She swallowed to ease the sudden dryness in her throat. “Will we be able to feel what he feels?"
"Yes. But I will protect you from it as much as I can."
"I don't know—"— if I can cope with Jake's fear on top of my own.
"You must,” Michael said gently. “If you want him to survive." She took a deep breath then nodded. Jake was the closest thing she had left to family. She didn't want to lose him. “What do I do?"
"Sit in his chair and relax."
She did. Michael held her hand. Heat burned through her flesh, warming the ice formed by her apprehension.
"Now relax and close your eyes."
She listened to the rhythmic flow of his breathing and tried to match it. Gradually, she felt the tension begin to leave her limbs.
"Relax, relax.” Michael's voice was a whisper that soothed her soul. “Allow our thoughts to touch, become one."
Heat danced through her, warmth that burst like an explosion through every fiber of her being. It was a caress, a lover's kiss, and nothing like the invasion she'd imagined. The fire that burned when they touched was nothing when compared to the inferno they raised as their minds became one. Concentrate, Nikki
The cool breeze of his thoughts whispered through her. His mind ran like a wave before hers, separate yet united with her own. She could see his thoughts before he spoke them. See his emotions, a blaze of color that almost left her blind. Could see the areas he wished kept hidden, vast tracts of forbidding darkness.
Find Jake, Nikki.
She reached for the watch. The metal was cold against her skin, but her hands twitched, burned by the images rushing from the fob. Her senses leaped away, following the trail that led to Jake. Shapes began to form. She felt a tremor of fear, only to have Michael chase it away. Concentrate on Jake, Nikki. See him. Feel him. Become one with him...
...Pain throbbed through his temples. Jake cursed and ran a hand through his hair, only to stop when he felt the sticky dampness matting it all.
What the hell? He struggled into a sitting position and tried to remember what had happened. Cold stone nudged his butt, and a breeze pulled at his wet clothes. Where on earth was he? The air was heavy with age and the scent of decay. Somewhere ahead in the darkness he could hear the steady drip of water.