Page 79 of The Edge of Dawn

She couldn’t see what he was doing or hear what he was saying—she wasn’t inside his thoughts—but she could converse with him at will, projecting her voice into his mind.

How remarkable.

She’d learned mindspeech just like that.

Disconnecting from him was another thing altogether, but he’d show her how to do it when the time came.

For now, however, he was enjoying having her along for the ride.

I’m all yours now, he said, holding his battle gear in one hand as he drifted down the corridor.

What was that all about?

Work things. Preparations. I needed to get some things.

You’re really going into battle, huh?

It’s nothing out of the ordinary for me.

If it was nothing, you wouldn’t have felt the need to come and tell me before you left.

Am I not simply allowed to visit the human I found? For trivial reasons? He surprised himself. He wasn’t used to this sort of conversation—half-serious, half-amusing. And he relished it because he could guess how she would react.

You didn’t find me. You walked in on my dreams. Her indignation was charming. There was a streak of stubbornness in her that resonated with him because he had one, too.

You pulled me into your dreams. I didn’t ask for that.

Would you rather I hadn’t?

No.

Huh.

For a moment, Jade went silent.

There was a bit of time before he and Ashrael were due to take flight. Tarkun’s directions made perfect sense—eat, rest, prepare.

It was the rest part of the equation that interested him. Because he would have to nap, even if only for a short time. He’d heard that humans slept a lot. His kind, not so much. But a short period of rest would still be beneficial.

Sharper mind, sharper reflexes. Renewed by rest. In his line of work, even the tiniest fraction of a moment could make a difference.

Why don’t you get some rest, Jade? You look tired.

How can I possibly sleep when I’m with… you? There was a catch in her voice; a hint of emotion he couldn’t fathom.

She was human, after all.

Have you never had to fall asleep in the midst of chaos?

I’m not a warrior like you. I’ve always found it difficult to get to sleep, even when it’s quiet and peaceful.

He had an idea. It’s possible to catch sleep easily. I can show you how.

I’m a bit of an insomniac. I highly doubt your methods will work on me, but go ahead. You’ve made me curious.

In dreams, worldly barriers were nonexistent. Physical restraints disappeared.

There was more…

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