As they strolled hand in hand through the narrow passageways between the market stalls, everything looked different to Wonder, smaller, dirtier.

Was it just this country, or did everything pale in comparison to the United States? Not that she’d seen much of it. San Francisco and Los Angeles might have been anomalies. Except, she’d watched enough television shows to get exposed to the rest of the country. Even neighborhoods that had been depicted as poor and crime-riddled looked affluent compared to this.

It was like coming from a different world.

“Anything?” Anandur asked.

“The only memories I have of this place are the ones after waking up. Though to tell you the truth, I remembered the place as much bigger and less dirty.”

“You’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.”

“Is that a saying?”

“It’s from a famous movie. You should see it sometime. The Wizard of Oz.”

“We could watch it together.” She leaned into him despite their stickiness level.

The outdoor market was hot and humid and brought unpleasant memories. She’d been all alone, confused, frightened, and without prospects. Anandur was her pillar of strength, a solid reminder that this was well behind her and that she would never be alone again.

“I don’t know if I can stream Netflix here. I’ll ask the concierge about it.”

“Maybe we should head back to the hotel? I don’t think this is working.” It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she’d rather wait for the movie until they were back at the village. Tonight, she had different plans, and they didn’t involve watching anything other than Anandur's magnificent body with no clothes to conceal any of it.

“Let’s walk around some more. We’ve just got here. Maybe you’ll see something familiar that will push another buried memory to the surface.”

That was what she was afraid of. One of the thugs she’d overpowered might recognize her despite the big sunglasses and Amanda’s fancy designer clothing that made Wonder look like a wealthy American tourist.

She clung even closer to Anandur. The big redhead courted even more attention than her. She was a tall woman, but at least her coloring didn’t stand out, and the sunglasses covered the unusual color of her eyes.

“What’s the matter, lass? You seem jumpy.”

“What if one of those thugs is here and recognizes me?”

A growl started deep in Anandur’s throat. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m looking forward to it. Finishing that job for you would be my pleasure.”

Wonder shook her head. “I’m not afraid of them.” She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “I’m afraid of the police. I might get arrested for murder.”

“That’s not a problem either. I can thrall whoever they tell about you and make them forget the accusation.”

“I can do that too. But it’s still too risky. How many people can you thrall at once?”

He scratched his beard. “One.”

“So can I. What if there is more than one police officer?”

“I’ll take one, and you’ll take the other. How is your thralling ability?”

“Decent, I guess. I don’t know what’s considered good.”

“Show me. Can you cast an illusion? Make yourself look like someone else?”

The most she’d done was to conceal her bruises and her torn clothing. She’d never tried to look like someone else.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Make yourself look like a man. I can’t see the illusion, but we can check people’s reaction to you, whether they address you as a man or a woman.”

That should be interesting. “I’ll give it a try.”

It took a lot of concentration, but she managed to fool people for about five minutes before having to drop the shroud. The energy needed to maintain it while talking to the various vendors was draining fast.

“Not bad,” Anandur said. “Quite impressive for a woman.”

That was a sexist remark. Worse, it was another reminder of her being a freak. It wasn’t enough that she was strong like a man and could detect other immortal males in the same way they detected one another, she could also thrall like a male.

“Ugh. I hate those comparisons. I thought all immortals could thrall.”

“Easy, tiger. Generally, women are not as good at this because they don’t have enough practice. Guys have to become good out of necessity.”

“True. I guess my circumstances made it a necessity as well.”

“They did.”

“Can we go now? We’ve circled the market twice already, and I’m sweating. I want to go back to the hotel.” And practice being feminine. She was going to take a shower and put on the sexy lingerie Amanda had bought for her.

“Just two more stops. I want you to show me where you were attacked and the building site where you woke up. If possible, I would like to see the caverns.”

“Fine.” She took his hand and led him out of the market.

“Are you in a hurry?” Anandur asked as she lengthened her strides.

“I want to get it over with.”

If she could, she would've jogged there. But that was sure to attract attention. And she was still wary of encountering one of the thugs who’d attacked her. First, because she didn’t want to deal with the local police. Secondly, because she didn’t want to kill anyone ever again.

Anandur was right that the scum didn’t deserve to live, and that killing them would save numerous future victims. But Wonder didn’t want to be the one to do it.

It was a cowardly approach, but she just didn’t have the stomach for it.

“It happened here,” Wonder said as they reached the end of the alley. “They came at me from both directions.” She swallowed the bile rising in her throat.

Pulling her into his arms, Anandur kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay, lass. You’re a strong fighter. They couldn’t get you then, and they can’t take you now. And it has nothing to do with me being here with you.”

His words didn’t help because fear wasn’t the problem, but his arms around her did the trick. He cared for her despite what she’d done.

“I know. I just wish this memory would vanish together with the other ones.”

“Show me your moves.” Anandur took a step back and assumed a threatening pose.

She shook her head. “I don’t want to.”

“I’m coming at you, lass, whether you’re ready or not.” He started toward her.

Except, he didn’t move as fast as she’d expected. Big mistake on his part.

As Anandur’s hand reached for her shirt lapel, Wonder caught his wrist and pulled hard. Extending her leg to trip him at the same time, she sent him flying over her shoulder.

The ground shook as Anandur’s big body hit the pavement, and if he weren't an immortal she would’ve worried about him getting hurt. Instead, she followed him down, straddled his torso, and sat on him. Not that her weight would keep him down, but she also pinned his arms over his head.

“Do you concede defeat, big guy?”

He grinned at her, happy as could be. “Fates, you’re beautiful. I could gaze into those jade eyes of yours forever.”

A sense of déjà vu swept through Wonder.

Another face had smiled at her from the same position, and he had said something similar.

Letting go of Anandur’s arms, she lifted a knee and got off him. “Esag,” she whispered. “I did the exact same thing with him. He was the one who trained me.” Dizzy, she sat on the ground and cradled her head in her hands.

Anandur sat up and reached for her, pulling her onto his lap. “Then I’m grateful to him. His training saved you.”

She nodded. “I remember his face now.”

“Was he handsome?”

“Yes.”

“More handsome than me?”

She shook her head. “You’re more handsome, and you’re also older than he was.”

“You have no idea how glad I am to hear that.” Anandur pretended to release a relieved breath. “Do you remember anything else? What did he wear? What did you wear?”

Wonder frowned. All she had was a face and a distant memory of a feeling. She’d been attracted to Esag, but they hadn’t been a couple. Had it been only an infatuation? A sexual attraction?

Another memory surfaced. Her legs had been bare because her skirt had ridden up. She remembered the feel of Esag’s hands on her skin. His touch had burned because she’d wanted him so much.

“I had a skirt or a dress on. It rode up my thighs. That’s all I remember.” It was just a little lie, a half-truth, but she didn’t want Anandur to know that she’d been attracted to Esag.

“You trained in a dress? That doesn’t make sense.”

“I know.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s a false memory. Maybe I dreamt it.”