I nodded。
The others stayed where they were。 I walked down the tunnel alone。
It was hard to lift my eyes； to meet the gaze that I could feel like cold fingers pressing against my face。
The Seeker was glaring at me； a harsh sneer twisting her features。 I’d never seen a soul use that
expression before。
“Well； hello there；Melanie； ” she mocked me。 “What took you so long to e visit？”
I didn’t answer。 I walked toward her slowly； trying hard to believe that the hate coursing through my
body really did not belong to me。
“Did your little friends think I would talk to you？ Spill all my secrets because you carry a gagged and
lobotomized soul around in your head； reflecting through your eyes？” She laughed abrasively。
I stopped two long strides away from her； my body tensed to run。 She made no aggressive move
toward me； but I could not relax my muscles。 This was not like meeting the Seeker on the highway—I
didn’t have the usual sensation of safety that I felt around the gentle others of my kind。 Again； the strange
conviction that she would live long after I was gone swept through me。
Don’t be ridiculous。 Ask her your questions。 Have you e up with any？
“So； what do you want？ Did you request permission to kill me personally； Melanie？” the Seeker hissed。
“They call me Wanda here；” I said。
She flinched slightly when I opened my lips to speak； as if expecting me to shout。 My low； even voice
seemed to upset her more than the scream she anticipated。
I examined her face while she glared at me with her bulging eyes。 It was dirty； stained with purple dust
and dried sweat。 Other than that； there wasn’t a mark on it。 Again； this gave me an odd ache。
“Wanda；” she repeated in a flat voice。 “Well； what are you waiting for？ Didn’t they give you the okay？
Were you planning to use your bare hands or my gun？”
“I’m not here to kill you。”
She smiled sourly。 “To interrogate me； then？ Where are your instruments of torture； human？”
I cringed。 “I won’t hurt you。”
“No。 They just… they didn’t want to kill you until they had… consulted me。 In case I wanted to talk to
you first。”
Her lids lowered； narrowing her protruding eyes。 “Do you have something to say？”
I swallowed。 “I was wondering…” I only had the same question I’d been unable to answer for myself。
“Why？ Why couldn’t you let me be dead； like the rest of them？ Why were you so determined to hunt me
down？ I didn’t want to hurt anyone。 I just wanted… to go my own way。”
She leaped up onto her toes； shoving her face toward mine。 Someone moved behind me； but I couldn’t
hear more than that—she was shouting in my face。
“Because I wasright！ ” she shrieked。 “More than right！Look at them all！ A vile nest of killers； lurking in
wait！ Just like I thought； only so muchworse！ Iknew you were out here with them！One of them！ Itold
them there was danger！ Itold them！”
She stopped； panting； and took a step back from me； staring over my shoulder。 I didn’t look away to
see what had made her retreat。 I assumed it had something to do with what Jeb had just told me—once
the guns e up； she backs right down。I analyzed her expression for a moment as her heavy
breathing slowed。
“But they didn’t listen to you。 So you came for us alone。”
The Seeker didn’t answer。 She took another step back from me； doubt twisting her expression。 She
looked oddly vulnerable for a second； as if my words had stripped away the shield she’d been hiding
behind。
“They’ll look for you； but in the end； they never believed you at all； did they？” I said； watching as each
word was confirmed in her desperate eyes。 It made me very sure。 “So they won’t take the search further
than that。 When they don’t find you； their interest will fade。 We’ll be careful； as usual。 They won’t find
us。”
Now I could see true fear in her eyes for the first time。 The terrible—to her—knowledge that I was
right。 And I felt better for my nest of humans； my little family。 Iwas right。 They would be safe。 Yet；
incongruously； I didn’t feel any better for myself。
I had no more questions for the Seeker。 When I walked away； she would die。 Would they wait until I
was far enough not to hear the shot？ Was there anywhere in the caves that was far enough for that？
I stared at her angry； fearful face； and I knew how deeply I hated her。 How much I never wanted to see
that face again for the rest of my lives。
The hate that made it impossible for me to allow her to die。
“I don’t know how to save you；” I whispered； too low for the humans to hear。 Why did that sound like a
lie in my ears？ “I can’t think of a way。”
right。 All the bluster； all the threats… She wanted very much to stay alive。
I nodded at her accusation； a little absently because I was thinking hard and fast。 “But still me；” I
murmured。 “I don’t want… I don’t want…”
How to finish that sentence？ I didn’t want… the Seeker to die？ No。 That wasn’t true。
