Bear and Molly walked up with Willow and Old Will. Others were coming out of the cookhouse, gathering around. The air filled with their elated tempers, slashes of vibrant color shimmering at the edges of his vision. The relief was so potent—his own, the tribe’s—that Perry’s throat tightened with emotion.

The girl lifted an eyebrow. Her red hair whipped in the wind, fire in the glow of sunset. “Still time to get a meal together if we unpack now.”

Perry’s gaze fell to the Marking on her arm. He blinked. Blinked again as it sank in. A Scire. She was like him. He looked at her, curious now. Apart from his sister, he’d never known a female Scire. Theirs was the rarest Sense. It was one of the reasons Liv’s marriage had needed to be arranged.

“What was your name?” he asked.

“Kirra. I told you that already.”

“Right … I missed it before.”

She had a full, round face that gave her an innocent look, but the curves of her body erased that impression. So did the teasing glint in her eyes. She looked a few years older than him, he guessed, and her scent was mellow and slightly cool, reminding him of autumn leaves.

“Did you say my sister married Sable?” he asked.

“I’m sure by now.”

Perry turned back to the wagons. Liv had always been his. As the oldest, Vale had been groomed by their father for Blood Lord. But he and Liv had been left to themselves. Perry couldn’t believe it. She belonged to someone else now. Liv, who was quick to laugh, quick to anger, quick to forgive. Liv, who did nothing in part and everything in full, was married.

As much as he’d believed she should do her duty to the Tides by marrying Sable, he’d never expected that she actually would. His sister had always been unpredictable, but this was her greatest surprise of all. She’d run off, disappeared, and then ended up doing what had been asked of her all along.

Perry’s stomach clenched as he thought of Roar. How would he react when he found out?

“Well?” said Kirra, pulling him from his thoughts. “It’s getting late. Should we unpack?”

Perry ran a hand over his jaw, and nodded.

It was done. Liv was married. He couldn’t change it now.

24

ARIA

That night, Aria and Roar were escorted to a wide dining room. Candlelight and silver glimmered on a long dinner table. A centerpiece of twisting willow branches rose out of a huge vase, casting spindly shadows across the ceiling. Along one side of the room, doors opened to a balcony. Rust-colored drapes stirred in the wind, revealing glimpses of the churning Aether sky.

Roar scanned the room. “Where’s Liv?” he asked as they stepped inside.