softly。
The woman’s eyes flashed up to Kyle’s face。
“It’s okay。 You don’t have to be afraid of Wanda。 She’s just like you。” He turned to me。 “Her real
name is longer—something about ice。”
“Sunlight Passing Through the Ice；” she whispered to me。
I saw Jeb’s eyes brighten with his unquenchable curiosity。
“She doesn’t mind being called just Sunny； though。 She said it was fine；” Kyle assured me。
Sunny nodded。 Her eyes flickered from my face to Kyle’s and back again。 The other men were totally
silent and totally motionless。 The little circle of calm soothed her a bit； I could see。 She must have been
“I was a Bear； too； Sunny；” I told her； trying to make her feel just a little more fortable。 “They called
me Lives in the Stars； then。 Wanderer； here。”
“Lives in the Stars；” she whispered； her eyes somehow； impossibly； getting wider。 “Rides the Beast。”
I suppressed a groan。 “You lived in the second crystal city； I guess。”
“Yes。 I heard the story so many times…”
“Did you like being a Bear； Sunny？” I asked quickly。 I didn’t really want to get into my history right
now。 “Were you happy there？”
Her face crumpled at my questions； her eyes locked onto Kyle’s face and filled with tears。
“I’m sorry；” I apologized at once； looking to Kyle； too； for an explanation。
He patted her arm。 “Don’t be afraid。 You won’t be hurt。 I promised。”
I could barely hear her answering whisper。 “But I like it here。 I want to stay。”
Her words brought a thick lump to my throat。
“I know； Sunny。 I know。” Kyle put his hand on the back of her head and； in a gesture so tender it made
my eyes smart； held her face against his chest。
Jeb cleared his throat； and Sunny started and cringed。 It was easy to imagine the frayed state her nerves
must be in。 Souls were not designed to handle violence and terror。
I remembered long ago when Jared had interrogated me； he’d asked if I was like other souls。 I was not；
nor was the other soul they’d dealt with； my Seeker。 Sunny； however； seemed to embody the essence of
my gentle； timid species； we were powerful only in great numbers。
“Sorry； Sunny；” Jeb said。 “Didn’t mean to scare you； there。 Maybe we ought to get out of here； though。”
His eyes swept around the cave； where a few people lingered by the exits； gawking at us。 He stared hard
at Reid and Lucina； and they ducked down the corridor toward the kitchen。 “Probably ought to git along
to Doc；” Jeb continued with a sigh； giving the frightened little woman a wistful glance。 I guessed he was
sad to be missing out on new stories。
“Right；” Kyle said。 He kept his arm firmly around Sunny’s tiny waist and pulled her with him toward the
southern tunnel。
I followed right behind； towing the others who still adhered to me。
Jeb paused； and we all stopped with him。 He jabbed the butt of his gun into Jamie’s hip。
“Ain’t you got school； kid？”
“Aw； Uncle Jeb；please？ Please？ I don’t want to miss —”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
”
Jamie turned his hurt eyes on me； but Jeb was absolutely right。 This was nothing I wanted Jamie to see。 I
shook my head at him。
“Could you get Trudy on your way？” I asked。 “Doc needs her。”
Jamie’s shoulders slumped； and he pulled his hand out of mine。 Jared’s slid down from my wrist to take
its place。
“I misseverything； ” Jamie moaned as he turned back the other way。
“Thanks； Jeb；” I whispered when Jamie was out of hearing。
“Yep。”
The long tunnel seemed blacker than before because I could feel the fear radiating from the woman
ahead of me。
“It’s okay；” Kyle murmured to her。 “There’s nothing that’s going to hurt you； and I’m here。”
I wondered who this strange man was； the one who had e back in Kyle’s place。 Had they checked
his eyes？ I couldn’t believe he’d carried all this gentleness around inside his big angry body。
It must have been having Jodi back； being so close to what he wanted。 Even knowing that this was his
Jodi’s body； I was surprised that he could expend so much kindness for the soul inside it。 I would have
thought such passion was beyond him。
“How’s the Healer？” Jared asked me。
“She woke up； just before I came to find you；” I said。
I heard more than one sigh of relief in the darkness。
“She’s disoriented； though； and very frightened；” I warned them all。 “She can’t remember her name。
Doc’s working with her。 She’s going to be even more scared when she sees all of you。 Try to be quiet
and move slowly； okay？”
“Yes； yes；” the voices whispered in the darkness。
“And； Jeb； do you think you could lose the gun？ She’s a little afraid of humans still。”
“Uh—okay；” Jeb answered。
“Afraid of humans？” Kyle murmured。
“We’re the bad guys；” Ian reminded him； squeezing my hand。
I squeezed it back； glad for the warmth of his touch； the pressure of his fingers。
How much longer would I have the feeling of a hand warm around mine？ When was the last time I
No。 Not yet；Mel whispered。
I was suddenly trembling。 Ian’s hand tightened again； and so did Jared’s。
We walked in silence for a few moments。
“Kyle？” Sunny’s timid voice asked。
“Yes？”
“I don’t want to go back to the Bears。”
“You don’t have to。 You can go somewhere else。”
“But I can’t stay here？”
“No。 I’m sorry； Sunny。”
There was a little hitch in her breathing。 I was glad it was dark。 No one could see the tears that started
