Page 9 of Dark Awakening: Hidden Currents

"Is there much need for a Kra-ell English translator?"

"Probably not," Aru said. "By the time you learn English, the Kra-ell in the village will be fluent in it as well."

Frankie pursed her lips and turned to Margo. "Maybe Ell-rom could join the Perfect Match testing team? Since he has no experiences whatsoever to compare to, he could be good at evaluating the different adventures. He's completely unbiased."

Jasmine had mentioned the service but in the context of exploring her world and all it had to offer, not as an option of working for the enterprise.

"There is plenty of time for choosing an occupation." Aru pushed to his feet. "If you want a quick lesson on shrouding, it will have to be now before I return to my tinkering, as Gabi calls it." He cast his mate a fond look.

She grimaced. "It's Saturday. Can’t you take the weekend off?"

"Not today, but perhaps tomorrow."

"That's better than nothing," Margo said.

"Let's go to the other penthouse," Aru suggested. "You will need to concentrate, and having people watching you is a distraction."

Ell-rom stood up and looked at Jasmine. "Do you want to come? It might be a useful lesson for when you turn immortal."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he stifled a wince.

He still wasn't sure how they were going to overcome the hurdle of his aversion. Maybe he should swallow his pride and ask Julian if it was possible to harvest his venom and inject it into Jasmine without him having to bite her.

She shook her head. "I want you to be fully focused. I'll stay here and chat with my friends until you are done."

"Actually, we need you," Aru said. "Ell-rom's shrouding will probably not work on me. I won't know if he's managing to do it or not."

7

ELL-ROM

"Focus on the image you want to project," Aru instructed. "Visualize it clearly in your mind, then push that image outward."

Ell-rom closed his eyes, trying to picture himself fading from view. He imagined his form becoming translucent, then invisible. Concentrating, he willed the image to become a reality, but when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed.

Jasmine was still looking at him expectantly.

"I don't understand," Ell-rom said, frustration creeping into his voice. "I can feel it like it's right under my skin, but I can't make it happen."

Aru nodded sympathetically. "It's a subtle skill, and it takes practice and patience to master. It's easier to pick up as a kid, but since you must have done it before your amnesia, the ability should be there. You just need to reach for it."

After several more tries, Ell-rom's patience was starting to wear thin. His failure to access the ability he was supposed to possess made him feel even more inadequate than he already felt.

Maybe that was the problem. He doubted himself, and that was why he couldn't access the reservoir of his talents. He was also tempering his emotions out of fear of unintentionally killing Aru, putting another damper on his confidence.

"Do you want to take a break?" Jasmine asked.

Shaking his head, Ell-rom replied sharply, immediately regretting his tone. "I want to keep trying. I need to figure this out."

He needed a success, even a minor one, to shore up his confidence.

Aru eyed him with thinly veiled pity. "I know you're eager to learn, but you probably have a physical rehabilitation session later, and you shouldn't exhaust yourself."

Aru's words, though well-intentioned, sparked a flare of anger in Ell-rom. "I can handle a little mental exercise in addition to the physical."

As soon as the words left his mouth, fear replaced anger. He needed to control his emotions to keep people around him from dying.

"On second thought, you are right. I should rest."