Page 8 of Dark Awakening: New World

Jasmine stared at the screen with her thumbs hovering over the keyboard and wondered what she should tell Margo. Should she tell her about the kiss?

At her age and with the number of sex partners she'd had, it seemed silly and immature to brag about a kiss, but the truth was that it was a big deal.

How many women could boast about kissing a celibate alien prince?

Nevertheless, it wasn't something to convey in a text message.

In the end, she settled for a simple reply. He's doing better every day, but today was a big day for Ell-rom. He got to meet Kian. She knew she wasn't supposed to tell her about the goddess's visit, and she needed to remind Ell-rom not to talk about it either. I'll fill you in later, okay?

When? Margo replied.

When Ell-rom falls asleep, I'll come upstairs. Are you there tonight?

Where else would I be?

Jasmine smiled. Partying or clubbing with your god.

My god is spending most of his waking hours tinkering with the salvaged equipment as if the secrets of the universe are hiding somewhere in there.

Jasmine typed back. Who knows? They may be. BTW, any progress with spying on Lynda?

I'll tell you when you get here.

Was that Margo's payback for Jasmine's cryptic reply?

Probably.

As her thoughts returned to her prince, she took a bite of her muffin and washed it down with a sip of coffee.

Hopefully, she wasn't leading Ell-rom down a path he wasn't ready for. Perhaps it wasn't fair for her to encourage his feelings when he was still piecing together his own identity.

Maybe she should slow down and wait until he knew who he was and what he wanted.

She had no easy answers. All she knew was that her feelings for him were real and growing stronger.

5

ELL-ROM

As Bridget continued to measure the length and circumference of Ell-rom's atrophied leg muscles, he struggled to keep his eyelids from drooping. The few steps he had taken around the room had robbed him of the last dregs of energy he could muster, and if he weren't eager to see Jasmine return, he would have gladly succumbed to sleep.

When the knock came and Jasmine peeked in, he couldn't help the grin spreading over his face.

She held a steaming cup in one hand and a covered bowl in the other. "Is it okay to come back in?" she asked, her eyes darting between Ell-rom and Bridget.

"Perfect timing," Bridget said, gathering her things. "I was just finishing up. He's all yours."

As Jasmine walked in, Bridget headed for the door but paused in the doorway, looking back at Ell-rom. "Remember what I said. Don't push yourself too hard."

He nodded.

When the door closed behind the medic, Jasmine set the two containers on the bedside table. "Hungry?" She removed the lid from the bowl, and given the smell, it was his soup.

He tried to stifle a grimace. "Frankly, I'm a little nauseous after all the physical activity Bridget made me do."

"What did you do?" Jasmine perched on the side of his bed.

"I just took a few steps around the room, and it exhausted me." He didn't want to mention the device that had measured the strength of his grip and the results that were in line with that of an elderly human female.