Page 11 of Dark Princess Ascending

"That's one of the reasons why the idea was scrapped," Ell-rom said. "The other was that Morelle might choose to attack the shooter instead of trying to stop the bullet."

Nodding, Morelle took a bite of pancake, trying to think of a way to get Ell-rom alone so she could tell him the truth about her ability. With Brandon and Jasmine hovering nearby, she couldn't risk it.

"I have a meeting with my teenage consultants about InstaTock this morning." Brandon looked at his watch as he finished his coffee. "Want to come along? They're lovely kids, and you'd enjoy meeting them."

Morelle seized the opportunity. "Actually, I should start learning English on my new laptop." She turned to her brother. "Ell-rom, could youhelp me? By now, you probably know everything there is to know about the program."

"Of course." He smiled knowingly.

Brandon seemed disappointed. "Are you sure? I'm meeting them in the café, and it's such a lovely day outside. You will enjoy the walk."

Normally, she would, but she really needed to talk to her brother.

"Some other time," she said. "I'm still tired from yesterday, and I'd prefer to stay home and take it easy, as you like to say."

He studied her face for a moment before nodding. "Alright." Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her lips. "I won't be long."

"Don't rush," she said. "Take all the time you need. I'll keep myself occupied with learning your language."

After Brandon left, Jasmine began clearing the dishes. "I promised to help Margo with the decorations for Rob's induction ceremony," she announced. "So, I should head over there and see if we can get an early start." She turned to Ell-rom. "You don't mind, right? You'll be busy teaching Morelle about the program."

"Not at all." He rose to his feet and wrapped an arm around her middle. "But I will miss you."

Morelle wasn't sure if Jasmine had sensed her need for privacy with her brother or if she truly needed to help Margo, but either way, she was grateful.

Once Jasmine left, Morelle stood and leaned over to whisper in Ell-rom's ear, "Is it safe to talk here? Do you know if there are listening devices in this house?"

"It's doubtful that a councilman's home would be bugged," he said in a whisper. "But just to be safe, we could study outside in the backyard. As Brandon said, it's a nice day."

"Great idea." Morelle pushed to her feet. "Let me get my laptop."

A few minutes later they were settled at the outdoor table, laptops open but powered off.

Morelle leaned close to her brother, lowering her voice despite the privacy of the yard. "I need to tell you something about what happened last night." She swallowed hard. "The power I used wasn't mine."

Ell-rom tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't just move that stone." She glanced around nervously before continuing. "I pulled energy from everyone present. Mostly from Annani, but also from everyone else. That's how I was able to do it."

Her brother's eyes widened, but he didn't immediately reject the idea. "That...actually makes sense."

"Did you feel it? I mean, the drain?"

"I felt something," he admitted. "But I thought it was just the shock of what almost happened to Darius. Whatever it was, it passed quickly, though."

Morelle let out a long breath. "I didn't tell Brandon. I'm scared."

"Why?"

"Isn't that obvious? I'm a parasite, a vampire. I feed off other people's energy."

To her surprise, he laughed. "A vampire? Where did that idea come from?"

This was no laughing matter. "What else would you call it? I drained energy from people to power my ability."

"That doesn't make you a vampire." He frowned. "How do I even know what a vampire is?"

She'd forgotten that Ell-rom remembered next to nothing from their childhood, and it seemed that those memories were forever lost. She really needed to spend more time with him and tell him about his past.