Under the Never Sky

The fire spreads rapidly, and Soren, Bane, and Theo begin behaving erratically. Aria and Paisley attempt to run back to the entry doors but are chased through the trees by the boys. Eventually, the girls split up—Paisley chased by Bane and Theo and Aria pursued by Soren. Aria manages to restart her Smarteye and record her surroundings, making sure “whatever happened, whatever Soren and the brothers did, she’d have proof” (21). Aria manages to see a message from her mom, titled “Songbird,” just as Soren tackles Aria to the ground and rips out her Smarteye. A real “Savage” appears in the woods, approaching them with a long knife.

Peregrine, an Outsider, plans to break into Reverie and steal medicine for his sick nephew. However, when he enters the breach in Ag 6, he witnesses Aria and the others—whom he calls Dwellers or Moles—during their scuffle. When attempting to save Aria, Perry is attacked by Soren and one of the brothers but swiftly incapacitates both. With the fire becoming dangerously large and the smoke suffocating Ag 6, Perry carries Aria to safety, leaving the others to fend for themselves. He pockets Aria’s removed Smarteye and an apple from the orchard before abandoning her.

After two days of travel, Perry arrives at the Tide compound, his home. He lives with his older brother, Vale, and nephew, Talon. Vale’s wife, Mila, died from sickness a month prior, and Talon has recently come down with the sickness as well. Since Mila’s death, Vale has become irritable and drinks heavily, causing strain on his relationship with Perry. Vale is Blood Lord—the leader of their community—and avoids taking risks or making changes. Perry wonders if he should challenge Vale for the position because “the Tides needed a Blood Lord who’d take action—and his brother didn’t want to budge” (33).

Some Outsiders are Marked, meaning they’ve been gifted with a dominant Sense. The gift is rare, but Perry is even rarer with two Senses. Perry and his brother, Vale, are both Scires—gifted with strong noses able to detect emotions through scent alone. Perry is also a Seer, blessed with an uncommon sight like Mila had been which makes him a great archer. Perry promises to gift Talon with the apple later outside the compound, where other starving Scires in town can’t detect its scent, and Talon falls asleep in Perry’s arms. Perry dreams of Aria.

Aria wakes in a Medsuit without her Smarteye. Dr. Ward, one of her mother’s colleagues, delivers her condition: “remarkable results considering what [she] must have gone through” (41). Aria is shocked to learn everyone perished in the fire, aside from herself and Soren—who is currently healing from his jaw injury. The Consuls—including Soren’s father, Consul Hess—summon Aria for the investigation of Ag 6. When she arrives, only Consul Hess is in attendance. She tells him the truth of Soren’s involvement, proving herself innocent. Consul Hess claims her mother wishes her to be delivered to Bliss, and Aria eagerly accepts his offer of transport.

The power of the Aether—the tempestuous sky above that often causes destructive storms—calls to Perry, who struggles to avoid its temptation. Soon enough, he will be unable to fight it any longer; before then, he must disperse (leave the colony) or risk either killing or dispersing his brother for the title of Blood Lord.

Perry and Talon visit the Tide’s cookhouse, where Perry flirts with Brooke—the young woman he occasionally dallies with. Though the colony is struggling to hunt food, the marriage of Perry’s sister, Liv, to a northern Blood Lord has earned Tide a significant payment in food. Audiles (Auds)—those gifted with exceptional hearing—overhear outside commotion, causing Perry and Talon to abandon their meal and gather outside. The town celebrates Vale, who’s brought back a huge buck to feast on.

Aria misses her Smarteye and the ability to “fraction and escape to a Realm” (64). She’s led to a transportation hangar and loaded into a Hover jet. Instead of taking her to Bliss, they abandon her in the Death Shop. Aria realizes that Consul Hess plans for her truth to die with her and will likely claim she’s died in the fire and blame Soren’s actions on her.

There is blatant tension between Vale and Perry. Vale believes the buck is a sign that their hunting grounds are still populated, but Perry disagrees. In a public display of dissent, Perry claims they must find a new place to live soon, or they’ll either all starve, or the worsening Aether storms in the valley will kill them. Talon breaks up the impending fight by asking Vale if Perry can take him hunting. Vale agrees, as long as Wylan—an Aud and one of Vale’s trusted men—goes with them.

Aria does not die immediately, as she’d expected, and begins to walk. Meanwhile, Aria wonders about the contents of the “Songbird” message her mother left and regrets their last shared moments. All parents can genetically modify their children in the Pods, and Aria was genetically altered to have immense singing talent. Every Sunday of her life, Aria and her mother would enter the Paris Opera Realm, and Aria would sing. The last Sunday before Lumina left, Aria refused to take it seriously and sang a cannibalism song, disappointing her mother. She now feels guilty for their last in-person interaction.