Dark Awakening: Echoes of Destiny (The Children Of The Gods #88)

9. Ell-rom

9

ELL-ROM

A s Ell-rom entered Julian's office, the medic greeted him with a smile and gestured for him to take a seat. "How was the walk this morning?"

"It was good. Jasmine said that we covered about three miles, and when we got back, I didn't feel like I needed to sleep to recuperate. When we returned, Shai was waiting for us in the penthouse with a personal computer and a phone for me. The computer came with an artificial intelligence teacher that helps me to learn English, and I'm happy to report that I have already mastered the English alphabet."

Ell-rom felt a little awkward about boasting, but he was proud of himself and the progress he'd made.

"That's excellent." Julian glanced at the screen of his own computer. "Vanessa sent me two possible time slots for today's session. She has an opening at three in the afternoon and another one at six. Which one do you prefer?"

Ell-rom cleared his throat. "Neither. I don't need any more sessions."

Julian tilted his head. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

Ell-rom felt his ears getting hot. "I'm over the aversion. In fact, I can't wait to do it again."

"Congratulations," Julian said. "That was much faster than any of us could have expected or hoped for."

Ell-rom nodded. "Jasmine's blood tastes exquisite. It is nothing like what was in the goblet in my dream or the synthetic stuff. Now I crave it instead of being repulsed by it."

Genuine delight crossed Julian's features. "That's wonderful, Ell-rom. Again, congratulations."

"Thank you."

"I assume that means you and Jasmine have started the induction process."

Dread pooling in the pit of his stomach, Ell-rom nodded. "How dangerous is it for her?"

"It's hard to tell because every Dormant is different, and we don't really know why some transition with ease while others struggle. What I suggest, though, is for you to move to the village. The clinic there is bigger and better equipped to handle a transition, and Morelle is well enough to be transported." He smiled. "I miss spending more time with my mate, and I'd rather be in the village than here."

Julian's suggestion should have made Ell-rom happy and excited, but instead, he felt anxious.

Too many changes were happening too fast, and his stomach churned at the prospect of another one coming up so soon. He'd just adjusted to living in the penthouse, and now Julian wanted him to move again.

"If you think it's better for Jasmine, then of course."

The medic leaned forward. "Don't worry. It's easy to get used to something better, and the village is much better than even the luxurious penthouse. Everyone will know who and what you are, and you won't need to pretend to be human."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Ell-rom rubbed the back of his neck. "The idea is to hide my and Morelle's rescue and recovery from the Eternal King. Is it safe to let everyone in the village know who I am?"

Julian took a moment to think. "I understand your concern, but the Clan Mother does not want to hide you. She wants to celebrate you and Morelle. That being said, I'm sure Kian will have some reservations, so I should call him and ask how he wants to do it."

"Yes, of course."

"I'll text him first." Julian pulled out his phone. "He might not have time to talk to me today. He's called a big assembly for tonight, which I will have to miss." His fingers flew over the screen as he typed the message.

"What's the assembly about?" Ell-rom asked.

Julian was about to answer when his phone rang. "It's Kian," the medic said before accepting the call. "Hello, Kian. Thank you for calling me back right away."

"What's going on?" Kian's gruff voice came through.

"I think it is time to move the twins to the village. Ell-rom is here with me, and he just informed me that he and Jasmine have started working on her transition. Also, Morelle is stable, and moving her to the village shouldn't be a problem. The facilities in the clinic in the village are much more spacious and comfortable, and it would provide a safer environment for Jasmine's transition."

"Actually, the timing couldn't be better," Kian said. "I need the clinic to conduct the experiment of removing a tracker from one of the gods and implanting it in a human. I'd rather the twins and Jasmine weren't anywhere near the place when that is being done."

Ell-rom felt a mixture of relief and anxiety. Relief that Kian seemed to have no problem with him and Morelle moving into the village, and anxiety because of the impending change.

"When?" Julian asked. "If we do it today, I can attend the assembly."

Kian chuckled. "Regrettably, that's not going to happen so easily. My mother would want to properly welcome her siblings to the village, and that means she needs time to plan a party. We also need to prepare a place for Ell-rom and Jasmine."

Julian seemed to disagree with Kian's last statement. "Maybe it's better to wait with the house for after Jasmine's transition. Until then, they should stay with someone who will know what to do when the time comes."

"Right," Kian said. "I'll check with my mother and let you know."

With that, the call ended, and Julian turned to Ell-rom. "Well, you heard him. Kian is going to coordinate things with Annani. Knowing the Clan Mother, she will want the entire village population to welcome you and Morelle."

Ell-rom swallowed. "I'm not sure I want a big gathering like that."

Julian lifted his hands. "You can try to reason with your sister, but from experience, I can tell you that it will be a futile effort. When Annani decides something, it is very difficult to change her mind."

"Maybe I should call Annani before Kian talks to her then?" Ell-rom offered.

He had a phone now, with the contacts of all his family members programmed with their pictures to make it easy for him to call them.

"That's a good idea, but I suggest sending her a text first. She might not have her earpieces in place when you call, and I bet you didn't learn enough English in one session to converse with her in it."

"That's true." He thought about the phone not being programmed with Kra-ell and how to solve that problem. If he put the teardrop on, he could dictate a message to Annani in English. "I'll do that after our exercise session."

"Excellent." Julian pushed to his feet. "Let's head to the gymnasium. Today, I will introduce you to weightlifting." He clapped Ell-rom on his back. "You need to strengthen these muscles."