56. Jasmine

56

JASMINE

J asmine set the stack of cards on the table. "Put your hand over the stack, close your eyes, and think about your question."

Ell-rom did as she instructed and then opened his eyes. "Do you want me to tell you what I asked for?"

She shook her head. "I don't want it to influence the reading. I already know that it's about Morelle, but I want to see what the cards say before I know the specifics."

As Jasmine began to lay out the cards in a pattern on the table, Ell-rom leaned forward, his curious eyes darting from card to card as he tried to glean meaning from the images.

"This spread is called the Celtic Cross," she said. "It's good for getting a comprehensive view of a situation before diving deeper into specifics."

Ell-rom nodded, although at this point, this information must all be meaningless to him.

Jasmine's hands moved with practiced ease as she laid out the spread, the familiar weight of the cards in her hands bringing a sense of calm even as she felt Ell-rom's anxious gaze upon her.

She turned over the first card. "This card is called the Six of Wands," she said. "It represents the present situation, and it symbolizes victory and recognition. It suggests that Morelle is overcoming obstacles, even if we can't see it yet."

Ell-rom leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the card. "That's good, right?"

Jasmine nodded, offering him a reassuring smile before turning over the next card. "The Empress. This card crosses the first, showing influences affecting the situation. The Empress represents abundance, fertility, and nurturing. It could mean that Morelle is being well cared for, her body healing and preparing for what's to come."

As she continued through the spread, each card seemed to build upon the last. The Queen of Wands, in the position of the recent past, spoke of confidence and charisma, but the Emperor, in the position of potential outcome, made Jasmine pause.

"The Emperor represents authority, structure, and leadership. In this position, it could suggest that Morelle is destined for a position of great responsibility."

Ell-rom's brow furrowed. "Do the cards elaborate on what kind of responsibility?"

Jasmine hesitated, then decided to voice the interpretation forming in her mind. "Combined with the other cards, especially the Six of Wands and the Queen of Wands, it could indicate that Morelle will be a queen. It could also mean that she should have been a queen because I don't see how she can become one on Earth. It also indicates that she will thrive, which is the most important for us at this time because it gives us hope that she will have all her faculties when she wakes up, or soon after." Jasmine lifted her eyes to Ell-rom's and smiled. "I know that is your biggest concern."

He nodded. "It echoes what my mother told me and my sister. She said that the seer foretold our future and that our destiny awaited across the stars. The seer also said that we would thrive and be safe."

Jasmine reached out, squeezing his hand gently. "That's awesome. The cards have just confirmed what the seer saw seven thousand years ago." She turned over the final cards, each one seeming to further confirm her interpretation. "The Star in the hopes and fears position speaks of hope and renewal. The World as the final outcome suggests completion and harmony." She smiled at Ell-rom. "The cards are very positive. They indicate that Morelle will not only recover but thrive. She'll be safe and achieve great things."

"That's the one part that is confusing to me. The seer didn't say anything about Morelle becoming a queen."

Jasmine shrugged. "Maybe you only remember a fragment of the prophecy. Perhaps there was more."

"It's possible." He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. "I feel such great relief but also anxiety. The queen part worries me."

She collected her cards and started shuffling them again. "What was your question?"

He opened his eyes. "I asked what Morelle's future was."

"That's what I thought. Queen can mean more than a monarch. It could be that she will find a mate who will treat her like a queen, or that she will start some online business and call herself the queen of something. The cards shouldn't be taken too literally."

He nodded. "Perhaps we need to do another reading and ask that specific question."

Jasmine put her cards inside their pouch. "Not today. You look like you are going to fall over." She walked over to the bed, crouched next to it, and pulled out the bag to put the cards back inside.

When she got up, Ell-rom was already asleep on the chair, his breathing deep and slow.

She chuckled. "Come on, big guy. Let me help you get in bed." She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him to her. "The good news is that you are getting heavy, and the bad news is that you are getting heavy. I can't hold you up for long. You need to help me."

He immediately awoke and straightened up, taking the load off her arm. "I'm sorry." He took a stumbling step toward the bed and climbed in with lethargic limbs.

"Come lay beside me." He held the blanket up.

"I need to change into my comfy clothes."

"I will be asleep by the time you get here. Can you do it later?"

"Sure." She turned off the lights using the remote, toed off her shoes, climbed in, and cuddled close to Ell-rom. "I can't refuse an invitation like that."

"I forgot to thank you for this sleep clothing. It is very comfortable and soothing."

"You're welcome." She kissed the underside of his jaw. "Would you like me to sing you to sleep? It will help you relax."

A small smile tugged at Ell-rom's lips. "Actually, I'd rather you kissed me to sleep."

Jasmine laughed softly. "I can do both."

She wrapped her palm around the back of his neck and then glanced at the security camera on the wall behind him. Ell-rom was lying on his side with his back to the room's camera, and the darkness provided a false sense of privacy, but Jasmine didn't mind if anyone saw what they were doing. If anyone wanted to watch her kissing her prince, they were welcome to do so.

She leaned into him and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Ell-rom responded eagerly, his arm wrapping around her waist to pull her closer.

What started as a gentle good night kiss quickly deepened, becoming more passionate, and as Ell-rom's eyes began to glow, casting a soft light in the darkness, Jasmine felt a thrill run through her.

When his fangs started elongating, a visible sign of his arousal, that thrill turned into a throb.

Regrettably, her exhibitionist tendencies did not run deep enough. She was fine with being seen kissing Ell-rom, but not much more than that.

Sighing, she pulled back slightly. "Save this for tomorrow, big guy, for when we'll have a real bed and real privacy."

"Why are you calling me big guy?" Ell-rom murmured. "Is it another term of endearment?"

She chuckled softly. "It is in this context." She planted another quick kiss on his lips. "You didn't like it when I called you lover boy."

Ell-rom groaned quietly. "I don't mind it now. I just can't seem to get enough of you."

Jasmine felt her heart swell at his words. "I feel the same way, but we need to save it for tomorrow."

As she began to hum softly, a lullaby she remembered from one of the plays she'd appeared in, Ell-rom's breathing evened out, and sleep claimed him. She continued humming while thinking about what the cards had revealed.

They had suggested a grand destiny for Morelle, but what did that mean for Ell-rom?