Page 26 of Dark Awakening: Hidden Currents

"Wow." Ell-rom leaned back. ”That's such a clear definition of worth. I need to remember it for when I'm in the position to actually contribute. Right now, I'm only a burden."

She smiled. "We all need help from time to time, and some need more help than others, and that's okay. It's not going to be long before your health is restored, and even if you don't regain any more memories, you can learn everything you need to know anew and find your own way to contribute. Being immortal, time is irrelevant."

Vanessa's words eased a knot in his chest, and for the first time in days, he felt like he could take a full breath.

As they continued working through his thoughts, challenging and reframing them, Ell-rom's perspective was reshaped. He could see how negative thoughts had been feeding his anxiety.

"Now," Vanessa said, "I want to introduce you to a technique called systematic desensitization. We'll create a hierarchy of situations related to blood, starting with the least anxiety-provoking and working our way up. Then, we will pair each situation with relaxation techniques. Regrettably, we don't have any blood around to practice with, so it would have to be a thought experiment." She frowned. "Here is an idea. We can start with synthetic blood. It has the same properties as the real thing, but knowing it didn't come from a person or an animal might make it easier for you to tolerate the smell. I'll talk to Julian about getting some for you."

Ell-rom winced. "I hope you are not expecting me to drink it. No amount of talking could convince me to do that."

"Eventually, you'll have to taste it, or you won't be able to bite anyone. I'm talking about a lick, not a sip."

The revulsion surged up again, but he managed to push it back. "I'll think about it while doing the breathing exercises."

"Excellent," Vanessa said. "I also want you to do some positive visualization. Imagine yourself calmly and confidently handling situations involving blood. The mind is more powerful than you think, Ell-rom, and this can help prepare you for real-life exposures."

"I'll try. Thank you for spending so much time with me. It was more helpful than I ever expected."

Vanessa smiled. "I'm glad I could help. I'll talk to Julian later and schedule another video call, this time with a cup of synthetic blood at the ready." She lifted her hand. "It was a pleasure to get to know you, and I'm looking forward to our next session." She ended the call before he could tell her that the pleasure was all his.

20

JASMINE

As Jasmine waited for Ell-rom to be done with his session, she made the mistake of scrolling through social media. She'd wanted some mindless entertainment with a little bit of news, but that little news was enough to ruin her good mood after talking with Edgar and hearing how happy he was with Angelica.

The world was falling apart, and she doubted that the immortals with Annani at the helm would be able to save it. They had done it before, more than once, but the world used to be a much smaller place and not as interconnected as it was now. Everything was happening faster and, regrettably, not for the better.

That crazy idea of a colony on Mars suddenly seemed very appealing to her. The murderous primitive barbarians were only capable of slaughter and destruction.

They would never develop interplanetary travel capability.

The problem with that fantasy was that some idiots would no doubt decide it was a good idea to bring them alongto Mars because even murderous primitive barbarians needed representation. It was ridiculous, but then so many things were these days.

The world no longer made sense to her.

Jasmine was so lost in thought that she barely registered the sound of the door opening.

Ell-rom entered, leaning on the walker, gave her a ghost of a smile, and settled into the chair next to her. His gaze fixed on Morelle; he didn't say a word, and the silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken questions.

Julian had told her not to ask Ell-rom about his session with the therapist and to wait until he confided in her of his own volition, but she couldn't bear the silence.

"Is everything okay?"

He turned to her and nodded. "I spoke with Vanessa, the clan's therapist. She had a lot of good advice for me."

Jasmine desperately wanted to ask what the advice was about, but remembering Julian's words, she opted for a neutral response. "I'm glad you found the session helpful."

Ell-rom studied her face for a moment, his brow furrowed. "Aren't you curious to hear what I needed help with?"

Jasmine took a deep breath. "Of course I'm curious, but I don't want to pry. I'm waiting for you to tell me when you're comfortable doing so."

Relief washed over Ell-rom's features as if he had been expecting a different reaction. Had he thought Julian had betrayed his trust and told her what the session was about?

Ell-rom should have known that Julian would never do that.

He let out a long breath, his shoulders sagging. "You are right. I didn't want to tell you about the problem I have, but now that Vanessa has given me tools to possibly overcome it, I feel more hopeful."