Dark Survivor Echoes of Love

by I. T. Lucas

  Was this the right time to ask him how closely related he was to Kian? And why everyone treated him like he was a celebrity?

  “Very.” She took his elbow and kept on walking.

  “Even though you kicked my ass twice?”

  Damn. Did he have to bring that up?

  “If it were him instead of you, I'm sure I could’ve kicked Kian’s ass too.”

  Anandur laughed. “I would’ve paid good money to see that.”

  “What does it make me, though? Less feminine? Overly masculine?”

  “On the contrary. It makes you a one of a kind Wonder Woman, the heroine every little girl wants to be when she grows up.”

  She cast him a sidelong glance. “What about the little boys?”

  “They want to marry her, of course.”

  11

  Anandur

  Wonder shook her head, but Anandur caught the smile she was trying to stifle.

  Mission accomplished.

  Every time he managed to make her laugh or even just smile felt like a triumph. In fairytales knights slew dragons for their fair maidens, in real life they made them laugh.

  The quest was almost as difficult and required unique skills only a few brave knights possessed, but in his opinion, it was way more beneficial to the fair maiden. After all, there wasn’t much she could do with a dragon’s carcass, but everyone could use a good laugh.

  Casting him a suspicious glance, Wonder asked, “Why are you smirking?”

  “Just stupid thoughts bouncing around in my head.”

  She grimaced. “I bet.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, maybe something about little boys wanting to marry girls who can kick their asses?”

  “Ah.” For some reason, Wonder was sensitive about her unique gifts, thinking they made her less feminine.

  He had no problem sharing his musings with her and setting the record straight. “Not at all. I was thinking how in fairytales knights slew dragons for their fair maidens, and how that wasn’t as big of a deal as making the maidens laugh. I consider myself a better knight because my jokes bring real value, true?”

  She looked at him as if he was a screw loose, but that was nothing new. He got that reaction often.

  “Hmm, so if you had a choice between impressing a maiden with your incredible fighting skills or a good joke, you would’ve chosen the joke?”

  “Of course.” He threaded his arm through hers. “Dudettes are usually much less bloodthirsty than dudes. They don’t want to see gory displays of blood and guts. They might need reassurances that their guys can protect them if needed, but without actually watching them tear each other apart, or slaughter some poor dragon who’s minding his own business.”

  Wonder laughed and leaned her head against his bicep.

  Surprisingly, that small sign of affection flooded him with a potent mix of endorphins and testosterone. The result was intense desire and the need to protect and to possess.

  Fates, why did she have such a profound effect on him?

  He wasn’t a young boy who got excited by a girl’s slightest touch. But then, he hadn’t been with a woman since Rosie or whatever her name was, and that didn’t even count because Wonder had ruined it just by being there.

  So yeah, he was abnormally horny, but unfortunately only for one female. One who was way too young for him and emotionally fragile.

  A virgin child, that was what she was, and he would keep telling himself that until his body got the message and aligned itself with his brain.

  “I agree,” Wonder said. “I accept you as my knight, Sir Anandur, and I expect many gifts of jokes and funny stories.”

  “You got it, Lady Wonder.”

  Had that been Wonder’s attempt at flirting? Or just her response to his silliness?

  Except, it didn’t matter if she was flirting.

  As the mature adult, it was Anandur’s responsibility to steer her away from that and into something more appropriate, like a young immortal male closer to her age.

  Except, the only two available were Vlad and Gordon, and neither was suitable for Wonder. Vlad was a good kid, but she could snap him like a twig, and Gordon had the maturity level of a four-year-old.

  Then there was Julian and several other young immortals who were somewhat appropriate for a girl of her age. But again, he couldn’t imagine her enjoying the company of any of them.

  And it wasn’t because the thought made him jealous.

  Well, there was that too, but it wasn’t about him. Wonder needed a big guy who wouldn’t be intimidated by her physical strength, someone good-natured who would patiently answer all of her questions…

  Yeah. He was describing himself.

  Damn.

  “Anandur!” Carol yelled and ran toward them.

  He barely had time to let go of Wonder and catch her before getting toppled by the small torpedo coming at him full speed.

  “I heard you were back. You have no idea how worried everyone was.” She cast an accusing glance at Wonder. “Is that her? Is she the one I need to beat up for abducting you?”

  It was funny coming from the tiny blond. Carol was feisty, but Wonder could probably hold her off with one finger.

  “Just joking.” She winked. “Nice to meet a fellow fighter.” She offered her hand. “I’m Carol.”

  “Nice to meet you too.” Wonder didn’t sound convincing at all. “I’m Wonder.” She shook Carol’s hand.

  “I know. It’s such a cool name. I should’ve thought of it.” She threaded her arm through Wonder’s. “Come, breakfast is on me.”

  Casting Anandur a beseeching glance, Wonder asked, “Didn’t you offer to buy me breakfast?”

  “I did, but Carol runs the café. If she wants to give you a freebie, who am I to argue, eh?”

  Wonder looked at Carol, her eyes taking in the small, curvy woman. “I thought you said you’re a fighter.”

