life. Real life now is the Scourge, hunger and thirst, uncertainty. I can’t tell him the truth—that I’d chosen to ask a Lofty to dance. But the truth is I’ll never dance with a Lofty, because Groundlings and Lofties don’t dance together. Peree said so himself. So I say what Bear wants to hear.
“Yes, I would have.”
I’m totally unprepared when he pulls me to him and presses his mouth hard against mine. His cracked lips sweep across my forehead and cheeks, and he kisses my lips again, gently this time. Then he’s gone.
I lean against the wall in the inky blackness, trying to catch my breath, and a hand clamps over my mouth.
Chapter Seven
The hand smothers my screams. I claw at it, then stop struggling a few seconds later when I realize large calluses sprawl over the ends of the fingers. Peree.
“What are you doing here?” I hiss.
“I’m going with you,” he whispers.
“What? How did you know I was going for sure?” What I really want to know is what he heard, and saw.
“Aloe told Shrike, in confidence.”
“I didn’t know you would be here–”
“Clearly.” His voice is frosty.
“Peree, Bear is an old friend.”
“It’s none of my business,” he says. “We’d better get moving. Is this the passage we take?”
“Yes, but–”
A torch flames to life, and he strides away. I pull on my pack and run my fingers along the walls, hurrying to catch up with him. My insides, which weren’t doing very well to begin with, are completely tangled now.
“Your Council let you come?” I ask.
“No. I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving.”
I grab his arm. “Peree! You have to go back, you can’t come with me!”
He shakes me off. “Why? Your friend back there won’t like it?” He laughs, but there’s no humor in it.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it. You’ll be in terrible trouble when they find out!”
“Not necessarily. You Groundlings aren’t the only ones who would benefit from finding another source of water.”
I slow my steps. So he only came to find the Hidden Waters for the Lofties. It didn’t have anything to do with me.
“And anyway, isn’t it my duty, as your Keeper?” His voice is a sneer.
His duty. That isn’t any better. Anger at his attitude, and shame that he saw me kissing Bear, get the best of my temper. “Feel free to go back if you’re going to act like this. It’s not like I asked for your help.”
“How could I resist such gratitude?”
“Why are you being such a boar’s back end?” I yell.
“Why can’t you just say you’re happy I’m here?” he yells back.
“Fine! I’m happy you’re here!”
It takes a minute, but we both snort with laughter.
“A boar’s back end? Really?” he says.
“That’s sort of the milder form of the insult. Lofties don’t say that one?”
“No, we call people other things.”
“Like what?”
“Like, uh, bird-waste-for-brains.”
We both laugh again, then walk on. Things aren’t completely right between us, but the tension is broken. Somehow in the span of five minutes everything changed. I was kissed for the first time, and the last person I would want to know about it was watching. I went from searching for the Waters alone, to being accompanied by the person I would choose above all others—when he’s not acting like the back end of a boar, that is.
We enter a cavern smaller than the enormous space we use as shelter when the Scourge comes, but still expansive. The sounds of our movements reverberate far in front of us, and well above our heads. Peree whistles softly.
“What?” I ask.
“The size of this place, and the strange formations.” I forgot he’s never been in the caves before.
“I’ve heard they’re beautiful,” I say, not bothering to hide the envy in my voice. I take a few cautious steps in, arms outstretched, feeling for the columns and curtains of rock I know are there. I find a pillar and walk around it, smoothing the cool surface with my
“Yes, I would have.”
I’m totally unprepared when he pulls me to him and presses his mouth hard against mine. His cracked lips sweep across my forehead and cheeks, and he kisses my lips again, gently this time. Then he’s gone.
I lean against the wall in the inky blackness, trying to catch my breath, and a hand clamps over my mouth.
Chapter Seven
The hand smothers my screams. I claw at it, then stop struggling a few seconds later when I realize large calluses sprawl over the ends of the fingers. Peree.
“What are you doing here?” I hiss.
“I’m going with you,” he whispers.
“What? How did you know I was going for sure?” What I really want to know is what he heard, and saw.
“Aloe told Shrike, in confidence.”
“I didn’t know you would be here–”
“Clearly.” His voice is frosty.
“Peree, Bear is an old friend.”
“It’s none of my business,” he says. “We’d better get moving. Is this the passage we take?”
“Yes, but–”
A torch flames to life, and he strides away. I pull on my pack and run my fingers along the walls, hurrying to catch up with him. My insides, which weren’t doing very well to begin with, are completely tangled now.
“Your Council let you come?” I ask.
“No. I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving.”
I grab his arm. “Peree! You have to go back, you can’t come with me!”
He shakes me off. “Why? Your friend back there won’t like it?” He laughs, but there’s no humor in it.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it. You’ll be in terrible trouble when they find out!”
“Not necessarily. You Groundlings aren’t the only ones who would benefit from finding another source of water.”
I slow my steps. So he only came to find the Hidden Waters for the Lofties. It didn’t have anything to do with me.
“And anyway, isn’t it my duty, as your Keeper?” His voice is a sneer.
His duty. That isn’t any better. Anger at his attitude, and shame that he saw me kissing Bear, get the best of my temper. “Feel free to go back if you’re going to act like this. It’s not like I asked for your help.”
“How could I resist such gratitude?”
“Why are you being such a boar’s back end?” I yell.
“Why can’t you just say you’re happy I’m here?” he yells back.
“Fine! I’m happy you’re here!”
It takes a minute, but we both snort with laughter.
“A boar’s back end? Really?” he says.
“That’s sort of the milder form of the insult. Lofties don’t say that one?”
“No, we call people other things.”
“Like what?”
“Like, uh, bird-waste-for-brains.”
We both laugh again, then walk on. Things aren’t completely right between us, but the tension is broken. Somehow in the span of five minutes everything changed. I was kissed for the first time, and the last person I would want to know about it was watching. I went from searching for the Waters alone, to being accompanied by the person I would choose above all others—when he’s not acting like the back end of a boar, that is.
We enter a cavern smaller than the enormous space we use as shelter when the Scourge comes, but still expansive. The sounds of our movements reverberate far in front of us, and well above our heads. Peree whistles softly.
“What?” I ask.
“The size of this place, and the strange formations.” I forgot he’s never been in the caves before.
“I’ve heard they’re beautiful,” I say, not bothering to hide the envy in my voice. I take a few cautious steps in, arms outstretched, feeling for the columns and curtains of rock I know are there. I find a pillar and walk around it, smoothing the cool surface with my
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