The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. I breathed deeply, savoring the unfamiliar freshness. Holy shit. I’d never smelled anything like it before. The forests of Ossun stretched out before me, a sea of green so vast it made my spacer heart skip a beat. I’d never seen so many trees in one place before. It was like being swallowed by a giant, leafy monster.
I scanned the crowd of excited teens, looking for a familiar face. Come on, come on. Where was he? My heart did a little flip when I spotted him — Saif, with his mess of dark curls and easy smile. We’d met at far-school two years ago, and I’d been low-key obsessed ever since. Not that I’d ever admit it out loud, of course.