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

65. Jasmine

65

JASMINE

J asmine leaned back against the cool metal wall of the ambulance, her eyes closed as she tried to fight off a wave of exhaustion. The truth was that her acting could fool Ell-rom and others into believing that she was handling all the pressure well, but operating on high octane for so long was taking its toll.

The past few weeks had been intense.

It had started with Alberto acting suspiciously in Cabo, to him drugging her and Margo and abducting them both. Then she'd woken on Modana's yacht and thought that her life was over, and she would spend whatever was left of it as Modana's plaything. After that, she had a few days to relax, chilling on the Silver Swan and enjoying Edgar's company, but that hadn't lasted long. She had been introduced to the world of immortals and gods and given an impossible task—find the alien pod that Syssi had seen in her vision in freaking Tibet.

Unbelievably, she had done that and found her prince. Then it was nursing him to health, discovering that he had an aversion to blood and trying to overcome that, and finally, dealing with his ability to kill with a thought. Now that everything had finally been resolved, it all seemed to come crashing down on her at once.

All that worry and keeping Ell-rom's secrets had kept her adrenaline levels constantly high, and the mugging and what followed had shot those stress hormones to the max.

Now that it was over, and Ell-rom's frightening power was contained by Annani's compulsion, the levels were dropping, and that was why she was feeling so tired.

Even getting ready earlier had been difficult, but she had done a great job of making herself look top-notch. Her outfit was classy; the shoes made her over six feet tall, and with her hair and makeup done, she could give any model a run for her money.

Well, she wasn't nearly as skinny, so maybe not.

Jasmine closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off, the gentle motion of the ambulance and Ell-rom's comforting presence lulling her into a light doze.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she felt Ell-rom's hand on her shoulder, shaking her lightly. "You have to see this," he said.

Blinking awake, Jasmine looked around in confusion. "See what?"

"Look at the vehicle's windows." Ell-rom pointed at the small windows on the back doors and then the front windshield. "They've turned opaque. And Julian's not driving anymore. The vehicle is driving itself!"

Jasmine leaned forward to get a better look, and sure enough, the once-clear glass was now an impenetrable white.

From the front of the ambulance, Julian explained the technology behind the clan's vehicles and why it was needed to protect the location of the hidden entrance to the village.

Jasmine listened in fascination as he described the secret tunnel and the elevator system that would take them up through the mountain.

"It's like a James Bond movie," she murmured. "Incredible."

Despite her tiredness, she felt a spark of excitement ignite within her. They were starting a new life in a place that seemed more like science fiction than reality.

As the ambulance entered the tunnel, Jasmine felt the temperature drop, and the echo of the engine reverberated off the unseen walls, creating an eerie atmosphere. It was both thrilling and unnerving to be moving through a space they couldn't see, trusting a technology she didn't understand.

When the ambulance came to a stop and began to move upward, Jasmine knew that the ambulance was inside the lift that Julian had talked about.

They were almost there.

She glanced down at her outfit, suddenly self-conscious. Had she overdone it with the white pantsuit and impossibly high heels?

Jasmine wanted to make a strong first impression, and this outfit made her feel confident and powerful, but what if people dressed casually in the village and she would stick out?

"Why are you stressed?" Ell-rom asked.

She turned to him and smiled. "Am I being so obvious? I thought that I was putting on a better act than that."

"I know you, love." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You are gorgeous, and they are going to love you."

"Thank you." She let her head drop on his shoulder. "I'm second-guessing my outfit. I shouldn't have worn white."

"Why not?"

"It sticks out. You know why I got these clothes?"

"Why?"

"I saw a journalist I admire wearing something similar in an interview, and she looked smart and sophisticated, and I wanted to look like her." She chuckled. "I just can't talk eloquently like her, which was what actually made her appear so intelligent and sophisticated."

"You are all those things." Ell-rom took her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. "You come up with the best ideas. Even Kian said that, and he is not an easy guy to impress."

"That's true," Julian said from the front of the ambulance. "And you look great, so stop fretting. Keep smiling, wave like a princess, and everyone is going to love you."

Gertrude turned around and looked at her. "Julian is right. Just keep smiling and waving."

"I can do that." Jasmine demonstrated. "Is that good?"

"Perfect," Gertrude said.