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overhead as the day dawned。 I held my breath。 My arms screamed。
“Wanda！ Where are you？”
Ian leaped through the door； the rifle in his hands； held low and ready。 His face was the angry mask his
brother had worn。
“Watch out！” I screamed at him。 “The floor is breaking up！ I can’t hold him much longer！”
It took him two long seconds to process the scene that was so different from the one he’d been
expecting—Kyle； trying to kill me。 The scene that had been； just seconds ago。
Then he threw the gun to the cave floor and started toward me with a long stride。
“Get down—disperse your weight！”
He dropped to all fours and scuttled to me； his eyes burning in the light of dawn。
“Don’t let go；” he cautioned。
I groaned in pain。
“One； two； three；” he grunted。
He pulled Kyle up against the rock； much more securely than I’d had him。 The movement smashed my
face into the pillar。 The bad side； though—it couldn’t get much more scarred at this point。
“I’m going to pull him to this side。 Can you squeeze out？”
“I’ll try。”
I loosened my hold on Kyle； feeling my shoulders ache in relief； making sure Ian had him。 Then I
wriggled out from between Ian and the rock； careful not to put myself on a dangerous section of the
floor。 I crawled backward a few feet toward the door； ready to make a grab for Ian if he started slipping。
Ian hauled his inert brother around one side of the pillar； dragging him in jerks； a foot at a time。 More of
the floor crumbled； but the foundation of the pillar remained intact。 A new shelf formed about two feet
out from the column of rock。
Ian crawled backward the way I had； dragging his brother along in short surges of muscle and will。
Within a minute； we were all three in the mouth of the corridor； Ian and I breathing in gasps。
“What… the hell… happened？”
“Our weight… was too… much。 Floor caved in。”
“What were you doing… by the edge？ With Kyle？”
I put my head down and concentrated on breathing。
Well； tell him。
What will happen then？
You know what will happen。 Kyle broke the rules。 Jeb will shoot him； or they’ll kick him out。
Maybe Ian will beat the snot out of him first。 That would be fun to watch。
Melanie didn’t really mean it—I didn’t think so； anyway。 She was just still mad at me for risking our lives
to save our would…be murderer。
Exactly；I told her。And if they kick Kyle out for me… or kill him… I shuddered。Well； can’t you see
how little sense that would make？ He’s one of you。
We’ve got a life here； Wanda。 You’re jeopardizing that。
It’s my life； too。 And I’m… well； I’m me。
Melanie groaned in disgust。
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
。
“Nothing；” I muttered。
“You’re a rotten liar。 You know that； right？”
I kept my head down and breathed。
“What did he do？”
“Nothing；” I lied。 Poorly。
Ian put his hand under my chin； pulled my face up。 “Your nose is bleeding。” He twisted my head to the
side。 “And there’s more blood in your hair。”
“I—hit my head when the floor fell。”
“On both sides？”
I shrugged。
Ian glared at me for a long moment。 The darkness of the tunnel muted the brilliance of his eyes。
“We should get Kyle to Doc—he really cracked his head when he went down。”
“Why are you protecting him？ He tried to kill you。” It was a statement of fact； not a question。 His
expression slowly melted from anger to horror。 He was imagining what we had been doing on that
unstable shelf—I could see that in his eyes。 When I did not answer； he spoke again in a whisper。 “He
was going to throw you in the river。…” A strange tremor shook his body。
Ian had one arm around Kyle—he’d collapsed that way and seemed too tired to move。 Now he shoved
his unconscious brother away roughly； sliding farther from him in disgust。 He slid into me and wrapped his
arms around my shoulders。 He pulled me close against his chest—I could feel his breath go in and out；
still more ragged than normal。
It felt very strange。
“I should roll him right back in there and kick him over the edge myself。”
I shook my head frantically； making it throb in pain。 “No。”
“Saves time。 Jeb made the rules clear。 You try to hurt someone here； there are penalties。 There’ll be a
tribunal。”
I tried to pull away from him； but he tightened his grip。 It wasn’t frightening； not like the way Kyle had
grabbed me。 But it was upsetting—it threw me off balance。 “No。 You can’t do that； because no one
broke the rules。 The floor collapsed； that’s all。”
“Wanda —”
“He’s your brother。”
“He did nothing。 He is human；” I whispered。 “This is his place； not mine。”
“We’re not having this discussion again。 Your definition of human is not the same as mine。 To you； it
means something… negative。 To me； it’s a pliment—and by my definition； you are and he isn’t。 Not
after this。”
“Human isn’t a negative to me。 I know you now。 But Ian； he’s yourbrother 。”
“A fact that shames me。”
I pushed away from him again。 This time； he let me go。 It might have had something to do with the moan
of pain that escaped my lips when I moved my leg。
“Are you okay？”
“I think so。 We need to find Doc； but I don’t know if I can walk。 I—I hit my leg； when I fell。”
A growl strangled in his throat。 “Which leg？ Let me see。”
I tried to straighten out my hurt leg—it was the right one—and groaned again。 His hands started at my
ankle； testing the bones； the joints。 He rotated my ankle carefully。
“Higher。 Here。” I pulled his hand to the back of my thigh； just above the knee。 I moaned again when he
pressed the sore place。 “It’s not broken or anything； I don’t think。 Just really sore。”
“Deep muscle bruise； at least；” he muttered。 “And how did this happen？”
“Must have… landed on a rock when I fell。”
He sighed。 “Okay； let’s get you to Doc。”
“Kyle needs him more than I do。”
“I have to go find Doc anyway—or some help。 I can’t carry Kyle that far； but I can certainly carry you。
Oops—