He pursed his lips together, studying her.
She sighed. “Sorry if I was rude with the thoughts. I’ve never been around someone who legitimately could hear my thoughts.”
“Would you want to be, if you knew?”
“I don’t know that I would. There are people on my planet who claim to, but really, they’re just good at reading body language and tiny details. Still, we marvel at their ability. A true telepath? That would be a phenomenon on our world.”
“Until others started crying for the telepath’s blood, for poisoning their thoughts, and making them do things.”
The idea gave her a shiver. Though she could see it. All it would take was a few viral posts on social media platforms, and the mob would form itself. She already saw it, with those against the alien connection and The Bridge now.
To know that some could be telepathic? That would bring a whole new kind of terror to the fear mongers.
The idea rather terrified her, honestly. Not the telepathy, but what people would think of it.
Would his people even be able to be on Earth? “Are you all telepathic?”
“We can be.”
“So not all of your people are?”
“Not all, no.”
“Wow, what’s that like?” she asked, completely intrigued by the idea of being able to hear thoughts rather than just the words people were saying.
He stared at her. “What do you mean?”
“What’s it like to hear other people’s thoughts all the time?”
“Tiring.”
She grinned. “That makes sense. Is it like an echo in your head, or is it as clear as a voice on a phone?”
“What is a phone?”
“Oh, right. Sorry. A communicator. A comm.” She had to remember that they wouldn’t know human—er, um, Earthling technology, since it’s stuck on Earth and not out in the universe, mixing with all the races.
“No, it’s not like a comm’s communication. It is a voice, just like how you are speaking to me now.”
“Are a lot of species telepathic?”
“No. And if they were, they wouldn’t be allowed,” came a male voice.
Jenny spun and saw a male and a female coming toward them. The male had purplish-gray skin, and the female had ridges on her nose and brow.
Karuk glanced over his shoulder at them. “Bardon, you and Cher can move along.”
“The little Earthling is asking questions, we’re just answering,” Cher said. She leaned toward Jenny. “You can’t always believe him. He’s a Dalgurian. They are telepathic and can manipulate your mind.”
“Cher,” Karuk said, warning in his tone.
She stared at him, and even though she was alien, Jenny knew that look. She was challenging him to argue with her, especially in front of the purple guy.
Who didn’t like Karuk?
“Thanks for the tip,” Jenny said.
She debated if she should stay right there with him, and let the others move on, or if she should get out of there. Either option seemed viable.
