Page 96 of Dark Witch Resurrection

She was a goddess.

Jasmine had seen male gods. She had traveled with them to Tibet, but they were nothing like the one sitting before her.

This female was in a class of her own.

She emanated power and benevolence and had an aura of timelessness and majesty that made Jasmine's knees buckle, and her heart skip a beat.

Without thinking, she sank into a deep, reverent curtsy, her head bowing low.

She had never felt so small, insignificant, as she did at that moment, standing before a being of such immense, unfathomable power.

"Rise, child," the female spoke. Her voice was simultaneously commanding and soft, kind, musical, and filled with a warmth that seemed to wrap around Jasmine like a gentle embrace. "There is no need for such formality."

Jasmine lifted her head, eyes wide and uncertain as they met the goddess's steady, unwavering gaze. She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry as she searched for something to say and found nothing.

"I am the Clan Mother," the goddess said in that musical voice of hers.

"Clan Mother?" Jasmine repeated, her voice little more than a whisper of sound. "Are you Kian's mother?"

The goddess nodded, a glimmer of pride and affection shining in her eyes as she glanced at her son. "I am also the mother of Alena, Sari, and Amanda. Most of the immortals you met on the cruise are my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on, stretching back through the centuries."

The goddess rose to her feet in a fluid, graceful motion. She was even smaller standing up, her head barely reaching Jasmine's shoulder, but there was no mistaking the power that radiated from her in palpable waves.

"Come, child." She took Jasmine's hand. "Let's visit Ell-rom together." It felt surreal to walk holding hands with a goddess.

She did not doubt that the Clan Mother could crush her hand with ease or maybe even reduce her to dust and ashes with a single thought. But there was no threat in her touch, no hint of malice or danger in the gentle pressure of her fingers—only warmth.

As they approached the prince's room, the Clan Mother paused and turned to face Jasmine. "You may stay in the room while I talk with Ell-rom. He would appreciate you being there for him."

70

ANNANI

As Annani stepped into her brother's room, the earpieces nestled snugly in her ears were a concession she had made to appease Kian but also a necessity.

She did not speak the Kra-ell language, and the devices translated Ell-rom's words in real time for her. If he asked what they were for, she could answer that they facilitated translation, which would not be a lie.

It just would not be the entire truth.

Oh, well. Life was full of compromises, and Annani had learned to live with that.

"Clan Mother." Ell-rom dipped his head respectfully, shifted his gaze to Kian, and repeated the gesture. Lastly, he smiled at Jasmine without saying a thing.

"Good afternoon, Ell-rom," Annani said. "I am happy to see you improving so quickly."

He looked so much better than the last time she had seen him. His skin no longer looked gray and lifeless; his face was no longer gaunt and hollow. There was a hint of color in his cheeks and a spark of life in his eyes. Julian or Bridget had trimmed the hair that had hung in limp clumps off his skull, and even though he was nearly bald, he looked very handsome.

"Thank you, Clan Mother. I feel so much better after proper cleansing and a meal." He made as if to rise, his arms trembling with the effort of pushing himself to a sitting position.

Annani held up a hand. "Please stop," she chided. "I am overjoyed that you are feeling better, but I do not want you to exert yourself. You do not need to prove anything to me."

He groaned in frustration. "I made it to the bathroom earlier. I can stand."

"I am sure you can, but perhaps you have overexerted yourself, and you need to gather your strength before making another attempt." Annani sat down on the chair closest to the bed.

Looking nervous, Jasmine waited until Kian sat down before taking her seat. Ell-rom seemed so deflated as he reclined against the stack of pillows that Annani scrambled for something to say to cheer him up.

Perhaps seeing a picture of his grandnephew would do the trick.