patting his back。
Jared and Kyle were laying a crude stretcher beside one of the cots in the middle of the room。 Jared’s
face was hard—the mask had e back while he was away。
The cots were not empty； as they usually were。 Something； hidden under dark green blankets； filled the
length of both of them。 Long and irregular； with familiar curves and angles…
Doc’s homemade table was arranged at the head of these cots； in the brightest spot of sunlight。 The
table glittered with silver—shiny scalpels and an assortment of antiquated medical tools that I couldn’t put
a name to。
Brighter than these were other silver things。 Shimmering segments of silver stretched in twisted； tortured
pieces across the table… tiny silver strands plucked and naked and scattered… splatters of silver liquid
The quiet in the room was shattered by my scream。 The wholeroom was shattered。 It spun and shook to
the sound； whirled around me so that I couldn’t find the way out。 The walls； the silver…stained walls； rose
up to block my escape no matter which way I turned。
Someone shouted my name； but I couldn’t hear whose voice it was。 The screaming was too loud。 It hurt
my head。 The stone wall； oozing silver； slammed into me； and I fell to the floor。 Heavy hands held me
there。
“Doc； help！”
“What’s wrong with her？”
“Is it having a fit？”
“What did she see？”
“Nothing—nothing。 The bodies were covered！”
That was a lie！ The bodies were hideously uncovered； strewn in obscene contortions across the glittering
table。 Mutilated； dismembered； tortured bodies； ripped into grotesque shreds…
I had clearly seen the vestigial feelers still attached to the truncated anterior section of a child。 Just a
child！ A baby！ A baby thrown haphazardly in maimed pieces across the table smeared with its own
blood…
My stomach rolled like the walls were rolling； and acid clawed its way up my throat。
“Wanda？ Can you hear me？”
“Is she conscious？”
“I think she’s going to throw up。”
The last voice was right。 Hard hands held my head while the acid in my stomach violently overflowed。
“What do we do； Doc？”
“Hold on to her—don’t let her hurt herself。”
I coughed and squirmed； trying to escape。 My throat cleared。
“Let me go！” I was finally able to choke out。 The words were garbled。 “Get away from me！ Get away；
you’re monsters！ Torturers！”
I shrieked wordlessly again； twisting against the restraining arms。
“Calm down； Wanda！ Shh！ It’s okay！” That was Jared’s voice。 For once； it didn’t matter that it was
Jared。
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。
“She’s hysterical；” Doc told him。 “Hold on。”
A sharp； stinging blow whipped across my face。
There was a gasp； far away from the immediate chaos。
“What are youdoing？ ” Ian roared。
“It’s having a seizure or something； Ian。 Doc’s trying to bring it around。”
My ears were ringing； but not from the slap。 It was the smell—the smell of the silver blood dripping
down the walls—the smell of the blood of souls。 The room writhed around me as though it were alive。
The light twisted into strange patterns； curved into the shapes of monsters from my past。 A Vulture
unfurled its wings… a claw beast swung its heavy pincers toward my face… Doc smiled and reached for
me with silver trickling from his fingertips…
The room spun once more； slowly； and then went black。
Unconsciousness didn’t claim me for long。 It must have been only seconds later when my head cleared。 I
was all too lucid； I wished I could stay oblivious longer。
I was moving； rocking back and forth； and it was too black to see。 Mercifully； the horrible smell had
faded。 The musty； humid air of the caves was like perfume。
The feeling of being carried； being cradled； was familiar。 That first week after Kyle had injured me； I’d
traveled many places in Ian’s arms。
“。 。 。 thought she’d have guessed what we were up to。 Looks like I was wrong；” Jared was murmuring。
“You think that’s what happened？” Ian’s voice cut hard in the quiet tunnel。 “That she was scared
because Doc was trying to take the other souls out？ That she was afraid for herself？”
Jared didn’t answer for a minute。 “You don’t？”
Ian made a sound in the back of his throat。 “No。 I don’t。 As disgusted asI am that you would bring back
more… victims for Doc； bring them backnow！ —as much as that turns my stomach； that’s not what
upset her。 How can you be so blind？ Can’t you imagine what that must have looked like to her in there？”
“I know we had the bodies covered before —”
“Thewrong bodies； Jared。 Oh； I’m sure Wanda would be upset by a human corpse—she’s so gentle；
violence and death aren’t a part of her normal world。 But think what the things on that table must have
meant to her。”
It took him another moment。 “Oh。”
“Yes。 If you or I had walked in on a human vivisection； with torn body parts； with blood splattered on
everything； it wouldn’t have been as bad for us as it was for her。 We’d have seen it all before—even
before the invasion； in horror movies； at least。 I’d bet she’s never been exposed to anything like that in all
I was getting sick again。 His words were bringing it back。 The sight。 The smell。
“Let me go；” I whispered。 “Put me down。”
“I didn’t mean to wake you。 I’m sorry。” The last words were fervent； apologizing for more than waking
me。
“Let me go。”
“You’re not well。 I’ll take you to your room。”
“No。 Put me down now。”
“Wanda —”
