A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 143 | Land Of The Living

Time crawled at an agonizing pace. Jasmine remained in the office, a silent witness to Eko's relentless ranting and raving, she could barely get a word in when she arrived. Richie, still seated at a table surrounded by holograms, indulged in a pizza, casually typing away on the tablet before him. He had listened to Eko's circular tirade for the better part of the day.

"He'll be back soon, and then you guys can kiss and make up," he muttered with a mouthful of pizza. It was a minor dispute, reminiscent of their adolescent days as Snow and Ace.

"Seriously! It's literally been hours!" Eko paced the office, her arms crossed in frustration. "Your mate doesn't even have the decency to come back and talk! He just snaps his orders, and that's that!" The atmosphere in the room echoed the ticking clock, heightening the tangible frustration lingering in the air.

"You do realize who you're dating, right?" Richie quipped, looking up from the tablet. "Help me out here, Jasmine. Explain to her how psychotic they both are together." He chuckled and turned to pink-haired warrior, who remained almost motionless at the office entrance.

"Listen to this, Jazzy!" Eko's voice suddenly boomed. She snatched a slice of cold pizza from the table, biting into it while continuing her rant. "You won't believe what he said, this goes beyond his normal shit!" Eko raved on.

However, Jasmine could only observe Eko as though she were a wild animal on the verge of an attack. "Eks," Jasmine attempted once more, and this time it grabbed Richie's attention. He noticed the sudden stiffness in Jasmine, sensing that something was amiss.

"God, he's such an idiot! I'm actually dating an idiot!" Eko scoffed. "And then Matthew acts like I don't grasp what Allegiant means, as if I'm oblivious to what our enemies might do! I've been here from the very beginning of all this! But noooo.... he goes on and acts like he's the sole decision-maker in this!" The frustration in Eko's voice echoed through the room, emphasizing the tension between her and Matthew.

"Eko," Jasmine stepped forward, and Richie placed the pizza on the table as he stood up, visibly agitated by Eko's ongoing rant. The continuous tirade from Eko unsettled Richie quickly.

"Then, Jazzy, he tells me, 'Why am I so eager to die?'" Eko air-quoted him in her sarcastic tone. "Just because I want to show these worlds who we are, he thinks we're inciting fear! It's about hope, not fear! But he just doesn't want to listen!"

"Eko, stop!" Jasmine's voice broke as her hands raised, "Please, stop." Richie instantly knew that something was wrong; Jasmine's visible distress caused Eko to pause in her tracks, her brows furrowed.

"Jasmine?" Richie barked nervously as he hurriedly made his way from the table. Eko stepped forward, anxious, thinking something had happened to her.

"What is it, Jazzy?" Eko cooed, placing her hands on Jasmine's shoulders. "Hey, are you okay?" She was instantly concerned, and Jasmine shook her head.

"Not me," Jasmine whispered, and that's when her eyes glanced up to Richie. It was as if he didn't need the woman before him to tell him that something had happened.

Eko's head recoiled slightly as she pursed her lips. "Okay, what's going on?" she demanded, her mood taking over.

"It's Xero," Jasmine looked between both of them.

"What?" Richie and Eko both blurted out simultaneously, and she shook her head.

"I was in the infirmary with Mya," Jasmine detailed. "We were having lunch, and then it all happened so quickly!" She started hyperventilating, experiencing a situation she had never encountered before, especially witnessing Matthew in that state. She wasn't even aware of his heart condition.