28. Ell-rom

28

ELL-ROM

E ll-rom stirred from his slumber, his consciousness slowly rising to the surface and registering voices and laughter that did not match what had been happening in his dream, which had been a lot of nothing.

He'd dreamt about silently meditating in front of the Mother's altar.

The bright and melodious laughter filtering through the slightly ajar bedroom door was as familiar to him as his own, and he wondered what Jasmine had found so funny.

Then he heard another voice, which he did not recognize and was decidedly male.

Ell-rom's eyes snapped open, the cobwebs of sleep vanishing in an instant. He sat up straight, ignoring the slight dizziness that accompanied the sudden movement. The male voice continued, its tone warm and friendly, and it elicited another peal of laughter from Jasmine.

A hot sensation suddenly bloomed in Ell-rom's chest. Jealousy. Intense and undeniable.

Was Jasmine entertaining another male while he was asleep?

Who was that male, and what was he doing in the penthouse?

Supposedly, the place belonged to Kian, and only people he approved were allowed to come in. Given that logic, the male must be a clan member, who Jasmine knew somehow and seemed to enjoy the company of a little too much for Ell-rom's liking.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked into the bathroom.

As Ell-rom splashed cold water on his face, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. His hair was growing back slowly, a dark fuzz covering his scalp, and his cheeks were no longer as hollow as they had been, but he still looked gaunt.

Dressing as quickly as he could, he decided to leave the walker behind and enter the living room unaided. If this male was a potential competitor for Jasmine's affections, Ell-rom did not want to show any weakness.

He wasn't sure where those convictions were coming from, especially since he had never vied for the attentions of a female before, but his response must have been instinctual, much like the jealousy he felt.

The short walk to the living room was not as difficult as Ell-rom had expected, and as he entered, Jasmine's eyes widened in surprise.

"Ell-rom!" She rose from her armchair and rushed to his side, wrapping a supportive arm around his waist. "Why didn't you call me to help you? I left the door open on purpose so I would hear when you woke up, but you snuck up on me anyway."

As Ell-rom allowed her to guide him to the couch, he noticed that the male hastily put a pair of earpieces in. Did everyone who visited the penthouse have a pair? Or was it standard for all clan members to carry them?

"It was not my intention to sneak up on anyone," he said in a level tone. "You seemed to be preoccupied with your friend." He hoped that hadn't sounded as petty and as jealous as it had in his mind.

Jasmine helped him sit, then gestured to the man occupying the other side of the couch. "Ell-rom, this is Edgar. He's the pilot I told you about, the one who flew us during the trip to Tibet."

Edgar leaned over, extending his hand with a friendly smile. "It's good to finally meet you in person, Ell-rom. I've heard so much about you."

He shook Edgar's hand, noting the firm grip. "Likewise," he said, even though it wasn't entirely true.

Jasmine had mentioned Edgar, but only in passing.

As they settled back into their seats, Ell-rom wondered if Edgar was just a friend from the Tibet expedition or more. The easy familiarity between him and Jasmine hinted at the latter.

"Edgar was just telling me about his upcoming double date with Frankie's cousin Angelica and Frankie and Dagor," Jasmine said.

Ell-rom remembered Jasmine telling him about Edgar and Frankie's cousin finding each other attractive, and he was relieved to learn that Edgar was still seeing her.

Jasmine had never mentioned that Edgar had any romantic interest in her, but then, if he wasn't interested, why was he working so hard on making her laugh?

She'd never laughed like that at anything Ell-rom had said to her, and if the guy was so amusing, then he had an advantage in more than just his robust health and vitality.

Without knowing much about courtship or how males competed with each other over females, Ell-rom had no doubt that making a female laugh gave a male a leg up over his competition.

"What was so funny?" he asked, trying to keep the suspicion from his voice.

A moment of silence fell over the room, and Edgar and Jasmine exchanged a glance that spoke volumes.

"Well," Edgar said, a rueful smile playing on his lips, "Jasmine and I used to date, and we were recounting some funny moments from those days. Did you know that Jasmine loves period romances? Our first date started with us making up a story."

Ell-rom didn't even know what period romances were, and the fact that Jasmine hadn't told him that Edgar used to be her partner hurt. Why had she kept it a secret?

