Into the Still Blue

He wore clothes customary to the Horn tribe—a black uniform with red stag horns on the chest. Roar kicked his leg out, sweeping the man’s feet from beneath him. Roar didn’t waste an instant. He pounced and slammed the soldier’s head against the floor.

The girl who followed wore the same uniform, the black cloth setting off hair as red as sunset.

Kirra.

Perry grabbed her before she could react, trapping her against the wall. He clamped one hand over her mouth, the other around her neck. She didn’t fight, but her eyes went wide, her temper jagged and blue with fear.

“Make a sound, and I’ll crush your throat. Understand?”

Perry had never hurt a woman before, ever, but she’d betrayed him. She’d used him, and taken Cinder.

Kirra nodded. Perry released her and tried not to see the red marks his fingers had left on her cheeks. Behind him, Roar dragged the fallen man back by the arms.

Back . . . back where? There was nowhere to hide.

“Hi, Peregrine,” Kirra said, a little out of breath. She licked her lips, struggling to regain her composure.

Two weeks ago, for about half an instant, he’d considered kissing those lips. He’d been insane then, rejected by his tribe and Aria. Missing Liv and Talon. Kirra had kicked him at the lowest point in his life. She’d almost destroyed him.

“You saved us a lot of trouble,” she said. “We were going to come for you.”

Perry didn’t understand. Why did they want him? He pushed away his curiosity. “You’re going to help me find Cinder and Sable.”

“Why Sable?”

“The Still Blue, Kirra. I need a heading.”

“I know the coordinates. I could get you there.” She narrowed her eyes. “But why should I help you?”

“Do you value your life?”

She offered a wry smile. “You won’t hurt me, Perry. It’s not in you.”

“I have no problem with it,” Aria said.

Perry turned to see her jogging toward them, a pistol in her good hand. “Bring her, and hurry,” she said, meeting his eyes. “Soren has the door open.”

He ushered Kirra through the entrance to the central corridor. Roar lifted the fallen man over his shoulder. He rushed through the door just as it slid closed.

They’d made it. They were another step closer.

“Who’s she?” Soren asked.

“I’m Kirra.”

Aria raised the pistol. “Hi, Kirra.” She nodded to the man over Roar’s shoulder. “Tell us where to dump him.”

Kirra’s cheeks flushed, her temper heating. “In there. It’s a utility room. No one will find him until tomorrow.”

Quickly, Roar disposed of Sable’s man.

“Now Cinder,” Perry said to Kirra.

“This way.” She led them down the hall, this one made of black rubber panels, more a tube than a corridor.

“Time, Soren,” Perry said.

“One hour.”

They were at the halfway mark. An hour ago Soren had posed as Hess and sent the false message to the Dragonwing. In another hour that security breach would be discovered.

“Cinder’s in here,” Kirra said, stopping at a door. “There should be four other people inside. One Guardian by an observation room at the far end. Three doctors.”

Soren made a face, looking from Aria to Perry. “Am I the only one wondering why she’s helping us?”

“She’s telling the truth,” Perry said. He scented it—and that was all he needed to know. They needed to find Cinder and get out of there.

Roar moved to the door, ready to be on point. Despite their falling-out, every move Roar made was exactly what Perry wanted—exactly how they’d always fought and hunted. Reading each other’s minds, no need for words.

Perry pushed Kirra to Soren. Then he nodded at Roar, who slipped inside. Perry followed right after. They took swift control of the room. Roar overpowered the Guardian with a burst of speed, stripping the man of his weapon and pinning him to the ground.

A wall of glass divided the room into two chambers. In front of the windows was a line of desks and some medical equipment with monitoring screens. Three doctors in white coats stood there—all frozen in shock.

Looking for security cameras or alarms, Perry never broke his stride as he crossed to the windows of the observation room.

Inside, Cinder lay strapped to a hospital bed, his eyes half open, skin as pale as the sheet that covered him.

Perry fired at the hinges until the door popped loose; then he tore it open and rushed to the bed.

“Cinder.”

A thick, chemical scent came from the various bags and tubes that fed into Cinder’s arms. Perry had barely drawn a breath, but already his throat felt scraped raw by the strong scents.

“Perry?” Cinder rasped. When he blinked, Perry only saw the whites of his eyes.

“Right here. I’m going to get you out of here.”

Perry pulled out the wires and tubes attached to Cinder. He tried to be gentle, but his hands—usually steady—were shaking. When Cinder was free, Perry lifted him up, his gut twisting at the weight in his arms—too little, too light. Not enough for a boy of thirteen.

In the other room, Soren and Roar finished binding the doctors to chairs with rope. By the door, Aria had a pistol trained on Kirra.

They rushed out to the central corridor, retracing their steps as they headed back to the south end of the Komodo. Perry carried Cinder, and Roar shepherded Kirra along.

“Soren, we need pilots,” Aria said.

