Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky, #3)(80)

“Reef was only trying to protect the Tides.”

“Which I also want, now that they’re mine.”

“Why are you here, Sable? Why are you trying to convince me that you’ve done the right thing? I’ll never believe you.”

“You respected Peregrine. That means you’re capable of good judgment.”

“What are you saying? You want me to respect you?”

He stood very still for long moments. She saw the answer in his piercing gaze. “Given enough time, you will.”

Again, she could think of nothing to say in reply. If he believed that, then he was well and truly insane.

[page]*

Sable began his campaign to win her over with an invitation to supper. He had set up an area outside, up the beach, with a fire for himself and his most trusted circle. He asked her to join him.

“Fish soup,” he said. “The Tides’ specialty, I’m told. Nothing to rave about, in all honesty, but it is fresh, unlike the horror of the Dwellers’ prepackaged meals. And the stars, Aria . . . I cannot begin to describe them to you. It’s as though the heavens themselves—the very roof of the universe—have been scattered with embers. An incredible sight. I want to show it to you, but if you choose not to come, I understand.”

He was an expert manipulator, offering her the heavens. The stars! How could she refuse?

She remembered how he’d manipulated Liv, too. Sable had told Liv, his purchased bride, that he would grant her freedom if she wanted it. He could be kind, when kindness lured a person to take a sip of poison. He could be charming and considerate. He could fool a person into believing he had a heart.

Did Scires only come in two kinds? As forthright as Liv and Perry, or as dishonest as Sable?

She shook her head. She didn’t want to eat. She didn’t want to see stars. She wanted to see Roar and Talon. But Sable wasn’t offering her that.

“I don’t want to see the universe,” she said. “I don’t want to see you one second longer than I have to.”

Sable inclined his head. “Another time, then.”

Instead of disappointment, Aria saw determination in his eyes.

After he left, she tried to make herself comfortable as the night deepened. When the wind blew the right way, and when the waves were gentle enough, she heard Sable’s voice drift into the Hover, mingling with the campfire smoke.

He spoke with his soldiers about plans for the coming weeks. Priorities.

Shelter. Food and water. Control of the Tides.

She tried to focus. She might learn something helpful. But the words blew right through her mind; she couldn’t hold on to anything.

Soon she grew cold and began to shiver. More likely, she realized, shock was what shook her uncontrollably. The temperature had hardly dropped since sunset, and she only felt cool when a breeze carried inside. She curled up on her side, but that didn’t help. Eventually, her captors noticed.

“I’ll get her a blanket,” one of the men said. She watched him reach into the storage lockers. She watched him return.

“Is Sable going to cut your throat open for giving me this?” she asked as he stood over her.

The man startled, surprised to hear her speak. Then he dropped the blanket on her. “You’re welcome,” he said gruffly, but she saw fear flicker in his eyes. Sable’s own men were terrified of him.

As he left, returning to his post by the ramp, the strangest sensation swept over her, like she wasn’t just missing Perry, aching for him, bleeding for him. She was grieving for the loss of herself. This was changing her. She would never be the same.

At some point, her father arrived.

Loran came carrying a bowl of soup. He moved with effortless grace, smooth and swift and without spilling. He had excellent balance, like all Auds. Like her. Whether she admitted it to herself or not, a connection existed between them.

Aria met his eyes, and saw that connection in his gaze. The openness and understanding in his eyes rocked her. She suddenly found herself blinking back tears.

She would not cry. If she did, then it would be real, and none of this could be real.

Not Perry’s death, or Sable’s control of everything, or her solitary imprisonment here in a Hover.

Loran set the bowl down, sending the men who’d been guarding her away. He listened for a while, staring outside, no doubt ensuring they had privacy before he spoke. Or maybe giving her time to regain her composure. She had to fight for it, drawing a few breaths against the ache in her chest, and focusing on the sounds of the night until the raw feeling in her throat receded.

It had grown quiet and still. No trace of Sable or his advisers anymore. Not even a breeze. Time felt as though it had stopped, until Loran turned to her and spoke.

“He divides people to break morale, as you’ve probably guessed, and it’s working. The Tides are confused and angry, but they’re unharmed—except your friend.”

“Roar?”

Loran nodded. “He attacked one of my men earlier. Hess’s son was involved as well. They were trying to get to you. I tried to inform them that you weren’t being harmed, but they wouldn’t believe me.

“They’re alive for now, but when Sable hears of it, which he soon will, they won’t be. He will snuff out any spark he sees—you saw that earlier. He will put down any threat at once, especially now. This is the most critical time for him. He’s firming up his rule before the Tides can organize or react.”