“I know you can. We all can. Right?”
Soren paused. “Right. ”
This was it. Her opportunity. She chose her words carefully. “You know things, don’t you? Like the codes that got us here. . . . Things we’re not supposed to know?”
“Of course I do. ”
Aria smiled and slipped around the branches in his arms. She rolled up onto her toes, inviting him to whisper. “Well, tell me a secret. Tell me something we’re not supposed to know. ”
“Like what?”
The lights flickered again. Aria’s heart gave a lurch. “Tell me what’s going on with Bliss,” she said, making her best attempt at sounding casual.
Soren stepped back. He shook his head slowly, his eyes narrowing. “You want to know about your mother, don’t you? Is that why you came here? You’ve been playing me?”
Aria couldn’t lie anymore. “Just tell me why the link is still down. I need to know if she’s all right. ”
Soren’s gaze dropped to her mouth. “I might let you persuade me later,” he said. Then he pushed his shoulders back, shifting the branches higher. “Right now I’m discovering fire. ”
Aria hurried back to the clearing for Paisley. She found Bane and Echo there as well. The brothers were building up a pile of branches and leaves at the center. Paisley rushed over as soo
n as she saw Aria.
“They’ve been doing this since you left. They’re trying to make fire. ”
“I know. Let’s go. ” Six thousand people lived in Reverie. She couldn’t let Soren risk everything.
Aria heard the clatter of sticks falling just before something struck her shoulder. She cried out as Soren spun her to face him.
“No one’s leaving. I thought I made that clear. ”
She stared at the hand on her shoulder, her legs softening beneath her. “Let go of me, Soren. We’re not getting involved. ”
“Too late. ” His fingers dug into her. She gasped at the shock wave of pain that ran down her arm. Bane dropped the large branch he’d been dragging and looked over. Echo stopped midstride, his eyes wide, wild. The lights shone off their skin. They were sweating too.
“If you leave,” Soren said, “I’ll tell my father this was your idea. With our Smarteyes shut off, it’s your word against mine. Who do you think he’ll believe?”
“You’re insane. ”
Soren let her go. “Shut up and sit down. ” He grinned. “And enjoy the show. ”
Aria sat with Paisley at the edge of the tree line and fought the urge to rub her throbbing shoulder. In the Realms, falling off a horse hurt. Twisting an ankle did too. But pain was just an effect, sprinkled in to boost the thrill. They couldn’t actually get hurt in the Realms. This felt different. Like there was no limit to the pain. Like it could go on forever.
Bane and Echo made one trip after another into the woods, bringing back armfuls of branches and leaves. Soren directed them to place more here, more there, as sweat dripped off his nose. Aria eyed the lights. At least they were holding steady.
She couldn’t believe she’d let herself—and Paisley—get into this situation. She’d known going into Ag 6 meant risk, but she hadn’t expected this. She had never wanted to be part of Soren’s clique, though he’d always interested her. Aria liked looking for the fissures in his image. The way he watched people when they laughed, like he didn’t understand laughter. The way he curled his upper lip after he said something he thought particularly clever. The way he glanced at her occasionally, like he knew she wasn’t convinced.
Now she realized what had intrigued her. Through those fissures, she’d seen glimpses of someone else. And out here, without Reverie Guardians watching, he was free to be himself.
“I’m going to get us out of here,” she whispered.
Tears pooled in Paisley’s bare eye. “Shhh. He’ll hear you. ”
Aria noticed the brittle crackle of the leaves beneath her and wondered when the trees had last been watered. She watched the pile grow one foot high, then two. Finally, with the pile at nearly three feet, Soren declared it ready.
He reached into his boot and brought out a battery pack and some wire, handing them to Bane.
Aria couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “You planned this? You came here to make fire?”