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

17. Jasmine

17

JASMINE

J asmine had noticed the moment when Ell-rom's gaze had become distant and unfocused. Had the scene triggered another memory?

She hadn't asked.

This wasn't the place to inquire, not with Julian and Gertrude present. Especially if the memory had anything to do with Ell-rom's potentially dangerous ability.

Listening to the speeches, Jasmine had been troubled by the idea of interrogating everyone in the village, including older children, and using compulsion to force them to reply truthfully. It would no doubt be effective, but it also seemed somewhat dictatorial. The villagers had no choice but to comply, with no recourse to legal representation or protection.

Her concern had eased after hearing Annani. The goddess had approached the issue with less gravity than her son, turning the interrogation into a socializing opportunity.

Her phone buzzing in her pocket pulled Jasmine out of her thoughts, and as she checked the message, she smiled. Margo informed her that Gabi and Frankie were cooking dinner, and it would be done in an hour.

She typed up a reply. We will be there, but we need to visit Morelle first. We got stuck watching the assembly with Julian and Gertrude, so we haven't seen her yet .

Margo's message came back right away. Julian and Gertrude are invited too .

When the assembly concluded, and they were about to leave Julian's office, Jasmine relayed the message. "Gabi and Frankie are cooking, so there's no guarantee it'll be good."

Julian chuckled. "I'm sure it will be much better than the takeout we've been eating."

A few moments later, when Ell-rom closed the door to Morelle's room behind him, Jasmine turned to him, searching his face. "You zoned out during the assembly," she whispered. "Did another memory surface?"

Ell-rom nodded. "It was about Morelle and me watching worshipers from the window of our room," he said aloud, indicating that what he remembered had no bearing on his deadly ability, which they were still keeping a secret.

He described his awe at the devotion and how it contrasted sharply with Morelle's cynicism and dismissal of his faith.

"She reminded me of Jade," Ell-rom concluded. "Not in appearance, but in attitude. There was a hardness there, a disillusionment." He sighed. "With an attitude that life is pointless, maybe she is not waking up because she doesn't want to?"

"I doubt that Morelle's attitude has anything to do with her coma." Jasmine put her hand on Ell-rom's arm. "Besides, the Kra-ell culture encourages its females, especially those destined to rule, to be fierce and unemotional. Morelle was probably just playing into the role."

When Ell-rom shook his head, unconvinced, and turned to look at his twin, Jasmine wrapped an arm around his waist. "Your sister is a fighter, and she loves you. She will never choose to abandon you."

That sparked hope in his eyes, and he smiled. "I hope you are right."

Watching Morelle's peaceful face and steady breathing, Jasmine thought back to the assembly and Annani's words of unity and family. The speech had resonated with her, and she hoped that when Morelle woke up, she would feel that sense of belonging and find a place in this new world, just as Ell-rom and she were beginning to.

After all, it wasn't just Ell-rom who was adjusting to a new reality. Jasmine was still adjusting, too.

"We should probably head to dinner." She glanced at her watch, a fake Cartier that looked so authentic it could pass even a careful scrutiny.

Well, human scrutiny.

An immortal would see the small print with Curtier instead of Cartier on the face of the watch.

She owned several pieces like it, but this one was her favorite. It always made her feel fancy, even though it wasn't the real deal.

Ell-rom followed her gaze. "You seem fond of that piece of jewelry."

It occurred to her then that she hadn't explained to him what a watch was, and he probably thought she just liked looking at her bracelet.

Talk about adjusting.

Poor Ell-rom was still learning the most basic stuff. "It's not just decorative. It tells the time." She explained how it worked.

Ell-rom seemed fascinated. "These symbols are much easier to remember than the English numbers. If I had a device like that, I would be able to tell time right away."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "First of all, the other kind of numbers, as well as this type, are international, not just English. And secondly, I'm going to buy you a watch even though you can tell what time it is by looking at your phone screen. If you like mine, they have a version for men that looks very similar."

Hopefully, she could get a fake version because there was no way she could afford a real Cartier for him.

He didn't look happy. "I don't want you to keep buying things for me."

"It's not my money, my love. It's the clan's. But even if it was mine, why deprive me of the pleasure of gifting you things?" Jasmine headed toward the door.

Ell-rom followed. "Because I cannot do the same for you, and it makes me feel inadequate."

She could totally understand that. "You shouldn't worry about it. Before you know it, the roles will be reversed, and you will be buying me things. We are a team, and we take care of each other."