Page 19 (1/2)

Then he saw that she earing the device over her eye again Those otten Talon back? She pulled out of his grasp

"You slaughtered the "Look what you did"

Perry pressed his fist to hishimself to be near her He’d crossed the Croven’s scent soon after he had left her Perry knew they were heading toward the shelter of the cave He’d taken another path, had sprinted to get there first, only to find the cave empty By the time he’d picked up her trail and followed it, he’d been too late She had brought hiht back to the cave

Perry rounded on her "Stupid Dweller I told you to stay here! You left to pick poisonous berries"

She shook her head, turning a stunned look from the Croven’s dead body to him "How could you? They wanted to share their food with usand you just killed the to shake She didn’t knohat he had scented from those men Their ache for her flesh had been so potent it had nearly scored his nostrils "Fool You were going to be their food"

"NonoThey didn’t do anything You just started shooting at thee You’re a"This is the third tiet away fro east "Mount Arrow is on the other side of that ridge Head three hours that way Let’s see how you do on your own out here, Mole"

He spun and broke into a run, plunging swiftly into the woods He pounded his rage into the earth but slowed after a few miles He wanted to leave her, but he couldn’t She had the Smarteye And she was a Mole who lived in fake worlds What did she know about surviving out here?

He circled back and found her, keeping far enough away that she wouldn’t see him She had Talon’s knife in her hand Perry cursed at hiotten that? He watched as she picked through the woods with surprising quiet and care After a while, he realized she was ht course too He’d wanted to see her panic She hadn’t, and that streaked hio, he pulled ahead and ran the rest of the way

It was still dark when he reached the Blackfins co scene around hi settleo Now, it was crushed Abandoned All its scents faded and old A picked-over carcass at the foot of Mount Arrow

Aether storms and fires had leveled all but one of the homes, but one was all he needed There was no door and only part of a roof He dropped his satchel at the threshold so she’d knohere to find him Then he went inside and sank onto a battered straw mattress Above him the broken roof’s timbers stuck out like ribs

Perry dropped his arm over his eyes

Had he left her too soon?

Had she gotten lost?

Where was she?

Finally he heard faint footsteps He looked toward the door in time to see her rest her head on his satchel Then he closed his eyes and slept

He stepped outside quietly the next ainst the wall, lit by the hazy light of a clouded sky Aria’s black hair fell over her face, but he could see she’d taken off the device She held it in her hand like it was one of the rocks she collected Then he saw her bare feet Dirty Wet with blood Raw flesh shohere the skin had peeled back or fallen off completely The book covers must have broken after he’d left her

What had he done?

She stirred, peering at hiainst the house Perry shifted his weight, wondering what to say He didn’thi?"

She stood, "

Perry’s gaze traveled down her body

"It’s not my feet"

"Did you eat any of those berries?"

"No" She held out her hand "You ht as well have this Maybe it’ll still help you find the boy you’re looking for"

Perry closed his eyes and inhaled Her scent had changed The rancy Dweller one Her skin breathed a new scent into the air, faint but unmistakable For the first ti he recognized, feminine and sweet

He s silently as it hit hiYou really don’t know?"

"I don’t know anything anyround and drew another breath, no doubt in his mind

"Ariait’s your first blood"