The vibration in the frozen world didn't disappear immediately. It continued to ripple through the air in almost imperceptible waves, as if something enormous were breathing behind the landscape itself. The snow stopped falling for a few seconds, suspended in the air, and Damon realized it wasn't an illusion. Each flake seemed trapped between one instant and another, motionless, awaiting a silent command to return to normal existence.
Xue Lian remained standing in front of him, her eyes fixed on the horizon. The layer of ice on her body slowly advanced, climbing up the side of her neck and reaching part of her jaw, but she didn't seem to notice. Or perhaps she did notice and had simply chosen to ignore it. Her attention was entirely focused on something beyond the black mountains, something Damon couldn't yet see, but already instinctively felt.
"What do you mean by 'shouldn't be here'?" Damon asked, keeping his voice low, though he didn't know exactly why.
