Page 82 of The Edge of Dawn

It was a strange kind of torture.

Dragek’s analysis of her troubles was surprisingly accurate. She’d seen some terrible things in people’s dreams. The human mind could hold incredible darkness.

I can’t tell you how to feel for the void, Jade. It isn’t a thing that can be described in words. You can only try and understand what I’m showing you. Don’t analyze it. Just feel it.

She still couldn’t understand what he was talking about, so she just closed her eyes and allowed the floating sensation to spread. After a while, it felt like she was floating on a body of water, neither warm nor cold, and dense enough to support her weight without any need for effort.

She was floating, and there were waves. Tiny, gentle waves, almost indistinguishable at first. But as she lowered her barriers, they became more and more pronounced.

It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

Her limbs relaxed. For the first time in longer than she could remember, all of the tension flowed out of her body.

What did you just do?

Shared a little of my consciousness with you.

How?

I don’t know. I just could, so I did.

Are you always this spontaneous?

I don’t know.

Huh. I don’t know why I should trust anything you’re telling me. After witnessing firsthand what he was capable of, she was surprised to see this side of him. It was as if he didn’t have a care in the Universe; he was nonchalant and free, almost playful.

It was the last thing she could have expected from an alien warrior who was so very adept at violence.

Because I’m right. Everything in the Universe has a frequency. To easily enter the void between worlds—what you call sleep—you must be able to feel the oscillations and ride them.

Jade sighed. Why is that so much harder than you make it sound?

It really isn’t. You just have to accept it.

Easy for you to say. You’ve probably been doing this for a very long time. It isn’t natural for me. It goes against everything I’ve ever known.

Then it’s time to shed your old ways and beliefs, isn’t it? None of that will be of use to you anymore. Just let go.

Jade saw a glimmer of light in the distance. He was right, of course, but she couldn’t ever forget who she was and where she’d come from. There were people on Earth who were important to her—family and friends—and no matter what happened and how she changed, she would go back there someday.

Hopefully soon.

But Dragek was right.

She had to let go of all that mind-debris. It was of no use to her now.

There’s no reason to be afraid. I won’t let you drift into someone else’s dreams.

Have you done that before?

No.

Then how do you know you can do it?

I just do.

Bit sure of yourself, aren’t you?

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