Fractured Worlds (Worlds Away #1)

Brela Chapter 43: Scars

Rayja had refused to let go of me all day. She had held onto my hand like I would disappear as soon as she let go. It took a lot of convincing, but I had finally managed to assure the girl that I wouldn't leave her. So, instead of going on missions or training like we normally did, Justin and I remained behind and kept Rayja company and slowly earned her trust.

Justin had managed to find a few board games and card decks around the base, most of which he borrowed from other families or found covered in dust in his apartment. We had taught Rayja the rules to them, some of which I too had to learn, and played them all day. The girl immensely loved the card game cheat, which I had taught to both of them, and had even laughed at one point, surprising Justin and me.

Justin had turned into an errand runner, as Rayja would not let me leave no matter what, even after I had assured her that I wasn't going anywhere. So, my trainer had grabbed the three of us lunch and snacks, and eventually dinner. The day had been rather enjoyable, and a perfect way to step away from the stress this job sometimes brought with it. I hadn't realised how much I missed the quietness some days brought with them. I could tell that Justin had appreciated the day off as well; he had needed the time as much as I had.

Rayja had finally fallen asleep around seven, and only after I promised her that I would stay the night, which I was somewhat regretting due to my sore back. I was clueless as to why Rayja had attached herself to me as much as she had. Still, it was better that she trusted someone than to be here scared and alone.

Rayja remained sleeping beside me, her small hands still holding my arm. I couldn't help the smile as I looked at her. The question I had when I had first seen her returned with new meaning to it: how could such a small girl hold such a terrible power?

I removed her hands from my arm, pulling out of the tight hold she had on me. Careful not to disturb her, I slid out of the bed. The girl only mumbled and curled tighter. That gave me time to leave and freshen up.

I was only gone for a few minutes, but when I returned Rayja was waking up.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I asked. Rayja shook her head, her eyes still heavy with sleep. The girl pulled the sheets higher and rolled over, ignoring the morning. I poured myself a glass of water, taking a seat in a chair. I had just sat down when a soft knock came. With a grumble, rose to answer it. Justin stood at the door, food in his hands and a bag hanging off his arm.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning," I yawned. I let my trainer in, latching the door behind him.

Justin placed the platter on the table, a stack of pancakes and a plate of toast on it. A steaming mug of coffee was there too. I grabbed it as soon as Justin stepped away. He glanced over to Rayja, who was now turned away from the door and hiding under the blankets. Someone was not a morning person.

"Is she awake?" He asked, looking at her as he pulled the plastic bag off his arm and placed it on the table.

"Yeah, she's awake." I took a sip of the coffee, instantly regretting it as it burnt my tongue. I set the mug aside. "Hey, Rayja, are you hungry? Justin brought us some food." The girl didn't roll over, only mumbled something incoherent. "Whenever you want it. It's getting cold though."

Justin handed me the plate of toast. I thanked him, setting it beside my coffee. I wasn't ready to eat yet, but from previous experience, I knew I wouldn't be allowed to leave until I had.

Justin grabbed his own mug of tea and sipped at it, taking a seat across from me.

"What's in the bag?" I asked, nodding towards it.

"Clothes for Rayja. Verra gave them to me this morning, said that they should fit her."

"That's nice of her," I said. I took a bite of my breakfast.

"Speaking of Verra, I've given it some thought, and I've decided that I'm going to join Team Igniatus for a bit," Justin said. "Just until Rayja is a bit more comfortable with MEPA, seeing as she is very attached to you. Don't get me wrong, I needed the day off, but MEPA needs all hands on deck with the eternals right now. I'm a doer, I can't stand sitting around for days on end."

I nodded my head in understanding, taking a sip of coffee so then I wouldn't have to answer. I understood what he was saying, but I couldn't help but feel a little hurt by it. Justin was the one who helped me learn MEPA. I had been with him every single day since I had joined, minus the first two I had spent with Mae and Edoline. I became somewhat unsure at the thought of being alone in this still foreign world. I wasn't sure why this feeling was coming up though.

The ruffling of bed sheets once again saved me from having to respond. Justin and I looked over to Rayja, who was sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She paused, sniffing the air. No doubt the smell of breakfast had dragged her up. From where I sat, I could hear her stomach growling in the demand for food.

Justin got up and brought the platter and food to her. The girl dug in instantly, only hesitating when it came to the maple syrup. Her eyes lit up when she tasted it, and in record breaking time, the pancakes were gone. She also downed the glass of water swiftly, taking a second one and finishing it too. It was shocking how much she could eat in such little time.

"Wow," I said. I took the platter from Rayja, placing my own plate on the pile. I offered my breakfast to Rayja, much to Justin's dislike, and she devoured the toast, although slower than the pancakes.

"Rayja, I have a gift for you," Justin said, producing a translator from his pocket. He offered it to Rayja. She took it, flipping it in her hands as she tried to understand what Justin had given her. "It enables you to understand everyone here. We can't all speak English."

I picked up my translator from the bedside table. "You put it in your ear, see?" I placed mine back in my ear, moving slowly so Rayja could see what I was doing. She copied me.

The medical gown fell around the girl's right arm as she placed the translator in her ear. A red line was on the underside of Rayja's forearm. I moved, grabbing her arm to look at the line better. Rayja let me look, her posture going a bit stiff, but I kept my grip soft and movements slow. The red line was a scar that ran down the length of Rayja's forearm, still fresh, a few months old if I had to guess. It would fade in the coming years, but that wasn't where my concern was.

"Rayja, where did you get this?" I asked, pointing towards the long cut. My gut told me it was from a sword, no doubt an eternal's or half-eternal's.

Rayja didn't answer at first, just pulled her arm from my hand and tugged down her sleeve. She cradled her arm. I sat down beside her, Justin standing near us, just listening.

"We're trying to understand," I said, motioning to Justin and me. "We want to help you, but you need to talk to us. We both have gone through a similar ordeal as you and have been right where you are. We want to help you, but we can't do that if you don't talk to us."

Rayja still didn't speak. She just hung her head and traced a finger over her scar.

Justin crouched down in front of the girl, bending his head so he could look at her. "It doesn't have to be today," he told her. "Just whenever you trust us and are ready to talk. One of us will always be here to listen, I promise."

"I promise." I nodded my head in agreement. "And in the meantime, do you want to leave this room and have some fun?" I pulled some eagerness into my voice as I spoke, hoping to catch Rayja's attention. It worked. The young girl looked at me, unsure of how to answer. I stood and offered her my hand.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."