Page 103 of Dark Witch Resurrection

"Goodbye. Thank you for letting me be here for all of this."

"You are welcome." He closed the door behind him.

With a sigh, she walked over to the bed and smiled at Ell-rom. "How are you feeling?" She took his hand and twined their fingers together, her thumb tracing soothing circles over his knuckles.

He let out a shuddering breath, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. "Overwhelmed, confused, and grateful. Annani gave me a tremendous gift. She gave me a family and a community."

Jasmine nodded, a lump forming in her throat at the wonder in his tone. "It's a lot to take in."

He was silent for a long moment, his eyes searching her face as if looking for some sign, some hint of the thoughts and feelings that swirled like a maelstrom beneath the surface. "Tell me about how you found me."

He had taken her by surprise, and she hesitated. "You are so tired. Do you want to hear about it now? After all you have learned?"

He nodded. "I need to fill in the missing pieces in this picture."

"Okay," she said. "But only if you promise to rest. Don't force yourself to stay awake. If you fall asleep, I'll continue the story when you are awake."

As he nodded and closed his eyes, she hoisted herself on the bed and sat beside him. "It all started with the tarot cards my mother left for me."

"What do you mean left for you?"

Jasmine sighed. "She died when I was a little girl. She left me a jewelry box with the tarot hidden in a secret compartment. My father disapproved of them, so she hid them where I could find them."

"Why didn't he approve?"

Jasmine chuckled. "If I tell you my entire life story, we will never get to the part of why and how I found you."

He turned on his side and looked at her. "I want to hear your life story."

"And you will, but not right now, back to the tarot. I learned how to read them and got good at it. Since about a year ago, I started getting the same cards over and over again. The cards promised me that I would meet a prince."

She told him of Alberto the scumbag, and the ill-fated vacation that had led her into the clutches of the cartel. And she told him about Margo, the woman who had saved her life and had brought her into the fold of Annani's clan.

Ell-rom listened silently, his eyes never leaving her face as she spoke. She could see the emotions playing across his features: anger, sorrow, gratitude, and wonder.

She somehow managed to tell him about the scrying stick and the trip to Tibet without mentioning her relationship with Edgar, but she knew she would need to tell him sooner or later.

Just not right now.

Ell-rom already had a hard time processing all that he had learned today, and adding a former boyfriend who was a clan member might be the last straw, so to speak.

When she told him about hiking through the Himalayan mountains and the Chinese military base, his eyes began to drift closed, and then his breathing slowed and evened out into the gentle rhythm of sleep.

For a long moment, she sat on the bed and gazed at his handsome face, her hand still clasped in his, and her heart full to bursting.

She was in love with this male and desperately needed him to love her back.

77

THE PRINCE

Ell-rom lay against the pillows, contemplating all that he had learned and all that he still did not know and had not gotten around to asking.

Like, what time of day was it?

How long had it been since he had awakened for the first time in this bed?

So much had happened every time he opened his eyes that it felt like each awakening was a new day.