Page 43 of Dark Witch: Twin Destinies

When they returned to the hotel, she would consult the tarot cards once more to confirm that her prince was indeed waiting for her to find him and wake him with a kiss.

The thought brought a smile to her face, and she had to stifle a chuckle at its absurdity. Her prince, the one she was destined to save, was an alien from the planet of the gods, a member of a race called Kra-ell, who looked markedly different from the humanoid immortals and gods she had come to know.

Ella had told her a little about the Kra-ell, describing them as very tall and slender, with narrow waists and enormous eyes. Given that description, Jasmine doubted that the alien prince was her destined one, and it wasn't just about his alien appearance.

According to Ella, the royal twins had been young when they boarded the settler ship, but they had spent nearly seven thousand years in stasis, their bodies and minds suspended in a state of eternal youth.

Jasmine wondered what it would be like for them to wake up and find themselves in a world so different from the one they had left behind and the one they had expected to arrive at.

Were they aware of the passage of time during their stasis?

Did they retain any awareness?

Or would it feel to them like no time had passed at all, as if they had simply closed their eyes one moment and opened them the next?

As the gods trudged down the side of the mountain, these questions swirled through Jasmine's mind, helping to distract her from her throbbing ankle.

It was such a tremendous relief to see the helicopter approaching and landing, and as Negal increased his speed to get to the craft, Jasmine didn't even mind the pain that flared in response to the additional jolting.

Edgar waited for them with the motor running and the blades spinning, ready to take off as soon as they got inside. The wind whipped at her hair and clothes as Negal ducked beneath the whirring blades and deposited her on the seat next to Edgar.

Buckling her in, Edgar regarded her with concern in his eyes. "I would have brought Julian with me," he said, his voice raised to be heard over the engine's roar, "but then I wouldn't have had room for everyone in the chopper. He's waiting for you back at the hotel."

"It's just a sprained ankle. I'll live." Jasmine tried to smile reassuringly.

Edgar didn't look convinced, but he nodded, his jaw tight as he turned his attention back to the controls.

She leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes, and tried to block out the pain radiating up her leg. She had taken another dose of painkillers less than an hour ago, so taking more wasn't advisable. She had to push through it until the doctor tended to her.

As the helicopter lifted off, the ground falling away beneath them, Jasmine let the exhaustion wash over her and dozed off.

33

EDGAR

Edgar maneuvered the helicopter into its designated landing spot just outside the small town, the whirring blades kicking up dust and debris as he set the craft down. Powering down the engines, he glanced over at Jasmine, who was slumped in the seat beside him, looking pale and in pain.

She had managed to doze off for a few minutes during the flight but had woken up when he started the descent.

With a nod to the other pilot, who had come over to take charge of the helicopter, he carefully lifted Jasmine into his arms, cradling her against his chest as he carried her toward the hotel.

Julian was waiting for them outside their room and opened the door for Edgar to carry her inside.

"The bed or the chair?" Edgar asked.

"The chair," Jasmine said. "I'm dirty."

He cast a glance at the doctor, who nodded.

"The chair is fine."

"Let's see what we got here." Julian knelt beside Jasmine.

When he gently removed her boot, she cried out in pain and then bit on her lower lip to stop herself from making more distressing sounds, but her face twisted in agony as the doctor gently palpated the tender flesh.

"I don't think anything is broken," Julian said. "Rest, ice, compression, and elevation are all I can recommend for reducing the swelling and promoting healing." He turned to Edgar. "Can you please get me a wet washcloth and a towel? I would like to clean the area before I bandage it."

"Of course." Glad he could do something to help, Edgar rushed to the tiny adjoining bathroom.

---