Page 16 of Light Leech

“Hold up,” Boyband said with a hand facing Denji but his attention on Naoma. “You were attacked?

Naoma glanced at Denji, eyebrows tented.

“Just get on with it,” the monk said.

She nodded. “A continuous war in the east, continuous political strife here, continuous propaganda forcing the world against us, we have a lot to deal with. We all know that the Gongtide is our main focus. This probably has something to do with that, too. What I mean to say is sorry. We’re a lot to deal with–”

“Speak for yourself,” Boyband said.

Naoma pointed at him. “That one most of all. We’ll give you the floor, but we all needed some time to get everything out of our system.”

“I thought a week apart would have been good,” I said, “but it looks like we might just have to stick with each other and push through until the end.”

Denji sighed. “I understand.”

“Do you?” Boyband asked. “I don’t see anyone around.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t get around.”

“I was attacked by a therapist,” Naoma said.

Abbas laughed. “That’s one way to cut off a conversation.”

“You’re in therapy?” Ralia whispered, though it was obvious that we could all hear her. “If you ever need to talk with anyone, I’m–”

“No, it’s not like that. I know I’ve told Petya–”

“Of course you have,” Boyband said, earning a glare from everyone and an electrocution from Kuni that left him unconscious.

“I will catch him up later,” Kuni said as his hand shifted from eel back into human skin.

“Bless you,” Ralia kissed his forehead. “Continue, Nay.”

Naoma nodded, her furrowed brow made me wonder if the nickname used only by Ralia had bothered her. “I told Petya after you all freed me from Reef that I can’t recall anything before my employment there. The memories are gone.”

“Did you have to relearn how to read?” Kuni asked.

She smiled at his innocence. “No. All my basic human capabilities were there, my understanding of the world and my foundational knowledge, but I had no idea who I was prior to Reef. I don’t know if I’m actually from Arabasia or if I’m just another Republic citizen with Arabasian ancestry. And…“ I followed her eyes to another symbol of Nuwa on the wall. “And I needed to find someone who might be able to look into my past. Ralia helped us find a therapist in Cut’s contacts, but I guess someone messed with the trail.”

“Oh, that was for you?“ Ralia asked. “I thought Pet finally decided to go to therapy.”

I glared at her and shook my head. “Thanks, Ral.”

She smiled and shrugged.

“It doesn’t matter,” Naoma waved off the contention. “I told myself I wasn’t going to allow any invasive access and agreed to an initial screening. The therapist said that screenings are just a con for therapists to pull in more lumens, so I gave into his advice and…” She looked at me. “It attacked.”

The others noticed her attention, leaving me to recount the assault including her light that repelled the being and the hell that it gave me in the form of a life that I never lived.

I glanced at her before speaking about the serpent she used to help defeat the therapist. Just before mentioning her involvement, she spoke. “Petya defeated it. His Gui’s light must have been greater than whatever dark light powered that thing.”

My gaze lingered on hers as if to tell her that she could defer her ties to Nuwa–or a similar being–for now, but all would have to be revealed in due time.

“So the enemy is using Gui now?” Abbas asked.

I shook my head but did so with little confidence. “I’m not sure this was a Gui. It was… different.” I looked at Denji. “Lacking the strength mine had.”

“Who is this enemy?“ Akna asked.