She pulled her hand away. “Not bad enough to let him into my mind.”
Velmar moved closer to the table. “I apologize for my rudeness and promise to be on my best behavior. This is our best chance of getting out of here.”
“Why have you been such a jerk to me?” Maybe if she understood his behavior she could get over her grudge. Velmar was one of Jaron’s close friends, so they needed to find a way to be civil.
“You were lying and I knew it,” he said simply. “I thought you were a spy.”
“And now?”
One of his shoulders lifted then dropped. “Jaron scanned your mind. If he is satisfied that you are telling the truth then so am I.”
She whipped her head around, gaze narrowed. “Is that why you scanned my mind?”
“Absolutely not.” Jaron glared at Velmar. “If you are trying to talk her into this, you are doing a horrible job of it.”
“We are wasting time,” Velmar growled. “We do not need to like each other to cooperate. I will keep my mental touch as light as possible. I have no interest in your human secrets.”
He made the claim with such condescension that Nikki nearly refused. God above, she disliked this jerk. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.” She stood and moved behind her chair. “How do I do this?”
With his gaze fixed on her, Velmar told Jaron, “To minimize contact with me, could you please pass her an image of Salvo. Then show her Ghost City. Or is he in the capital?”
Jaron shook his head. “Salvo likes Riverside about as much as you do. As far as I know, he’s in Ghost City.”
Velmar just nodded and an image slipped into Nikki’s mind, a handsome Sarronti male with long silver-blond hair and ice-blue eyes. His jawline was shadowed by a dark beard which made his hair even more striking. His image faded and she saw a strange, ruined cityscape. Jagged buildings and impassible streets, boarded up windows, and abandoned vehicles, Ghost City indeed.
“Close your eyes,” Velmar directed.
She reluctantly complied.
“Picture the city Jaron just showed you.”
A spider web of sensations encircled her scalp from temple to temple as she worked to recapture the image. She shook her head, instinctively fighting against the intense tingling.
“Relax,” Velmar coaxed. “I’m almost done.”
Done doing what? The cityscape slipped away, but the silver-haired male flashed into focus.
“Find this person,” Velmar told her. “Reach out to him as you reached out to me.”
But she didn’t know how she’d done it with Velmar. How could she repeat a spontaneous act?
“Stop doubting yourself and just let go. Your mind knows what to do.”
Focusing in on the image of Salvo’s eyes, Nikki let all the frustration and fear of the past few weeks surge to the surface. She’d found Velmar because she’d had no other choice. It had been escape or die. Well, this situation was nearly as dire. Salvo. Salvo, can you hear me?
The tingling intensified then Velmar instructed, Try again.
Salvo, we need your help. Salvo, please talk to me.
Like the buzzing of insects, a faint sound droned in the distance.
A surge of excitement helped her focus on the sound. Salvo, was that you?
Who are you? The mind-voice was heavily accented and barely intense enough to reach her. How are you doing this? A wave of accusation propelled the question, making it louder and easier to understand.
Dropping names had worked before, so she tried it again. Velmar is guiding me. Jaron and Ayran are here as well. We’ll explain everything when you get here. Can you sense my position? We desperately need your help.
Chapter Four
With Salvo’s assistance, the ship arrived in Ghost City less than an hour later. Salvo’s apartment wasn’t large enough to accommodate everyone, so Ayran offered to fly Haley and Selina to Lake Walker Village where Jaron’s mother was expecting them.
“I’ll go with them,” Nikki said firmly.
“We need you to update us,” Salvo told her. “My brother is waiting for you and Jaron.”
“Which one is your brother?”
“Malik commands our military,” Jaron reminded. They had rattled off a number of names and positions as they brought Salvo up to date, so her confusion was understandable. “This really is important.”
She looked toward the cabin where her friends slept, worry shaping her expression. “Can we go to Lake Walker Village as soon as I answer all of Malik’s questions?”
“Of course. I’m as anxious to return home as you are.” Jaron smiled, but the fact was extremely troubling. The more time he spent with Nikki the more drawn