Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky, #3)(91)

“Important plans?”

“That’s right.” He winked at Talon, who was drifting to sleep next to Molly. “I’m going fishing.”

Aria’s gray eyes brightened. “Using what kind of bait? Earthworms? Night crawlers?”

“Are you ever going to forget that?”

“No. Never.”

“Fine. Then I love you, my little Night Crawler.” He leaned in and kissed her, because he could. Lingered over her lips, because he couldn’t stop himself.

Aria drew away first, leaving him out of his mind with desire. He’d been about two seconds from whisking her away somewhere, and she seemed to know it. She smiled at him, her eyes full of heat and promises; then she turned to Soren.

“Nothing to say?” she asked him. “No retching noises or snide remarks?”

“What—no.” The words came out together. Soren crossed his arms and lifted his shoulders. “Nothing.”

Beside him, Brooke shook her head. “That’s a first.”

Soren glanced at her, trying—and failing—to hold back a smile. “Can’t I just sit here, relishing the fire?”

“You’re relishing the fire?” Brooke laughed.

Soren frowned, looking confused. “What? Why is that funny?”

Perry noticed they sat a little closer than they needed to, and Brooke seemed happy.

Roar stood unexpectedly and headed into the darkness. Perry wondered if he’d seen the same, the beginnings of a pair, and been reminded of Liv.

But Roar only rounded the fire and grabbed the guitar from Jupiter. He came back and looked at Aria, smiling as he plucked the strings. Perry recognized the opening of the Hunter’s Song.

Aria straightened, rubbing her hands together in exaggerated eagerness. “My favorite.”

“Me too,” said Roar.

Perry grinned. It was his favorite—not theirs.

“Light of dawn in the hunter’s eyes,” Aria sang. “Home unfurls inside his mind.”

Roar joined in, their voices harmonizing perfectly, and it was a good thing—the best thing—hearing the two people who knew him best sing to him. The lyrics told the story of a hunter’s return, and they’d always swept Perry up; he’d hummed them a thousand times while walking Tide Valley. He would never go back there, but tonight was still a return—to the life he wanted again.

They were safe. He could rest now. He smiled to himself. He could hunt.

“Peregrine,” Molly said sometime later, when the group had fallen quiet. Talon snored softly with his head in her lap. “Sable made an announcement to us earlier. He told us this place was going to be called Cape Rim. I think we can do better.”

“I know we can,” he said. “What would you call it, Molly?”

“I’ve been thinking about it, and it seems to me we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Cinder.”

“Oh . . .,” Marron said. “That’s lovely.”

Aria looked up, her violet scent filling him with steadiness. “What do you think?”

Perry looked down to the waves, and then farther out to the dark horizon, where he saw only stars. “I think it’s a great name.”





[page]UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

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53


ARIA


Are you done?” Roar said. “Because that took forever.” Aria stepped out of the Belswan Hover and jogged down the ramp to join him. “It took an hour, Roar.”

Behind her, the rest of the council members were still talking. Her father argued with Soren—a dynamic that was already familiar—while Marron and Molly interjected calmly from time to time. The meeting had ended, but there was so much to decide. Their discussions never really ended.

“That’s what I said. Forever.” Roar fell into step with her as they headed back to the settlement. “How was your swim?”

“Good. It’s helping.” In the weeks since they’d arrived, she and Perry had been swimming together in the mornings. They left early, before anyone else stirred, and hadn’t missed a day yet. The exercise was helping her arm heal—her hand was almost back to normal—but the best part was spending time alone with him.

Yesterday when they’d finished, he’d told her that the water made him feel close to the Tides territory. Aria loved knowing his thoughts. With every one she learned, she fell for him more deeply. It was the best kind of falling, and she wondered if it would ever end.

“I get the feeling you’re not smiling because of my irresistible charm,” Roar said, pulling her out of her daze.

“I think you’re spending too much time with Soren. You’re starting to sound like him.”

Roar smiled. “Well, Soren doesn’t sound like Soren anymore, so someone had to step in.”

Aria laughed. It was true. Between Hess’s death, and whatever was brewing between Soren and Brooke, the edges had been smoothed from his attitude. Now Soren was only occasionally offensive.

She and Roar talked nonsense as they walked the trail, their conversation easy and light as always. As they approached the settlement, Aria heard the pound of hammers and voices calling back and forth. Though she’d grown accustomed to the din over the past weeks, it always filled her with hope. It meant homes being built.