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“Doc！” I gasped in the tiny； fragile voice。 “Doc； you promised！ You gave me your oath；Eustace！ Why？
Why did you break your word？”
A dim recollection of misery and pain touched me。 This body had never felt such agony before。 It shied
away from the sting。
“Even an honest man sometimes caves to duress； Wanda。”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
。
“I’d say a knife to the throat counts as duress； Jared。”
“You knew I wouldn’t really use it。”
“That I did not。 You were quite persuasive。”
“A knife？” My body trembled。
“Shh； it’s all okay；” Ian murmured。 His breath blew strands of golden hair across my face； and I brushed
them away—a routine gesture。 “Did you really think you could leave us that way？ Wanda！” He sighed；
but the sigh was joyful。
Ian was happy。 This insight made my worry suddenly much lighter； easier to bear。
“I told you I didn’t want to be a parasite；” I whispered。
“Let me through；” my old voice ordered。 And then I could see my face； the strong one； with the
sun…brown skin； the straight black line of the eyebrows over the almond…shaped； hazel eyes； the high；
sharp cheekbones… See it backward； not as a reflection； the way I’d always seen it before。
“Listen up； Wanda。 I know exactly what you don’t want to be。 But we’re human； and we’re selfish； and
we don’t always do the right thing。 We aren’t going to let you go。 Deal with it。”
The way she spoke； the cadence and the tone； not the voice； brought back all the silent conversations；
the voice in my head； my sister。
“Mel？ Mel； you’re okay！”
She smiled then and leaned over to hug my shoulders。 She was bigger than I remembered being。
“Of course I am。 Wasn’t that the point of all the drama？ And you’re going to be fine； too。 We weren’t
stupid about it。 We didn’t just grab the first body we saw。”
“Let me tell her； let me！” Jamie shoved in beside Mel。 It was getting very crowded around the cot。 It
rocked； unstable。
I took his hand and squeezed it。 My hands felt so feeble。 Could he even feel the pressure？
“Jamie！”
“Hey； Wanda！ This is cool； isn’t it？ You’re smaller than me now！” He grinned； triumphant。
“But still older。 I’m almost —” And then I stopped； changing my sentence abruptly。 “My birthday is in
two weeks。”
I might have been disoriented and confused； but I wasn’t stupid。 Melanie’s experiences had not gone to
waste； I had learned from them。 Ian was every bit as honorable as Jared； and I was not going to go
through the frustration Melanie had。
From the corner of my eye； I saw Melanie and Ian stiffen in surprise。 This body looked much younger
than her true age； hovering on the edge of seventeen。
It was this little deception； this preemptive claiming of my partner； that made me realize I was staying
here。 That I would be with Ian and the rest of my family。 My throat thickened； felt oddly swollen。
Jamie patted my face； calling my attention back。 I was surprised at how big his hand felt on my cheek。
“They let me e on the raid to get you。”
“I know；” I muttered。 “I remember… Well； Pet remembers seeing you there。” I glared at Mel； who
shrugged。
“We tried not to scare her；” Jamie said。 “She’s so… kind of fragile…looking； you know？ And nice； too。
We picked her out together； but I got to decide！ See； Mel said we had to get someone young—someone
who had a bigger percentage of life as a soul or something。 But not too young； because she knew you
wouldn’t want to be a child。 And then Jared liked this face； because he said no one could ever dis…
distrust it。 You don’t look dangerous at all。 You look the opposite of dangerous。 Jared said anyone who
sees you would just naturally want to protect you； right； Jared？ But then I got the final say； because I was
looking for someone who looked likeyou。 And I thought this looked like you。 Because she sort of looks
like an angel； and you’re good like that。 And real pretty。 I knew you would be pretty。” Jamie smiled
hugely。 “Ian didn’t e。 He just sat here with you—he said he didn’t care what you looked like。 He
wouldn’t let anyone else put a finger on your tank at all； not even me or Mel。 But Doc let me watch this
time。 It was way cool； Wanda。 I don’t know why you wouldn’t let me watch before。 They wouldn’t let
me help； though。 Ian wouldn’t let anyone touch you but him。”
Ian squeezed my hand and leaned in to whisper through all the hair。 His voice was so low that I was the
only one who could hear。 “I held you in my hand； Wanderer。 And you were so beautiful。”
My eyes got all wet； and I had to sniff。
“You like it； don’t you？” Jamie asked； his voice worried now。 “You’re not mad？ There’s nobody in
there with you； is there？”
“I’m not mad； exactly；” I whispered。 “And I—I can’t find anybody else。 Just Pet’s memories。 Pet’s
been in here since… I can’t remember when she wasn’t here。 I can’t remember any other name。”
“You’re not a parasite；” Melanie said firmly； touching my hair； pulling up a strand and letting the gold
slide between her fingers。 “This body didn’t belong to Pet； but there’s nobody else to claim it。 We waited
to make sure； Wanda。 We tried to wake her up almost as long as we tried with Jodi。”
“Jodi？ What happened to Jodi？” I chirped； my little voice going higher； like a bird’s； with anxiety。 I
struggled to get up； and Ian pulled me—it took no effort； no strength to move my tiny new body—into a
sitting position with his arm supporting me。 I could see all the faces then。
Doc； no more tears in his eyes。 Jeb； peeking around Doc； his expression satisfied and burning with
curiosity at the same time。 Next； a woman I didn’t recognize for a second because her face was more
animated than I’d ever seen it； and I hadn’t seen it much anyway—Mandy； the former Healer。 Closer to
me； Jamie； with his bright； excited smile； Melanie beside him； and Jared behind her； his hands around her
waist。 I knew that his hands would never feel right unless they were touching her body—my
It made me sorry to realize that I still loved Jared。 I wasn’t free of that； wasn’t free of jealousy for the
body he loved。 My glance flickered back to Mel。 I saw the rueful twist of the mouth that used to be mine；
and knew she understood。
I continued quickly around the cluster of faces circling my bed； while Doc； after a pause； answered my
question。
Trudy and Geoffrey； Heath； Paige and Andy。 Brandt； even…
“Jodi didn’t respond。 We kept trying as long as we could。”
Was Jodi gone； then？ I wondered； my inexperienced heart throbbing。 I was giving the poor frail thing
such a rough awakening。
Heidi and Lily； Lily smiling a pained little smile—none the less sincere for the pain…
“We were able to keep her hydrated； but we had no way to feed her。 We were worried about
atrophy—her muscles； her brain…”
While my new heart ached harder than it had ever ached—ached for a woman I’d never known—my
eyes continued around the circle and then froze。
Jodi； clinging to Kyle’s side； stared