I didn’t want… to hate the Seeker？ To hate her so much that I wanted her to die。 To have her die while
I hated her。 Almost as if she diedbecause of my hate。
If I truly did not want her death； would I be able to think of a way to save her？ Was it my hate that was
blocking an answer？ Would I be responsible if she died？
Are you insane？Melanie protested。
She’d killed my friend； shot him dead in the desert； broken Lily’s heart。 She’d put my family in danger。
As long as she lived； she was a danger to them。 To Ian； to Jamie； to Jared。 She would do everything in
her power to see them all dead。
That’s more like it。Melanie approved of this train of thought。
But if she dies； and I could have saved her if I’d wanted to… who am I then？
You have to be practical； Wanda。 This is a war。 Whose side are you on？
You know the answer to that。
I do。 And that’s who you are； Wanda。
But… but what if I could do both？ What if I could save her life and keep everyone here safe at the
same time？
A heavy wave of nausea rolled in my stomach as I saw the answer I’d been trying to believe didn’t exist。
The only wall I’d ever built between Melanie and me crumbled to dust。
No！Mel gasped。 And then screamed；NO！
The answer I must have known I would find。 The answer that explained my strange premonition。
Because I could save the Seeker。 Of course I could。 But it would cost me。 A trade。 What had Kyle
said？ A life for a life。
The Seeker stared at me； her dark eyes full of venom。
CHAPTER 50
Sacrificed
The Seeker scrutinized my face while Mel and I fought。
Don’t be stupid； Mel。 You of all people should see the potential of this choice。 Isn’t this what you
want？
But even as I tried to look at the happy ending； I couldn’t escape the horror of this choice。 This was the
secret I should die to protect。 The information I’d been desperate to keep safe no matter what hideous
torture I was put through。
This was not the kind of torture I’d expected： a personal crisis of conscience； confused and plicated
by love for my human family。 Very painful； nevertheless。
I could not claim to be an expatriate if I did this。 No； I would be purely a traitor。
Not for her； Wanda！ Not for her！Mel howled。
Should I wait？ Wait until they catch another soul？ An innocent soul whom I have no reason to
hate？ I’ll have to make the decision sometime。
Not now！ Wait！ Think about this！
My stomach rolled again； and I had to hunch my body forward and take a deep breath。 I just managed
not to gag。
“Wanda？” Jeb called in concern。
I could do it； Mel。 I could justify letting her die if she was one of those innocent souls。 I could let
them kill her then。 I could trust myself to make an objective decision。
But she’s horrible； Wanda！ We hate her！
Exactly。 And Ican’ttrust myself。 Look at how I almost didn’t see the answer…
“Wanda； you all right？”
The Seeker glared past me； toward Jeb’s voice。
“Fine； Jeb；” I gasped。 My voice was breathy； strained。 I was surprised at how bad it sounded。
The Seeker’s dark eyes flickered between us； unsure。 Then she recoiled from me； cringing into the wall。
I recognized the pose—remembered exactly how it felt to hold it。
A gentle hand came down on my shoulder and spun me around。
“What’s going on with you； hon？” Jeb asked。
“I need a minute；” I told him breathlessly。 I looked straight into his faded…denim eyes and told him
something that was most definitely not a lie。 “I have one more question。 But I really need a minute to
myself。 Can you… wait for me？”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
”
I nodded and walked as quickly as I could from the prison。 My legs were stiff with terror at first； but I
found my stride as I moved。 By the time I passed Aaron and Brandt； I was almost running。
“What happened？” I heard Aaron whisper to Brandt； his voice bewildered。
I wasn’t sure where to hide while I thought。 My feet； like a shuttle on automatic pilot； took me through
the corridors toward my sleeping room。 I could only hope that it would be empty。
It was dark； barely any light from the stars trickling down through the cracked ceiling。 I didn’t see Lily till
I tripped over her in the darkness。
I almost didn’t recognize her tear…swollen face。 She was curled into a tight； tiny ball on the floor in the
middle of the passageway。 Her eyes were wide； not quite prehending who I was。
“Why？” she asked me。
I stared at her wordlessly。
“I said that life and love go on。 Butwhy do they？ They shouldn’t。 Not anymore。 What’s the point？”
“I don’t know； Lily。 I’m not sure what the point is。”
“Why？” she asked again； not speaking to me anymore。 Her glassy eyes looked right through me。
I stepped carefully past her and hurried to my room。 I had my own question that had to be answered。
To my great relief； the room was empty。 I threw myself facedown on the mattress where Jamie and I
slept。
When I’d told Jeb I had one more question； that was the truth。 But the question was not for the Seeker。
The question was f