“Now！” I shouted。 I shoved against Ian’s chest； kicking my legs free at the same time。 The ferocity of
my struggle surprised him。 He lost his hold on me； and I half fell into a crouch on the floor。
I sprang up from the crouch running。
“Wanda！”
“Let her go。”
“Don’t touch me！ Wanda； e back！”
It sounded like they were wrestling behind me； but I didn’t slow。 Of course they were fighting。 They
were humans。 Violence was pleasure to them。
I didn’t pause when I was back in the light。 I sprinted through the big cavern without looking at any of
the monsters there。 I could feel their eyes on me； and I didn’t care。
I didn’t care where I was going； either。 Just somewhere I could be alone。 I avoided the tunnels that had
people near them； running down the first empty one I could find。
It was the eastern tunnel。 This was the second time I’d sprinted through this corridor today。 Last time in
joy； this time in horror。 It was hard to remember how I’d felt this afternoon； knowing the raiders were
home。 Everything was dark and gruesome now； including their return。 The very stones seemed evil。
This way was the right choice for me； though。 No one had any reason to e here； and it was empty。
I ran to the farthest end of the tunnel； into the deep night of the empty game room。 Could I really have
played games with them such a short time ago？ Believed the smiles on their faces； not seeing the beasts
underneath…
I moved forward until I stumbled ankle deep into the oily waters of the dark spring。 I backed away； my
hand outstretched； searching for a wall。 When I found a rough ridge of stone—sharp…edged beneath my
fingers—I turned into the depression behind the protrusion and curled myself into a tight ball on the
ground there。
GET OUT OF MY HEAD！I shrieked。
As I thrust her away from me—gagged her so that I wouldn’t have to bear her justifications—I realized
how weak she’d grown in all these months of friendliness。 How much I’d been allowing。 Encouraging。
It was almost too easy to silence her。 As easy as it should have been from the beginning。
It was only me now。 Just me； and the pain and the horror that I would never escape。 I would nevernot
have that image in my head again。 I would never be free of it。 It was forever a part of me。
I didn’t know how to mourn here。 I could not mourn in human ways for these lost souls whose names I
would never know。 For the broken child on the table。
I had never had to mourn on the Origin。 I didn’t know how it was done there； in the truest home of my
kind。 So I settled for the way of the Bats。 It seemed appropriate； here where it was as black as being
blind。 The Bats mourned with silence—not singing for weeks on end until the pain of the nothingness left
behind by the lack of music was worse than the pain of losing a soul。 I’d known loss there。 A friend；
killed in a freak accident； a falling tree in the night； found too late to save him from the crushed body of
his host。 Spiraling… Upward… Harmony； those were the words that would have held his name in this
language。 Not exact； but close enough。 There had been no horror in his death； only grief。 An accident。
The bubbling stream was too discordant to remind me of our songs。 I could grieve beside its
harmony…free clatter。
I wrapped my arms tightly around my shoulders and mourned for the child and the other soul who had
died with it。 My siblings。 My family。 If I had found a way free of this place； if I had warned the Seekers；
their remains would not be so casually mangled and mixed together in that blood…steeped room。
I wanted to cry； to keen in misery。 But that was the human way。 So I locked my lips and hunched in the
darkness； holding the pain inside。
My silence； my mourning； was stolen from me。
It took them a few hours。 I heard them looking； heard their voices echo and warp in the long tubes of
air。 They were calling for me； expecting an answer。 When they received no answer； they brought lights。
Not the dim blue lanterns that might never have revealed my hiding place here； buried under all this
blackness； but the sharp yellow lances of flashlights。 They swept back and forth； pendulums of light。 Even
with the flashlights； they didn’t find me until the third search of the room。 Why couldn’t they leave me
alone？
When the flashlight’s beam finally disinterred me； there was a gasp of relief。
“I found her！ Tell the others to get back inside！ She’s in here after all！”
I knew the voice； but I didn’t put a name to it。 Just another monster。
“Wanda？ Wanda？ Are you all right？”
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。
“Where’s Ian？”
“Should we get Jamie； do you think？”
“He shouldn’t be on that leg。”
Jamie。 I shuddered at his name。 My Jamie。 He was a monster； too。 He was just like the rest of them。 My
Jamie。 It was a physical pain to think of him。
“Where is she？”
“Over here； Jared。 She’s not… responding。”
“We didn’t touch her。”
“Here； give me the light；” Jared said。 “Now； the rest of you； get out of here。 Emergency over。 Give her
some air； okay？”
There was a shuffling noise that didn’t travel far。
“Seriously； people。 You’re not helping。 Leave。 All the way out。”
The shuffling was slow at first； but then became more productive。 I could hear many footsteps fading
away in the room and then disappearing out of it。
Jared waited until it was silent again。
“Oka