“Cinder is loaded up and waiting for you. You’ll see him in a moment. As for the others . . . Roar is an aggravation at best, but only a fool would leave behind such a pretty girl as Aria. She’ll be here soon. When this is all behind us, I hope to get to know her better.”

“If you touch her, I will rip you to pieces with my hands.”

Sable laughed. “If they weren’t tied behind your back, that might actually concern me. Take him,” he said to the giant, who hauled Perry away.

Across the field, hundreds of people loaded crates onto Hovers. They were a mix of Horns who seemed to know little about preparing Hovers, Guardians who were trying to help, and Guardians who had no idea what was happening. Angry shouts volleyed back and forth. Total chaos.

As the giant pushed him toward a Dragonwing, he noticed armed men along the roofline of the Komodo. Everywhere he looked, he saw firepower. Dwellers and Outsiders taking sniper positions. He couldn’t tell whether they were working together or in opposition. It didn’t seem clear to them, either.

He climbed into the Hovercraft, taking a final look across the crowds massed along the runway, hoping to see Aria and Roar.

“Keep going, Tider,” said the giant. He struck Perry between the shoulder blades, sending him stumbling into the Dragonwing.

Perry moved to the cockpit. Cinder slumped in one of the four seats, looking almost asleep. He’d been given warm clothes, and a gray cap fitted snugly over his head. Off the Dweller drugs, he already looked healthier than hours earlier.

When he saw Perry, Cinder’s eyes flared with relief. “They told me you were coming. What took you so long?”

“Damn good question,” growled the giant. He pushed Perry into the seat beside Cinder.

A Dweller peered back from the pilot seat, his face beaded with sweat and drawn with fear—no doubt owing to the gun pointed at his head by the man in the adjacent seat.

“If it isn’t Peregrine of the Tides.” The man with the gun leered, showing a mouthful of brown teeth as he smiled. “You don’t look like all that much.”

“He isn’t,” said the giant.

“Heard you got your wings clipped,” said Brown Teeth, his pistol never leaving the pilot’s head.

As they laughed, Perry took in the situation, noticing the pilot’s hands were free. They’d have to be, for him to fly the Hover. Perry drew a breath, hoping to find something in his temper besides fear.

“I’m going to tie your feet,” said the giant. “If you try to kick me, I will put a bullet through your foot, and then I’ll start hurting you. Understand?”

“I understand,” Perry said, though he didn’t really.

When the giant knelt, he kicked.