Hess came forward, his gaze flicking to the Guardians Perry had overpowered. “You make yourself very hard to like, Outsider.” The bright light swung to the end of the corridor. “Get them to the infirmary,” Hess commanded the men behind him. Then to Perry, he said, “We have only minutes. Come. Quickly.”

Having no other option, Perry followed. Guardians fell in behind him as Hess led the way, hurrying through the tunnels of the Komodo. Perry felt like tearing the walls down with his hands. For a few moments there, he’d felt hope, and a taste of freedom.

Far sooner than he expected, Hess led him into a chamber. He found himself staring at Aria, Roar, and Soren, Hess’s flashlight moving from one stunned face to the other.

Neither Roar nor Soren hid their shock when they saw the dark welts over Perry’s arms and chest. Shame made his face burn, but Aria moved to his side, weaving her fingers gently through his, her touch bolstering him.

Hess posted his men outside, and waited until the door closed before he spoke. “This will need to be brief, which means you listen unless I ask you to speak.” He paused and they drew into a tighter circle, waiting for him to continue. Soren was smiling, failing to hide his pride. Hess acknowledged his son with a nod, and then lowered the beam to their feet, creating a pool of light across the floor.

“If we are to ally ourselves,” Hess said, “if I am to carry your tribe to the Still Blue, Peregrine, Sable will need to be expelled. His men will need to be thrust from this ship and my fleet of Hovers. That will require planning and coordination to execute successfully.”

Perry felt Aria shift beside him. This was what they’d expected. Sable was taking control. Hess couldn’t ignore it any longer. He was changing sides. “How long do you need, Hess?”

“Eight hours. We’ll move in the morning.”

“No. That’s too long.”

“You’re making demands already, Peregrine?”

“You’ve already taken a hit. Sable is commanding your men. He’ll take them all if you give him the time.”

“You think I don’t know that? That is precisely why I need to know how deep he has already struck before we proceed. A coup won’t work unless I can trust those who enact it. In eight hours, when everything is in place, we’ll leave the Komodo behind and take the Hovers.”

“Give me a knife,” Roar said. “I’ll end this in ten minutes.”

“Do you think I haven’t considered that?” Hess said. “What do you think the Horns would do if Sable were slain? Lay down their weapons and surrender?”