66. Kian
Kian leaned back in his chair, savoring the rich, bold flavor of the coffee Syssi had made for him. She might have only chosen the right pod to pop in the simple machine they had on board, but it still tasted fantastic because he was enjoying it with her.
The morning sun was casting a warm glow on her multicolored hair, making it look like gold, polished copper, and even a few strands that were so pale they looked like silver or platinum.
Allegra was spending the morning with her grandparents, so it was a rare pocket of time where they could simply be together as a couple and breathe. For once, Kian allowed himself to relax and bask in the simple joy of his mate”s company.
”My parents are spoiling Allegra rotten,” Syssi murmured, her fingers curled around her own steaming mug. ”She”s going to miss them so much when the cruise ends and they go back home.” She sighed. ”As amazing as the cruise has been, adventures and all, I”m ready to go home too.”
Smiling, Kian reached for her hand. ”Me too. I should have stuck to my original plan of making the cruise only a week long. Ten days is too much. Besides, I bet your main impetus for going home is the fancy cappuccino machine that you can”t wait to get back to.”
”Guilty as charged,” Syssi admitted. ”For the next cruise, I”m ordering one for the ship. I”m so spoiled that I can”t live without it.”
Kian raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. ”You do realize that every bar on this ship is equipped with a state-of-the-art La Marzocco machine, right? You chose them.”
Syssi shook her head. ”It”s not the same as having one to myself. There”s just something about being able to fiddle with the settings, to tweak and adjust them until I get the perfect cup. It”s an art, really.”
Kian held up his hands in surrender. ”Far be it from me to argue with the master barista,” he teased. ”I will admit, though, your cappuccinos are the best I”ve ever tasted.”
”Thank you.” Syssi”s eyes sparkled with pleasure. But after a moment, her expression turned serious. ”Do you want me to be there when you talk with Jasmine?”
”Of course. I”m going to ask her to come here.” He pulled out his phone. ”And after we talk to her and she agrees to help look for the prince, I will ask Aru to join us as well. I would have asked him to come over now, but I don”t want to overwhelm her.”
Syssi chuckled. ”I don”t think that Jasmine gets easily overwhelmed. I think she dissociates, but I”m not an authority on the subject. David could probably assess her better.”
”What do you mean by that?” Kian knew it was a psychological term, but he didn”t know what it described.
Syssi shrugged. ”Jasmine always smiles like she is perpetually in a good mood. Some people are naturally upbeat, so that”s not enough of a reason to suspect dissociation. But add to the equation her being lied to, manipulated, and betrayed by her boyfriend, the trauma of being drugged and kidnapped, and Edna”s comment about old childhood pain, and you have a prescription for dissociation. After all that Jasmine has been through, she needed a coping mechanism, but I doubt she developed it recently. She was probably well practiced in that before her ordeal.”
Kian let Syssi”s words sink in for a moment and then nodded. ”Do you think she”s acting out a persona? That who she is underneath is different from what she shows the world?”
”She might be, but I”m not an expert, and what I know comes from a few articles I read a long time ago. David would know much more about it, but he will need to talk to Jasmine at length before he can give you his opinion.”
”So what are you suggesting I do? Should I ask David to analyze her first? We have an expert on post-traumatic disorders at our disposal, so why not?”
Syssi shook her head. ”It won”t change the outcome. We still need her to help Aru find the pods. It was just an observation.”
Kian nodded. ”As long as she”s not going to fall apart because of whatever psychological issues she is coping with, we don”t need to fix her, right? I wouldn”t even feel comfortable suggesting it unless it was pertinent to the mission.” He opened his phone and started scrolling through his contacts. ”It”s so inconvenient that Jasmine doesn”t have a phone. The only way I can find out where to locate her is by calling security.”
The call was answered right away. ”How can I help you, boss?”
”I need Jasmine”s current location. One of the two humans we saved from the cartel boss.”
The Guardian chuckled. ”We have only one Jasmine on board, and we know who she is. Right now, she is in Edgar”s cabin. She walked in with him last night after the wedding and hasn”t emerged yet.”
”Thank you. That will be all.”
Next to Kian, Syssi smiled. ”Jasmine is a fast operator.”
”Good for her.” Kian scrolled for Edgar”s number. ”Makes things easier for me. I can just call Edgar and have him bring Jasmine here.”
Syssi arched a brow. ”Do you want Edgar to hear everything we tell her?”
That was a good point. Ed had a high-security clearance, and the two were a couple. If things were serious between them, he would probably have to accompany her on the mission anyway.
”Edgar”s security clearance is as high as the Guardians. I have no problem with him being here. And if there”s a chance that Jasmine is his fated mate, then he will want to accompany her wherever she”s going.”
Syssi”s eyes widened. ”Do we have another helicopter pilot?”
Kian chuckled. ”Eric can fly helicopters, and so can I, but I wouldn”t want to be my own pilot.”
”Why not?”
“I learned how to fly on a simulator. It”s better than nothing, but I would rather have a pilot with real-life experience.”
Kian pressed send, and a moment later, Edgar answered.
”Good morning, Kian. Do you need me to fly you somewhere?”
Naturally, Ed assumed that was why Kian was calling. ”Actually, I”m not calling for you. I”m calling for Jasmine. I need her to come to my cabin. You know where it is, right?”
There was a short pause. ”I do. Is she in trouble?”
”Not at all. I just need to discuss something with her, and it cannot wait. How soon can you get here?”
Edgar cleared his throat. ”Is twenty minutes okay?”
”That”s fine. I will see you both here.” Kian ended the call and scrolled for Aru”s number.
”Amanda should be here as well,” Syssi said. ”I know she”s not essential, but she will be annoyed if we don”t include her in this talk.”
”You”re right. Can you please call her?”
”Sure thing.” Syssi rose to her feet and removed her phone from the charger. ”I”ll call Amanda from the bedroom so you can talk with Aru without distractions.”