2. Jasmine

"It"s so annoying." Jasmine took Edgar"s hand as she stepped out of the taxi in front of the keep. "My sea legs are reluctant to adjust back to solid ground, and I"m still wobbling."

After days of gentle sways and the rhythmic rolling of the cruise ship, her first few steps on firm ground had been unsteady. However, the sensation of floating had started to dissipate as she entered the taxi, and she had thought that she was over her sea legs.

Not so. Evidently, her body needed more time to adjust.

Edgar pulled their suitcases from the trunk, put them down on the sidewalk, and wrapped an arm around her middle. "If you feel dizzy, lean on me."

"It"s not that bad." She smiled up at him. "But I don"t mind leaning on you." She kissed his cheek and then looked up at the imposing high-rises on both sides of the street. "Those look like office buildings. I never would have guessed that there are residences inside."

"Good observation," Edgar said. "Many of them used to be office buildings, but there is less demand for office space these days than for apartments, so they were converted." He leaned to whisper in her ear, "It"s easy to get permits for a change of use when you can manipulate the minds of bureaucrats and alter city records."

It took a moment for Edgar"s words to sink in, and when they did, she gaped at him. "Are you serious? All these buildings belong to your people?"

"Most of them."

No wonder they had so much money to spend on cruise ships and lavish weddings. These buildings would be worth a king"s ransom.

Despite living in Los Angeles for years, Jasmine had never been to this area of downtown before, and as she and Edgar waited on the sidewalk for the other two taxis to arrive, she took the time to look over the broad boulevard. Well-tended trees adorned the sidewalks, and everything was spotless, as if it had been cleaned that morning. There were no homeless encampments like in so many other areas of the city, but then it was easy for the immortals to keep them away.

The ability to manipulate human minds was very convenient.

Jasmine was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she was surrounded by immortals who were the descendants of gods and that her immortal lover had fangs and venom, which provided the best orgasms and psychedelic trips, and the secondary effects were improved health and vitality.

Her life had definitely taken a turn straight into The Twilight Zone, and the immortals weren"t even the strangest part of it. Turned out that her tarot cards had been guiding her toward an alien prince who belonged to a people named the Kra-ell, and she was supposed to direct the immortals to where his pod had crashed.

It felt like she was living in a movie.

It wasn"t what Jasmine had dreamt of when she"d imagined a career in Hollywood, but maybe that was where her life had been leading her all along.

When the other two taxis pulled up to the curb and the rest of their team got out, the nine of them headed inside the building.

As Kian"s butler led their group toward the security desk, Jasmine took in the sprawling lobby with its high ceilings, sparse groupings of seating, and the café at the far end. "I like the minimalistic decor. It looks so elegant."

"Wait until you see the penthouse," Gabi whispered in her ear as they followed the butler past security and into the elevator. "It"s stunning."

Margo and Frankie exchanged excited smiles and clasped each other"s hands like schoolgirls on an outing.

They were adorable.

The elevator shot up, and when the doors opened on the penthouse level, and Jasmine took in the opulent vestibule, she squeezed Edgar"s hand with as much excitement as Margo and Frankie had exhibited moments before.

It was like a miniature of the lobby in the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas, but instead of everything being made from painted plaster, the columns, the mosaic floor, and the mural on the ceiling were all authentic. This was just the vestibule, which was a fancy name for an entry hallway.

A round granite table dominated the center of the space, its polished surface reflecting the intricate mosaic patterns inlaid in the marble floor. On top of it was an enormous vase overflowing with vibrant fresh flowers.

Kian"s butler opened one of the two sets of doors. "This used to be Master Kian"s residence, and across the vestibule is what used to be Mistress Amanda"s penthouse apartment. The penthouses were leased out until quite recently," the butler explained. "Fortunately, both leases ended in time for Master Kian and Mistress Amanda to make them available for your use during your stay in the city." He smiled conspiratorially. "The previous tenant was a Saudi prince with four wives and numerous children."

Jasmine"s curiosity was piqued. "A prince?"

