Page 127 of The Edge of Dawn

“Right now, your ka’qui is greatly amplified by the Mating Fever,” Elgon said. “It must be exhausting to have to block out all the noise. This device acts like a filter. It will organize and concentrate your raw Talent. It can be used by others—Noa and I, for example—but only in short bursts because it’s very taxing. You, on the other hand, are in a very unique position right now. A sarien at the height of the Mating Fever.” He shot Noa a meaningful glance. “Interesting things can happen.”

Noa looked away. “You could say that.”

Elgon snorted. “She once destabilized the core of Kythia itself.”

Jade’s eyes widened. “An entire planet? You’re joking, right?”

“I wish he was.”

“You’re that powerful?”

“Not just me.”

Jade shook her head as she realized Noa was referring to her. This was some superhero-level shit. She felt like a character in a comic book.

She wasn’t ready for any of this.

At the same time, the promise of all that power was dangerously tempting.

Jade turned the krisalix over in her hands. Her attention was captured by the intricate fractal design of the gemstones. They were beautifully contoured and flattened, perfectly smooth to the touch, like a mother-of-pearl design inlaid in polished wood.

Only these gemstones reflected all colors of the rainbow.

Her eyes narrowed.

I think I know what this is.

Were they… opals?

Red, black, white… they sure looked like it. Did opals exist in other parts of the Universe? Surely, these hadn’t come from Earth.

Jade’s blood ran cold.

The red opals she was mining in Coober Pedy...

She’d been planning to sell them on the black market.

To aliens.

Coincidence?

Surely, these things weren’t connected.

“The pattern helps synchronize the frequencies of your mind. This gem-mineral is called oura. Its molecular structure is unique and can only be found in nature. Molecules of the pure element—you humans call it silica—arranged in a perfect array. As much as our scientists have tried to replicate it, they cannot. After all, it’s taken millions of revolutions for these gemstones to form.” Elgon chuckled softly. “There’s only so much we can do, after all.”

Oura?

They were bloody opals. She was certain of it.

Jade marveled at the way the light danced off the surface, reflecting every color in the spectrum. Opal was the only gemstone with this property. She would never tire of the sight.

“You just have to channel your ka’qui through the patterns, through the array,” Elgon said softly. “Then you can focus it anywhere, like a laser beam.”

“Anywhere, huh? How will I know where to focus?”

“You can feel him, can’t you?” The way Noa said it made it sound like the most natural thing, but she was probably the only person in the Universe who could understand. “It’s intuitive, isn’t it?”

Jade turned the krisalix over in her hands, marveling at the sheer beauty of the craftsmanship. The device resonated through her: raising the fine hairs on her arms, sending a ripple down her spine, making her breath catch in her chest.

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