Page 71 of Dark Awakening: New World

Jasmine shook her head. "It's not about that. It's just that seeing you dressed like this indicates how much you have improved in such a short time. It's silly, but I feel as if it's in part my achievement."

"It is certainly your achievement." He kissed her softly. "I would not be here without your help."

Jasmine took a long, shuddering breath. "Let's eat before the Clan Mother gets here. We need to be done with dinner and clear the space."

As they sat down, she unfolded the big paper napkin and draped it over her lap, then looked at him pointedly, hinting that he should do the same.

"Is this part of the dining etiquette?" he asked as he followed her example. "Or is it just prudent to protect my nice clothing?"

She was glad that Ell-rom wasn't shy about asking. There was still so much he had to learn, and the best way to do that was by asking a lot of questions.

"Right now, it's just practical." She started removing the lids from the various dishes. "It's part of the etiquette when you dine with cloth napkins and real utensils."

Ell-rom removed the lids from the dishes on his tray and frowned at the scoops of hummus in three different colors. "What is this?"

It was nearly impossible to explain, assuming that none of the ingredients grew on Anumati. "It's a paste made from a kind of bean and mixed with different flavors. The green one is spicy, and the red one is probably spicy as well. The purple and the yellow are fine." She took one of the pita chips that came with it, dipped it in the wasabi-flavored hummus, and put it in her mouth.

It delivered a nice punch but wasn't too spicy.

"Is that how people usually eat this dish?" Ell-rom picked up one of the pita chips.

"There are many ways to eat it, but I like scooping it up with the chips."

For several moments, they focused on sampling all the dishes, with Ell-rom asking what was what, and Jasmine explaining as best she could.

"How is Frankie?" Ell-rom asked when they were half done with dinner.

"I got to meet Frankie's cousin, Angelica. She's a beauty technician and quite the character. But the really interesting part was that Edgar showed up, and the two of them unexpectedly clicked. There was definitely chemistry there."

Ell-rom frowned. "Edgar is the pilot, right? The one who helped search for our pod?"

"That's the one."

She still hadn't told Ell-rom about her fling with Edgar, but it never seemed like the right time.

"If he's immortal, I assume that he is a member of Annani's clan?"

"He is."

"Then how come he has never met Angelica before? Is the clan so big that not everyone knows everyone else?"

"Angelica is human, and so was Frankie until not too long ago. I'm not sure if she's a Dormant, though. If Frankie and Angelica's mothers are sisters, then she definitely is. Otherwise, she probably isn't."

Ell-rom tilted his head. "What determines if someone is a Dormant?"

"To be honest, I'm not entirely clear on all the details," Jasmine admitted. "The Clan Mother would be able to explain it much better than I can, so save that question for her."

46

ELL-ROM

At the mention of Annani, Ell-rom felt tension creep back into his shoulders. He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, realizing how close it was getting to her visit. "We should clear the table, and I should brush my teeth again."

Jasmine reached across the table, placing her hand over his. "Relax and finish your dinner. I'll take care of clearing up while you clean your teeth."

"We don't have much time, and this room now smells of the food. I should have thought of that beforehand, and we should have eaten out in the reception room."

Jasmine's eyes suddenly lit up. "I have an idea. There is no reason for you to meet your sister here. You are no longer bed-bound, and you can meet her in a much more dignified manner." She waved a hand over him. "Especially since you look so suave."