He nodded. “I will be shocked if any of us hears from him for many months to come.”
Understanding Velmar’s retreat didn’t make her capable of the skills Malik’s plan required. “I know Velmar is more powerful than most, but there has to be someone else capable of accessing the information.”
He stood up and came around to her side of the table. “Aren’t you curious? We have a few days. Let’s see what you can and cannot do.”
Jaron spent the next four hours assessing Nikki. She silenced her inner doubts and learned as much as she possibly could. The flashes of insight that had come to her uninvited on Cretz, she was now able to summon at will. They passed thoughts back and forth easily though it was still hard for her to establish the connection. She seemed to be able to “read” objects, sensing events that had taken place around them. Though she could occasionally sense the location of people or events in distant locations, she could not free her being from her corporeal body.
“The majority of your abilities fall within the ‘seer’ realm,” Jaron determined as she completed the final test. “I don’t think your insights are prophetic and I haven’t seen anything that indicates you would be able to dream share.”
She nodded, not sure what to do with the information. “How does that help us now?”
He smiled, gaze warm and encouraging. “Now I know which skills to focus on, and you know what to expect.”
Jaron was a patient and skilled mentor, but so much of what he was trying to teach her was, well alien to her. Humans didn’t connect mind to mind or send thoughts across long distances. They couldn’t access each other’s memories, much less search out and retrieve one specific image.
They were together continually for the next three days, sharing meals and gazing into each other’s eyes while she developed the needed skills. He touched her frequently, kissing her when the tension became too much to ignore. But whenever things really heated up, Jaron pulled away. She knew it was for the best, yet her body ached and she spent most of the nights trying to imagine what life would be like as Jaron’s mate.
She had rearranged her life for Geoff. Was she falling into the same damn trap? The only way she could build a life with Jaron was if she gave up her life for him. Jaron wasn’t Geoff. That much was glaringly obvious, but the similarities were troubling.
He introduced her to his neighbors and took her on long, leisurely strolls through the woods. They talked about life on Earth as well as the rebellion. He hadn’t come right out and asked to court her like Kara said he would. Still, it was obvious that this was a courtship.
On day three, he formed a transfer link so he could show her the pathways she needed to manipulate. Her training had necessitated the link, but it allowed her to sense his emotions when he wasn’t intentionally shielding them from her.
The shared perception offered her glimpses of what was going on behind his calm facade. Though his physical desire was continual and intense, he controlled it with discipline and selfless focus. His other emotions were easier to suppress yet just as surprising. If she would let him, he would claim her today. And soul-bonding was permanent. How could anyone to be that certain about a romantic relationship? People and priorities changed. Or worse, they stayed exactly the same.
“Where did you go?” he asked drawing her back into the present. They sat side by side on the couch in his living room, their bodies angled toward each other.
“I’m making progress, but I’m still worlds away from what I need to be able to do. Salvo is going to be here in the morning and I’m not ready.” The assessment was true. It just wasn’t what was bothering her. The longer she was alone with Jaron, the more restless she became. All she had to do was look into his eyes and her core ached. She’d asked him to take things slowly, but this was torture.
“Let’s go for a walk.” He stood then helped her to her feet. “You’ve been particularly tense all day. I think some fresh air will do you good.”
She didn’t argue. She just thought other things would help her attitude even more. “Where are we going?”