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Soren smiled at her, his lip curling. “I’ve got other things in mind too. ”
Aria sucked in a breath. He had to be kidding. He was just trying to scare her because she’d led him on, but she’d had no choice.
The boys huddled together as Soren muttered, “Try it like this,” and “Other end, stupid,” and “Just let me do it,” until they jumped back, away from the flame that flickered up from the leaves.
“Oh, zap!” they yelled in perfect unison. “Fire!”
Chapter 2
ARIA
Magic.
That was the word that came to Aria’s mind. An old word, from a time when illusions still mystified people. Before the Realms made magic common.
She moved closer, drawn by the gold and amber tones in the flame. By the way it changed shape constantly. The smoke was richer than anything she had ever smelled. It tightened the skin along her arms. Then she saw how the burning leaves curled and blackened and disappeared.
This was wrong.
Aria looked up. Soren had frozen in place, his eyes wide. He looked bewitched, just as Paisley and the brothers did. Like they were seeing the fire without really seeing it.
“That’s enough,” she said. “We should turn it off . . . or get water or something. ” No one moved. “Soren, it’s starting to spread. ”
“Let’s give it more. ”
“More? Trees are made of wood. It’ll spread to the trees!”
Echo and Bane ran off before she’d finished speaking.
Paisley grabbed her sleeve, pulling her away from the burning stack. “Aria, stop or he’ll hurt you again. ”
“This whole place is going to burn if we don’t do something. ”
She glanced back. Soren stood too close to the fire. The flames had nearly reached his height. The fire made sounds now, pops and crackles over a dull roar. “Get sticks!” he yelled at the brothers. “The sticks make it stronger. ”
Aria didn’t know what to do. When she thought of stopping them the ache in her shoulder flared, warning her of what might happen again. Echo and Bane ran up with armfuls of branches. They threw them onto the fire, sending sparks into the trees. A surge of hot air blew past her cheeks.
“We’re going to run, Paisley,” she whispered. “Ready . . . go. ”
For the third time that night, Aria grasped Paisley’s hand. She couldn’t let Paisley fall behind. She wove through the trees, her legs churning, as she tried to keep them on a straight course. She didn’t know when the boys started chasing them, but she heard Soren behind her.
“Find them!” he yelled. “Spread out!”
Then Aria heard a loud wailing sound that brought her to a halt. Soren was howling like a wolf. Paisley’s hand clamped over her mouth, stifling a sob. Bane and Echo joined in, filling the woods with wild, keening cries. What was happening to them? Aria broke into a run again, tugging Paisley so hard that she stumbled.
“Come on, Paisley! We’re close!” They had to be near the door leading back to the farming dome. When they reached it, she’d trip the emergency alarm. Then they’d hide until Guardians came.
The lights overhead flickered again. This time they didn’t come back. Darkness slammed into Aria like something solid. She went rigid. Paisley rammed into her back and cried out. They tumbled blindly to the ground, their limbs crashing together. Aria scrambled upright, blinking hard as she tried to orient herself. Eyes opened or closed, what she saw didn’t change.
Paisley’s fingers fluttered over her face. “Aria! Is it you?”
“Yes, it’s me,” she whispered. “Quiet or they’ll hear us!”
“Bring the fire!” Soren yelled. “Get some fire so we can see!”
“What are they going to do to us?” Paisley asked.
“I don’t know. But I won’t let them get close enough to find out. ”
Paisley tensed at her side. “Do you see that?”
She did. A torch wove toward them from the distance. Aria recognized the solid tromp of Soren’s stride. He was farther than she expected, but she realized it didn’t matter. She and Paisley couldn’t move without crawling and feeling along in front of them. Even if they knew which way to go, moving a few feet would hardly help.
A second flame appeared.
Aria groped for a rock or a stick. Leaves disintegrated in her hands. She smothered a cough against her sleeve. Every breath tightened her lungs more. She’d been worried about Soren and the fire. Now she realized the smoke might pose the worst danger.
The torches bobbed across the darkness, drawing closer. She wished her mother had never left. She wished she’d never sung to Soren. But wishing wasn’t going to get her anywhere. There had to be something she could do. She turned her focus inward. Maybe she could reset her Smarteye and call for help. She reached for commands as she always had. Even in her mind, she felt as though she were fumbling in the dark. How did you restart something that had never been turned off?
It didn’t help her concentration to see the torches closing in, or the fire burning brighter and louder, or to feel Paisley quivering against her side. But she had no other hope. Finally she felt a tap in the depths of her brain. A word appeared on her Smartscreen, blue letters floating against the smoldering woods.
RESTART?
Yes! she commanded.
Aria tensed as hot nails dragged across her skull and down her spine. She gasped in relief as a grid of icons appeared. She was back on, but everything looked strange. All the buttons on her interface were generic and in the wrong places. And what was that? She saw a message icon on her screen labeled “Songbird,” her mother’s nickname for her. Lumina had sent a message! But the file was stored locally and wouldn’t help her now. She needed to reach someone.
