She wanted to tell him that Perry would be all right, but she couldn’t. She was too nervous. Too scared herself that Perry wasn’t all right.

Instead she said, “I feel like every story you tell me, he gets his nose broken.”

Roar raised an eyebrow. “You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”

“I have.” Aria hugged her legs, ignoring the pain that pulsed in her right arm. She pictured Perry’s expression as he’d put his hand to his heart. “I should thank you. I like his nose the way it is.” In fact, she loved it.

“You can thank me if we get out of this.”

“When we get out of this.”

Roar frowned. “Right . . . when.”

The door hissed open. They shot to their feet.

Three of Sable’s men stepped inside. Two had the Horns symbol emblazoned in red on their black uniforms, but the third man, who carried himself like a leader, wore a uniform with silver horns. All three carried Dweller pistols in holsters at their belts.

“Turn around and put your hands behind your backs,” said one.

Aria didn’t budge. She couldn’t look away from the oldest soldier—the silver-horned one. She recognized him as the man who’d been sparring with Liv in the courtyard in Rim when they’d first arrived.

She shook away the memory. “Where are you taking us? Where are Peregrine and Cinder?”

The soldier’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, as though he was trying to recall where he’d seen her before. Then his gaze dropped to her injured arm, tucked to her side. His appraisal was intense and it unnerved her, making the blood pound in her ears. She sensed Roar’s tension beside her. He was holding his breath, and she wondered if he remembered the Horn soldier too.

“I have orders to take the two of you to Sable,” said the older soldier at last. “I’m authorized to use whatever force necessary to carry out that directive. Is that clear?”

“I can’t put my hands back,” Aria said. “I was shot a week ago.” Just imagining the pain she’d feel made her head spin.

“What do you want to do, Loran?” asked one of the other soldiers.

“I’ll watch her,” the senior soldier replied.

Loran. Aria recognized the name. That day in the courtyard, Liv had shouted it just after she’d soundly defeated him.

Roar’s hands were tied in front of him with plastic cuffs. Then Loran took her by the left arm and yanked her into the corridor.

18. Peregrine

18

PEREGRINE

The ceiling was different. No more pipes and wires.

It was the first thing Perry noticed when he opened his eyes. The second was the prickling sensation of the Aether, deep in the back of his nose.

Cinder.