Page 25 of Dark Awakening: Hidden Currents

"About who I am?"

"Yeah, and that little detail about her being a Dormant and your ability to turn her immortal."

"Not yet."

"What are you waiting for?"

"For the big declaration of everlasting love. As you told me so sagely, I shouldn't settle for anything less than everything."

Jasmine and Ell-rom still hadn't declared their everlasting love to each other, but it was kind of implied, and they thought of each other as mates.

What were they waiting for?

"Yeah, you are right. It's not like there is a rush. How old is Angelica?"

"Just the right age. She's twenty-five. But enough about me. How are you and your prince doing?"

Jasmine glanced at Morelle's still form, a mix of emotions washing over her. "Things are good. Complicated sometimesbecause that's life, and nothing is ever easy, but it's worth the effort. Ell-rom is recovering rapidly, but he has so much to learn. English, reading and writing, history, geography. I would feel overwhelmed, but he takes everything in his stride."

"I'm happy to hear that you are still enamored with your prince."

She chuckled. "And I'm happy that you found a new princess. So Morelle is out of the race?"

"Angelica is no princess, but it would appear that princesses don't do it for me. I like that she's feisty and sassy and doesn't mince words. She'll tell you what she thinks, whether you're ready for it or not, while waving her hands around to show off those pretty nails of hers. I just can't stop smiling when I'm with her. Not to mention that she has great investment instincts. In just a few days, I made a couple of thousand dollars following her advice."

Jasmine laughed. "I wish I had money to invest to check out Angelica's tips."

"The stock market is risky, Jasmine. It's like gambling, so never invest what you can't afford to lose."

"Good philosophy. I'll keep it in mind for when I actually have a job and money to spare."

19

ELL-ROM

"Let's start with something easy," Vanessa said. "Breathe in for four counts, hold for seven, and then exhale for eight. This helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which counteracts the fight-or-flight response."

Ell-rom followed her lead, feeling some of the tension leave his body as he focused on his breathing.

"That was good," Vanessa said after several repetitions of the exercise. "How do you feel?"

"Better. I'm not nauseous."

"Excellent. Now that your stomach is at ease, we can move on to the next technique. It's called cognitive restructuring. Often, our aversions are fueled by irrational thoughts. What thoughts go through your mind when you think about blood?"

Ell-rom hesitated. "I'm not sure."

"What is the first thing that comes to your mind?"

"Death. Suffering."

Vanessa nodded. "True, it could be both. But blood is also life. We can't live without it, and many people donate blood so it can be given to others when they need it, like in the case of an injury or during an operation. Think about the blood flowing in your veins and focus on how vital it is to your survival and the survival of your loved ones."

It was an excellent diversion of focus, and it was helping, but then another thought surfaced, one he hadn't been aware of until now.

"When I think about my blood, I also think about it being impure, contaminated."

"Those are powerful thoughts," Vanessa acknowledged. "But are they rational? Your blood is obviously not contaminated, but I get where these thoughts are coming from. The Kra-ell living among us divide themselves into purebloods and hybrids, and for the longest time, the purebloods felt superior to the hybrids. Some of them probably still do, but it's a fallacy. Here on Earth, the hybrids have had a big advantage over the purebloods. They can pass for humans, while the purebloods must put much more effort into camouflaging their alien looks. What I'm trying to say is that each has advantages and disadvantages, but neither determines the kind of people they are. The only thing that determines your worth as a person is what you do and how it affects others. Are you creative and productive? Are you kind? Do you protect the law-abiding and contributing members of your society from criminals and other evildoers? What does society gain by having you as its member? Your deeds, or lack thereof, are what matters. All the rest are just prejudices and bigotry."

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