47. Jasmine
47
JASMINE
T he elevator ride up to the penthouse was silent, but for once, it was a comfortable silence. Jasmine leaned against Ell-rom, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest. The tension that had been radiating off him since the incident had finally eased.
As the elevator doors slid open, she entwined her fingers with his. "Bed?" she suggested, stifling a yawn.
"Bed sounds perfect. But maybe some food first? My stomach has just reminded me that I haven't eaten much over the past two days."
Jasmine's stomach growled in sympathy. "Good plan. Food first, bed later."
The aroma of something delicious cooking greeted them as they entered, and Jasmine's stomach rumbled again in anticipation. "I wonder who's in the kitchen."
They found Aru and Gabi, both wearing aprons and working together. They looked adorable.
"Perfect timing," Gabi said. "Dinner's almost ready."
"It smells amazing." Jasmine walked over to look at the large skillet on top of the stove. "What are you making?"
"Stir-fry." Gabi moved things around with her spatula. "I just used whatever I found in the fridge. Aru wasn't in the mood for takeout."
"I'm sick of Chinese," the god said. "We've been eating it almost every day."
He added spices to the salad he was working on, gave it a toss, and tasted it again. "This is good." Despite finding his creation tasty, he sounded irritated for some reason.
As they settled around the table, Jasmine noted that the nervous energy emanating from Aru didn't abate. He was still frowning, and Gabi was avoiding his gaze.
Had they gotten into a fight?
"Is everything okay?" Jasmine asked.
Aru let out a long sigh. "I'm impatient. We have the guy we are going to use for the test in the dungeon, and we could be conducting the experiment today, but Annani is forcing a delay."
Gabi cast him a reproachful look.
Jasmine felt Ell-rom stiffen beside her. "I know about the welcome party my sister is planning. There's no need to be cryptic on my account."
Aru's eyebrows rose. "I thought it was supposed to be a surprise."
"Thankfully, it's not," Ell-rom said. "I don't like surprises."
Gabi snorted. "Can't blame you. Waking up seven thousand years after entering stasis was enough of a surprise to last you for the rest of your life."
"Indeed." Ell-rom ladled some stir-fry onto his plate.
There were pieces of chicken in it, but he just moved them aside and focused on the vegetables and noodles.
"I'll take your chicken." Jasmine took it off his plate. "Maybe you want to try a piece and see if you like it?"
He shook his head. "I can taste it on the vegetables and can barely tolerate it."
"I can heat up one of your meals," she offered.
"No, that's okay. We are both tired. Let's just eat and get into bed."
Gabi pouted. "That's not much of an endorsement of my cooking."
"It's very tasty," Jasmine said.
"I'm just teasing." Gabi leaned over and put a hand on Jasmine's arm. "I'm surprised that Ell-rom is even trying my stir-fry."
"It's just frustrating," Aru murmured.
Gabi tilted her head toward him. "The stir-fry?"
"The delay. Every day that passes puts us at greater risk of discovery. We should have been on the move a week ago."
"I'm sorry," Ell-rom said. "I would have preferred to move into the village today, but Annani wants things done a certain way, and her daughter from Scotland is on her way..."
"No, no," Aru cut him off. "It's not your fault. I know how stubborn the Clan Mother can be. Once she decides something, there is no changing her mind. We'll manage. It's just that I have nothing more to do, and the waiting is killing me."
As they finished their meal, Jasmine stifled a yawn. She had slept more than Ell-rom, but not enough, and she was barely managing to keep her eyes open.
"Thank you for the meal," she said. "Ell-rom and I are exhausted after a sleepless night, and we are going to turn in early."
Gabi must have assumed that they were retiring early for a different reason, and a knowing smile lifted one corner of her mouth. "Enjoy your rest."
Ell-rom rose to his feet. "Good luck with your experiment," he told Aru. "I hope it all works out."
"Thank you." The god nodded. "Have a restful sleep."
As they finally crawled into bed, Jasmine curled into Ell-rom's side. "This is nice."
"It is," he murmured, his hand trailing down her back. "I'm sorry that I'm not up for anything."
She chuckled softly. "That's okay. Neither am I. I just want to sleep."
However, sleep refused to come despite how tired she was. The events of the past two days were playing in her head for no good reason.
Everything was working out just fine, thanks to Annani's compulsion ability.
"What are you thinking about?" Ell-rom asked.
She tilted her head to look up at him, barely able to make out his features in the dim light. "Thoughts are swirling in my head and keeping me awake."
"Yeah, me too." His hand smoothed down her back. "I'm relieved and grateful to Annani for her help. I'm just a little overwhelmed."
"That's understandable."
He'd just used his power for the first time since he'd awoken, and even though it was bound now, he was still reeling from the aftermath of his first kill.
To be frank, he was taking it much better than she would have.
Was it the difference between males and females? Or between princes and commoners? Or was Ell-rom just made from sterner stuff, even though he wasn't aware of it?
"I just hope I can live up to Annani's faith in me," he murmured.
Oh, so she'd been wrong about what was bothering him. Was he already over killing a man?
"I think you have exceeded Annani's expectations. She was afraid that you would be a monster, and instead, she discovered a pure soul."
"I am a monster. But with Annani's help, I'm a tethered one."
"You need to change the story you tell yourself, my love." Jasmine kissed the underside of Ell-rom's jaw. "In my story, you are a superhero, and that's the version you need to internalize."