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Aria drew up the blanket and gasped Her feet were already bandaged The Savage had tended to her feet

He’d touched her

She gripped the edge of the case, steadying herself This was a good sign If he’d tended to her feet, then he couldn’t ic was sound, but just thinking of hiht a fresh wave of fear

He was a beast Ie reminded her of the Equestrian Realms, how everyand shifting beneath skin He had tattoos, just like in the stories Two patterned bands around each bicep When he’d turned his back, she’d seen another design on his skin, so shoulder to shoulder His hair looked like it had never seen a brush Snarled blond ropes, all uneven in length and color, coiling in every direction As he’d spoken, she could’ve sworn she’d gli was more hideous than his eyes

Aria was accustomed to eyes of all colors There were fads in the Realms Purple had been the popular color just last reen but also reflective, like the eerie gaze of a nocturnal animal And she realized with a shudder, they were real

She turned, biting her lip as she looked around A cave What was she doing here? How had this happened? The fire had dwindled She could no longer see the wall she’d sat against She didn’t want to be in this cave in the darkness, with no noise and nothing to see She fastened the navy blanket into a toga, belting it with gauze so she could move better, and then went outside

She found hied slope where she’d fallen He had his back to her, hadn’t yet heard her Aria stopped within the cave’s mouth, a dozen feet away She didn’t want tothe blanket close to keep it fro down a long piece of ith a knife Making an arrow, she guessed A cave his weapons The tattoo on his back was of a falcon, judging by the sleek head The eyes appeared to bedesigns They chose new ones whenever they wanted She couldn’t ie on her skin forever

The Outsider turned and glared at her Aria glared back at hi a jolt of fear How had he known she was there? He slipped his knife into a leather sheath at his belt

She stepped closer, careful not to liood distance between them Aria pushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear She realized he’d handled the knife with the saentle ribbons of blue light, swirling above scuttling gray clouds She wasn’t fooled this time She kne terrible it could be Below she saw the valley they’d crossed in the storht?"

"Dusk," he said

She glanced at hie to drawl such a brief little word? Dusssk Like the word could go on all day "Why did you bring me here? Why didn’t you just leave me out there?"

"I need information Your people took someone from me"

"That’s ridiculous What use could we have for a Savage?"

"More use than they had for you"

Her breath caught as she remee was right She’d served her purpose She’d taken the fall for Soren and been put out to die Out here, with this beast

"So you want to get into Reverie? To save this person? Is that what you were doing that night?"

"I will get in I’ve done it before"

She laughed "We disarot lucky, Savage The walls protecting Reverie are ten feet thick There’s no way you could ever get through the patties? Or shot? One well-aimed stone would probably do it"

He spun and ca into her throat, but he strode past her, disappearing back into the cave Molea up

"Is this better than a dung patty, Mole?"

For long seconds, Aria stared at the curved object in his hand She never saw S one in the possession of a Savage, she nearly didn’t recognize it

"Is that mine?"

He nodded once "I took it After it was torn froh her li of Soren was still there, she could prove what he and his father had done to her She looked up "It’s not yours Give it to me"

He shook his head "Not until you answer ive it to me?"

"I said I would"

Aria’s heart pounded She needed her Smarteye Her mother would rescue her She could be on another Hover within hours on the way to Bliss With Lumina’s help, she’d expose Consul Hess and Soren

She couldn’t believe she was considering helping an Outsider get into Reverie Wasn’t that treason? Hadn’t Hess practically accused her of that very thing? She’d never do it Whatever he asked about this ive him false information She’d tell him what he wanted to hear and he would never know otherwise

"All right," she said

His hand snapped shut over the device and then he crossed his arms Aria stared in horror Her Smarteye was buried in a Neanderthal’s armpit

"Why were you out there?" His mouth curved with satisfaction It was the same question she’d avoided before But now she’d have to answer hiust "There were only two of us who survived One was the son of a Consul--of a very powerful person in our Pod I was the other"

He grew silent Her gaze darted to his chest, where she saw the tracks her nails had left on his skin She looked away quickly, repulsed that she’d touched him Did he have a problem with clothes? It wasn’t exactly wares must not feel cold