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Roar came next. Across the clearing, he raised his hand, signaling. He was ready.
Perry’s focus turned to the Horn soldier nearest to him. He pulled himself to his feet, legs coiled as he counted down
Three.
Two.
One.
He sprang from his hiding place, knowing Roar was doing the same across the clearing. His legs churned over the soft earth as he ran to the Horn soldier.
“Sable!”
Roar’s shout broke the silence like a thunderclap. Hundreds of heads turned toward his voice—away from Perry as he grabbed the soldier by the neck, laying a forearm over the man’s mouth to stifle his protests. Perry hauled him into the darkness, back behind the cover of the shrub. Then he took the man’s pistol, lifted the weapon, and delivered a quick strike to the temple. The soldier’s head snapped to the side and he dropped, unconscious. Perry jumped up and sprinted the short distance to the clearing.
Everywhere, people rose to their feet, craning to see Roar, who held Kirra by the throat, using her body as a shield.
Perry dove into the crowd, sinking into his legs to minimize his height. Twig saw him and gasped, opening his mouth to say something. Perry shook his head, holding his finger to his lips.
Twig nodded.
A few more eyes darted Perry’s way. Old Will. Brooke and Clara. A murmur rose up around him but it faded quickly. The message passed through the crowd like a silent ripple: he was there—but he was to be concealed. The Tides understood. They gave no outward sign that he was among them. They kept the surprise from their faces, but he scented their tempers. He knew exactly how overcome they were to see him alive. The force of their emotion added to his resolve.
As he wove past Straggler and Old Will toward the high table at the center, Roar’s voice was the only sound he heard.
“Call them off, Sable! Tell your men to stand down, or I’ll kill her!”
Perry reached the edge of the crowd. The wooden dais stretched before him, Sable only a dozen paces away.
And Aria.
“Call your men off and I’ll let her go!” Roar yelled. “This is between us! It’s about Liv. ”
Sable took a pistol from Aria’s father and stood. “I can’t say I’m surprised to see you. ”
Gasps erupted from across the clearing as the crowd surged back, clearing the field between them.
“You have a debt to pay. ” Roar’s voice sounded rough, hoarse with anger. His diversion was working; all eyes remained fixed on him.
Perry lifted the gun and aimed at Sable, searching for a clear shot. He found it. A kill shot, right to the back of his head. Steadying his breath, he exerted steady pressure on the trigger.
Aria shifted, suddenly in the way.
Perry let up, his heart climbing to his throat, but he wasted no time. He crept around the dais in search of another angle, knowing he had only seconds before the Horns spotted him.
“Sable, do something!” Kirra pleaded, struggling against Roar.
“No one else has to get hurt,” Roar yelled. “Only you. You need to pay for what you did!”
Sable raised the pistol in a quick, precise motion. “I disagree,” he said.
Then he fired.
51
ARIA
The gunshot shook the air. An instant later, Roar and Kirra collapsed to the earth.
