12. Jasmine

12

JASMINE

B ack in the penthouse, Jasmine stored the vegan meals in the fridge, making a mental note to heat one up as soon as her prince woke up. She poured herself a glass of water and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows to gaze out at the sprawling cityscape below.

The sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon, painting the sky in vivid hues of orange and pink.

As her eyes swept over the rooftop pool and lush, artfully maintained greenery, she marveled at how much her life had changed in such a short time. Just weeks ago, she'd been a struggling actress, and now here she was living in a luxurious penthouse, caring for an alien prince, and about to be part of a gathering of immortals along with their mother—the goddess.

It occurred to her that Edgar had never mentioned the Clan Mother to her when they had been together. Come to think of it, no one had.

Evidently her existence was a closely guarded secret, and the only reason she was privy to it was her relationship with Ell-rom.

Jasmine chuckled softly. If someone had told her this would be her life, she'd have thought they were pitching her a sci-fi script.

But her life wasn't a movie, and all the real-world problems still haunted her whenever she allowed them into her mind.

It was such a monumental waste of time and energy, though.

She could do nothing to change things, so why obsess over them?

Because things had changed for her. Before, she hadn't expected to live long enough to affect anything that would impact the world in a meaningful way. In fact, Jasmine lived with the fear of dying at the same age her mother had, and she had been driven by the desire to squeeze every bit of joy she could out of her limited time on Earth. But then she'd reached that age, and not only was she still around, but she was now entertaining the prospect of immortality.

There was a lot a person could do when they had unlimited time, but she hadn't figured out what that could be. She wasn't the leader type who could inspire people to follow her, but maybe she could become an influencer.

Naturally, she would have to change her appearance and her name and start anew from time to time, but that wasn't too difficult to pull off. She could sound inspirational and convincing, but the problem was that she had never articulated anything profound and didn't know how to do so.

Jasmine could only read what others wrote and sound good doing it.

Despite Ell-rom's assertions that she was smart, she was well aware of her limitations. Here and there she had good ideas, and she could think outside the box, but she wasn't a creator, and expressing herself in writing had never been her thing.

Perhaps Ell-rom could help her. He was eloquent, and he was a prince by birth. Maybe once he got a handle on what was going on around the world, he could write the scripts for her.

They could be a team.

Walking back into their bedroom, she stood at the foot of the bed and watched her prince. Even in sleep, his face appeared regal. His features were sharp and defined, hinting at the strength that lay beneath his current fragile state.

As if sensing her gaze, Ell-rom's eyes fluttered open. "Jasmine?" he murmured, his voice thick with sleep. "Is it time for me to get up?"

She sat down on the edge of the bed. "I have great news, but if you want to keep on sleeping, it can wait. It's nothing urgent."

"Now you've piqued my curiosity." Ell-rom stretched his long limbs. "How long was I asleep?"

"Not long. Maybe an hour. Are you hungry? I've got your meals in the fridge."

He nodded, pushing himself up to a sitting position. "I could eat. But first, I want to hear your great news."

"Kian called while you were asleep. Apparently, his sisters and their mates want to meet you." She closely watched his response. "They're coming over tomorrow for lunch, along with your sister, of course."

For a moment, Ell-rom looked stunned. Then, a slow smile spread across his face. "That's wonderful, especially since Julian doesn't expect me at the pool tomorrow. How many people are coming?"

"Twelve, including the three babies. Amanda, Dalhu, and their daughter. Alena, Orion, and their newborn son, Syssi, Kian, and their daughter Allegra, and Toven and Mia, and of course, Annani."

"It is somewhat stressful," he admitted. "Did you meet Kian's sisters?"

"I did, and they are all very nice. Sari is in Scotland, so she's not coming, but Amanda and Alena are both great, each in her own way."

"Tell me a little about them."

"I will, but you need to eat first. I will tell you about them over lunch." She glanced at her watch. "Actually, it's dinner time already."

"Are the others here?" Ell-rom asked.

"They are all gone. We are alone in the penthouse."

"That's good." He peeled off the blanket. "I like their company, but I like yours more. I'm looking forward to a quiet dinner with just the two of us."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and for a long moment, they just held each other.

Finally, Jasmine pulled back. "Your belly is rumbling. We should get some food in you, and then we can practice shrouding before visiting Morelle."