Page 24 of Dark Awakening: Hidden Currents

Vanessa nodded. "I certainly can see how this could be a problem. Before we begin, though, you should know that I'm mated to a Kra-ell pureblood, so I'm familiar with both sides of your heritage."

"That's good to know. Have you ever encountered anyone with this kind of aversion?"

She shook her head. "I have not, but all phobias share commonalities, and therefore can benefit from similar treatments. What is it about blood that you find offensive, and how does your aversion manifest?"

Ell-rom took a deep breath, steeling himself. "It's everything about it. The sight of it, the smell, and mostly the taste of it. All make me feel ill."

Vanessa nodded. "I see. And how long have you been aware of this aversion?"

Did she know that he had amnesia?

He probably should tell her just in case she didn't.

"I woke up from stasis not remembering anything about my former life, so naturally, I wasn't aware of having an aversion to anything. When Bridget asked me about my food preferences, it became obvious that I prefer a plant-based diet, but we assumed that it was because my sister and I couldn't get any cooked food in the temple while pretending to be Kra-ell. But then I dreamt about accidentally taking a sip from a goblet filled with blood that I was only supposed to hold and pretend to be drinking from. In the dream, I ran to my bedroom and emptied the contents of my stomach. After that, the head priestess admonished me for endangering my sister and myself."

"Was it some sort of a Kra-ell ceremony that you participated in? One that required drinking blood from a goblet?"

Ell-rom tried to remember more details from the dream, but there wasn't enough to determine what had been going on. "Everyone held a goblet, including my sister, but I don't know if it was a religious ceremony or a celebration or why we were there. I guess it had something to do with our mother, and that's why we had to attend. I wish I remembered more."

"That's okay," Vanessa said. "Let's focus on the present. Can you describe to me what happens when you encounter blood? What physical sensations do you experience?"

"I have not encountered blood since waking up from stasis. The closest I came was attending a meal with people who were eating cooked meat. The smell was not pleasant to me, but it was not revolting. It's the memory of how it tasted, how it smelled, and the viscosity of it that makes me nauseous." He swallowed. "Just talking about it now makes my stomach turn. I feel light-headed, and I just broke into a cold sweat."

"Those are all common reactions in phobias and aversions," Vanessa explained. "What we're going to do is work on desensitizing you to these triggers and teach you coping mechanisms to manage your reactions."

"Thank you. I would appreciate anything you could do to lessen those reactions."

18

JASMINE

As Julian headed out, Jasmine walked over to Morelle's room and stepped inside. She settled into the chair by the bed and took Morelle's hand the way Ell-rom did every time he visited his sister.

Now that Ell-rom had his own earpieces, the teardrop was no longer needed, and she didn't have it with her, but perhaps at this stage the sound of her voice would suffice.

"Hey there," she said softly. "I hope you don't mind me dropping in like this. Your brother is going through a therapy session." She sighed. "You should be glad that the clan has so many professionals dedicated to helping him and you when you finally wake up from your slumber. Ell-rom is doing great, and he is getting stronger by the hour, but some of the memories that surfaced are doing him more harm than good."

Jasmine glanced at the camera in the corner of the room. It was no doubt recording audio as well as video, so she should avoid mentioning the content of those disturbing dreams.

"I've got some gossip for you," Jasmine continued, adopting a conspiratorial tone. "I don't know if you are much of a gossiper, but since you lived in isolation your entire life, I assume that you will find tales of love lost and love gained interesting." She let go of Morelle's hand and leaned back. "Before I found your brother, I had a boyfriend named Edgar. Things fizzled out between us, not because there was anything wrong with him but because we were not meant for each other. I was meant for Ell-rom, and Edgar was meant for someone else. Still, I felt guilty about breaking things off with him. To my great joy, he found a new love interest, who is also a Dormant. Her mother is the aunt of my friend Frankie, who transitioned not too long ago."

She paused, a wistful smile playing on her lips. "It's funny how things work out sometimes, isn't it?"

Come to think of it, she should give Edgar a call. After all, he had checked in on her multiple times since their breakup. It was appropriate that she return the favor.

"What do you think, Morelle? Should I call Edgar and collect more juicy gossip straight from the source? That's what good friends do, right?"

Taking Morelle's silence as tacit agreement, Jasmine pulled out her phone, found Edgar's name in her contacts, and hit the call button.

The phone rang several times before Edgar's familiar voice came through. "Jasmine? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. I just had coffee with Margo and asked her about you. She told me that you and Angelica have become an item. I wanted to congratulate you and hear more about it."

There was no reason to beat around the bush. Edgar knew her too well not to guess what her call was all about.

His laugh came through the phone, warm and relaxed in a way Jasmine hadn't heard in a long time. "News travels fast, huh? Yeah, Angelica is amazing. She's feisty and funny, and she doesn't give me an inch."

"That's wonderful. I'm so happy for you," Jasmine said, and she meant it. The knot of guilt she'd been carrying since their breakup finally unraveled completely. "Did you tell her?"