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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 helping the rebels？”
I explained； unwillingly； that Melanie and I were friends。 She didn’t like that。
“Why？” she demanded。
“She’s a good person。”
“But why does she likeyou？ ”
Same reason。
“She says； for the same reason。”
Lacey snorted。 “Got her brainwashed； huh？”
Wow； she’s worse than the first one。
Yes；I agreed。I can see why the Seeker was so obnoxious。 Can you imagine having that in your
head all the time？
I wasn’t the only thing Lacey objected to。
“Do you have anywhere better to live than these caves？ It’s sodirty here。 Isn’t there a house
somewhere； maybe？ What do you mean we have to share rooms？ Chore schedule？ I don’t understand。 I
Jeb had given her the usual tour the next day； trying to explain； through clenched teeth； the way we all
lived here。 When they’d passed me—eating in the kitchen with Ian and Jamie—he threw me a look that
clearly asked why I hadn’t let Aaron shoot her while that was still an option。
The tour was more crowded than mine。 Everyone wanted to see the miracle for themselves。 It didn’t
even seem to matter to most of them that she was… difficult。 She was wele。 More than wele。
Again； I felt a little of that bitter jealousy。 But that was silly。 She was human。 She represented hope。 She
belonged here。 She would be here long after I was gone。
Lucky you；Mel whispered sarcastically。
Talking to Ian and Jamie about what had happened was not as difficult and painful as I’d imagined。
This was because they were； for different reasons； entirely clueless。 Neither grasped that this new
knowledge meant I would be leaving。
With Jamie； I understood why。 More than anyone else； he had accepted me and Mel as the package
deal we were。 He was able； with his young； open mind； to grasp the reality of our dual personalities。 He
treated us like two people rather than one。 Mel was so real； so present to him。 The same way she was to
me。 He didn’t miss her； because he had her。 He didn’t see the necessity of our separation。
I wasn’t sure why Ian didn’t understand。 Was he too caught up in the potential？ The changes this would
mean for the human society here？ They were all boggled by the idea that getting caught—the end—was
no longer a finality。 There was a way to e back。 It seemed natural to him that I had acted to save the
Seeker； it was consistent with his idea of my personality。 Maybe that was as far as he’d considered it。
Or maybe Ian just didn’t have a chance to think it all through； to see the glaring eventuality； before he
was distracted。 Distracted and enraged。
“I should have killed him years ago；” Ian ranted as we packed what we needed for our raid。 My final
raid； I tried not to dwell on that。 “No； our mother should have drowned him at birth！”
“He’s your brother。”
“I don’t know why you keep saying that。 Are you trying to make me feel worse？”
Everyone was furious with Kyle。 Jared’s lips were welded into a tight line of rage； and Jeb stroked his
gun more than usual。
Jeb had been excited； planning to join us on this landmark raid； his first since I’d e to live here。 He
was particularly keen to see the shuttle field up close。 But now； with Kyle putting us all in danger； he felt
he had to stay behind just in case。 Not getting his way put Jeb in a foul mood。
“Stuck behind with that creature；” he muttered to himself； rubbing the rifle barrel again—he wasn’t
getting any happier about the new member of his munity。 “Missin’ all the fun。” He spit on the floor。
We all knew where Kyle was。 As soon as he’d grasped how the Seeker…worm had magically
transformed into the Lacey…human in the night； he’d slipped out the back。 I’d been expecting him to lead
the party demanding the Seeker’s death （I kept the cryotank always cradled in my arms； I slept lightly；
Jared was the one to realize the jeep was gone。 And Ian had been the one to link the two absences。
“He’s gone after Jodi；” Ian had groaned。 “What else？”
Hope and despair。 I had given them one； Kyle the other。 Would he betray them all before they could
even make use of the hope？
Jared and Jeb wanted to put off the raid until we knew if Kyle was successful—it would take him three
days under the best circumstances；if his Jodi still lived in Oregon。 If he could find her there。
There was another place； another cave we could evacuate to。 A much smaller place； with no water； so
we couldn’t hide there long。 They’d debated whether they should move everyone now or wait。
But I was in a hurry。 I’d seen the way the others eyed the silver tank in my arms。 I’d heard the whispers。
The longer I kept the Seeker here； the better chance that someone would kill her。 Having met Lacey； I’d
begun to pity the Seeker。 She deserved a mild； pleasant new life with the Flowers。
Ironically enough； Ian was the one who took my side and helped hurry the raid along。 He still didn’t see
where this would lead。
But I was grateful that he helped me convince Jared there