26. Ell-rom

26

ELL-ROM

W hen the last of the family members filed out of the penthouse, their voices fading as Jasmine closed the door behind them, Ell-rom felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. The luncheon had been filled with warmth and acceptance, but it had also been draining. He leaned against the wall, trying to steady himself as a faint dizziness threatened to overtake him.

Jasmine approached him with concern etched on her face. "Everyone is heading down to see Morelle. Do you want to join them?"

Ell-rom shook his head, forcing a weak smile. "I think I need a few minutes to rest. Besides, there's not enough space in her room for everyone to gather around her. I'll go later after I've had a chance to recover a bit."

Jasmine nodded. "Do you want to lie down?"

"Actually," Ell-rom said, his gaze drifting to the floor-to-ceiling windows, "I'd like to go out onto the terrace and absorb some sun."

He needed the sunlight to chase away the darkness in his soul.

After the panic he had felt when Mia's talent had been explained to him, he had tried not to show how afraid he was of her enhancing his killing ability, which no one other than Jasmine knew about.

"Of course. Let's get you out there." Jasmine wrapped her arm around his middle, steadying him and helping him walk.

He'd wanted to meet his extended family without leaning on a walker, and he had managed it, but now that he was so exhausted he needed something or someone to lean on, and right now, that someone was Jasmine.

His rock, his everything.

It was time that he told her how much he loved her, and if she said that it was too early and they hadn't known each other long enough, he would tell her that he was willing to wait until she realized that she loved him too, but he already knew that with absolute certainty. He didn't need any more time.

As the glass doors slid open silently, and the warm afternoon air enveloped them, Ell-rom took a long breath.

The terrace was a beautiful space with a breathtaking view of the city. A row of comfortable loungers faced the narrow pool, and green planters added splashes of color to the tiled floor.

Jasmine guided him to one of the loungers, and as he sank into it, he felt some of the tension leave his body. The sun's warmth on his skin was soothing and grounding, and as he had expected, it chased away the specter of death, which he supposedly could wield with a thought.

"What's the matter?" Jasmine asked, settling into the lounger next to him. "You did so well during lunch, and then something changed. You look troubled."

Ell-rom closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts. When he opened them again, he turned to face Jasmine. "I was terrified to shake Mia's hand," he confessed.

Jasmine's brow furrowed. "Mia? Why?"

"Because of what her talent might do to mine. I don't need my ability enhanced." He put a hand over his forehead. "I don't know how to control it."

"You don't even know it's real. It could have been just a nightmare or a memory that got twisted in your dream."

"But the fear feels very real."

Jasmine was quiet for a moment, her thumb tracing soothing circles on the back of his hand. Then, to his surprise, a mischievous glint appeared in her eye. "You know, even if it's true that you can kill with a thought, it's not all bad. Consider the positive side. The clan could use you in combination with Mia to remotely eliminate their enemies. And who knows? Maybe you could even kill the Eternal King with a thought. Wouldn't that be extraordinary?"

Ell-rom recoiled. "Jasmine! How can you say such a thing?" He pulled his hand away, pushing himself up on the lounger. "I don't know how this so-called talent works, so I cannot be used like a precision weapon to kill just the evildoers. I have no way to test this ability, either, because I'm not willing to kill someone just to see if it works and, if it does, who it works on. Besides, I don't want to kill anyone."

Jasmine's smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression. "Says the man who just earlier today told me that he feels inadequate because he is not strong enough yet to protect people. Did you already forget?"

Ell-rom felt his cheeks warm in embarrassment. After Julian had explained how the venom bite could incapacitate an opponent and put a male in stasis, Ell-rom hadn't even considered having to kill anyone. As long as they posed no further threat to those he loved, the final kill blow was not needed.

"I didn't forget. But can't I protect my community without killing someone? Wouldn't putting them in stasis be enough?"

Her eyes softened. "I know the prospect of killing is not a pleasant thought, Ell-rom, but that's the reality of the world we live in. Fangs and venom might be effective one-on-one, but not if you are fighting multiple opponents or getting bombarded from the sky. Besides, some people are so evil that they not only deserve to be killed, but they need to be eliminated to save countless victims. Being idealistic and naive might feel good, but when you realize that you could have done something to save innocents from terrible cruelty and death and didn't do what was needed, I promise you that it won't feel so good anymore."

Her words hit Ell-rom like a physical blow. He felt a surge of anger, of hurt, but he pushed it down, not wanting to let Jasmine see how deeply she'd affected him. Instead, he swung his legs off the lounger, planting his feet on the terrace floor.

"I think I need to go to bed and rest," he said, his voice carefully neutral.

Jasmine's expression immediately softened. "Oh, Ell-rom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to distress you. Do you want me to bring the walker?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

As Jasmine hurried inside to get the walker, Ell-rom remained on the terrace, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The sun no longer felt warm and comforting. Instead, it seemed to beat down on him accusingly, as if disappointed in his weakness.

He thought back to the luncheon, to the way Kian and the others had spoken about protecting their community. He'd even voiced his opinion about them being stronger together than apart.

If he became part of their community, it would be his duty to protect them in any way he could.

The idea of using his ability in any fashion made him sick. It wasn't like fighting an opponent with his fists or his fangs or even with a sword or a staff. That seemed slightly more fair because the opponent could defend himself and attack in turn.

Killing from afar was the mark of an assassin.

It dawned on him then.

Dear Mother of All Life. That's precisely what I am .

An assassin .