Page 39 of Dark Awakening: Hidden Currents

He shook Edgar's hand, noting the firm grip. "Likewise," he said, even though it wasn't entirely true.

Jasmine had mentioned Edgar, but only in passing.

As they settled back into their seats, Ell-rom wondered if Edgar was just a friend from the Tibet expedition or more. The easy familiarity between him and Jasmine hinted at the latter.

"Edgar was just telling me about his upcoming double date with Frankie's cousin Angelica and Frankie and Dagor," Jasmine said.

Ell-rom remembered Jasmine telling him about Edgar and Frankie's cousin finding each other attractive, and he was relieved to learn that Edgar was still seeing her.

Jasmine had never mentioned that Edgar had any romantic interest in her, but then, if he wasn't interested, why was he working so hard on making her laugh?

She'd never laughed like that at anything Ell-rom had said to her, and if the guy was so amusing, then he had an advantage in more than just his robust health and vitality.

Without knowing much about courtship or how males competed with each other over females, Ell-rom had no doubt that making a female laugh gave a male a leg up over his competition.

"What was so funny?" he asked, trying to keep the suspicion from his voice.

A moment of silence fell over the room, and Edgar and Jasmine exchanged a glance that spoke volumes.

"Well," Edgar said, a rueful smile playing on his lips, "Jasmine and I used to date, and we were recounting some funny moments from those days. Did you know that Jasmine loves period romances? Our first date started with us making up a story."

Ell-rom didn't even know what period romances were, and the fact that Jasmine hadn't told him that Edgar used to be her partner hurt. Why had she kept it a secret?

On top of that, Edgar appeared to know so much more about Jasmine than Ell-rom did, and it made the jealousy in his chest flare anew.

"What happened?" he asked. "Why did you end things?"

He hoped that they had ended it and that Jasmine was not entertaining the two of them at the same time. Did people do that on Earth? Did they do that on Anumati?

It was so frustrating not knowing the first thing about anything.

Edgar chuckled, though there was a hint of something else in his eyes that looked a lot like regret. "What happened? You did, mate. I can't really blame Jasmine for dumping me for a prince. How could a simple guy like me compete with royalty?"

Ell-rom felt as if the floor had dropped out from under him.

Was that all he was to Jasmine? A title? An upgrade from a pilot to a prince?

The insecurity that had been simmering beneath the surface bubbled up, threatening to overwhelm him.

Jasmine glared at Edgar. "That's not true, and you know it. You're just being contrary. We ended things because we both realized we weren't meant for each other, and it was a very wise decision for both of us." She turned back to Ell-rom. "Now, both Edgar and I have found our one and only. I found you, and Edgar found Angelica."

At the mention of Angelica's name, Edgar's face lit up in a way that eased some of Ell-rom's tension. Whatever Edgar had felt for Jasmine in the past was still there in some form, but it seemed that his heart now belonged to Frankie's cousin.

As Edgar and Jasmine reminisced about their trip to Tibet, sounding like two old friends and not lovers, Ell-rom relaxed further. He was still upset that Jasmine hadn't told him she used to be with Edgar, but at least he was no longer worried that she was still interested in the pilot or that he would have to compete for her.

"Flying the aircraft in the Himalayas was one of the biggest challenges of my career," Edgar said. "The thin air and the unpredictable weather are not for the faint of heart."

Jasmine frowned. "I wonder how the earpieces translated aircraft." She looked expectantly at Ell-rom.

Ell-rom's brow furrowed. "A vehicle capable of flying," he said.

"That's what I thought." She turned to Edgar. "The earpieces have a limited Kra-ell vocabulary, and they group things by their function. Carrots and potatoes are both just vegetables, and in the same way, they don't differentiate between types of aircraft."

Edgar's eyes widened. "Right, sorry. The type of aircraft I pilot has rotating blades on top that allow it to fly straight up and down and hover in place. It's incredibly useful for navigating difficult terrain like mountains."

As Edgar delved into more technical details about piloting the strange aircraft he'd described, Ell-rom couldn't shake the feeling that he was showing off. There was an undercurrent of insecurity in Edgar's demeanor, though Ell-rom couldn't fathom why.

After all, Edgar had an important skill, and he had a crucial role in the clan's operations. Ell-rom, on the other hand, felt the weight of his current uselessness keenly. He might be called a prince, but it was a meaningless title. He had no profession, no skills he could remember, and nothing to contribute to the clan that had taken him in.

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