Aria tried contacting Lumina directly. CONNECTION FAILURE flashed on her screen, followed by an error number. She tried Caleb and the next ten friends who came to mind. Nothing went through. She wasn’t linked to the Realms. She made a final attempt. Maybe her Eye was still recording.
REVIEW, she commanded.
Paisley’s face appeared in the playback square on the upper left of her Smartscreen. Paisley was hardly visible, just the contours of her frightened face and the glint of the fire catching on her Smarteye. Behind her a glowing cloud of smoke seeped closer. “They’re coming!” Paisley said in a frantic whisper, and the recording ended.
Aria commanded her Eye to record again. Whatever happened, whatever Soren and the brothers did, she’d have proof.
The lights flashed back on. Squinting at the brightness, Aria saw Soren scanning the area, Bane and Echo at his side like a pack of wolves. Their eyes flared as they spotted her and Paisley. She jumped to her feet, pulling Paisley up once more. Aria ran, holding tight to Paisley, tripping over roots and pushing through branches that snagged her hair. The boys’ shouts were loud, rumbling in Aria’s ears. Their feet pounded right behind her.
Paisley’s hand tore from Aria’s grip. Aria spun as she fell to the ground. Paisley’s hair splayed over the leaves. She reached for Aria, crying out. Soren lay half on top of her, his arms wrapped around her legs.
Before Aria could think, she slammed her foot into Soren’s head. He grunted and fell back. Paisley twisted away but Soren lunged for her again.
“Let her go!” Aria stepped toward him, but he was ready for her this time. His hand shot out, clamping onto Aria’s ankle.
“Run, Paisley!” Aria yelled.
She struggled to get free but Soren wouldn’t let go. He rose to his feet and grabbed on to her forearm. Leaves and dirt stuck to his face and chest. Behind him, smoke tumbled through the trees in gray waves, moving slow and fast at the same time. Aria looked down. Soren’s hand was twice the size of hers, rounded with muscle like the rest of him.
“Can’t you feel it, Aria?”
“Feel what?”
“This. ” He squeezed her arm so tight she cried out. “Everything. ” His eyes dart
ed around, not settling anywhere.
“Don’t, Soren. Please. ”
Bane ran up, holding a torch and panting for breath.
“Help, Bane!” she cried. He didn’t even look at her.
“Go get Paisley,” Soren said, and Bane was gone. “Just you and me now,” he said, stroking a hand through her hair.
“Don’t touch me. I’m recording this. If you hurt me, everyone will see it!”
She hit the ground before she realized what had happened. His weight crushed her, driving the air out of her lungs. He glared down at her as she gasped, struggling to draw a breath. Then his focus moved to her left eye. Aria knew what he was going to do but her arms were trapped, squeezed between his thighs. She closed her eyes and screamed as his fingers dug into her skin, prying up the edges of her Smarteye. Aria’s head snapped forward and then slammed back to the ground.
Pain. Like her brain had been torn out. Above her, Soren’s face looked red and bleary. Warmth spread down her cheek and pooled in her ear. The pain lessened and became pulses, beating in time with her heart.
“You’re crazy,” someone with her voice slurred.
Soren’s fingers clamped around her neck. “This is real. Tell me you feel it. ”
Aria still couldn’t pull in enough air. Spears of pain shot into her eyes. She was fading, powering off like her Smarteye. Then Soren looked up—away from her—and his grip loosened. He cursed and then his smothering weight lifted.
Aria pushed herself to her knees, gritting her teeth at the piercing shriek that erupted in her ears. She couldn’t see. She swiped at her eyes to clear the murkiness, her legs quaking as she rose to her feet. Framed against the roaring blaze, she saw a stranger step into the clearing. He was shirtless, but there was no mistaking him for Bane or Echo.
He was a real Savage.
The Outsider’s torso was almost as dark as his leather pants, his hair a blond Medusa’s snarl. Tattoos coiled around his arms. He had the reflective eyes of an animal. They were bare eyes, both.
The long knife at his side flashed with firelight as he came forward.
Chapter 3
PEREGRINE
The Dweller girl looked at Perry, blood running down her pale face. She took a few steps, backing away from him, but Perry knew she wouldn’t stay on her feet for long. Not with pupils dilated like that. One more step and her legs gave out, bringing her down.
The male stood behind her limp body. He looked Perry over with his odd eyes, one normal and one covered with the clear patch all the Dwellers wore. The others had called him Soren.
“Outsider?” he said. “How did you get in?”
It was Perry’s language but harsher. Edged where it should have been smooth. Perry brought in a slow breath. The Dweller’s temper hung thick in the clearing despite the smoke. Bloodlust gave a scorching red scent, common to man and beast alike.
“You came when we did. ” Soren laughed. “You came after I disarmed the system. ”
Perry spun his knife for a fresh grip. Didn’t the Dweller see the fire closing in? “Leave or you’ll burn, Dweller. ”
Soren startled at hearing Perry speak. Then he grinned, showing square teeth, white as snow. “You’re real. I don’t believe this. ” He stepped forward with no fear. Like he held a knife instead of Perry. “If I could leave, Savage, I’d have done it a long time ago. ”