  “I am. I teach beginner self-defense classes. Naturally, those are not for you. You need an advanced one.”

  Dragging Wonder with her, she waved at her customers. “Everyone! A round of applause for Anandur and Wonder!”

  For the next half an hour or so, Wonder and he had to repeat their story over and over again. While he sang Wonder’s praises, exaggerating for the sake of making the story more interesting, she blushed and stuttered every time someone commented about her kidnapping one of the clan’s toughest fighters.

  “Okay, guys.” Carol clapped her hands. “Party time over. Wonder and Anandur want to eat their breakfast in peace.”

  Amazingly, people listened.

  Despite her diminutive size and her less than stellar reputation, Carol had a commanding personality.

  Evidently Wonder was impressed too, watching with wide eyes as everyone returned to their tables. “Wow. Thank you. I was afraid we would spend the entire morning like this.”

  “Pfft.” Carol waved a dismissive hand, then pulled out two stools from under the counter. “Sit!”

  “Yes, ma'am.” Anandur waited for Wonder to take a seat before straddling the other stool.

  “Cappuccinos?”

  “Yes, please,” Wonder said.

  “Coming right up.”

  “She is a bossy one,” Wonder whispered as Carol turned the coffee grinder on.

  “Carol is a character. That’s for sure. She has a heart of a lioness inside that soft body of hers.”

  Wonder nodded. “I got that vibe from her. She must be a fierce fighter.”

  “You’re a good judge of character, I’ll give you that. Carol is an excellent sharpshooter, but she has a problem with an actual hunt. Give her a target, and she hits the bull's-eye, but she won’t shoot at an animal.”

  “Why does it surprise you? I can totally understand that. The fact that she can kill doesn't mean that she wants to.”

  He nodded. “I agree. But if she ever wants to go on a mission, I need to know that she can do what needs to be done.”<
br />
  Wonder shook her head. “I have a feeling she would. If she is anything like me, that is. I would never harm an innocent just for practice. But I know I could do it to defend others, or even myself, but especially others.”

  12

  Wonder

  Wonder finished eating her sandwich, emptied her cappuccino cup, and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

  “What now?”

  Anandur shifted on the stool. “Do you want a pastry?”

  Why did she have a feeling that he was stalling? Maybe he was not in the mood to start his workday?

  Or did he want a few more moments with her?

  She certainly wanted more time with him. Anandur was fun to be with, perhaps because he didn’t take anything seriously, himself included. His sunny attitude was the perfect antidote to her serious one.

  “I’m full, thank you.” But if he wanted to take her out again, she was all for it. “Do you get breaks? Can we meet for lunch?”

  “I’ll see what I can do. It depends on Kian’s plans for today.” Anandur scratched his beard. “I’m going to take you to see Bridget, the clan’s doctor. Well, she was until Julian came back, that’s her son who is also a doctor. But he is away at some conference. Kian thinks it’s a good idea for her to check you out and make sure your injury is healing all right. Maybe she can also find out why you can’t remember anything.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Anandur scratched the back of his head. “He also wants Vanessa to talk to you. She is a therapist who specializes in trauma.”

  For some reason, he seemed very uncomfortable with Kian’s commands.

  Wonder put a hand on his thigh. “It's okay. I don’t mind. In fact, I would love to talk to them. I’m open to anything that might help restore my memories or at least explain why I lost them.”

  Anandur expelled a relieved breath. “I’m glad you have no problem with that. I was afraid you wouldn’t want to talk to strangers and answer a bunch of intrusive questions, especially not on your first day here. But the boss insisted.”

  “I have nothing to hide.” Wonder rose to her feet and picked up her paper plate and cup. “What do I do with these?”

  “I’ll take them to the trash.”

  “Wait.” Wonder wiped the table with a paper napkin and added it to the pile.

  Observing Carol running around and fulfilling orders, she realized that the blond had no one helping her and was doing everything herself. The least Wonder could do was wipe the table clean.

  “Thanks for breakfast.” She waved at Carol.

  “Come back for lunch. But I’m afraid the selection here is the same for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sandwiches and more sandwiches and pastries.”

  “It was very good.”

  “Come on,” Anandur said. “The clinic is right over there.” He pointed at a one-story building recessed a little from the rest of the communal facilities surrounding the village square.

  As they entered, a woman with a wild head of hair that was even redder than Anandur’s beckoned them into her office. “Come right in.”

  “Wonder, this is Bridget, the doctor. Bridget, this is Wonder.”

  The doctor offered Wonder her hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

  “Same here.” The doctor’s small hand had a surprisingly firm grip.

  “I’ll leave you two to talk,” Anandur said. “Can you find your way back to the house?”

  “Of course. But I don’t have a key.”

  “There is no need. No one locks their doors in the village.” He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll see if I can get a break for lunch and come check up on you.”

  He was so confusing. One moment he was kissing her, even if only on her cheek, and the next he was sounding like a parent saying goodbye to a kid who was afraid to be left alone with a stranger.

  It was embarrassing.

