Jared took a moment to interpret. “I’m not about to-”
She held up her hand. “Not by eating women, stupid boy. The psyche sheds itself naturally, much like the sun sheds light or plants release pollen. There are a few ways to access it, but sexual intercourse is the easiest. That shouldn’t be a problem for a budding Ferronaught.”
She waved her hand. “Regardless, the first step will be to see where you are at on every level. Ria!” she called. “You will be finishing your session with Mr. Bertrek here.”
Ria entered the room within seconds. “Yes, Miss Senguine.” She winked at Jared.
“Good.” Miss Senguine stretched, forcing Jared to avert his eyes again. “When you are finished, I would like a report on his psychic strength. When you are done, take him to Annika.”
She returned to look at Jared. “We will talk later tonight. For now, I need to know how strong you are so I can help you.”
He scowled. “What if I don’t want you to know how strong I am?”
She yawned and walked to the door. “Then you may leave, no questions asked.” She glanced to Ria. “Have fun, you two.”
And then she was gone, leaving Jared alone with Ria. They looked at each other awkwardly.
She was prettier than he had given her credit for last night. She was sweaty, likely from some form of exercise, by the looks of it. A drop of sweat dripped down her neck, catching others with it. It quickly disappeared into the crevice of her bosom, which was clad only in a tight gray sports bra. She was well-endowed, probably a D or DD cup.
He coughed and averted his gaze. “So… we’re doing yoga?”
“Meditation.” She smiled. “Jess- Er, Miss Senguine says it’s important to challenge ourselves by straining our body. For your first time, maybe we should just stick to sitting.”
Jared nodded. “That’s probably for the best.”
She guided him to the mats that were still laid out on the floor and sat down, crossing her legs. He mimicked her on the other mat.
“So…” Ria started slowly. “What have you decided so far?”
“Nothing. We decided it would be better to get some more information before deciding on anything.”
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “‘We?'”
Jared flinched. Two sentences in and he had already given Quinn away. Good job, loser. “I, uh, I meant the royal we.” He groaned internally. “Of course.”
Ria blinked, then shrugged. “Alright.” He doubted she was convinced, but he was grateful she didn’t pry.
She closed her eyes and held her arms at rest beside her. Jared eyed her positioning and tried to follow suit. He felt ridiculous.
“What are we trying to do here?”
Ria opened one green eye to peer at him. “She didn’t specify. I thought I’d start you off with basic concentration techniques.
Jared rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “Yeah… That’s not really my strong suit. I’ll try, though.”
“What do you mean?” she asked innocently.
He sighed. “Nevermind. Let’s keep going.”
He gave it another try. His mind darted everywhere. Trying to catch it felt like a cat trying to pin down a laser-pointer beam. He cracked open an eye to see Ria sitting there peacefully, like it was perfectly natural for her to sit still.
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried again. He focused desperately on his body, trying to hold it still. Even twitching would be a welcome relief, but he refused to let it happen.
“Jared? Are you okay?”
He let out the breath he’d been holding and dropped his head. “I can’t do it. I’ve never been able to force myself to sit still, much less try to empty my mind.”
Ria tilted her head. “Force yourself?” She laughed. “That’s the exact opposite of what meditation is about.” She scoffed. “What a human concept.”
“What do you mean?”
Ria closed her eyes again. “It’s about letting go, returning to your base state. Let your mind wander to wherever it wants to go. You don’t have to obey it, but neither do you command it. Guide it.”
Jared closed his eyes. “Umm… Okay. I’ll try that.”
After a brief pause, Ria spoke up. “You still seem tense. Here.”
His eyes shot open as she reached out and took his arms. Her hands were soft. She lifted his arms above his head, bringing her face within inches of his. “Now,” she said, smiling, “Let them drop.”
She let go and pulled back. Jared let his hands drop into his lap.
“There. Sit like that. Don’t do anything that feels unnatural.”
He swallowed. For a moment, he had thought she was going to…
He shook his head and closed his eyes again, ducking his head to concentrate. She was right. He didn’t even really notice his hands anymore. Still, as he tried to let his mind wander, he kept getting frustrated. It was like a rogue animal that didn’t want to be followed or kept an eye on.
She noticed he was still struggling. “Try taking some deep breaths,” she offered. “That might help.”
On his first inhale, the difference was immediately noticeable. His darting stream of consciousness settled. Relaxed, somehow. “Got it.” He opened his eyes. “Thanks, Ria.”
“No problem.” She smiled and closed her eyes again. He followed suit.
After taking another few deep breaths, he felt his mind begin to wander again. Keeping her advice in mind, he let it go, curious of where it was heading. In hindsight, he should have known where it would wander.