56. Jasmine

When the helicopter touched down with a jarring thud, the rotors whining to a stop as Edgar killed the engine, Jasmine didn"t wait for him to speak. She didn"t feel like giving him a chance to argue or apologize.

Instead, she unclipped her harness, pushed open the door, and stepped out into the crisp air.

Edgar had to wait for Negal to land with the other helicopter and for Julian to arrive and help them with the stasis chamber, but she had no intention of waiting around or even spending the night with Edgar and the prince in the same room.

She needed space and time to clear her head and sort through the tangled mess of her emotions.

Perhaps she could room with Gabi or Frankie tonight.

A snort escaped her throat as it occurred to her that Edgar would find a way to turn this into some illicit sexual affair as well.

Whatever.

His jealousy was his problem.

Jasmine strode towards the hotel, hoping to find comfort and solace in the company of her female friends. She forced a smile and waved hello at Julian and Negal as they passed her by on their way to the helicopter to help Edgar unload the stasis chamber.

She knew they would be shrouded, their activities hidden from prying eyes as they transported the prince"s stasis chamber to the hotel room she had been sharing with Edgar.

As she"d expected, Jasmine found Margo, Frankie, and Gabi in the hotel restaurant, huddled together over steaming cups of tea and plates of momos.

They looked up as she approached, Margo frowning at the sight of her thunderous expression.

"What happened?" Margo asked as Jasmine sank into a chair beside her. "Is your ankle bothering you?"

"I wish it was that simple, but you are on the right track." She picked one of the momos from Margo"s plate and put it in her mouth, rolling her eyes as the flavors of the freshly cooked delicacy exploded in her mouth.

She finished chewing while her friends looked at her expectantly. "My ankle is healed, but I guess it"s a mixed blessing." The floodgates opened, and Jasmine poured out the whole sordid story, her words tumbling over each other in a rush.

Frankie listened with a sympathetic ear. "It is strange that you healed so quickly, but maybe Edgar"s venom was still in your system from before. I know that when Dagor bit me after I was shot, I healed incredibly fast. And then, during my transition, his venom helped me through the worst of it." She reached out, laying a comforting hand on Jasmine"s arm. "I know that Dagor is a god, and his venom is probably more potent than Edgar"s, but on the other hand, you were only dealing with a sprained ankle, not a bullet wound. Edgar"s venom didn"t have to work as hard to fix that."

Jasmine nodded, the tension in her chest easing slightly at Frankie"s words. When she thought about it logically, it made sense. She hadn"t known that the venom could affect her two days after being bitten, but given Frankie"s experience, Edgar"s venom might have been still coursing through her veins and working its magic on her body.

It had nothing to do with the gods and some sordid fantasy conjured up by Edgar"s overactive imagination.

Margo leaned forward. "I know you"re hurt and angry right now, but don"t give up on Edgar. Talk to him, try to work things out. Jealousy isn"t logical, and I know that better than most."

She smiled ruefully. "I was so jealous when you flirted with Negal when we met. On some level, I knew it was silly and that he only had eyes for me, but I couldn"t help it. You are a beautiful, sexy woman, uninhibited, cheerful, and full of life. Any guy would want you, and I was so jealous that I was driving myself crazy."

"I never meant anything by it," Jasmine said, shaking her head. "And I"m so sorry that I made you feel that way. I flirt with everyone. It"s just second nature for me. On his part, Negal certainly never encouraged me. He was always polite but distant."

Margo reached out and took Jasmine"s hand. "Give Edgar a chance. Talk to him, really talk to him. Make him see how much he hurt you, how much his accusations and distrust have damaged your relationship. And then, if he"s truly sorry and willing to work to earn back your trust...forgive him."

Jasmine sighed, her anger draining away like water through a sieve. Margo was right. She shouldn"t drop Edgar on an impulse. He was a good guy.

Flawed, but then no one was perfect.