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“Don’t worry。 Doc’s not going to bother you now。”
You never know how much time you’ll have；Melanie had said so many days ago； when my world was
still under control。
Her words echoed in my head as we reentered the big room； the main plaza of Jeb’s human munity。
It was full； like the first night； everyone there to glare at us with eyes that blazed anger and betrayal when
they looked at him and murder when they looked at me。 I kept my gaze down on the rock under my feet。
From the corner of my eye； I could see that Jeb held his gun ready again。
It was only a matter of time； indeed。 I could feel it in the atmosphere of hate and fear。 Jeb could not
protect me long。
It was a relief to scrape back through the narrow crevice； to look forward to the winding black labyrinth
and my cramped hiding place； I could hope to be alone there。
Behind me； a furious hissing； like a nest of goaded snakes； echoed in the big cavern。 The sound made
me wish Jeb would lead me through the labyrinth at a quicker pace。
Jeb chuckled under his breath。 He seemed to get stranger the longer I was around him。 His sense of
humor mystified me as much as his motivations did。
“It gets a bit tedious down here sometimes； you know；” he murmured to me； or to himself。 With Jeb； it
was hard to tell。 “Maybe when they get over being cheesed off at me； they’ll realize they appreciate all
the excitement I’m providing。”
Our path through the dark twisted in a serpentine fashion。 It didn’t feel at all familiar。 Perhaps he took a
different route to keep me lost。 It seemed to take more time than before； but finally I could see the dim
blue light of the lamp shining from around the next curve。
I braced myself； wondering if Jared would be there again。 If he was； I knew he would be angry。 I was
sure he wouldn’t approve of Jeb taking me for a field trip； no matter how necessary it might have been。
As soon as we rounded the corner； I could see that therewas a figure slumped against the wall beside
the lamp； casting a long shadow toward us； but it was obviously not Jared。 My hand clutched at Jeb’s
arm； an automatic spasm of fear。
And then I really looked at the waiting figure。 It was smaller than me—that was how I’d known it was
not Jared—and thin。 Small； but also too tall and too wiry。 Even in the dim light of the blue lamp； I could
see that his skin was dyed to a deep brown by the sun； and that his silky black hair now fell unkempt past
his chin。
My knees buckled。
My hand； grasping Jeb’s arm in panic； held on for support。
“Well； for Pete’s sake！” Jeb exclaimed； obviously irritated。 “Can’t nobody keep a secret around this
place for more’n twenty…four hours？ Gol’ durn； this burns me up！ Bunch of gossipmongers…” He trailed
I didn’t even try to understand the words Jeb was saying； I was locked in the fiercest battle of my
life—of every life I’d ever lived。
I could feel Melanie in each cell of my body。 My nerve endings tingled in recognition of her familiar
presence。 My muscles twitched in anticipation of her direction。 My lips trembled； trying to open。 I leaned
forward toward the boy in the hall； my body reaching because my arms would not。
Melanie had learned many things the few times I’d ceded or lost my mand to her； and I truly had to
struggle against her—so hard that fresh sweat beaded on my brow。 But I was not dying in the desert
now。 Nor was I weak and dizzy and taken off guard by the appearance of someone I’d given up for lost；
I’d known this moment might e。 My body was resilient； quick to heal—I was strong again。 The
strength of my body gave strength to my control； to my determination。
I drove her from my limbs； chased her from every hold she’d found； thrust her back into the recesses of
my mind； and chained her there。
Her surrender was sudden and total。Aaah； she sighed； and it was almost a moan of pain。
I felt strangely guilty as soon as I’d won。
I’d already known that she was more to me than a resistant host who made life unnecessarily difficult。
We’d bee panions； even confidantes during our past weeks together—ever since the Seeker
had united us against a mon enemy。 In the desert； with Kyle’s knife over my head； I’d been glad that
if Ihad to die I would not be the one to kill Melanie； even then； she was more than a body to me。 But
now it seemed like something beyond that。 I regretted causing her pain。
It was necessary； though； and she didn’t seem to grasp that。 Any word we said wrong； any poorly
considered action would mean a quick execution。 Her reactions were too wild and emotional。 She would
get us into trouble。
You have to trust me now；I told her。I’m just trying to keep us alive。 I know you don’t want to
believe your humans could hurt us…
But it’s Jamie；she whispered。 She yearned for the boy with an emotion so strong that it weakened my
knees again。
I tried to look at him impartially—this sullen…faced teenager slumped against the tunnel wall with his arms
folded tightly across his chest。 I tried to see him as a stranger and plan my response； or lack of response；
accordingly。 I tried； but I failed。 He was Jamie； he was beautiful； and my arms—mine； not
Melanie’s—longed to hold him。 Tears filled my eyes and trickled down my face。 I could only hope they
were invisible in the dim light。
“Jeb；” Jamie said—a gruff greeting。 His eyes passed swiftly over me and away。
His voice was so deep！ Could he really be so old？ I realized with a double pang of guilt that I’d just
missed his fourteenth birthday。 Melanie showed me the day； and I saw that it was the same day as the
first dream with Jamie。 She’d struggled so hard all through the waking hours to keep her pain to herself；
to cloud her memories in order to protect the boy； that he’d e out in her dream。 And I’d e…mailed the
Seeker。
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
。
“Whatcha doing here； kid？” Jeb demanded。
