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

64. Ell-rom

64

ELL-ROM

E ll-rom's eyes were fixed on Jasmine as she made her final adjustments in front of the full-length mirror. She was a vision in white, wearing a pantsuit that somehow managed to be both elegant and striking. The pants flowed wide and graceful, while the short-sleeved top hugged her curves.

Jasmine had also done something to accentuate her eyes, painting her lashes darker and her eyelids several shades of gold and brown. The effect was that her eyes seemed even larger and more golden than usual. Her lips were a warm orange-brown color that drew his gaze like a magnet. Her dark hair cascaded down her back and over her shoulders in big, soft curls, framing her beautiful face.

"You look incredible." He came to stand behind her. "Breathtaking."

Jasmine turned to him, a radiant smile lighting up her face. "Thank you, love. I want to make an impression for our big debut."

With the high-heeled shoes she was wearing, she was nearly eye to eye with him, and as his gaze traveled down to her feet, he was worried that her pretty white shoes with their tall spiky heels would become a hindrance during the welcome party. "You certainly will make an impression, but Julian said that the event is going to take place on a lawn, and the spikes on those shoes will make it hard to walk in them. They might not be the most practical choice."

Jasmine laughed, the sound like music to his ears. "Oh, I'm well aware of that." She put her hands on his shoulders. "But this outfit paired with these shoes makes me feel like a boss."

Ell-rom frowned. "Is this outfit and the shoes part of a uniform?"

She tilted her head. "Why would you think that?"

"Otherwise, I don't understand how what you wear can put you in charge."

Then it suddenly dawned on him. "Oh, I see. It's about how they make you feel."

Ell-rom felt a surge of pride. He was getting better at understanding these nuances of human behavior and expression.

Jasmine's smile widened. Leaning in to place a quick kiss on his cheek, she said, "You're catching on fast."

Casting a final glance in the mirror, she smoothed a flyaway strand of hair and walked toward the suitcases and bags stacked next to the door. "Ready?"

He nodded. "Ready."

Ell-rom picked up their bags and a rolling suitcase. Jasmine grabbed two more of those, and together they stepped out of the bedroom and walked into the living room.

All three gods were there, waiting to say their goodbyes, and Ell-rom felt a pang of sadness as he realized this might be the last time he saw this place that had become his first real home. Still, the excitement of what lay ahead overshadowed the momentary melancholy.

"I wish Margo, Frankie, and Gabi were here to say goodbye to us," Jasmine said after giving each of the gods a hug. "I know that Margo and Frankie are in training at Perfect Match, but I hoped Gabi would be here."

"Gabi is meeting one of her brothers in the city," Aru said.

Negal looked at what they were carrying and stepped forward. "Let me help you with that."

Ell-rom wanted to say that they didn't need help, but Jasmine gladly accepted the god's offer, and the three of them continued to the parking garage.

When they reached it, they found Julian and Gertrude next to a large white vehicle with Morelle lying on a portable patient bed. She still had tubes and wires attached to her, and Gertrude was rearranging the medical equipment. These tubes and wires were attached to the other end.

"Do you need help?" Negal offered.

Julian shook his head. "It has to be done in a certain way, and Gertrude and I know the sequence."

Together, they slowly rolled the gurney up the ramp as the attached equipment trailed along on portable stands. At the rear, Julian gently pushed while Gertrude held the front, carefully balancing the weight. Once inside, they secured the gurney to the floor mounts and made sure all the machines were properly connected to the ambulance's power supply.

"Can Jasmine and I ride with her?" Ell-rom asked, gesturing to the benches on either side of the gurney.

Julian looked from Morelle to the pile of luggage and back, a frown creasing his forehead. "I'm not sure we can fit all of that in here."

"Why don't we see if we can make it work?" Jasmine asked.

With some creative maneuvering and a bit of teamwork, they managed to fit all of the luggage under and over one bench while Ell-rom and Jasmine sat on the other.

After Julian made a final sweep to check the IV, oxygen, and monitors, he closed the doors, and he and Gertrude sat up front.

As the vehicle pulled out of the garage and onto the street, Ell-rom reached out to take Morelle's hand. It was cool to the touch, but he could feel the faint pulse beneath her skin. The heart monitor continued its rhythmic beep, and the oxygen flow remained steady.

"I'm excited, Morelle," he said. "We are heading to our new home, and I was told that the village is beautiful. I wish you could see it with me."

Jasmine placed her hand on top of his. "When she wakes up, you'll show her everything."

Ell-rom nodded, grateful for Jasmine's unwavering optimism. He turned his gaze to the small windows set in the ambulance's rear doors, watching as the city streets gave way to less crowded suburbs and then what looked like open countryside.

"I can't believe we're finally on our way. It feels like just yesterday that I woke up in that clinic room."

Jasmine chuckled softly. "It seems like long months have passed since that day. It's strange how time moves differently depending on the circumstances."

"You can say that again. I went to sleep on the settler ship and woke up seven thousand years later, not knowing who I was, where I was, and where I’d come from."

She closed her hand over his. "I can't imagine how that must have felt. You are so brave."

"Brave?" He snorted. "I'm constantly anxious. If not because of one thing, then because of another. You, on the other hand, seem to be able to face anything. I was paralyzed with fear when that attacker had you by the throat. I didn't know what to do. While you talked to him and tried to reason with him."

Jasmine smiled. "I was terrified, too. But I have a lot of experience putting on a convincing act."

He was quite sure she was just saying that to make him feel better. "What about now? Are you afraid of facing all of these people?"

She shrugged. "Not really. I've already met most of them, and I can also act my way through almost anything. I know how to work a crowd."

He leaned back and closed his eyes. "You need to teach me how to do it."

"It's quite simple, really. You imagine someone who has successfully done what you need to do and you pretend that you are that person. In your case, you can pretend that you are the male version of Annani or that you are Kian. Confident, regal, and charming." She laughed. "Not that Kian is all that charming, but Annani is. Kian is more of an acquired taste. At first, he seems too harsh and abrasive, and that voice of his sounds like he is talking from the bottom of a barrel, but then when you get to know him, you realize that he's your best protection against all the crap in the world, so you start liking the sound of his voice. It becomes reassuring."

At the front of the vehicle, Julian chuckled. "That's the best description of Kian I've heard. In the end, you realize that he's quite sweet and that you can't understand how you could have ever thought any differently about him."