Wonder walked out of the pavilion and headed straight for the café. It was a little after four o’clock. She could still put in a couple of work hours.

But as she neared the place, Carol started shaking her head. “What are you doing here? I told you to take the rest of the day off.”

“Aren’t you glad to see me?” She rounded the counter and bent to pull out her apron.

Carol gave her a quick hug. “Of course, I am, silly. So how was it? Did you get to talk to Vanessa?”

“For about five minutes.” Wonder leaned to whisper in Carol’s ear. “Basically she told me to keep kissing Anandur and see if any more memories return.”

“I like that advice. Anything else?”

Wonder shrugged. “She said I need to expose myself to more experiences and that reading or listening to books is not enough. According to Vanessa, I need to stimulate the other senses as well.”

“I agree. Kisses are just the beginning.” Carol waggled her brows. “There is so much more. If you come by my house later, I can give you pointers.” She looked around. “There are too many ears over here.”

“Since when has that stopped you?”

“It hasn’t, not really.” By the twinkle in Carol’s eyes, that was the wrong thing to say. If Wonder didn’t change the direction the conversation was taking, Carol would give her a sex education lecture in front of all the patrons of the café.

“Are the Guardians back already?” Wonder asked.

That was the main reason for her not going home after Kri had brought her back. The café’s central location was perfect for monitoring the comings and goings of clan members. When Anandur returned, he would have to pass by it.

“Yes, but they are in a meeting with Kian. Debriefing and all that. They’ll probably hit the sack when that’s done. I don’t think any of them got much sleep last night.”

An immortal whose name Wonder had forgotten, leaned on the counter. “Can I have a cappuccino, ladies?”

“Of course.” Carol turned to him with a smile. “Would you like a pastry with that?”

He eyed the display. “That bear-claw looks tasty.”

“Would you like me to warm it up for you?”

“Sure.”

As Carol stuck the bear-claw in the toaster oven, Wonder started on the cappuccino.

It was weird how Carol knew everything about the Guardians. She worked alongside them in the training center, but she wasn’t one of them.

Carol took the cappuccino cup Wonder had made and handed it to the guy together with his bear-claw. “Enjoy.”

“I will, thank you.” The guy winked at Wonder and walked away to find a table.

“How come you’re so well informed about everything the Guardians do?” Wonder asked.

Smirking, Carol tapped her ear. “I have an earpiece. Brundar gave me one just in case. That was before all the old Guardians returned. Now I’m not really needed, but he never asked me to give it back.”

“Just in case what?”

Carol shrugged. “I can be useful. I’m an excellent markswoman. I can also drive an escape vehicle. But you didn't need to wait to ask me. Kri gets all the updates, and she could’ve told you.”

“She was bummed about not being allowed on the raid. I didn’t want to upset her with too many questions.”

“I bet. It sucks being the only female Guardian.” She narrowed her eyes at Wonder.

“Would you stop it? Even Kri doesn't think I have what it takes to be one. She says I’m too soft.”

Carol looked doubtful. “Really? She said that?”

“Yep. Do you think I’d lie to you about something like that?”

“No, of course not. I’m just surprised.” Carol twirled a lock of hair around her finger, released it, and then twirled it again. “Maybe she doesn't want another girl on the force? It could be that she likes being the only one.”

“She’s not like that. Kri is cool. You should’ve seen her with those girls. They worship her.”

The trip to Ojai had taught Wonder a valuable lesson. She realized that her opinion of Kri had been based on superficial observation and had done the Guardian a disservice.

There was much more to Kri than met the eye.

The Guardian only appeared tough and uncompromising. On the inside, Kri had a big heart and cared deeply for the rescued girls. She was helping the best way she knew how.

It had been a lesson in humility. She’d been doing to Kri precisely what she hated people doing to her.

Prejudging.

Maybe they could be friends after all, especially since Kri seemed to be the only one who really understood Wonder. Even Carol, the one person she’d been spending the most time with, didn’t get her at all. Otherwise, she would have stopped suggesting that Wonder pursue a career as a Guardian.

Anandur didn’t get her either.

Was it too much to hope for a guy to see past her exterior and actually try to understand who she was on the inside?

First of all, she wasn’t too young for him. Carol refused to reveal her age, but given her stories, she must’ve been at least a couple of hundred years old, and yet she acted less mature than Wonder, which proved that actual age was meaningless.

“I’m going to wipe the tables,” she told Carol and pulled out a bottle of cleaner and a rag from under the counter.

Cleaning always helped her think.

The thing was, before she blamed Anandur for the sorry state of their relationship, or the lack thereof, she needed to figure out who Esag was and what he meant to her.

As vague as the memory of him was, it evoked a pang of longing that she couldn’t deny. But that didn’t necessarily mean that she’d been in love with him, did it?

Maybe he’d been her boyfriend, but they’d broken up, and somewhere deep inside her locked memories was sorrow for the breakup?

Or maybe something had happened to him, and the tightness in her heart that his name evoked was grief?

Shit on a stick.

She was running in circles inside her brain. Amanda was right. The smart thing to do was to forget all about the mystery guy and focus on making things right with Anandur.

Then again, she couldn't lie to him and say that the memory meant nothing to her.

More serious cleaning was needed if she were to figure out a solution to this seemingly insoluble problem. Done with the tables, Wonder returned the rag and the bottle of cleaner to their place under the counter and grabbed the broom.

Carol put her hand on Wonder’s arm. “Let’s wait until closing time to do the sweeping.”

“I’d rather do it now if you don’t mind. It helps me think, and it calms me down.”

With a smirk, Carol let go. “In that case, who am I to interfere in your therapy session with Doctor Broom?”