Page 8 of 3013: SAVIOR

There were knives strapped to her thighs, but she instinctively knew she didn’t need them to protect herself. She was confident she could handle any trouble that came her way, yet easy access to weapons wasn’t a bad thing. They were something tangible, and she felt comforted by the slight weight of the blades.

“Jecca?” a strained voice said inside her mind. “Thank the gods you are okay. What in hellfire happened? Something is blocking me from transporting to you. Where are you?”

Her head exploded with pain, and stars burst behind her eyes. Her stomach flipped and rolled in a disturbing sensation, and she leaned over and retched in response. She wasn’t sure if she was grateful or not that nothing came up. The sheer agony slowly faded, but in the aftermath, she was left with a faint ringing in her ears that was annoyingly distracting.

The voice sounded familiar, but she didn’t know who it belonged to. Still, there was a deep affection between them. That was clear enough through their bond. It was also evident by the way she was immediately reassured the moment she heard the other female’s voice despite the pain it had caused her.

However, she wasn’t ready for another round just yet.

When the voice tried to speak to her again, she blocked it in self-defense. Thankfully, she didn’t push. The other female had sensed the pain their telepathy had caused her, and Jecca knew she would wait until she was ready to speak to her again.

At least she knew her own name now.

Knowing her own identity was a relief, though it was troubling that the rest of her memories weren’t coming back to her. She knew she had to be patient, but it was difficult under the circumstances. Until she regained everything that she had lost, she would just have to figure things out as she went. While that notion was slightly unnerving, she was sure it wouldn’t be the first time she walked into the unknown.

Slowly rising to her feet, she had to brace a hand against the wall for support. She hated feeling so weak. It felt unnatural and strange, but she reminded herself that it was only a temporary state. At least, she hoped it was. The faint sound of voices drew her attention, and she strained to focus on the conversation happening outside over the sound of the rain and the damned ringing in her ears that was still present.

“You sure, Nico?”

“Yeah, I heard a loud bang coming from somewhere over there. Let’s check it out,” a second male voice said. “The bots caused a lot of destruction when they attacked during the protest a few days ago. We cleared this area out, but some people might have taken shelter from the storm. It will be dangerous for them to stay here, especially if one of the buildings collapses and they get trapped inside.”

“You’re right. We can move them someplace safer,” a female voice said.

“I wish this fucking rain would stop,” another male complained. “Too bad none of us have the ability to control the weather. I’m tired, wet, and hungry, and that makes for an annoying combination. Maybe we should find someplace to wait it out.”

“It’s not like you’re going to melt,” the female snarked, but there was clearly fondness in her tone.

“Keep it down,” a deep voice ordered. “If there are bots in the area, your chatter will draw them here. Let’s just finish our patrol so we can call it a night and get the fuck out of this downpour.”

That commanding voice had Jecca making her way toward the opening in the wall. It was more than just mere curiosity. Hearing it stirred something deep within her, and she needed to see who that voice belonged to.

It was night out, but the dark rain clouds blocked out any hint of the stars and moon overhead. There was some light coming from lamps that lined the streets, but several of them looked like they had been broken or deliberately disabled. Confusion flickered through her mind. Everything looked familiar, but not. Added to that, she sensed something strange about the entire location.

She just wasn’t sure why that was, though.

As she climbed through the opening in the wall and walked out into the rain, the cool liquid felt good against her heated skin. Ignoring the rain, she glanced around. She wasn’t sure what she had expected to see, but she hadn’t anticipated what looked like a war zone. A few of the buildings had big holes blown into the walls, and part of the street had deep cracks in the pavement that had likely been caused by some sort of explosive device.

Four individuals were making their way down the street, carefully avoiding the crevasses and burnt-out husks of damaged vehicles that had been left behind. Even through the rain and the hoods that covered most of their heads, Jecca was able to see them quite clearly.

One of the males looked like a Krytos, while the lone female in the group was definitely a D’Aire. The other two males seemed to be human, and while the entire group was outfitted all in black, it was the big man standing in front of the group that drew her full attention.

He was dressed in scarred black boots, cargo pants, and a rain jacket with the hood pulled over a gray hat that covered his head. While his clothing made him blend in with the rest of his group, there was something extra about him that made him stand out. It was as if he were shining with an inner light that drew her out of the darkness toward him.

His dark gaze was steady as he scanned the area, and there was an intriguing scar on his handsome face that ran down his left cheek to his jaw. The mark didn’t diminish his good looks. If anything, seeing the scar made her want to trace it with her fingertips. Her hand actually flexed as she fought the urge to reach out to him and heal him with her touch. While she didn’t mind the imperfection, she couldn’t stand the idea of others judging him.

She spotted guns in the two holsters that were secured to his thighs, and he carried a larger high-powered weapon in his big hands. That alone told her that he was a soldier, but his bearing and the way he immediately reacted when she stepped out of the shadows solidified that he was an experienced warrior.

He held up a fisted hand to signal the others to halt, and the group immediately complied and trained their weapons on her. She came to a stop so they wouldn’t be provoked into doing something they would regret.

“Greetings,” she called out, trying to sound as nonthreatening as she could. “Would you mind telling me what planet we are currently on?”

When they all just stared at her like she was out of her mind, she wondered if perhaps she was. Then again, she didn’t think her question was outlandish enough to warrant the types of looks they were giving her.

Trying again, she asked, “Is this Earth?”

“Of course, it’s Earth,” the smaller human male called out. “Did you hit your head or something?”

“Aye, I did.”