23. Ell-rom

23

ELL-ROM

T he two Odus toiling in the kitchen and dining area fascinated Ell-rom. They had arrived unescorted, with bags full of groceries, and had gotten straight to preparing the meal for the upcoming family gathering. They worked efficiently and silently, never bumping into each other or getting in each other's way but still dividing the tasks between them in a coordinated dance.

Despite not exchanging a single word between them, Ell-rom had the distinct impression they were communicating on some subliminal level.

They didn't wear earpieces, and he wondered if they had been programmed to understand the Kra-ell language. Curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to conduct a little experiment and approached one of the Odus, who was arranging a dish on the counter.

"Excuse me," Ell-rom said, "Could you tell me what is in this dish?"

The Odu turned to him, bowing deeply before launching into an explanation. Obviously, he had understood the question that had been presented in Kra-ell, but Ell-rom couldn't be sure what language the Odu was responding in. The translation earpieces he wore were doing their job so flawlessly that the Odu could be speaking English, and he heard Kra-ell.

The interaction reinforced Ell-rom's growing awareness of how dependent he'd become on the translation technology. He wore the earpieces constantly, even to bed, because he didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to understand Jasmine. She did the same, wearing her earpieces at all times. They were so comfortable that it was easy to forget that they were even there, but they were a crutch, not a solution.

"There you are," Jasmine said from behind him.

As he turned to look at her, his breath caught in his throat. She looked stunning in a dress that hugged her curves perfectly. She'd done something to her hair so that it cascaded down her shoulders in big, bouncy waves, and her lips were painted blood red.

He wondered if she had done that on purpose as part of his exposure therapy.

If that had been her intention, it was brilliant because there was nothing unappealing about those red-painted lips, and all he could think about was kissing them.

Jasmine laughed and did a little twirl in place. "You like?"

"You look absolutely stunning."

Jasmine's smile widened. "Thank you." She sauntered closer to him. "How are you doing? Nervous about meeting the family?"

"A little," he admitted. "But if Annani's daughters are as filled with light as her son, I'm sure I'll enjoy their company as much as I do Kian and his wife's."

Jasmine's eyebrows rose at his words. "Filled with light? That's an interesting way to put it." She glanced at the Odus, then back to Ell-rom. "Can you sense them? I mean, like you sensed light in Kian and darkness in Jade?"

He winced. "Those are just expressions. They don't mean that Kian is good and Jade is bad. Everyone has both light and darkness in them, and they take turns manifesting. Some have more of one than the other, but you are overestimating my ability to sense them. It's not a talent. It's just an instinctual sense."

Jasmine leaned closer to him. "As I said before, not everyone has that sense. Just try. I'm curious."

Ell-rom closed his eyes and turned his focus inward. "It's faint. They're machines, so there isn't much in there, but they are not entirely artificial. I can sense some emergent self-awareness in them, and they think of themselves as good, helpful, and needed, but I might be projecting my own feelings on them, so I wouldn't base any important decisions on what I've just said."

"Fascinating. What about Kian's bodyguards? What did you sense about them?"

"Like everyone else, they have both light and darkness in them. The blond guy lets his darkness manifest more, but I sense more light than darkness in both."

Jasmine frowned. "They're warriors, Ell-rom. I know for a fact they've killed people. Frankie saw them do that."

"They did what needed to be done to protect others. They're protectors, not killers. Kian is like that, too." Ell-rom shrugged. "All able-bodied males need to protect the vulnerable members of the community. If they are incapable of doing that, what are they good for?"

As soon as he asked the question, Ell-rom felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over him. He was acutely aware of his own lack of defensive or offensive capabilities. He was physically weak, and he couldn't even bite. "What am I good for?" he murmured.

"Oh, Ell-rom." Jasmine reached for his hand. "Not every male needs to be a warrior. That's why people live in a society and divide tasks between individuals based on their aptitude. Maybe you were meant to be a spiritual leader? Or a healer? Or a poet? And even if you were meant to be a warrior, you still have a long way to go till you are fully recovered. Once you're feeling stronger, you could start training with the Guardians. I could even arrange that for you if you'd like."

"I think every male should be able to defend his family, even if he is a poet or a healer. I don't know yet what the future holds for me, but I have to be able to do that, or I won't feel worthy."

Before Jasmine could respond, the doorbell rang, and one of the Odus rushed to open the door.

"Good afternoon, Clan Mother." He bowed nearly in half. "The luncheon is ready."

"Thank you, Ogidu." Annani glided into the living room with Kian and Syssi right behind her.

Kian had his little daughter in his arms, a beautiful child who looked like her mother but had her father's piercing gaze.

Kian's bodyguards entered next, which Ell-rom found curious. Shouldn't they have entered first and secured the place for their Clan Mother?

Evidently, he wasn't considered a threat.

Ell-rom bowed, and next to him, Jasmine did the same but with much more flourish.

"Ell-rom, my dear brother," Annani said warmly as she embraced him. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm well, thank you. I'm excited to meet everyone." He shifted his gaze to the little girl. "I haven't been introduced to this little lady yet."

"This is our daughter, Allegra," Kian said.

"Lala," the baby said with a surprisingly resolute tone while still regarding Ell-rom with her piercing eyes.

"Remember me?" Jasmine walked over to her and kissed her cheek.

"Jaja." Allegra patted Jasmine's face before shifting her gaze back to Ell-rom.

"I can't believe she remembered my name," Jasmine said.

Syssi smiled proudly. "Allegra has a great memory for names. People fascinate her."

Ell-rom took the child's tiny hand between two fingers and bowed over it. "I'm Ell-rom. Your uncle," he said before he remembered that Allegra wasn't wearing earpieces and couldn't understand him.

"Om," she said with the same resolute tone she'd used for her own name.

Evidently, she'd understood at least some of what he'd said, probably from his tone of voice.

"You can call me Om. Can I call you Lala?"

She gave him a bright smile as if she understood every word. "Lala."

"She likes you." Annani threaded her arm through his. "She doesn't allow anyone other than close family to call her Lala."