She’d talked with her best friend while walking home from school that day. After she and Mearzt had gotten caught up on all that had happened since they’d last spoken, Mearzt’s voice had lowered to a whisper. “Has your dad said anything about the Terrestrials?”

Ayn stopped walking, her heart speeding up in her chest, as always happened at the mention of the Terrestrials. “No,” she breathed. “Why would he?”

In the pause the followed, Ayn pictured her best friend furtively glancing around to make sure she was alone. Mearzt loved anything that smacked of the forbidden or out of the ordinary.