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It happened

He had rendered to her

Chapter 31

PEREGRINE

"We ht be able to handle a dozen," Roar said, "but fifty?"

Perry paced in front of the glass cases in the coe of the Croven’s cae was ures moved around the cluster of tents in the plateau Red tents A fitting color He wanted to draw his bow and fire at theh the screen

"There are more than fifty Croven out there, Roar," he said The ca, he and Roar had been up on the wall,all the power of their Senses It had taken them hours, but they’d detected another dozen Croven scattered around the perimeter Sentinels, there to sound an alarm should he try to escape

Roar crossed his ar around his finger "One of the old , but it’ll take weeks to excavate safely"

"That’s well into winter," Perry said By then the stor in constant sets across the sky Travel would be too dangerous

"I can’t wait that long," Aria said

She’d been quiet, her legs tucked beneath her on the couch What a fool hefor the door with barely a word in parting She had no idea what had happened last night Perry pinched the bridge of his nose, reht hi of his needs as an afterthought He couldn’t have that spell cast over him now He’d do what he proet to the Tides They’d part ways soon enough Until then, he’d just keep his distance And try not to breathe when he was around her

"I can give you some of my men," Marron said

Perry looked up "No I can’t have your people dying for h "We won’t meet them head-to-head" On the screen, the plateau spread around the Croven, wide and open He wanted to be there Outside Moving free under the Aether That hen it hit hi a stor an Aether storm?"

"The Croven are out in the open They’d need to take shelter It would put theuard And I can keep us away from the worst of the Aether"

Roar pushed hier "We could clear the sentinels and head east The Croven won’t follow us"

Aria’s eyes narrowed "Why won’t they follow us east?"

"Wolves," Roar said

"Our best choice is to leave during an Aether storrinned "That or sixty Croven"

"All right," she said, lifting her chin "Anything but the Croven"

That afternoon, Perry strode across the roof with Roar They’d spent thetheir packs Now there was nothing to do but wait for a storm to build The Aether moved in steady streams above They wouldn’t see a storh

Hoas he going to wait? WaitingHe didn’t want to think about as happening to Talon and Vale, stuck inside the Dweller Pod How could Talon want to stay there? How had Vale been captured? Why was Liv roa the borderlands when she knehat the cost was to the Tides?

Roar caught hi him Perry thudded onto the cement before he knehat had happened

"One to nothing," Roar said

"You jaggy bastard" He pushed Roar off and the game was on

He usually had the upper hand when they wrestled, but he took it easy because of his hand, and that kept them more evenly matched

"Talon wrestles better than you, Ro," he said, helping Roar up after earning a point Perry’s

"Liv’s pretty good too"

"She’s ed for him but broke away the instant Aria stepped out of the elevator No way he’d let Roar in on his thoughts when she was around He couldn’t help noticing that she’d changed into fitted black clothes and pulled her hair back Roar looked fro over his face Perry kneas in trouble

"Did I interrupt so?" Aria said, confused

"No We were done" Perry grabbed his bow and stalked away Earlier he’d dragged a wooden crate across the roof to serve as a target He took ai dully in his hand

"Perfect ti, Aria," Roar said behind him "Watch this You know, Perry’s known for his skill with the bow"

Perry fired The arrow bit into the pine with a crack

Roar whistled "Ireat shot"