  Wonder rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  Still, he didn’t move from his spot.

  “Go already. I want to talk to Bridget in private.” She gave him a slight push.

  “I’ll see you later.” Anandur pivoted on his heel and walked out without looking back.

  Wonder sighed. Pretending to be just friends was going to be tough. It was easier when he was keeping his distance, but then he did things like giving her a kiss or taking her hand, which implied intimacy.

  “Take a seat, Wonder,” Bridget said. “Tell me about your coma.”

  “All I can tell you is what happened after I woke up. I have no memory of how it happened or of the life I had before it. I don’t even know my real name. I chose Wonder because it sounded nice.”

  The doctor smiled. “I heard the story. You have no idea how fast rumors spread over here. I was told you woke up in Egypt.”

  “Yes.”

  “Was it in a hospital?”

  “No. It was on a construction site. Someone must have dumped me there without checking whether I had a pulse. They probably thought I was dead.”

  Bridget narrowed her eyes. “Were you very thin when you woke up?”

  “How did you know? I was skeletal.”

  “Your body must’ve gone into stasis. A severe injury might do that to an immortal, and after several weeks in that state a bare minimum of the original musculature remains.”

  “I see. Anandur told me what stasis was, but I didn’t make the connection.”

  Over the next several hours, the doctor asked many more questions, took a lot of blood samples, and put Wonder inside a weird machine that scanned her brain and another one that scanned her heart.

  “There is nothing wrong with you physically, Wonder,” she declared after all the tests were done. “If you suffered head trauma, your body repaired itself beautifully. There is no sign of anything. Your heart is perfectly mended as well. You’re healing very fast even for an immortal.”

  “What does it mean? Are there different kinds of immortals?”

  Bridget put her tablet down and steepled her fingers. “The theory is that the closer you are to the source, the stronger you are as far as your special immortal capabilities. This is especially true in the case of healing. Your mother must have been a very old immortal. Someone whose blood wasn’t diluted by generations of humans.”

  “Maybe I’m a very old immortal myself?” Wonder would have loved nothing more than to stick it to Anandur and tell him that she was older than him.

  Bridget shook her head. “You’re a very young immortal. I estimate that you are between eighteen and twenty-one years old.”

  Disappointing. “Are you sure?”

  Bridget nodded. “I’m very sure.”

  Well, if she was indeed so young, then there was no shame in asking the question that had been bothering her for a while. “Is there any way to know if I was ever intimate with a male?” She bit on her lower lip. “I don’t remember anything, and I would like to know.”

  Bridget smiled. “That’s perfectly understandable. I can check if your hymen is still intact, but that’s not conclusive proof. Some girls don’t have them, and still others tear it other than via intercourse. But in any case, I will have to perform an internal exam, which means that I will have to put my fingers inside your vagina. Are you okay with that?”

  Wonder blushed profusely. Not because of the internal exam Bridget had suggested, but because the doctor assumed she was so utterly ignorant that an explanation was needed.

  “I know what a gynecological exam is. I never had one, but I know what to expect.” Between television and YouTube, one could learn anything.

  “Good. So is it a yes?”

  Wonder nodded. “I want to know.”

  13

  Grud

  “Vera!” Grud hollered as he entered the house. “Is the food ready?” The smell was great. The old woman was an excellent cook.

  “It’s almost done, dear. Don’t you want to wait for your Uncle Harold? We can all e
at together when he comes back. It’s so nice to have lunch as a family.”

  “Fifteen minutes. If he is not back by then, I want my food on the table.”

  “Yes, dear.”

  Grud plopped on the couch, leaned back, propped his feet on the coffee table, and clicked the remote to change the channel from the boring cooking show the woman had been watching. He needed to check the local news.

  It was only his second day at Vera and Harold’s house, and already the novelty of the arrangement that had seemed so sweet was starting to wear off.

  The woman was fussing over him as if he were her real nephew, which was what he’d thralled the old couple to believe, but it was annoying as hell.

  There were advantages of course, like Vera cooking all of her signature dishes for the beloved nephew, and old Harold running around and buying everything Grud was asking for.

  Yesterday, he’d sent the old guy to the mall to buy him clothes, shoes, a new phone, and a wallet, which Harold had also kindly filled with cash.

  Grud had even considered having them buy him a new car, but their bank account didn’t have enough money in it. Not a problem; when he left, he was going to take Vera’s car, same as he’d done an hour ago.

  With his curiosity getting the better of him, Grud had driven to the facility and had gone to investigate.

  He’d been careful, parking Vera’s car next to another building that had several cars in its parking lot, and then strolling casually to the facility he’d spent the last several months at.

  It had been very low risk.

  Even if Wonder had been there and seen him, she would not have recognized him. With most of his beard gone, the neat haircut Vera had given him, and the new clothing Harold had bought for him, Grud could barely recognize himself.

  But just as he’d expected, the building was vacant.

  The front door had been locked, but apparently no one had checked the office he’d escaped through. The window had been still open, and the screen had remained torn. Grud had gotten in the same way he’d gotten out.