"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
It is disappointing to learn that Malachai can’t read her mind, but not a deal breaker. And that wound is quickly soothed by the news that the other girl can read her mind. Should she be annoyed or insulted about that? There’s no privacy for her to fuss about. For a girl who always speaks her mind (or - a girl who has not yet discovered an occasion to lie) it is a wonderful marvel. She makes a note to ask more about it later, and then follows that thought up with a pointed look as she attempts to direct a thought right into Midsommar’s head. Which might just happen to have the effect of it being shouted at her - Maze didn’t really know how it all worked. If the words did make it through, though, they would resemble something along the lines of ‘Remind me to get you to prove that later’.
Not right now, though, because her imagination and interest has been absolutely captured by the other things this girl has said. First, that her dad looks like the night sky - that is something that Maze wants to see - and then the mention of the aliens.
All other thoughts flit out of her head and suddenly this girl is absolutely certain that she needs to visit this fascinating home of Midsommar. It sounds so much more interesting than the forest she wanders with her parents.
“We should go find the aliens then, shouldn’t we?” And then, because she doesn’t want to feel left out, Mazikeen shifts right then and there - into a maned wolf like Malachai, only Maze’s colouring has remained the same as it was when she is a horse. She is a snowy white except for the night-dark markings on her paws and face. “I’m in the mood to find something scary tonight.”
