Seekers would find him； I missed him so much。… When I saw him； I thought it was the old dream
again。”
I swallowed loudly。
Kyle reached across me to lay his hand on her cheek。
“She’s a good kid； Wanda。 Can’t we send her someplace really nice？”
“That’s what I wanted to ask her about。 Where have you lived； Sunny？”
“Just here and with the Bears。 I was there five life terms。 But I like it better here。 I haven’t had even a
quarter of a life term here！”
“I know。 Believe me； I understand。 Is there anywhere else； though； that you’ve ever wanted to go？ The
Flowers； maybe？ It’s nice there； I’ve been。”
“I don’t want to be a plant；” she mumbled into my shoulder。
“The Spiders…” I began； but then let my voice trail off。 The Spiders were not the right place for Sunny。
“I’m tired of cold。 And I like colors。”
“I know。” I sighed。 “I haven’t been a Dolphin； but I hear it’s nice there。 Color； mobility； family…”
“They’re all so far away。 By the time I got anywhere； Kyle would be… He’d be…” She hiccuped and
then started crying again。
“Don’t you have any other choices？” Kyle asked anxiously。 “Aren’t there a lot more places out there？”
I could hear Trudy talking to the Healer’s host； but I tuned out the words。 Let the humans take care of
their own for the moment。
“Not that the off…world ships are going to；” I told him； shaking my head。 “There are lots of worlds； but
only a few； mostly the newer ones； are still open for settling。 And I’m sorry； Sunny； but I have to send
you far away。 The Seekers want to find my friends here； and they’d bring you back if they could； so you
could show them the way。”
“I don’t even know the way；” she sobbed。 My shoulder was drenched with her tears。 “He covered my
eyes。”
Kyle looked at me as if I could produce some kind of miracle to make this all work out perfectly。 Like
the medicine I’d provided； some kind of magic。 But I knew that I was out of magic； out of happy
endings—for the soul half of the equation； at least。
I stared back hopelessly at Kyle。 “It’s just the Bears； the Flowers； and the Dolphins；” I told him。 “I
won’t send her to the Fire Planet。”
The small woman shuddered at the name。
“Don’t worry； Sunny。 You’ll like the Dolphins。 They’ll be nice。 Of course they’ll be nice。”
She sobbed harder。
I sighed and moved on。
“Sunny； I need to ask you about Jodi。”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
。
“What about her？” Sunny mumbled。
“Is she… is she in there with you？ Can you hear her？”
Sunny sniffed and looked up at me。 “I don’t understand what you mean。”
“Does she ever talk to you？ Are you ever aware of her thoughts？”
“My… body’s？ Her thoughts？ She doesn’t have any。 I’m here now。”
I nodded slowly。
“Is that bad？” Kyle whispered。
“I don’t know enough about it to tell。 It’s probably not good； though。”
Kyle’s eyes tightened。
“How long have you been here； Sunny？”
She frowned； thinking。 “How long is it； Kyle？ Five years？ Six？ You disappeared before I came home。”
“Six；” he said。
“And how old are you？” I asked her。
“I’m twenty…seven。”
That surprised me—she was such a little thing； so young looking。 I couldn’t believe she was six years
older than Melanie。
“Why does that matter？” Kyle asked。
“I’m not sure。 It just seems like the more time someone spent as a human before they became a soul； the
better chance they might have at… making a recovery。 The greater the percentage of their life they spent
human； the more memories they have； the more connections； the more years being called by the right
name… I don’t know。”
“Is twenty…one years enough？” he asked； his voice desperate。
“I guess we’ll find out。”
“It’s not fair！” Sunny wailed。 “Why do you get to stay？ Why can’t I stay； if you can？”
I had to swallow hard。 “Thatwouldn’t be fair； would it？ But I don’t get to stay； Sunny。 I have to go； too。
And soon。 Maybe we’ll leave together。” Perhaps she’d be happier if she thought I was going to the
Dolphins with her。 By the time she knew otherwise； Sunny would have a different host with different
emotions and no tie to this human beside me。 Maybe。 Anyway； it would be too late。 “I have to go；
And then； flat and hard from right behind us； Ian’s voice broke the quiet like the crack of a whip。
“What？”
CHAPTER 56
Welded
Ian glared down at the three of us with such fury that Sunny shivered in terror。 It was an odd thing—as if
Kyle and Ian had switched faces。 Except Ian’s face was still perfect； unbroken。 Beautiful； even though it
was enraged。
“Ian？” Kyle asked； bewildered。 “What’s the problem？”
Ian spoke from between his locked teeth。 “Wanda；” he growled； and held his hand out。 It looked as if
he was having a hard time keeping that hand open； not clenching it into a fist。
Uh…oh；Mel thought。
Misery swept through me。 I didn’t want to say goodbye to Ian； and now I would have to。 Of course I
had to。 I would be wrong to sneak out in the night like a thief and leave all my goodbyes to Melanie。
Ian； tired of waiting； grabbed my arm and hauled me up from the floor。 When Sunny seemed like she
was ing along； too； still joined to my side； Ian shook me until she fell off。
“What iswith you？” Kyle demanded。
Ian hauled his knee back and smashed his foot hard into Kyle’s face。
“Ian！” I protested。
Sunny threw herself in front of Kyle—who was holding his hand to his nose and struggling to get to his
