Page 118 of The Edge of Dawn

“Seriously?”

“I’m serious. But of course, you can decline if you don’t feel comfortable.”

Jade let out an ironic laugh. “If you know so much about me already, then you know I’m not going to do that.”

“I know.” Noa leaned forward, her expression turning serious. “You’re smart, Jade. You know how improbable this is, how huge this is. What we’re asking you to do might sound like a shot in the dark, but I believe it’s very important that you try. Besides… it was Tarak himself who specifically requested that we try this.”

Jade frowned. Why would the infamous General Tarak al Akkadian take such an interest in her?

She couldn’t help but feel like a pawn in a much bigger game, a tiny cog in a machine. Was that what they’d planned all along when they’d first discovered what she was capable of?

Her mouth went dry. Her unease deepened.

They’d treated her well, no doubt about it, but everything had happened too easily, too conveniently.

As if they were setting her up.

How were they any different from the humans that had tried to detain her on Earth?

Jade tried to keep her fear and mistrust from spilling over.

Keep it together. This is real. This is happening.

But she didn’t know what was real anymore.

Noa was still staring at her intently, radiating a calm, gentle energy. Her aura was so serene, so centered. Jade almost envied her.

If only she could become like that.

“I can feel what you’re feeling,” Noa said quietly. “It’s understandable. I can’t deny that Tarak does things because he sees a certain logic in them. All I can say is that he’s a very ethical and considerate chess master. Everything he does is calculated for the benefit of our survival. Despite what you might have heard about him, he’s a good man. And he and Ash are very much on our side. Sounds preposterous, doesn’t it? There’s no point in me trying to convince you. Why don’t I just show you?”

“How?” Jade felt a ripple at the edge of her consciousness. She pulled her thoughts inward, ignoring the murmur of hundreds of thoughts in the background.

“The beauty of our gift is that we can share the unspoken and see the truth with absolute certainty. Years of distrust and misunderstanding can be bypassed in an instant. Let me show you what I mean. I’m going to share my innermost thoughts and memories with you. I was all over the place when I first started, but I have to admit, I’ve gotten quite good at this.”

“What do I have to do?”

“Nothing. Just stay as you are. I’ll reach out to you. And don’t worry, I won’t delve into your mind at all. If you feel uncomfortable at any point, just say so.”

“Uh, okay.” When Noa was so earnest like this, how could she refuse? Jade’s curiosity and desire to understand her newfound ability overrode her fear.

She sat back and looked out across the stars. The Universe was silent and infinite and dangerously mesmerizing.

If she stared at it long enough, she’d probably go into a trance.

“Please just relax, Jade. You’re amongst friends here. Nobody wants to hurt you, and I can assure you that if anybody tried, Dragek would take their head off.”

“I can actually see that.”

“So, relax.”

“Fine.” Jade closed her eyes and tried as best as she could. She tried to contain her thoughts in a vessel of willpower. It worked—somewhat. She wasn’t as scattered as before.

Jade was composed enough to feel Noa’s featherlike touch as she brushed against her consciousness.

She felt Noa’s psychic presence. It was as calm and composed as Noa herself, reminding her of a cool, glassy lake on a hot, windless day.

Then, like glass shattering into a million pieces, Noa’s barriers crumbled. Jade was plunged into a stream of memories and emotions.

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