Page 16 of Dark Awakening: New World

"I'm here until closing."

"I'll stop by, and we will have another cup of coffee."

Marina wanted to get home as soon as possible after work, cook dinner, and spend time with Peter. She didn't want to stay after hours to chat with Lusha.

"Maybe you can come back tomorrow at the same time? It's usually quiet here after the morning rush is over."

"Sure." Lusha pushed to her feet and collected her cup and what was left of her croissant. "I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled. "There aren't many humans in the village. I hope we can become friends."

Lusha sounded genuine, and Marina felt guilty for brushing her off.

"You know what? How about you come over to my house for dinner tonight? I mean Peter's house. Our roommate Alfie is going to be there, and you said that you wanted to meet a nice immortal male."

"That sounds lovely. What time?"

"I usually serve dinner at eight, but if you don't mind sitting in the kitchen while I cook, you can come earlier."

Lusha's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I can do better than that. I can help. You know, chop vegetables, clean the dishes, and stuff like that. I'm not a great cook."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Seven?"

"I'll be there." Lusha leaned over and surprised Marina with a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for inviting me."

9

JASMINE

Jasmine sat on a chair next to Ell-rom's bed and sipped her morning coffee while he ate breakfast. The tray held a modest assortment of foods that were easy to digest and provided proper nutrition but didn't look overly appetizing.

Where did Gertrude get that breakfast from?

Had she ordered a delivery? Or had she cooked it herself in the keep's kitchen?

The café didn't serve oatmeal or eggs, and given Ell-rom's expression, he wasn't overly enthusiastic about either of those items.

"You need to eat," she said.

He grimaced. "I don't like the smell of that yellow thing, and I don't like the texture either."

"Those are eggs, and they are very nutritious. If you refuse to eat, Bridget will feed you through a tube. You don't want that, right?"

He cast her a mock baleful look. "Of course I don't." He grimaced. "I'm just deliberating which of these delicacies I should try first."

She was discovering that her prince had a dry sense of humor, and it tickled her silly every time he deployed it.

The small bowl of oatmeal, which was topped with a few slices of banana and a light drizzle of honey, would have been Jasmine's choice, but maybe he preferred the clear vegetable broth, which he was already used to. The scrambled eggs looked a little greasy, and the two slices of wholegrain toast were a little burned, but they were buttered, so they should still be tasty. There was also a glass of apple juice.

"Do you want me to explain what is what?" she offered.

"Gertrude already did." He lifted a slice of toast. "I'm curious about this thing. I don't think I've ever tasted bread." He took a bite and chewed slowly.

"So? Is it good?"

Ell-rom nodded. "Not bad." He put the toast down and looked at the oatmeal. "What are those white round things floating on top?"

"Banana slices. Bananas are fruit."

That got a smile out of him. "I remember liking fruit. And what is that golden liquid thing on top?"