69. Ell-rom

69

ELL-ROM

E ll-rom's muscles protested as he settled into the chair in Julian's office, but he couldn't keep the proud smile from his face. The walk through the city streets, while exhausting, had filled him with a sense of accomplishment he hadn't felt since awakening from stasis. Every step, even those that required him to lean on Julian for support, felt like a victory over his weakened body.

The sights, sounds, and smells of the city still swirled in his mind, a bagful of new experiences that exhilarated and overwhelmed him. He had seen towering buildings, heard a cacophony of sounds, and smelled a dizzying array of scents.

Everything was more vibrant, more alive than what he had seen from the penthouse. He felt like a part of things rather than an outside observer.

If he could conquer the streets of Los Angeles, he could face his aversion to blood. The thought still made his stomach clench, but the feeling was less intense than before. Perhaps it was because his stomach was now empty, its contents consumed by the energy expended during the walk, and he was so tired he could barely hold himself sitting in a chair.

In fact, he was slumped.

Jasmine's warm hand slipped into his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Pretend that it is something else," she suggested. "Vegetable juice or wine."

Ell-rom smiled. "The smell will make it impossible to imagine anything other than what it is, but I appreciate your effort nonetheless."

A look of curiosity crossed Jasmine's face. "Does synthetic blood smell the same as regular blood?" she asked.

Ell-rom shrugged, a little embarrassed about his ignorance. "I don't know what it smells like. Looking at it in a sealed bag was enough to make me gag."

The memory of his earlier reaction to the bag of synthetic blood made him wince internally. He hoped he could do better this time.

The sound of the office door opening drew their attention. Julian entered, carrying a small glass rectangle. Ell-rom's enhanced vision could make out a tiny amount of red liquid smeared across its surface. The quantity was so small that the scent was barely noticeable, just a faint metallic tang in the air.

Julian settled behind his desk, placing the glass in front of Ell-rom. "That's more or less the amount of blood you can expect when biting a person either in aggression or desire," he explained. "Your fangs are built to deliver venom, not for sucking blood, so the moment they penetrate the vein, they release a healing compound to slow down the bleeding. If you can tolerate licking what's on this glass, you are good."

Ell-rom stared at it. The quantity was tiny, much less than he'd expected, just a small smear of red. Yet the thought of tasting it made his throat constrict. Nevertheless, he picked up the glass with a surprisingly steady hand.

"You can do it," Jasmine said softly.

Drawing a deep breath, Ell-rom brought the glass to his nose. The scent was stronger now, unmistakably blood. He felt his stomach churn in response.

"Lick it," Julian said, his tone resolute. "Just do it."

"Close your eyes," Jasmine suggested.

Ell-rom let his eyelids fall shut. In the darkness behind his closed eyes, he could almost pretend the glass held something else—vegetable juice. It was just red vegetable juice. He extended his tongue, fighting against every instinct that screamed at him to stop, and in one quick motion, he swiped his tongue across the glass.

The taste hit him immediately, coppery and thick, and his gag reflex kicked in instantly.

His stomach roiled in protest, but Jasmine's hand was still in his, her touch an anchor in the storm of his body's reaction. With a monumental effort, Ell-rom managed to swallow the bile that had risen in his throat instead of giving in to the urge to vomit.

"Here," Julian's voice cut through the haze of Ell-rom's discomfort.

He opened his eyes to see the doctor holding out a bottle of water. "That was an excellent first try."

Ell-rom had to release Jasmine's hand to open the bottle, immediately missing the comfort of her touch. He filled his mouth with water, swishing it around vigorously in an attempt to wash away the lingering taste of blood. It was only when he went to spit it out that he realized Julian hadn't provided a container for that purpose.

With a moment of clarity, Ell-rom understood the doctor's intention. He had no choice but to swallow the water and, with it, the trace amounts of blood that had been in his mouth. It was clever—a way to force him to consume blood without the psychological barrier of deliberately drinking it.

As he swallowed, Ell-rom was surprised to find that it wasn't as difficult as he had anticipated. The water had diluted the taste significantly, and while he could still detect a faint metallic flavor, it wasn't overwhelming.

"Congratulations," Jasmine said, leaning over to press a soft kiss to his lips. Ell-rom found himself wishing the kiss could last longer, eager to replace the taste of blood with the sweetness of Jasmine's mouth.

"By the way," Julian said. "The Clan Mother and Kian and his wife are coming over to the penthouse this evening, so you'd better get a good rest. Kian said that they would be bringing takeout from the Golden Dragon for everyone."

"Who is everyone?" Jasmine asked.

Julian shrugged. "I assume the other residents of the penthouses. The gods and their mates."

Ell-rom felt a familiar mixture of excitement and anxiety wash over him at the news of his sister's impending visit.

On the one hand, he was always eager to see Annani. On the other hand, her visits always carried a weight of expectation, a reminder of the memories he had lost and the uncertainty of what role he was meant to play in this new world.

It was good that the gods and their mates would be joining them. Having Annani's undivided attention was stressful, and he preferred to share it with others.

Jasmine's presence had been a constant source of strength and comfort throughout his recovery, and just having her beside him made the prospect of facing his formidable sister less daunting.

"Should Ell-rom eat lunch before getting into bed?" Jasmine asked.

"I don't see why not." Julian rose to his feet and collected the blood-stained glass.

Following the physician's example, Jasmine stood as well. "What if he gets sick?"

Julian smiled. "It's a risk worth taking."

She looked at Ell-rom. "Can you stay awake long enough to eat something?"

As he stood, Ell-rom felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. "I'm not sure."

Jasmine was immediately at his side, her arm slipping around his waist to support him. "Do you want me to run up and get the walker?"

He was tempted to say yes, but he had come this far, and he didn't want to finish on a weak note.

"I can make it back."

The way back to the penthouse seemed much longer than usual, each step requiring more effort than Ell-rom wanted to admit, and by the time they reached it, he wanted nothing more than to collapse on the bed.

Jasmine helped him get comfortable, adjusting the pillows and pulling up the blanket. "Do you want to eat in bed? I can bring in a tray."

He shook his head. "I need to sleep. I'll eat when I wake up."

"I'll wake you in time to get ready for Annani and Kian's visit."

"Thank you." He let his eyes drift closed.

Just before sleep claimed him, Ell-rom's mind replayed the events of the day. The exhilaration of walking through the city, the triumph of facing his blood aversion, the comforting presence of Jasmine by his side.

It had been a good day.