“Why didn’t you tell me？” Jamie demanded back。
Jeb went silent。
“Was that Jared’s idea？” Jamie pressed。
Jeb sighed。 “Okay； so you know。 What good does that do you； eh？ We only wanted to —”
“To protect me？” he interrupted； surly。
When did he get so bitter？ Was it my fault？ Of course it was。
Melanie began sobbing in my head。 It was distracting； loud—it made Jeb and Jamie’s voices sound
farther away。
“Fine； Jamie。 So you don’t need protecting。 What do you want？”
This quick capitulation seemed to throw Jamie off。 His eyes darted between Jeb’s face and mine while
he struggled to e up with a request。
“I—I want to talk with her… with it；” he finally said。 His voice was higher when he was unsure。
“She doesn’t say much；” Jeb told him； “but you’re wele to try； kid。”
Jeb pried my fingers off his arm。 When he was free； he turned his back to the nearest wall； leaning into it
as he eased himself to the floor。 He settled in there； fidgeting until he found a fortable position。 The
gun stayed balanced in the cradle of his lap。 Jeb’s head lolled back against the wall； and his eyes closed。
In seconds； he looked like he was asleep。
I stood where he’d left me； trying to keep my eyes off Jamie’s face and failing。
Jamie was surprised again by Jeb’s easy acquiescence。 He watched the old man recline on the floor with
wide eyes that made him look younger。 After a few minutes of perfect stillness from Jeb； Jamie looked
back up at me； and his eyes tightened。
The way he stared at me—angry； trying hard to be brave and grown…up； but also showing the fear and
pain so clearly in his dark eyes—had Melanie sobbing louder and my knees shaking。 Rather than take a
chance with another collapse； I moved slowly to the tunnel wall across from Jeb and slid down to the
floor。 I curled up around my bent legs； trying to be as small as possible。
Jamie watched me with cautious eyes and then took four slow steps forward until he stood over me。 His
glance flitted to Jeb； who hadn’t moved or opened his eyes； and then Jamie knelt down at my side。 His
face was suddenly intense； and it made him look more adult than any expression yet。 My heart throbbed
for the sad man in the little boy’s face。
“You’re not Melanie；” he said in a low voice。
I shrugged。 I didn’t know what my face looked like； but I could imagine。
“Who did this to you？” he pressed。 With a hesitant finger； he almost touched the side of my neck。 I held
still； feeling no urge to cringe away fromthis hand。
“Aunt Maggie； Jared； and Ian；” Jeb listed off in a bored voice。 We both jumped at the sound。 Jeb hadn’t
moved； and his eyes were still closed。 He looked so peaceful； as if he had answered Jamie’s question in
his sleep。
Jamie waited for a moment； then turned back to me with the same intense expression。
“You’re not Melanie； but you know all her memories and stuff； right？”
I nodded again。
“Do you know who I am？”
I tried to swallow the words； but they slipped through my lips。 “You’re Jamie。” I couldn’t help how my
voice wrapped around the name like a caress。
He blinked； startled that I had broken my silence。 Then he nodded。 “Right；” he whispered back。
We both looked at Jeb； who remained still； and back at each other。
“Then you remember what happened to her？” he asked。
I winced； and then nodded slowly。
“I want to know；” he whispered。
I shook my head。
“I want to know；” Jamie repeated。 His lips trembled。 “I’m not a kid。 Tell me。”
“It’s not… pleasant；” I breathed； unable to stop myself。 It was very hard to deny this boy what he
wanted。
His straight black eyebrows pulled together and up in the middle over his wide eyes。 “Please；” he
whispered。
I glanced at Jeb。 I thought that maybe he was peeking from between his lashes now； but I couldn’t be
My voice was soft as breathing。 “Someone saw her go into a place that was off…limits。 They knew
something was wrong。 They called the Seekers。”
He flinched at the title。
“The Seekers tried to get her to surrender。 She ran from them。 When they had her cornered； she jumped
into an open elevator shaft。”
I recoiled from the memory of pain； and Jamie’s face went white under his tan。
“She didn’t die？” he whispered。
“No。 We have very skilled Healers。 They mended her quickly。 Then they put me in her。 They hoped I
would be able to tell them how she had survived so long。” I had not meant to say so much； my mouth
snapped shut。 Jamie didn’t seem to notice my slip； but Jeb’s eyes opened slowly and fixed on my face。
No other part of him moved； and Jamie didn’t see the change。
“Why didn’t you let her die？” he asked。 He had to swallow hard； a sob was threatening in his voice。 This
was all the more painful to hear because it was not the sound a child makes； frightened of the unknown；
but the fully prehending agony of an adult。 It was so hard not to reach out and put my hand on his
cheek。 I wanted to hug him to me and beg him not to be sad。 I curled my hands into fists and tried to
concentrate on his question。 Jeb’s eyes flickered to my hands and back to my face。
“I wasn’t in on the decision；” I murmured。 “I was still in a hibernation tank in deep space when that
happened。”
Jamie blinked again in surprise。 My answer was nothing he’d expected； and I could see him struggling
with some new emotion。 I glanced at Jeb； his eyes were bright with curiosity。
The same curiosity； though more wary； won out with Jamie。 “Where were you ing from？” he asked。
In spite of myself； I smiled at his unwilling interest。 “Far away。 Another planet。”
“What was —” he started to ask； but he was interrupted by another question。
“What the hell？” Jared shouted at us； frozen with fury in the act of rounding the corner at the end of the
tunnel。 “Damn it； Jeb！ We agreed not to —”
Jamie wrenched himself upright。 “Jeb didn’t bring me here。 Butyou should have。”
Jeb sighed and got slowly to his feet。 As he did so； the gun rolled from his lap onto the floor。 It stopped
only a few inches from me。 I scooted away； unfortabl