his, her touch bolstering him.

Hess posted his men outside, and waited until the door closed before he spoke. “This will need to be brief, which means you listen unless I ask you to speak.” He paused and they drew into a tighter circle, waiting for him to continue. Soren was smiling, failing to hide his pride. Hess acknowledged his son with a nod, and then lowered the beam to their feet, creating a pool of light across the floor.

“If we are to ally ourselves,” Hess said, “if I am to carry your tribe to the Still Blue, Peregrine, Sable will need to be expelled. His men will need to be thrust from this ship and my fleet of Hovers. That will require planning and coordination to execute successfully.”

Perry felt Aria shift beside him. This was what they’d expected. Sable was taking control. Hess couldn’t ignore it any longer. He was changing sides. “How long do you need, Hess?”

“Eight hours. We’ll move in the morning.”

“No. That’s too long.”

“You’re making demands already, Peregrine?”

“You’ve already taken a hit. Sable is commanding your men. He’ll take them all if you give him the time.”