Alias turned his head slowly, his silver hair spilling over his shoulder as he watched Maya approach.
She looked tiny against the vast backdrop of the dunes, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest as if she were trying to hold herself together against the chill. Her tanned face looked slightly pale, and the dark circles beneath her eyes were visible even in the dim moonlight.
"The air is heavy tonight," Alias murmured, shifting slightly to give her space on the grass. "The structure of the sky is changing."
Maya didn't look at the sky. She sank onto the grass beside him, her knees tucked tightly against her body. She stared down at her own palms, flexing her fingers slowly, her jaw tight.
