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

27. Jasmine

27

JASMINE

" L et's move to the other side of the street," Jasmine suggested as they walked out of the lobby. "The midday sun is merciless, and there is shade over there."

Ell-rom put on the baseball cap Julian had given him. "We need to keep on this side until we reach the intersection. Julian said not to cross without the signal indicating that it was okay."

"Of course," Jasmine agreed, even though the traffic was light, and they could have crossed right over. Ell-rom was learning the rules of the land, and she shouldn't be the bad influence who taught him that it was okay to break them. "That's the right way to do it."

He shook his head. "I can't get over what Julian told us about Amanda and Dalhu. Is kidnapping a female an accepted courtship ritual in some parts of this world?"

"Not that I'm aware of. In some places, it's okay to sell women, but I believe that the buyer must officially marry them before the transaction is finalized. I might be wrong about that part."

The horrified expression on Ell-rom's face was proof that even aliens who knew nothing of Earth customs thought that was barbaric. "How can such a thing be legal? No one should have ownership rights over another sentient being."

"You are absolutely right, but that's what some primitive cultures still do."

"That needs to be stopped." Ell-rom stopped at the crosswalk and pressed the button.

"Easier said than done. People in these cultures number in the billions. I think your sister is doing all she can to liberate women, but her enemy is propagating these customs. Again, I'm not sure about the details, but I believe that is part of Annani's clan mission statement."

"Good." He looked proud of his sister. "She is a force for good in the world."

"She is."

Jasmine had learned to be skeptical of grand claims by leaders and celebrities, but from what she had seen so far, Annani seemed genuine. Until the goddess proved her wrong, Jasmine chose to believe she was truly a ray of hope in a world that seemed to be falling apart.

As they crossed to the other side of the street, Ell-rom removed his baseball cap, tucked it into his back pocket, and took her hand. "I wonder how Annani could have accepted Dalhu as her daughter's mate. He should have been disqualified because of his act of kidnapping."

"I assume that Annani accepted that Dalhu was Amanda's choice, her truelove mate."

"I guess." Ell-rom squeezed her hand. "I will need to ask her about it. Can you imagine falling for someone who kidnapped you?"

Jasmine shook her head. "As someone who was kidnapped, the answer is a definite no. Even if Alberto did not do it to hand me over to his boss, I would have never forgiven him for it. Amanda must have suffered from Stockholm syndrome, which later morphed into something more."

"What is that syndrome?"

Jasmine paused for a moment. "It's a psychological response sometimes seen in kidnapping victims. Basically, it's when a captive starts to develop positive feelings toward their captor because they are dependent on them and fear them. They might even start to sympathize with them or defend their actions. Thankfully, I've never experienced that, so I can't really empathize."

Ell-rom seemed doubtful. "My impression of Amanda is that she's very assertive and confident. I can't see her succumbing to that syndrome."

"You are right. She doesn't seem like the type, but I'm not an expert, so I don't know if there is a type. Maybe it can happen to anyone. Their relationship seems genuine now, and Dalhu seems like a devoted husband and father. It's just hard for me to imagine how it could have started that way and turned into something good."

Ell-rom was quiet for a moment, processing the information. "Love is a complex emotion," he finally said.

She chuckled. "Especially immortal love with all that fated mates mythology that seems so real. The immortals are convinced that the Fates reward those they find deserving with a truelove mate, and that finding that one and only special person is so sacred that it supersedes everything else." She smiled. "I thought that it was just a nice romantic story, but now that I've found you, I believe it to be true."

He stopped and pulled her to him. "I believe it, too. But what makes us more deserving than others?"

She cupped his cheek. "We have both suffered, Ell-rom, each of us in different ways. I lost my mother and had to endure my stepmother and two obnoxious stepbrothers. You grew up without a father and a mother you rarely saw, hidden behind robes and veils. Both of us deserve some good fortune, don't you think?"

Ell-rom nodded. "We do. I hope there is also someone special for Morelle. She suffered along with me."

"I'm sure there is." Jasmine took his hand and resumed walking. "How are you doing? Should I start looking for a bench?"

"Not yet. I want to stretch the walking time a little longer and keep the rests a little shorter."

She cast him a sidelong glance. "Promise to tell me when you need a rest before you are ready to keel over. I don't think I can carry you if you do."

"I promise." He squeezed her hand.

As they turned a corner into an alley that Jasmine hadn't ventured into before, she caught sight of a bookstore on the street beyond it. It was tucked between a café and a boutique. "Oh, look." She pointed. "That's a store that sells books over there. Would you like to see it? It's not far, and I could use a few new romance books." She smiled up at him. "Something new and exciting to read to Morelle."

"Sure." He frowned as he looked around the alley. "What is this place?"

"Just a passage between buildings where trucks deliver goods to the stores on the other side."

The place was clean, and it was daytime, so she wasn't too worried. Besides, she wasn't alone. Ell-rom might not be in his top shape yet, but he was already stronger than most human males.

Excited by the prospect of browsing, Jasmine hurried her step and was glad to note that Ell-rom was keeping up, but after a few steps, he started to lag behind, and she had to slow down.

"Too fast for you?"

He nodded. "I hope there is a place to sit in that store."

"I'll find you a chair." She wrapped an arm around his waist and tried to prop him up, but he was too heavy.

"Don't," he said quietly. "I'm okay as long as we walk slowly."

"Sorry." She removed her arm and took his hand again.

The bookstore was about three hundred feet away, and there was no bench on the way, so they had no choice but to push forward.

Suddenly, an arm shot out from a dark alcove, wrapping around Jasmine's neck and yanking her backward. She felt the cold press of metal against her temple, and as she realized it was a gun, her blood ran cold.

"Don't move a muscle!" a gruff voice said. The arm around her neck tightened, making it hard to breathe. "Both of you."

Ell-rom seemed frozen in place, and so was Jasmine.

The arm around her neck was twitchy, and the barrel of the gun pressed to her temple was juddering.

The guy was most likely a drug addict in need of a fix, and he might shoot her accidentally.

He also stank to high heaven, which meant that he was probably homeless.

"What do you want?" she whispered. "I have money in my wallet. It's in my back pocket. Take it out and let us go."

"Nice try, bitch. I'm not taking my hands off you or the gun. Pull out the wallet and put it in my pocket. Give me your watch, too."

Jasmine's heart pounded in her chest, and fear coursed through her veins. He sounded lucid, but the hand around her neck was still shaking, and the gun was still trembling against her temple.

Stay calm. Don't make any sudden movements. Comply with his demands . The rules echoed in her head, but it was hard to focus with the gun pressed against her temple and the arm constricting her throat.

Her eyes locked with Ell-rom's, beseeching him not to do anything stupid. One threatening move and the addict might blow her brains out.

"Okay, okay. Just calm down. I'm going to remove the watch now." She unfastened the clasp of her fake Cartier and lifted it so he could see it. "I'm going to put it in your pocket now."