“I followed a hunch,” she said. “I had to—and I was right.”

“From the corner of her eye, the wildflowers along the wall caught her attention. “Roar, wait!”Roar turned around. “Yes?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.Aria ran to the wall, scanning the flowers. She found the right one and plucked it. She drew in its scent and imagined Perry walking beside her, his bow across his back, looking over with his lopsided grin.She brought the flower to Roar. “I changed my mind,” she said. “Give him this.”Roar’s eyes crinkled in confusion. “I thought you liked roses. What’s this?”“A violet.” ”

“Roar's smile widened. "I know. You missed me." She rolled her eyes. "It's barely been three weeks since I last saw you.""Miserable stretch of time." He said.”

“This girl. She's all I see.”

“In the sounds of the night Aria heard footsteps, far off and faint, but she recognized them instantly.She shot into the darkness, letting her ears guide her. She followed the crunch of his feet on stones and small twigs, coming faster, louder, as his walk became a jog, then a run. She chased the sounds until all she heard was his heartbeat and then his breath and his voice, right by her ear, telling her, in tones as warm as fire, exactly the words she wanted to hear.”

“He kissed her slowly. Everything went slowly so he could follow her temper, and search into her eyes. When they joined, her scent was brave and strong and certain. Perry took it into himself, breathing her breath, feeling what she felt. He'd never known anything as right.”

“The boy who was taken," she said. "Is he your son?""How old do you think I am, Dweller?""I'm a little shaky on the fossil record, but I'd say fifty to sixty thousand years.""Eighteen. And no. He's not my son.”