On top of that, Edgar appeared to know so much more about Jasmine than Ell-rom did, and it made the jealousy in his chest flare anew.

"What happened?" he asked. "Why did you end things?"

He hoped that they had ended it and that Jasmine was not entertaining the two of them at the same time. Did people do that on Earth? Did they do that on Anumati?

It was so frustrating not knowing the first thing about anything.

Edgar chuckled, though there was a hint of something else in his eyes that looked a lot like regret. "What happened? You did, mate. I can't really blame Jasmine for dumping me for a prince. How could a simple guy like me compete with royalty?"

Ell-rom felt as if the floor had dropped out from under him.

Was that all he was to Jasmine? A title? An upgrade from a pilot to a prince?

The insecurity that had been simmering beneath the surface bubbled up, threatening to overwhelm him.

Jasmine glared at Edgar. "That's not true, and you know it. You're just being contrary. We ended things because we both realized we weren't meant for each other, and it was a very wise decision for both of us." She turned back to Ell-rom. "Now, both Edgar and I have found our one and only. I found you, and Edgar found Angelica."

At the mention of Angelica's name, Edgar's face lit up in a way that eased some of Ell-rom's tension. Whatever Edgar had felt for Jasmine in the past was still there in some form, but it seemed that his heart now belonged to Frankie's cousin.

As Edgar and Jasmine reminisced about their trip to Tibet, sounding like two old friends and not lovers, Ell-rom relaxed further. He was still upset that Jasmine hadn't told him she used to be with Edgar, but at least he was no longer worried that she was still interested in the pilot or that he would have to compete for her.

"Flying the aircraft in the Himalayas was one of the biggest challenges of my career," Edgar said. "The thin air and the unpredictable weather are not for the faint of heart."

Jasmine frowned. "I wonder how the earpieces translated aircraft." She looked expectantly at Ell-rom.

Ell-rom's brow furrowed. "A vehicle capable of flying," he said.

"That's what I thought." She turned to Edgar. "The earpieces have a limited Kra-ell vocabulary, and they group things by their function. Carrots and potatoes are both just vegetables, and in the same way, they don't differentiate between types of aircraft."

Edgar's eyes widened. "Right, sorry. The type of aircraft I pilot has rotating blades on top that allow it to fly straight up and down and hover in place. It's incredibly useful for navigating difficult terrain like mountains."

As Edgar delved into more technical details about piloting the strange aircraft he'd described, Ell-rom couldn't shake the feeling that he was showing off. There was an undercurrent of insecurity in Edgar's demeanor, though Ell-rom couldn't fathom why.

After all, Edgar had an important skill, and he had a crucial role in the clan's operations. Ell-rom, on the other hand, felt the weight of his current uselessness keenly. He might be called a prince, but it was a meaningless title. He had no profession, no skills he could remember, and nothing to contribute to the clan that had taken him in.

Well, except for becoming an assassin on their behalf, but he had no intention of assuming that role.

"That sounds like incredibly challenging work," he said when Edgar finished his explanation.

Edgar nodded with a hint of pride in his expression. "It's not an easy job, but I love it. There's nothing quite like the feeling of being in control of such a powerful machine."

Jasmine, who had been listening quietly, suddenly stood up. "I'm going to make coffee. Would you like some, Edgar?"

"That would be great, thanks," Edgar replied.

"Ell-rom?"

He nodded. "Thank you."

As Jasmine disappeared into the kitchen, a moment of awkward silence fell between them. Ell-rom searched for something to say, feeling the pressure to make conversation.

"How long have you been a pilot?" he asked.

Edgar leaned back against the couch cushions. "Oh, let's see. I'm a young immortal, so I'm much less experienced than the other clan pilots, well, with the exception of Eric, the latest addition to our fleet, who has a comparable number of flight hours to mine." Seeing Ell-rom's confused expression, he added, "It's been about eight years now."

"That doesn't sound like long." Ell-rom rubbed a hand over the back of his head. "Thank you for assisting Jasmine and the gods in their search for us. I owe you a debt of gratitude."

Edgar's expression softened. "You are welcome. I'm glad we found you in time."

"Are you?" Ell-rom lifted a brow. "You said that if not for me, Jasmine wouldn't have ended things between you two."

Edgar shrugged. "Even though it hurt like hell when she did that, it was for the best. She did the right thing."