“Not long,” said David. “If we’re going to turn you back into humans, we need to get started.”

“What about our eyes?” asked Tahlia. “Sclera aren’t customarily green.”

“Sunglasses,” said Mandy. “Not enough people know what the aliens really look like to be suspicious of sunglasses. Yet. We don’t have a lot of time. Stasia, I know you know your way around a makeup sponge. Get over here.”

I got over there, glancing back at Graham as I went. He met my eyes and nodded grimly. He knew as well as I did that this wasn’t over.

Sometimes it felt like it was never going to be.

Chapter 16

Marana, Arizona: August 8, 2031

Second day of the invasion

1.

The desert was dark, lit only by the stars and the headlights of the cars that occasionally flashed past us, racing through the night, fleeing from an uncertain future. The red smear of the flame-filled sky over Tucson had long since faded into nothing more than a smudge in the rearview mirror. The air was still warmer than it should have been, flavored with distant hints of ash.

Toni sat behind the wheel of our “borrowed” SUV, her lips pressed into a hard line as she kept her eyes focused on the road. Her time as a driver for visitors to the observatory had left her with the best head for driving under pressure, while Mandy’s time as a protestor for human rights in the early 2020s had left her surprisingly good at stealing cars. Combined, they could have been a menace. As it stood, they were the closest thing we had to salvation.

“It itches,” complained Lucas, pressing a hand to the bandage on his forehead.

“Don’t pick at it,” said Tahlia, voice sharp. “If you start bleeding again in this enclosed of a space, I don’t know what we’ll do to you.”

“I do,” said Jeff. In contrast, he sounded almost cheerful, like he couldn’t wait to demonstrate what was coming for all humanity.

“Hush,” snapped Tahlia.

I gave her a sidelong look. She had warmed considerably since we’d met, and more, now, she seemed almost to be on the side of our humans. It was like Toni’s willingness to save her had answered some question she didn’t even realize she was asking, making everything else easier.