Why was it so hard to bring together the people she loved and keep them safe? Why couldn’t she just wake up and spend a day—one day—without running or fighting or losing someone?

Most of all, she hated herself for her weakness.

This would help nothing, but she couldn’t stop. Her eyes still ran with tears. Her sleeve was soaked. Her hair. The thin mattress. She kept waiting to dry up, but the tears kept coming.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when she heard Soren.

“That almost killed me,” he said.

She’d fallen quiet, so he must have thought she was asleep.

Roar said nothing in reply.

“Are you going to eat?” Soren asked.

Food must have been delivered. She hadn’t even noticed.

“No. I’m not going to eat.” Roar’s response was icy, every word a jab.

“Me neither,” Soren said. “It doesn’t look that bad, though.”

“Your father runs this whole thing. Shouldn’t you have a private room somewhere?”

“Whatever, Outsider.”

As the quiet stretched out, Aria closed her swollen eyes. What was the point of all of their sacrifices and struggles? Why bother fighting for the Still Blue if Dwellers and Outsiders were only going to tear at each other’s throats?

She thought of the Tides and the Reverie group back in the cave. Was Willow watching Caleb make his sketches? Were Reef and the Six extracting the details of their mission from Jupiter? Or were they snapping and snarling at each other like Soren and Roar?

She didn’t want to fight just so there would be more fighting. She wanted to believe—needed to believe—that things could get better.

“So . . . that girl, Brooke?” Soren said, interrupting her thoughts. “What’s she like?”

“Get her out of your head right now,” Roar said.

Soren huffed. “I saw her looking at me when we were changing into our uniforms.”

“She was looking at you because you’re built like a bull.”

Soren’s laugh was nervous, clipped. “Is that good?”

“It’d be great if she were a cow.”

“What’s your problem, Savage?”

Aria held her breath, feeling like the future of everything hinged on Roar’s response. Come on, she silently pleaded. Say something, Roar. Say anything to him.

Roar gave a long sigh of resignation. “Brooke is a Seer, and she’s lethal with a bow. She doesn’t have the same range as Perry does, but she’s as good a shot. Maybe even better—but don’t ever tell him I said that. She comes off harsh until you get to know her, and then she’s . . . less harsh. She’s as competitive as they come and about as loyal. You already know what she looks like, so . . . that’s Brooke.”

“Thanks,” Soren said.

Hearing the smile in his voice, she smiled too.