Roar unfastened Cinder’s bindings. Soren came over and undid the ones on Perry’s feet. Aria saw Soren’s hands pause for a moment as he swayed, balance unsteady. The gas was affecting him.

She felt it too. The alarm sounded further away and deeper in tone, like it was disappearing into a dark tunnel.

As soon as she’d freed Perry’s hands, she shot to the door and found it locked.

“Aria . . . ,” Soren said behind her. “It’s too late. I don’t have time to hack it. . . . The gas isss . . . ,” he slurred.

“It’s not too late!” She backed away from the door and aimed at the locking mechanism. Her head was spinning. The room was spinning. She couldn’t keep her aim steady. A bitter taste like rancid limes slid over her tongue, and her eyes began to burn.

Roar’s hand closed over hers. He took the pistol. She noticed he was breathing raggedly. “It’ll ricochet. . . . Soren’s right.”

Disappointment washed over her. Crushing her with the feeling that they’d just made their situation worse.

Aria turned. Perry leaned against the bed, his wide shoulders hunched. “Aria,” he said simply.

Soren sat heavily against the wall. Then he slumped onto his side, eyes fluttering closed. The lime taste seared down Aria’s throat and the walls flapped, undulating like sails in the wind. She couldn’t move.

Perry’s head tipped to the side, heavy and resigned. Not the playful tilt she knew. “Come here.”

His voice drew her forward. She went to him, walking across the tilting floor. Her face smacked into Perry’s chest. He caught her by the arms. She’d only vaguely registered that her bicep didn’t hurt at all when she found herself on the floor, with no memory of sitting down.

Perry pulled her against his side, putting his arm around her. Soren had passed out. Cinder lay still on his bed. Roar sat against the door, glaring into space.

He seemed so far. The room seemed to stretch out and go on forever.

“S’good at least that—” Perry turned to face her, and his knee knocked into her thigh. “Sorry.”

“Didn’t feel it,” she managed to say through a numb mouth. “What’s good at least?”

“We’re together.” She saw the flash of a grin just before his eyes slammed shut. He fell forward, his forehead thudding onto her collarbone.

Aria wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as they drifted away.

22. Peregrine

22

PEREGRINE

That’s good. Come on back. There you are,” Sable said.

Perry opened his eyes, blinking at the brightness. His first thought was of Aria. Then Roar and Cinder.

He was going to demand to see them. To know how they were—where they were. But then he saw the table next to his bed.