Forty paces away, a funnel of Aether twisted down, ripping across the earth. A sudden shriek exploded in his ears then a flash of light blinded him. As they tore across the desert, he tried not to think of their odds, running miles through an Aether storm, with no shelter, no place to take cover.įunnels struck down, each one louder, closer, sending searing waves across his skin. Perry grabbed his bow and ran after her, legs heavy from hours in the saddle. “We can’t ride any farther.”Īria jumped to the ground, no hesitation. An enormous central dome like a hill, surrounded by smaller domes that branched off like the rays of the sun. Much of it was concealed, but he remembered its shape from other times he’d been there. It sat directly beneath the thick of the storm, spewing clouds of smoke as black as coal. Terror speared through him as the rounded form of the Pod came into focus. No amount of training would quiet its instincts now.
Perry tightened his grip on the reins as the horse stamped and tossed its head. Hundreds of funnels lashed down from the sky, leaving bright red trails across the desert. They’d ridden for hours-it was sometime in the middle of the night-but Aether lit up the flat expanse. The broad valley that spread before him was a sight unlike anything Perry had ever seen. Soon after, the horse locked beneath him as they crested a hill, rearing up, nickering in terror. Though he couldn’t see Reverie yet, he knew it was burning. It brought a chemical taste to his tongue that he remembered from the night he’d broken into the Pod in the fall. Maybe he had more.Īs they neared Reverie, a sharp scent carried on a warm gust, rustling through the trees. He glanced at Aria’s arms, wrapped tight around him. He couldn’t accept that he’d never see her again. Liv arguing with Vale over the arrangement with Sable, almost going to blows. Liv wrapped in Roar’s arms at the beach, laughing. Liv pinning him down, when they were young, to run a brush through his hair. Images of his sister flashed before his eyes. They were heading south, right into the heart of a storm, but he had no choice. Snatches of the horizon showed through the trees, pulsing with the light of funnels. Perry pushed the horse toward Reverie beneath a night sky writhing with Aether. He was real and close, just as she’d wanted him to be for weeks-for months. She could feel the ridges of Perry’s ribs through his shirt. Aria reached out instinctively, wrapping her arms around him as the horse galloped into the woods.
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