rolling down my face。 I had no free hand to wipe them away； so I let them fall onto my shirt。
We finally reached the end of the tunnel。 The sunlight streamed from the mouth of the hospital； reflecting
off the dust motes dancing in the air。 I could hear Doc murmuring inside。
“That’s very good；” he was saying。 “Keep thinking of details。 You know your old address—your name
can’t be far behind； eh？ How does this feel？ Not tender？”
“Careful；” I whispered。
Kyle paused at the edge of the arch； Sunny still clinging to his side； and motioned for me to go first。
I took a deep breath and walked slowly into Doc’s place。 I announced my presence in a low； even
voice。 “Hello。”
The Healer’s host started and gasped out a little shriek。
“Just me again；” I said reassuringly。
“It’s Wanda；” Doc reminded her。
The woman was sitting up now； and Doc was sitting beside her with his hand on her arm。
“That’s the soul；” the woman whispered anxiously to Doc。
“Yes； but she’s a friend。”
The woman eyed me doubtfully。
“Doc？ You’ve got a few more visitors。 Is that okay？”
The woman hesitated； then nodded cautiously。 “Okay；” she whispered。
“This is Ian；” I said； motioning him forward。 “And Jared； and Jeb。” One by one； they walked into the
room and stood beside me。 “And this is Kyle and… uh； Sunny。”
Doc’s eyes bugged wide as Kyle； Sunny attached to his side； entered the room。
“Are there any more？” the woman whispered。
Doc cleared his throat； trying to pose himself。 “Yes。 There are a lot of people who live here。 All…
well； mostly humans；” he added； staring at Sunny。
“Trudy is on her way；” I told Doc。 “Maybe Trudy could…” I glanced at Sunny and Kyle。 “。 。 。 find a
room for… her to rest in？”
Doc nodded； still wide…eyed。 “That might be a good idea。”
“Who’s Trudy？” the woman whispered。
“She’s very nice。 She’ll take care of you。”
“Is she human； or is she like that one？” She nodded toward me。
“She’s human。”
This seemed to ease the woman’s mind。
“Oh；” Sunny gasped behind me。
I turned to see her staring at the cryotanks that held the Healers。 They were standing in the middle of
Doc’s desk； the lights on top glowing muted red。 On the floor in front of the desk； the seven remaining
empty tanks were piled in an untidy heap。
Tears sprang to Sunny’s eyes again； and she buried her face against Kyle’s chest。
“I don’t want to go！ I want to stay with you；” she moaned to the big man she seemed to trust so
pletely。
“I know； Sunny。 I’m sorry。”
Sunny broke down into sobs。
I blinked fast； trying to keep the tears from my own eyes。 I crossed the small space to where Sunny
stood； and stroked her springy black hair。
“I need to talk to her for a minute； Kyle；” I murmured。
“No； no；” she begged。
“It’s okay；” I promised。 “He’s not going anywhere。 I just want to ask you a few questions。”
Kyle turned her to face me； and her arms locked around me。 I pulled her to the far corner of the room；
as far from the nameless woman as I could get。 I didn’t want our conversation to confuse or frighten the
Healer’s host any more than she already was。 Kyle followed； never more than a few inches away。 We
sat on the floor； facing the wall。
“Jeez；” Kyle murmured。 “I didn’t think it would be like this。 This really sucks。”
“How did you find her？ And catch her？” I asked。 The sobbing girl didn’t react as I questioned him； she
just kept crying on my shoulder。 “What happened？ Why is she like this？”
“Well； I thought she might be in Las Vegas。 I went there first； before I went on to Portland。 See； Jodi
was really close to her mother； and that’s where Doris lived。 I thought； seeing how you were about Jared
and the kid； that maybe she would go there； even when she wasn’t Jodi。 And I was right。 They were all
there at the same old house； Doris’s house： Doris； and her husband； Warren—they had other names； but
I didn’t hear them clearly—and Sunny。 I watched them all day； until it was nighttime。 Sunny was in Jodi’s
old room； alone。 I snuck in after they’d all been asleep for hours。 I yanked Sunny up； threw her over my
shoulder； and jumped out the window。 I thought she was going to start screaming； so I was really
booking it back to the jeep。 Then I was afraid because shedidn’t start screaming。 She was just so quiet！
I was afraid she had… you know。 Like that guy we caught once。”
I winced—I had a more recent memory。
“So I pulled her off my shoulder； and she was alive； just staring up at me； all wide…eyed。 Still not
screaming。 I carried her back to the jeep。 I’d been planning to tie her up； but… she didn’t look that
upset。 She wasn’t trying to get away； at least。 So I just buckled her in and started driving。
“She just stared at me for a long time； and then finally she said； ‘You’re Kyle；’ and I said； ‘Yeah； who
are you？’ and she told me her name。 What is it again？”
“Sunlight Passing Through the Ice；” Sunny whispered brokenly。 “I like Sunny； though。 It’s nice。”
“Anyway；” Kyle went on after clearing his throat。 “She didn’t mind talking to me at all。 She wasn’t afraid
like I’d thought she’d be。 So we talked。” He was quiet for a moment。 “She was happy to see me。”
“I used to dream about him all the time；” Sunny whispered to me。 “Every night。 I kept hoping the
Seekers would find him； I missed him so much。… When I saw him； I thought it was the old dream
again。”
I swallowed lou