27. Jasmine

27

JASMINE

A s Jasmine helped Ell-rom settle into bed, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them. His face, usually so open and warm, had closed off, a subtle tension lingering in the set of his jaw.

"Rest well." She tucked the blanket around him and kissed his forehead as if she could smooth away the discord with those simple, familiar acts of care.

Retreating from the room, she closed the door softly behind her and headed to the kitchen, where the Odus were putting the finishing touches on their cleanup in their silent, efficient manner.

The penthouse, which had been alive with laughter and conversation less than an hour ago, now felt oddly hollow.

"Thank you," she said as the Odus prepared to leave. "Everything was wonderful."

"You are most welcome, Mistress Jasmine," said the one on the left as they bowed in unison, their movements so synchronized it was almost eerie. "We shall see ourselves out."

The place was just as spotless as it had been before their arrival, and she had no doubt that the dining room was similarly immaculate.

It was nice to have robotic servants, and what was even more amazing was that human tech was catching up to science fiction, and a robot in every household was going to be the reality in the not-too-distant future.

Walking over to the bar, Jasmine surveyed the impressive collection of bottles and chose the one name she recognized. After pouring half a shot of Jack Daniels into a tall glass, she pulled out a can of ginger mixer from the small fridge, popped the lid, and poured it into the glass. When she added some ice cubes, the clink they made against the glass sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet space.

Jasmine leaned against the counter and took a long sip of the cocktail.

The look of horror on Ell-rom's face when she'd suggested using his ability as a weapon haunted her, and she winced, regretting mostly her bad timing, not the words themselves.

It was natural for him to abhor violence and to recoil at the idea of being used as a weapon for someone else's agenda. If she had his power, wouldn't she be just as horrified and scared?

Maybe, but to a much lesser extent.

She had life experience and was aware of all the horrible things happening to good people around the world. As much as the idea of killing repulsed her, she knew she'd be inclined to work on that aversion if her power could help save innocent lives. Ell-rom, though... well, he might look like an adult, but in many ways, he was like a child.

Jasmine set her glass down as a wave of guilt washed over her.

He had no memories, no real-world exposure, and he was naive, like a baby. Children weren't born killers. They didn't want to see anything die, not even a bug. It was the adults around them who had the power to eradicate that innate goodness and turn children into monsters.

Then again, she wasn't an expert.

She wasn't even a mother.

Maybe some kids were born with a predisposition towards violence. It was an interesting question, one she'd never really considered before. Maybe she could find a book about it, something with solid research backing it up, and not religious preaching or pseudoscience with an agenda to push, but real, empirical data.

Jasmine chuckled to herself, realizing how much she was starting to sound like her father. Maybe he hadn't been as extreme as she'd thought when she was a naive young girl herself. As an adult who had to earn a living and pay bills, she was seeing things through a different lens.

She lifted her hand and glanced at her watch. It was nearly four in the afternoon, and Margo's mission to expose Lynda's betrayal should have been over by now.

Was it too early to check?

Or was the fallout so bad that Margo couldn't contact her?

Curiosity getting the better of her, Jasmine pulled out her phone and typed out a simple message: Updates?

The response came a minute later, but to Jasmine it felt like forever. Not yet.

Jasmine let out a breath. Maybe Lynda hadn't shown up for lunch with her ex after all. Maybe she'd smartened up and told the guy that she was getting married in a few days, and it wasn't appropriate to keep seeing him like that.

On the one hand, it would save Rob a lot of heartache. But on the other, he'd miss out on his opportunity to become immortal. Jasmine didn't know what the clan's policy was, but she was quite sure they wouldn't allow him to bring his human wife to the village when they turned him immortal.

They would probably not allow Margo to even tell him that he was a Dormant.

A sharp knock on the door startled Jasmine from her thoughts.

For a moment, she thought it might be one of the lunch guests coming back for something they'd forgotten, but when she opened the door, she found herself face to face with Edgar.

"Edgar?" she said, surprise coloring her voice. "What are you doing here?"

He flashed her that familiar charming smile of his. "I came to see Frankie and Dagor. Angelica and I are going on a double date with them."

Jasmine blinked. The other three couples had all made plans for today.

"I don't think they are back from whatever they have planned. Where is Angelica?"

"We are picking her up from her nail salon." Edgar looked inside the room over her shoulder. "I came a little earlier because I wanted to see how you and Ell-rom were doing."

It felt odd to keep him standing in the vestibule, but given what was going on with Rob's fiancée and her ex-boyfriend, perhaps she shouldn't hang out with her ex, either. There was nothing going on between them, and they had both moved on, but Ell-rom might not see it that way.

Still, she couldn't tell Edgar to go away.

Stepping back, Jasmine gestured for him to come in. "Ell-rom's resting," she said, closing the door behind him. "We just had a big family lunch."

"Ah, yes. Frankie told me about it. How did it go?"

Jasmine led him to the living area, settling into one of the plush armchairs while Edgar took a seat on the couch across from her. "It was nice," she said. "Everyone was very welcoming to Ell-rom, but it has exhausted him."

"I bet." Edgar glanced at the glass she was still clutching in her hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have offered you a drink. What would you like?" She started to rise.

He motioned for her to remain seated. "I can pour a drink for myself." He got to his feet.

"So," she said. "How are things going with Angelica?"

Edgar's face lit up. "It's great. She's fierce, funny, and she doesn't put up with any of my nonsense."

Jasmine smiled. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you." He poured himself a glass of one of the whiskeys and returned to the couch.

"Have you told her yet?" Jasmine asked.

Edgar shook his head. "Not yet, and I'm dreading the day I have to do that. It's not exactly an easy conversation to have."

"No, I suppose it isn't." Jasmine imitated Edgar's posture and deepened her voice. "Hey, by the way, I'm immortal, and you're a Dormant, which means I can turn you immortal too. Want to live forever with me?'"

They both chuckled at her delivery.

"That was a good impersonation," Edgar admitted. "Do I really sound so cocky?"

"Yeah, you do, but don't change it. Somehow, it fits you. All that 'I'm a pilot' swagger seems to define you more than your immortality."

"Well, of course it does. Except for you, I can't tell the women I'm flirting with that I'm immortal, but I can tell them that I'm a pilot."

She arched a brow. "Women? Are you planning to flirt with anyone else now that you are in love with Angelica?"