Page 103 of The Edge of Dawn

And the rush of being with him.

Of figuring him out.

Of being under his protectiveness.

Wake. Up.

I can’t.

The subconscious can start to feel restrictive if you fight it too much. Sleep is a natural biological process. Your body obviously needs it. You will rouse when you’re ready. In the meantime, why don’t you just let it go and allow your mind to drift?

Dragek? She couldn’t believe she was hearing his voice. Did she want him so badly that she was conjuring him? Is that really you? Are you okay?

Fear gripped her. If he was here, did that mean he was unconscious somewhere? Had he gotten hurt during his mission? Already?

And then he was there, standing over her, looking as perfect and unearthly as ever.

There was something different about him. He wore a skintight suit made of shimmering fabric that captured the light, throwing it back at her as a subtle pearlescent shimmer. A strange, smooth white mask was slung around his neck.

His outfit left little to the imagination. She could make out every contour of his magnificent body—and the undeniable bulge of his erection.

A pair of daggers hung at his sides, and the sheaths and the hilts of the blades seemed to be wrapped in the same material as his suit.

His long, dark hair was bound in a high topknot. The suit had a hood attachment that could be slipped over his hair.

Such a pretty, luminous, light-coloured suit.

So why did his appearance feel so alien and menacing?

This was a part of him she didn’t know or understand. What does it mean?

He didn’t exactly look like he was going into heavy combat. Shouldn’t he have armor or guns?

“Should I be scared for you right now?”

One dark eyebrow rose in wry amusement. “I don’t think anybody’s ever felt scared for me. But when you say it like that, I like it.”

Relief coursed through her. He certainly didn’t sound like he was in trouble. “You’re fine, aren’t you?”

“Very fine.”

“Then how are you even here? I thought you’d be wide awake.”

“I am.” A hint of a smile tugged at one corner of his mouth.

“So what is going on?”

“I’m traveling through an inter-dimensional rift right now. A break in the space-time continuum. I suspect what’s happening is that the forces causing time and space to bend are distorting the boundaries between dimensions. Strange things happen inside such structures. I’m in two realities at once. But I didn’t come here by accident. It was you who pulled me here.” Gentle laughter spilled from his lips, and it was one of the most delightful things she’d ever heard. “You have no idea how incredible that is, do you?”

“I actually don’t. What’s an inter-dimensional rift?”

“A tunnel connecting two different points a vast distance apart in space—a wormhole.”

“Oh. I didn’t know wormholes actually existed.” But nothing much could surprise her anymore. “Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Theoretically, yes. But Tarak has assured me this one is stable, and I have no choice but to trust him.”

“You seem to have a lot of faith in the guy.” Jade knew of the notorious Tarak al Akkadian’s reputation—from the various Network media outlets on Earth. She’d never expected to come so close to him, let alone learn that he could inspire this kind of loyalty in someone like Dragek, who was a force unto himself.

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