18Considering the strange events and trances of the night before, work went well during the daytime as the sun slipped past and tinted the ever-changing hues of the sky. The beautiful evenings had become symbolic of her shifts in consciousness.
Alone, Chione succumbed willingly that evening in the Pillared Hall. The scene began opening out even as she was yet conscious. Tauret appeared and offered her hand and when Chione floated to meet her and their hands touched, they merged.
In the Sanctuary of the Priestesses, candles flickered and incense wafted on smoke that floated to the ceiling in ever-widening spirals of white haze. Linen fabric panels hung, normally to block the daytime sun but still allow in the light. At night, they held back gusts of wind and sand through the bare windows