The strange-looking butler smiled indulgently. "I was told that there are many Saudi princes. I do not know how important the one who stayed here was."

Jasmine nodded, trying to look unimpressed but failing. As she followed the butler and the others, her breath caught in her throat the moment she crossed the threshold into a world of luxury.

The first thing that struck her was the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows directly opposite the entryway, offering a breathtaking panorama of the city skyline. The view was spectacular, with the countless skyscrapers stretching as far as the eye could see.

The expanse of glass opened onto a sprawling rooftop terrace, where Jasmine could make out the shimmering surface of a long, narrow lap pool flanked by an array of stylish lounge furniture bordered by lush, meticulously manicured greenery.

The living room was designed in a contemporary style, blending sophistication and comfort perfectly. A trio of espresso-colored leather sofas surrounded a massive stone coffee table, its rough-hewn edges strikingly contrasting with the smooth, sleek lines of the seating.

Beneath her feet, the rich hues of the hardwood floor were softened by a vibrant area rug with a bold abstract pattern that provided a pop of color to the otherwise neutral palette. Like the floor, the walls were adorned with vivid large-scale artwork.

A contemporary fireplace anchored one end of the room, its clean lines and minimalist aesthetic a perfect complement to the oversized screen mounted above it. Large vases had been placed in strategic spots, brimming with fragrant blooms and beautiful colors to enliven the space.

Jasmine had no doubt that a professional had created the ambiance, and a crew of caretakers ensured that the building was properly maintained.

For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine living in a place like this, waking up every morning to that incredible view, spending lazy afternoons lounging by the pool, and hosting intimate gatherings with friends in the chic living room.

It was the kind of life she"d dreamt of when she had still allowed herself to fantasize about making it big in Hollywood. But as the years passed, that dream had seemed farther and farther out of reach, and now that she was about to embark on a new chapter in her life, that future would probably never come to pass.

Jasmine was still coming to terms with the incredible revelations of the past few days—the possibility of her turning immortal, her role in the search for the Kra-ell royal twins, and the budding relationship with Edgar.

It was all so much to process.

If she could have her way, she would stay in this opulent penthouse, living the life of the rich and famous and enjoying herself with the handsome pilot.

She didn"t relish the prospect of leaving all this comfort to embark on a journey to Tibet, but what choice did she have?

She was only here because their group needed a place to prepare for their departure.

Edgar must have sensed her unease and tightened his fingers around hers. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "It"s a little overwhelming. I"ve never stayed in a place this fancy before. Even the presidential suite in the hotel in Cabo that Alberto put me in wasn"t this high-end." She turned to Margo. "Am I right?"

Her friend was just as wide-eyed as she was. "No. It wasn"t. The suite in Cabo was trying to look like this, but this is the real deal." She turned to Aru. "How rich is the clan?"

"I don"t know," he admitted. "What I do know is that Toven is rich beyond measure. He"s probably the richest person on the planet, and no one knows it."

"That makes sense." Margo leaned on Negal"s arm. "He always acts as if money is no object."

"He does," Aru confirmed. "He"s buying us a brand-new helicopter." He glanced at Edgar. "Do you know which model he"s getting?"

Edgar shrugged. "I made a few recommendations, but it depends on what he can get locally. China controls Tibet, so nothing is easy to get over there."

Negal leaned down and smirked at Margo. "Do you want to see where we are going to sleep?"

Dagor cleared his throat. "About that. One of us needs to go across the vestibule to the other penthouse." He pulled a coin from his pocket. "Do you want to flip for it?"

Negal pursed his lips. "No need. You and Frankie can have this one. Margo and I will go with Jasmine and Edgar to the other one."

The butler dipped his head. "Very well. Please, follow me." He started to walk toward the door.

As Jasmine and Edgar followed the butler, she told herself this was only a temporary respite before the true adventure began. But that didn"t mean she couldn"t savor it and commit everything to memory, which reminded her that she still didn"t have a phone and needed one as soon as possible.

"Can we go shopping?" she asked Edgar. "I need to get a new phone."