Page 66 of Dark Princess Ascending

Jasmine opened the door with a bright, welcoming smile. "Good morning. Please, come in." She led them to the living room where Ell-rom and Brandon were seated on the couch with a laptop open in front of them, and Morelle was curled on an armchair with hers. "Before you begin the testing," Jasmine said. "I just wanted to tell you that I spoke with my father, and he will be at his cabin for the first week of next month. I will need a Guardian who is very good at thralling to accompany Ell-rom and me."

Kian was glad that she had finally contacted her father, but now was not the time to talk about that. "Remind me about this later. We should schedule a meeting to discuss the arrangements."

"Of course." Jasmine dipped her head.

Morelle put her laptop on the side table and rose to her feet to greet them. "Good morning." She looked at Kian. "I didn't expect you to come. Am I in trouble?"

He smiled. "Why do you assume that my presence here means you are in trouble?"

She shrugged. "Why else would you want to spend time watching Amanda and Syssi test me?"

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I've had a lot of time to think about your talent, and I think that ithas tremendous potential. I want to check a couple of theories I have."

"I see." She looked nervous. "Makes sense."

"Should Ell-rom and I clear out?" Jasmine asked.

"Stay," Morelle said, turning to Jasmine. "I want you to see what I can do."

Amanda nodded. "The more, the better, actually. We need you both for the experiments I have in mind."

The more people with paranormal powers in the room, the more energy Morelle could draw on to fuel her telekinesis.

That was also another reason why Kian had wanted to be present. If Morelle drew power from him, he wanted to know if he could feel it—and more importantly, how it would affect him.

"In that case, I'm going to make coffee." Brandon rose to his feet. "I assume that everyone wants a cup?"

"Definitely," Syssi said. "I've only had two this morning, and I need at least three to function."

Brandon chuckled. "I apologize in advance. My coffee-making skills are nowhere near your level. All I know is how to use the drip machine."

"I could teach you to make cappuccinos," Syssi offered. "It's all in the equipment. When you have the right stuff, it's not as complicated as it seems."

Morelle tilted her head. "What is that specialized coffee drink?"

There was no word in the Kra-ell language for a cappuccino, and although the translation earpieces were getting better at inserting names and words that couldn't be translated directly, they were still far from perfect.

"It's coffee with steamed milk and foam," Syssi explained. "The milk makes it creamy, and the foam gives it a luxurious texture."

While Syssi explained the mechanics, Brandon ducked into the kitchen, and soon the sounds and smells of brewing coffee filled the air.

Morelle settled onto the couch beside her brother. "That sounds interesting. I would like to taste it."

Syssi's eyes widened. "I forgot that you didn't get to taste my cappuccino when you were in our house. You were so tired after performing that miracle that Brandon had to take you home. You have to come over again."

Kian crossed his legs at his ankles. "We have a very ugly fireplace for now, but I'm sure you won't mind."

"I won't," Morelle said. "I assume the workers removed the stone that surrounded the fireplace." She glanced at the intact mantel in Brandon's living room. "I guess that's why you didn't bring the little ones with you. Ours is still here."

"That's not the reason," Amanda said. "Dalhu is watching the girls so we can work." She grinned. "I'm telling you. Having a work-from-home husband is very convenient."

"What does he do?" Morelle asked.

"He's a talented artist." Amanda gave her a thorough once-over. "He should draw a portrait of you." She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of Morelle. "Your hair is growing out nicely. I should take you to my stylist to give it some shape."

Morelle's eyes brightened. "I would be so grateful. I was just thinking yesterday that your hairstyle would look good on me."

Kian stifled a chuckle. Some things were just universal, and females were always concerned with their looks, with their hair being the priority.