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His voice was loud and deep A voice for cereht’ve appreciated that this man assumed him a Blood Lord Now he only saw the sad truth in it That he should hear hiether

"I will not," Perry said

Silver Mask kept silent for a long h the leg Muscle only Don’t pierce the arteries"

Perry had co several times But at those words, he knew this was his ti disappoints he knew he could do

The archer raised his bow, his eyes steady, aih the Croven mask

"No!" Aria stepped around Perry

"Get back, Aria" He said this, but when she took his hand, he accepted it Shethat he needed her Needed Roar there too With the two of them, he could stand there and wait for an arrow to strike hi their joined hands

"Perry," Roar said hoarsely, behind thee of the Aether burned in the back of Perry’s nose It buzzed over his skin, grating and alive A stir ran through the Croven They lifted theirin terror as they saw Cinder

He strode through the Croven Shirtless, his veins created glowing lines over his skin He ca with his Aether blue eyes The Croven darted out of his ith a sudden eruption from the bells

"Cinder," Perry said

The boy’s eyes found him and held for a moment Then he turned his back to Perry and raised his palms Perry felt an updraft like the intake before a screarabbed Aria by the waist and leaped over the stone outcropping, landing on Roar, as Cinder lit the night with liquid fire

Searing flashes rolled past as the Aether let out its horrid shriek, drowning the Croven’s screa streaks He covered Roar and Aria as best he could, his fingers gripping the earth like they ht be carried off

Quiet came with a suddenness that thundered eht returned with a cool drift over Perry’s ar seconds passed before he could lift his head The pungent scent of burnt hairto his knees but ended up rolling to the side

Stars He saw stars through a vast hole in the Aether Clear, bright stars Around the hole, the Aether rippled in circles Like a pebble thrown in a pond but working closer Tightening instead of spreading Slowly covering one star after another with its blue light

Aria appeared over hiht?"

He couldn’t speak Perry tasted ash and blood

"Roar!" Aria said "What’s wrong with him!" She thrust Roar’s hand onto Perry’s forehead

Now Roar stared down at him "Where are you hurt, Perry?"

Everywhere, Perry thought, knowing Roar could hear hih" Roar turned to Aria "He’s all right"

With Aria’s help, Perry sat up As far as he could see, the trees were burned to black stalks of carbon The earth glittered with e had already burned Cinder had bled the life out of everything except a crowlike ure with a shorn head lay within a circle of fine gray dust Perry climbed to his feet Cinder was curled into hile hair was left on his scalp The glow of his veins faded before Perry’s eyes, seeping back into his skin

His eyes opened to dark slits "Did you see what I did?"

"I saw," Perry said, his voice in shreds

Cinder’s gaze fell on Perry’s hand He stared at the spoiled flesh "I couldn’t help it"

"I know," Perry said, seeing himself in Cinder’s black eyes He understood the terror of being good at ending lives

Cinder groaned, clutching at his stoasps as he convulsed in a tight ball Perry took a blanket from his satchel and covered his in the rocks Aria took Roar as he had done earlier, supporting his injured side Perry lifted Cinder into his arms, stunned by the coldness of the boy’s skin

"Ilips

They caether in the shadow of a tree At the sight of Cinder, they scurried away Perry sed against the rawness in his throat Had the boy ever known anything beyond fear and pity?

They rushed into Delphi, bursting into the courtyard Perry set Cinder down next to Roar right on the cobbles People were gathered inside the gate, armed eapons, braced for war, for an invasion, for anything The Aether continued to seal above Whatever break Cinder had brought theathered crowd "Mark and Gage?"