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They arrived at the bluff at midday.
Aria climbed down to the cove and stared at the horizon, trapping her hair against the wind in one hand. Ashes blew past her like swarms of moths, disappearing into the surf. Her eyes burned, and an acrid smoky taste slid over her tongue.
“It’s from the fires we avoided to get here,” Perry said, coming to her side. He tipped his head to the south. “The storms aren’t moving anymore. Just spreading. ”
The knot of Aether that had been raging when they’d left for the Komodo had expanded. Funnels scored down a vast portion of the horizon, reminding her of the rainwater streaking down the Hover’s windshield the day they’d started the Komodo operation.
“I feel like it’s going to drown us. Like eventually we won’t be able to breathe. Strange, isn’t it? You can’t drown in fire. ”
Perry blinked at her, his lips lifting in a tired smile. “No. Not strange at all. ”
He took her hand as they walked to the cave. Roar and Cinder stepped inside first, the pilot a few steps behind them.
As soon as she and Perry entered, the Tides surrounded them, sweeping Perry away. They swallowed him up with their greetings and laughter. In less than a minute, he held Talon in his arms while the Six slapped his back, jostling him. Not the gentlest welcoming, but they didn’t know about Perry’s battered condition. And judging by the smile on his face, he didn’t seem to mind.
Aria heard Flea’s happy barks and spotted him at the edge of the crowd. She caught sight of Willow just as she flew into Cinder, knocking him clean to the ground. Aria smiled. No gentle welcome there, either.
Roar stood with Brooke nearby, waving Aria over, but she couldn’t join them yet. She took Soren’s hand. He looked so dazed and heartbroken, his gaze hollow and unfocused. She needed to find Jupiter for him, or a place where he could have some quiet. It’d be one or the other; Jupiter and quiet didn’t happen together.
As she led Soren away from the crowd, she remembered the pilot. He’d be exhausted, and terrified of this new environment. After she got Soren settled, she’d make sure to check on him, too.
Molly stopped her before she’d gotten far. She cupped Aria’s face with papery hands and laughed. “Look at you! You’re an absolute fright!”
Aria smiled. “I can imagine. I haven’t seen a brush in days. ”
Molly eased back. Her gaze flicked to Soren before coming back to Aria. “Brooke told me how the mission began. You had me sick with worry. ”
“Sorry,” Aria said, though she loved knowing that Molly had missed her. She let herself enjoy the feeling of being cherished for a moment before turning back to her tasks. “Molly, we flew in with a pilot—”
“I know. We’re feeding him. Then we’ll take him to the Dweller cavern. He’s doing just fine. ”
Aria smiled at the older woman’s efficiency. “Where’s Caleb?” she asked. Most likely Jupiter wouldn’t be far off.
“Same place. The Dweller cavern. They’re all there. ” Molly’s smile faded as she noticed Soren’s silence and sensed something was wrong.
“Why are they in there? Are they still sick?” Aria asked.
“Oh, no. They’ve recovered, every one of them. But they won’t come out of there. I’m sorry . . . I’ve tried. ”
“They won’t leave?” Aria said. Stunned, she left Molly and hurried to the Dweller cavern, towing Soren along. As they stepped inside, she and Soren received a much more lukewarm reception than Perry and Cinder had. The Dwellers seemed more leery than relieved to see them, but Caleb came over, smiling warmly. Jupiter came too
, favoring one leg, accompanied by Rune, who walked slowly in order to keep pace with him.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” Rune said, her lips tugging into a smile.
She was Jupiter’s girlfriend now, but she’d been Aria’s friend first. Seeing her brought a rush of memories of times they’d spent together, with Paisley, Caleb, and Pixie. Aria’s heart twisted for the friends she’d never see again.
She lifted her shoulders. “Well, here I am. ”
Rune’s shrewd eyes studied her. “You look like you stepped out of a horror Realm. ”
Aria laughed, unsurprised by her directness. Rune had been the honesty in their group. A perfect foil to Paisley’s unfailing sweetness and Caleb’s rambling creativity. “So I’ve heard. ”
She embraced Rune, who patted Aria’s shoulder and let herself be hugged. An awkward display of affection, but it was better than Aria could have hoped. At least in a small way, Rune was adjusting to life on the outside.
Aria drew back and they all stood, glancing at Soren. Looking at one another and feeling the absence of their lost home and their lost friends.
Eventually they sat, gathering in a circle. Aria kept Soren close to her side, worried about him. Jupiter and Rune held hands, and Aria wished Paisley could be there to see them. She wouldn’t have believed it; greater opposites didn’t exist.
