A hundred thoughts flooded his mind, but they all came down to one: being a leader wasn’t easy. Trust and respect had to be earned, and that only happened over time. He’d spent the winter and spring learning that with the Tides. Aria was just beginning to learn it now.

“You know I’m here,” he said. “I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Will you come see them with me tomorrow? Maybe if we talk to them together it’ll help.”

“Done.”

Aria smiled, then her gaze traveled to his waist. “Perry, did you know your pants are falling down?”

“Yeah.” He didn’t have to look; he could feel them sliding down his hips. “I, uh . . . I took my belt off to make you feel comfortable.”

“You took your belt off to make me feel comfortable?”

He nodded, trying to hold back a laugh. “I worked it out in my head that this would be more natural.”

“Your pants falling down is natural?”

He grinned. “Yeah. If they fall any further, it’s going to be very natural.”

She laughed, her gray eyes shining as she shook her head. “So nice of you to think of me.”

“Always do.”

A blush crept over her cheeks as they stared at each other, one second giving to another. Her temper filled the small space, beckoning him closer.

“In the Komodo you said you wanted us to have some time alone,” she said.

He snatched his belt off the trunk and took her hand, darting out of the tent before she’d finished speaking.

35. Aria

35

ARIA

Perry, I can’t see where I’m going.”

Aria jogged to keep up with him as he pulled her through the cave. He was barefoot, buckling his belt with one hand and holding on to her with the other, but she was still lagging behind. She didn’t have his eyes, and at this late hour, with only a few scattered lamps still burning, the cave was nothing but blackness ahead of her, below her, everywhere. Every step she took, she felt as though her foot might never touch the ground.

He tightened his grip on her hand. “It’s even footing and I won’t let you fall,” he said, but she noticed he slowed down.

It was a relief when they left the dark hollowness of the cave. A relief to hear the roar of the waves and to have the Aether lighting the way. The reddish glow at the edges of the funnels seemed more vibrant now than just hours ago.

“Are we swimming?” she said as he took her down to the water’s edge. “Because the last time I did that wasn’t very enjoyable.”

She’d been in the ice-cold waters of the Snake River with Roar, fighting desperately to stay alive.