Page 20 of Dark Princess Emerging

She shook her head. "I don't want to distract anyone from Morelle and Jasmine's first meeting. I'll wait for the ceremony tomorrow."

"Ceremony?" Morelle asked. "What kind of ceremony?"

"When a Dormant completes the first stage of transition, the doctors perform a simple test to verify that they are indeedimmortal. They make a small cut on the Dormant's palm and time how quickly it heals."

Morelle frowned. "That seems kind of crude. I'm sure that there must be better ways to test it."

Annani shrugged. "It is quick, practical, and decisive. Even those with the most diluted immortal blood heal significantly faster than humans. Over time, it has become more than just a test, though. It was made into a ceremony, and a celebration with family and friends present to witness and welcome new immortals into their everlasting lives."

"Jasmine will love it," Ell-rom said. "She heard about the ceremony from Margo, Frankie, and Gabi, and I know that she will want to have the same experience."

Ell-rom had told her about his and Jasmine's time in the clan's keep, and the three gods and their mates who had helped find their pods and had also become good friends. He was excited by the possibility of them moving into the village, but there was something that the gods needed to take care of first. Something about trackers that had to come out of them and get implanted in human volunteers.

"The cart is here," Brandon announced. "Are you ready to go?"

Morelle stood quickly, smoothing the fabric of her trousers. "Yes." She turned to Annani. "Thank you for dinner and lunch and everything else."

"Stop thanking me, Morelle." Annani waved a hand in dismissal. "It is my pleasure. Give my love to Jasmine and tell her that I will come to see her tomorrow."

Brandon said his thanks as well and got the same answer from Annani. They headed outside, where a Guardian was waiting with a cart.

"Good news." He beamed at them. "It's always a good day when a Dormant transitions."

"Thank you, I think." She looked at Brandon. "Is that what I'm supposed to say?"

"You could also say something like 'good news indeed' as an affirmation." Brandon helped her into the cart even though she was steady enough on her feet now and didn't need assistance.

She'd noticed that he loved to find excuses to touch her, and she was more than happy to oblige him. The contact sent pleasant shivers through her body.

"Your customs are confusing," she said as he climbed in behind her.

"The clan believes in marking important moments," he said. "As Kian says, every reason for celebration should be taken advantage of. Life is full of hardships, so when there is an opportunity to rejoice and celebrate, it should be taken."

"Indeed," she said, following his advice from before.

Her comment had referred to speech conventions, but she liked his answer about celebrations.

"Can I tell Ell-rom everything about the tests today?" she asked. "Or are some things supposed to remain confidential?"

"You can tell him everything."

"Good." Morelle let out a breath. "I don't like keeping secrets from Ell-rom."

She also didn't like keeping secrets from Brandon, but she had no choice. Kian and Annani wanted Ell-rom's ability to remain a secret for now, and she couldn't go against their wishes.

13

ELL-ROM

"I'll wait out here." Brandon sat down on one of the chairs in the waiting area of the clinic. "You go ahead and sit with your brother in Jasmine's room."

Morelle looked conflicted for a moment but then nodded. "We will leave the door open."

"That's okay." Brandon pulled out his phone. "I need to make a few calls, so you can close the door if you want to."

Morelle shook her head. "I'd rather leave it open so I can see you."

"I promise not to run away." He winked at her.