Page 36 of Dark Awakening: Hidden Currents

Her words hit Ell-rom like a physical blow. He felt a surge of anger, of hurt, but he pushed it down, not wanting to let Jasmine see how deeply she'd affected him. Instead, he swung his legs off the lounger, planting his feet on the terrace floor.

"I think I need to go to bed and rest," he said, his voice carefully neutral.

Jasmine's expression immediately softened. "Oh, Ell-rom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to distress you. Do you want me to bring the walker?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

As Jasmine hurried inside to get the walker, Ell-rom remained on the terrace, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The sun no longer felt warm and comforting. Instead, it seemed to beat down on him accusingly, as if disappointed in his weakness.

He thought back to the luncheon, to the way Kian and the others had spoken about protecting their community. He'd even voiced his opinion about them being stronger together than apart.

If he became part of their community, it would be his duty to protect them in any way he could.

The idea of using his ability in any fashion made him sick. It wasn't like fighting an opponent with his fists or his fangs or even with a sword or a staff. That seemed slightly more fair because the opponent could defend himself and attack in turn.

Killing from afar was the mark of an assassin.

It dawned on him then.

Dear Mother of All Life. That's precisely what I am.

An assassin.

27

JASMINE

As Jasmine helped Ell-rom settle into bed, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them. His face, usually so open and warm, had closed off, a subtle tension lingering in the set of his jaw.

"Rest well." She tucked the blanket around him and kissed his forehead as if she could smooth away the discord with those simple, familiar acts of care.

Retreating from the room, she closed the door softly behind her and headed to the kitchen, where the Odus were putting the finishing touches on their cleanup in their silent, efficient manner.

The penthouse, which had been alive with laughter and conversation less than an hour ago, now felt oddly hollow.

"Thank you," she said as the Odus prepared to leave. "Everything was wonderful."

"You are most welcome, Mistress Jasmine," said the one on the left as they bowed in unison, their movements so synchronized it was almost eerie. "We shall see ourselves out."

The place was just as spotless as it had been before their arrival, and she had no doubt that the dining room was similarly immaculate.

It was nice to have robotic servants, and what was even more amazing was that human tech was catching up to science fiction, and a robot in every household was going to be the reality in the not-too-distant future.

Walking over to the bar, Jasmine surveyed the impressive collection of bottles and chose the one name she recognized. After pouring half a shot of Jack Daniels into a tall glass, she pulled out a can of ginger mixer from the small fridge, popped the lid, and poured it into the glass. When she added some ice cubes, the clink they made against the glass sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet space.

Jasmine leaned against the counter and took a long sip of the cocktail.

The look of horror on Ell-rom's face when she'd suggested using his ability as a weapon haunted her, and she winced, regretting mostly her bad timing, not the words themselves.

It was natural for him to abhor violence and to recoil at the idea of being used as a weapon for someone else's agenda. If she had his power, wouldn't she be just as horrified and scared?

Maybe, but to a much lesser extent.

She had life experience and was aware of all the horrible things happening to good people around the world. As much as the idea of killing repulsed her, she knew she'd be inclined to work on that aversion if her power could help save innocent lives. Ell-rom, though... well, he might look like an adult, but in many ways, he was like a child.

Jasmine set her glass down as a wave of guilt washed over her.

He had no memories, no real-world exposure, and he was naive, like a baby. Children weren't born killers. They didn't want to see anything die, not even a bug. It was the adults around them who had the power to eradicate that innate goodness and turn children into monsters.