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lifted it； silver and gleaming； wet with blood that was quickly shed from the smooth casing； and cradled it
in my hand。
It was beautiful。 The soul whose name I’d never known billowed like a silver wave in my hand… a
lovely feathered ribbon。
I couldn’t hate the Seeker in this form。 An almost maternal love swept through me。
“Sleep well； little one；” I whispered。
I turned toward the faint hum of the cryotank； just to my left。 Jared held it low and angled； so it was a
simple matter for me to ease the soul into the shockingly cold air that gusted from the opening。 I let it slide
into the small space and then carefully relatched the lid。
and then I hugged it to my chest。 The outside of the tank was the same temperature as the warm room。 I
cradled it to my body； protective as any mother。
I looked back at the stranger on the table。 Doc was already dust…ing Smooth over the sealed wound。
We made a good team： one attending to the soul； the other to the body。 Everyone was taken care of。
Doc looked up at me； his eyes full of exhilaration and wonder。 “Amazing；” he murmured。 “That was
incredible。”
“Good job；” I whispered back。
“When do you think she’ll wake up？” Doc asked。
“That depends on how much chloroform she inhaled。”
“Not much。”
“And if she’s still there。 We’ll have to wait and see。”
Before I could ask； Jared lifted the nameless woman tenderly from the cot； rolled her face…up； and laid
her on another； cleaner resting place。 This tenderness did not move me。 This tenderness was for the
human； for Melanie。…
Doc went with him； checking her pulse； peeking under her lids。 He shone a flashlight into her
unconscious eyes and watched the pupils constrict。 No light reflected back to blind him。 He and Jared
exchanged a long glance。
“She really did it；” Jared said； his voice low。
“Yes；” Doc agreed。
I didn’t hear Jeb sidle up next to me。
“Pretty slick； kid；” he murmured。
I shrugged。
“Feeling a smidge conflicted？”
I didn’t answer。
“Yeah。 Me； too； hon。 Me； too。”
Aaron and Brandt were talking behind me； their voices rising with excitement； answering each other’s
thoughts before the questions were spoken。
No conflict there。
“Wait till the others hear！”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
”
“We should go get some —”
“Right now； I’m ready —”
“Hold up；” Jeb cut Brandt off。 “No soul snatching until that cryotank is safely on its way into outer
space。 Right； Wanda？”
“Right；” I agreed in a firmer voice； hugging the tank tighter to my chest。
Brandt and Aaron exchanged sour glances。
I was going to need more allies。 Jared and Jeb and Doc were only three； though certainly the most
influential three here。 Still； they would need support。
I knew what this meant。
It meant talking to Ian。
Others； too； of course； but Ian would have to be one of them。 My heart seemed to slump lower in my
chest； to curl limply in on itself。 I’d done many things I had not wanted to do since joining the humans； but
I couldn’t remember any this sharply and pointedly painful。 Even deciding to trade my life for the
Seeker’s—that was a huge； vast hurt； a wide field of ache； but it was almost manageable because it was
so tied up in the bigger picture。 Telling Ian goodbye was a razor…sharp piercing； it made the greater vision
hard to see。 I wished there was some way； any way； to save him from the same pain。 There wasn’t。
The only thing worse would be telling Jared goodbye。 That one would burn and fester。 Because he
wouldn’t feel pain。 His joy would far outweigh any small regret he might feel over me。
As for Jamie； well； I wasn’t planning on facing that goodbye at all。
“Wanda！” Doc’s voice was sharp。
I hurried to the bed Doc was hovering over。 Before I got there； I could see the tiny olive hand fisting and
unfisting where it hung over the edge of the cot。
“Ah；” the Seeker’s familiar voice moaned from the human body。 “Ah。”
The room went utterly silent。 Everyone looked at me； as if I were the expert on humans。
I elbowed Doc； my hands still wrapped around the tank。 “Talk to her；” I whispered。
“Um… Hello？ Can you hear me… miss？ You’re safe now。 Do you understand me？”
“Ah；” she groaned。 Her eyes fluttered open； focused quickly on Doc’s face。 There was no disfort in
her expression—the No Pain would be making her feel wonderful； of course。 Her eyes were onyx black。
They darted around the room until she found me； and recognition was quickly followed by a scowl。 She
looked away； back to Doc。
CHAPTER 53
Condemned
The Seeker’s host body was named Lacey； a dainty； soft； feminine name。Lacey。 As inappropriate as the
size； in my opinion。 Like naming a pit bull Fluffy。
Lacey was just as loud as the Seeker—and still a plainer。
“You’ll have to forgive me for going on and on；” she insisted； allowing us no other options。 “I’ve been
shouting away in there for years and never getting to speak for myself。 I’ve got a lot to say all stored up。”
How lucky for us。 I could almost make myself glad that I was leaving。
In answer to my earlier question to myself； no； the face was not less repugnant with a different
awareness behind it。 Because the awareness was not so very different； in the end。
“That’s why we don’t like you；” she told me that first night； making no change from the present tense or
the plural pronoun。 “When she realized that you were hearing Melanie just the way she was hearing me； it
made her frightened。 She thought you might guess。 I was her deep； dark secret。” A grating laugh。 “She
couldn’t make me shut up。 That’s why she became a Seeker； because she was hoping to figure out some
way to better deal with resistant hosts。 And then she requested being assigned to you； so she could
watch how you did it。 She was jealous of you； isn’t that pathetic？ She wanted to be strong like you。 It
gave us a real kick when we thought Melanie had won。 I guess that didn’t happen； though。 I guess you
did。 So why did you e here？ Why are you