Under the Never Sky

Perry and Roar are treated for injuries inside Delphi, which they call “the Box.” Cinder won’t allow doctors near him, and Perry and Roar fear he’ll unleash the Aether again. When attempting to calm the child down, Perry learns Cinder is ashamed and scared of his abilities, which Perry identifies with heavily.

Marron begins work on repairing the Smarteye while Aria enjoys the lavishness of Delphi—a large comfortable bed, hot bath, and clean clothes. A medic named Rose warns Aria about acting on any feelings for Perry while she tends to Aria’s feet. She alludes to previously being involved with Perry, who never took their relationship seriously, and that Scires will always marry other Scires.

Aria settles in for dinner with Marron, Perry, and Roar. Marron believes he’ll be able to restore power to the Smarteye, but contacting a Pod while making sure the device remains untraceable will prove more difficult. Roar asks Aria questions about the Pods and Realms, which she answers. When she asks about the Croven, the men reveal that Perry slew a Blood Lord, making him highly wanted by their tribes.

Conversation turns toward the Croven’s latest conquest; they destroyed the Blackfins tribe a few months prior. When Vale denied the Blackfins’ Blood Lord’s request for help, they turned to Sable—the Blood Lord engaged to Liv. Rumors have been circling that Sable has located the Still Blue—“a place free of the Aether” (232) where the real sky can be seen. When Marron asks about Aria’s mother, she mentions Lumina is in Bliss. Marron reveals that Bliss was supposedly destroyed in an Aether storm.

Perry works up the courage to enter Aria’s bedroom. She’s upset over the news about her mother and Bliss. Her feelings mirror the worries Perry has about his brother, Talon, which creates a bond between them. Aria asks Perry to describe his Scire abilities and reveal his temper: sorrowful over Talon and nervous because of her. She requests that he stay the night with her. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea because it mixes their scents and can sometimes cause Scires to “become rendered” (242)—a bond made through two people’s tempers, allowing them to feel what each other feels.

The Croven numbers keep increasing, numbering over 50 by the next day. They begin to shoot arrows over Marron’s protective outer walls. Cinder sneaks out the east gate, and Aria seeks out Perry, who sits on Delphi’s rooftop, to notify him of the boy’s departure.

They begin to talk of plans after they find Talon and Lumina. Perry plans to form his own tribe and find Liv. Aria wants to return to singing because “songs are stories” and “maybe [she’s] got [her] own stories to tell now” (250). Perry requests that she sing for him, and she sings a love ballad. The words have never resonated with her before, which had caused her to be resentful and ashamed of singing them, but this time, with Perry, she believes the words.

Later in the evening, Marron completes his repairs on the Smarteye, allowing Aria access to her recording of Soren in Ag 6 and her mother’s Songbird message. The Songbird message reveals many secrets about Aria’s origin and Lumina’s work. Lumina reveals Bliss sustained serious damage in an Aether storm, and “forty percent of the Pod has been contaminated, but the generators are failing and the number seems to be climbing every hour” (255).

Lumina tells Aria that the Realms were created to give them “the illusion of space when [they] were forced into Pods during the Unity” (255) but soon became a crutch for Pod inhabitants. Spending all their time in Pods has caused the limbic system of their brains to degenerate—a disorder called Degenerative Limbic Syndrome (DLS), which results in a psychotic “break.” This disorder causes people to confuse pain and pleasure, intentionally seek out feelings of thrill and stress, and revel in murder. Aria realizes this is what happened to Soren inside Ag 6 and that Bliss Pod inhabitants have likely fallen victim to the disorder by now, too. Lumina also reveals that she’s been searching for a way to cure the disorder through studying Outsiders. Perry and Aria are horrified that this fate might be what’s in store for Talon. Lumina says she met Aria’s father through these studies, revealing that Aria is half-Outsider herself. When Aria attempts to use the Smarteye to reach the Realms, she’s denied access. She tries to give up the endeavor, but Marron has another idea.

Marron believes he can sidestep the Smarteye’s security long enough to have Perry traverse the Realms. When Perry tries, he’s unable to focus while being in two realities and becomes overwhelmed, lashing out. He’s much more prepared on his second attempt and manages to successfully enter a forest Realm.

Once he’s accustomed to the forest Realm, Perry is switched over to a research Realm. He appears inside Lumina’s office, which has four doors: Lab, Conference, Research, and Subjects. He crosses through the Subjects door, finding several rooms labeled with names. One of the names is Clara, Brooke’s sister who went missing from the Tides last year.

Perry finds Talon’s room and bursts in. Talon doesn’t believe it’s Perry at first because in the Realms, “you could never trust anything. It was too easy to become something else. Someone else” (275). Once he proves his identity, Talon reveals he’s in Reverie and that he doesn’t want to leave the Realms, where he can fly, and his sickness doesn’t bother him. He also reveals that Vale was captured while attempting to rescue Talon and is in Reverie with him.

Aria appreciates how her part Outsider nature has kept her alive. She still plans to go to Bliss to find out if her mother is still alive, and despite the fact that Perry needs to return to Tide and take up the mantle of Blood Lord in his brother’s absence, he offers to accompany her first. Perry discovers that he’s rended to Aria when the offer feels more like a need than a want.

Sixty Croven wait outside Marron’s gates for Perry. Perry and Aria decide to leave Delphi during an Aether storm when the Croven will be more distracted with finding shelter. While they wait for a storm to strike, Roar trains Aria in a knife combat. Perry’s overprotectiveness of Aria during their lessons alerts Roar to his rendering. Aria’s payment for lessons is singing a song afterward, and she does so each day after practice.

Two days later, Aria is training alone when Perry joins her. Unable to concentrate when sparring with her, Perry kisses her instead. That night, an Aether storm finally strikes, giving them the opportunity to slip past the Croven and head for Bliss.