The night was perfect for what lay ahead: darkness thick and impenetrable, wind biting and cold. Silence covered everything, punctuated occasionally by quiet exchanges between Halo and Aeliana.
He'd prepared for interrogation or assassination. What he got was the companionable silence. She actually just wanted to share space while reading.
It didn't make sense, and so he refused to let his guard down.
His awareness remained razor-sharp. The smallest change in air pressure, the faintest sound, nothing escaped him. He stared at the book but absorbed nothing. Several times, he responded to Aeliana before she'd even finished forming her thoughts.
Then a shift occurred.
Aeliana became intensely focused on her reading, no longer sparing him any attention. The next few minutes passed with her completely absorbed, as though she'd ceased to exist.