It was the only missing piece, but Perry’s instincts told him to abandon that part of the plan.

“Seriously? You think I can find four pilots right now?” Soren said in disbelief.

Perry caught Aria’s eye. “We’ll have to figure it out later.”

“I’m setting off the alarms,” Soren said, as they passed the equipment room from earlier.

Within seconds, the wail of sirens exploded into the air. This was part of their strategy for leaving. The alarms would signify a breach on the Komodo’s north side, where they’d just been. They hoped the diversion would draw attention away from the Hover they were about to steal on the south side.

As they reached the heavy double doors that led outside, Soren stopped short. He cast an anxious look behind him. “My father’s in here somewhere.”

“Soren, you can’t go back,” Aria said. “You have to fly us out of here.”

“Did I say I wouldn’t? I just thought I’d see him. I thought—”

“Think later.” Perry handed Cinder to Soren and moved to the doors. Not sure what they’d run into outside, he drew his gun and nodded to Roar. “Go. I’ll cover you.”

Roar released Kirra. “No. I’m staying here.”

For a moment, Perry couldn’t make sense of what Roar said. Then he scented Roar’s temper, scarlet, burning, bloodthirsty, and knew he hadn’t misunderstood.

“I’m not leaving,” Roar said. “I’m not going until I’ve found Sable and watched him die. If I don’t end this, he’ll come after Cinder again. He’ll come after you and me until we stop him. You have to cut off the head of the snake, Perry.” Roar pointed down the corridor. “The snake is in there.”

Perry couldn’t believe what he was hearing. They were seconds away. Steps from making a clean escape. “This is about revenge and nothing else. Don’t act like it isn’t.”

Roar spread his hands. His pupils were wide, flashing with feral energy. “You’re right.”

“You won’t change anything by going in there. You’ll only get yourself killed. I’m ordering you, Roar. I command you as your lord, and I’m asking you as your friend: don’t do this.”

Roar replied as he backpedaled, retreating into the hall. “I can’t let Sable get away with it. He has to pay. And I’m already dead.”

Then he spun and rushed back into the depths of the Komodo.

15

ARIA

Aria sprinted after Roar.

She didn’t know how she planned to stop him. By talking to him? He wouldn’t listen. By force? He was stronger. She only knew she couldn’t let him go. She wouldn’t let him face Sable alone.

Perry knocked into her shoulder, shooting past her. He thundered down the hall, gaining on Roar with every step. He’d knock Roar out and it would break her to help him, but she would. No matter what, they couldn’t leave Roar here.

Perry had almost reached Roar when he came to a sudden halt. Instinct speared through her. Her muscles locked and she came to a shuddering stop, confused until she saw the corridor beyond them fill with Guardians.

They aimed weapons at Perry and Roar, shouting, threatening, unleashing a barrage of loud demands.

“Down, down, down! Weapons on the ground now!”

Aria drew her gun as she saw five, six Guardians, and still more filing into view. Too many of them. They were trapped. The realization crashed through her.

Then she saw Roar leap at the man closest to him.

Perry followed in the next instant and suddenly it was chaos, a jumble of limbs, swinging and kicking.

She raised her pistol, searching for a clear shot, but the corridor was so narrow and she was using her left hand. She couldn’t risk hitting Perry or Roar.

Three men pinned Perry to the floor—she couldn’t even see him.

“Go, Aria! Get out of here!” he yelled.

Then Roar exploded from of the mob with two men at his back. They pulled Roar up by the arms and shoved him against the wall. Roar’s forehead struck the steel with a sickening crack.

One of the Guardians pushed a gun under his jaw, yelling at Aria. “You shoot, I shoot!”

Perry was still yelling for her to leave but she never would. Even if she’d wanted to, she couldn’t.

Behind her, the red-haired girl, Kirra, stood by the exit. Somehow she’d gotten hold of the stocky grenade launcher Soren had taken earlier. Smiling, she pressed it to his temple while he stood helpless with Cinder in his arms.

A crackling, static sound made Aria whirl back. A Guardian tugged Perry to his knees, twisting his arm behind him. Another man jammed a stun-baton into his ribs.

Perry’s eyes rolled back, and he thudded to the floor.

The man turned the baton on Roar, who jolted and slumped against the wall, then collapsed to the floor.

All the shouting in the corridor quieted. Aria heard nothing as she stared at Roar and Perry, both lying motionless. Deathly still. She was overcome by the urge to fraction. To leap into the dark frigid waters of the Snake River. Anything that would take her someplace that wasn’t here.

“It’s over, Aria,” Soren said. “They got us. It’s over.”

His voice startled her. She came back to herself, aware she still stood there, her pistol trained on the man with the baton.

How long had she been that way? A while, she realized. Long enough for Guardians to be pressed together on their knees and stomachs, all pointing guns at her.

Waiting.

She uncurled her fingers and let the weapon fall.

16

PEREGRINE

Perry woke to the sound of Kirra’s voice.