feet—and tried to shield him with her tiny body。 This knocked him off balance； back to the floor； and he
groaned。
“C’mon；” Ian snarled； dragging me away from them without a backward glance。
“Ian —”
He wrenched me roughly along； making it impossible for me to speak。 That was fine。 I had no idea what
to say。
I saw everyone’s startled face flash by in a blur。 I was worried he was going to upset the unnamed
woman。 She wasn’t used to anger and violence。
And then we jerked to a stop。 Jared was blocking the exit。
“Have you lost your mind； Ian？” he asked； shocked and outraged。 “What are you doing to her？”
That was answer enough for Ian。
Ian’s fist struck Jared so fast that I missed the blow—I just felt the lurch in his body and saw Jared reel
back into the dark hall。
“Ian； stop；” I begged。
“Youstop；” he growled back at me。
He yanked me through the arch into the tunnel； then pulled me north。 I had to almost run to keep up with
his longer stride。
“O’Shea！” Jared shouted after us。
“I’mgoing to hurt her？” Ian roared back over his shoulder； not breaking pace。 “Iam？You hypocritical
swine！ ”
There was nothing but silence and blackness behind us now。 I stumbled in the dark； trying to keep up。
It was then that I began to feel the throbbing from Ian’s grip。 His hand was tight as a tourniquet around
my upper arm； his long fingers making the circle easily and then overlapping。 My hand was going numb。
He jerked me along faster； and my breath caught in a moan； almost a cry of pain。
The sound made Ian stumble to a stop。 His breathing was hoarse in the darkness。
“Ian； Ian； I…” I choked； unable to finish。 I didn’t know what to say； picturing his furious face。
His arms caught me up abruptly； yanking my feet out from under me and then catching my shoulders
before I could fall。 He started running forward again； carrying me now。 His hands were not rough and
angry like before； he cradled me against his chest。
He ran right through the big plaza； ignoring the surprised and even suspicious faces。 There was too much
that was unfamiliar and unfortable going on in the caves right now。 The humans here—Violetta；
Geoffrey； Andy； Paige； Aaron； Brandt； and more I couldn’t see well as we jolted past—were skittish。 It
disturbed them to see Ian running headlong through them； face twisted with rage； with me in his arms。
And then they were behind us。 He didn’t pause until we reached the doors leaning against his and Kyle’s
room。 He kicked the red one out of the way—it hit the stone floor with an echoing boom—and dropped
me onto the mattress on the floor。
Ian stood above me； his chest heaving with exertion and fury。 For a second he turned away and put the
I took a deep breath and rolled up onto my knees； holding my hands out； palms up； wishing that some
magic would appear in them。 Something I could give him； something I could say。 But my hands were
empty。
“You。 Are。 Not。 Leaving。 Me。” His eyes blazed—burning brighter than I had ever seen them； blue
flames。
“Ian；” I whispered。 “You have to see that… that I can’t stay。 Youmust see that。”
“No！”he shouted at me。
I cringed back； and； abruptly； Ian crumpled forward； falling to his knees； falling into me。 He buried his
head in my stomach； and his arms locked around my waist。 He was shaking； shaking hard； and loud；
desperate sobs were breaking out of his chest。
“No； Ian； no；” I begged。 This was so much worse than his anger。 “Don’t； please。 Please； don’t。”
“Wanda；” he moaned。
“Ian； please。 Don’t feel this way。 Don’t。 I’m so sorry。 Please。”
I was crying； too； shaking； too； though that might have been him shaking me。
“You can’t leave。”
“I have to； I have to；” I sobbed。
And then we cried wordlessly for a long time。
His tears dried before mine。 Eventually； he straightened up and pulled me into his arms again。 He waited
until I was able to speak。
“Sorry；” he whispered。 “I was mean。”
“No； no。I’m sorry。 I should have told you； when you didn’t guess。 I just… I couldn’t。 I didn’t want to
tell you—to hurt you—to hurt me。 It was selfish。”
“We need to talk about this； Wanda。 It’s not a done deal。 It can’t be。”
“It is。”
He shook his head； clenching his teeth。 “How long？ How long have you been planning this？”
“Since the Seeker；” I whispered。
He nodded； seeming to expect this answer。 “And you thought that you had to give up your secret to
save her。 I can understand that。 But that doesn’t mean you have to go anywhere。 Just because Doc
knows now… that doesn’tmean anything。 If I’d thought for one minute that it did； that one action
equaled the other； I wouldn’t have stood there and let you show him。 No one is going to force you to lie
“Ian； please。”
“They can’t make you； Wanda！ Do you hear me？” He was shouting again。
“No one is making me。 I didn’t show Doc how to do the separation so that I could save the Seeker；” I
whispered。 “The Seeker’s being here just made me have to decide… faster。 I did it to save Mel； Ian。”
His nostrils flared； and he said nothing。
“She’s trapped in here； Ian。 It’s like a prison—worse than that； I can’t even describe it。 She’s like a
ghost。 And I can free her。 I can give her herself back。”
“You deserve a life； too； Wanda。 You deserve to stay。”
“But Ilove her； Ian。”
He closed his eyes； and his pale lips went dead white。
“But I loveyou；