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away from it。
“Okay； on the side there should be a switch… more like a dial； actually。 Can you see it？”
“Yes。”
“Spin it all the way down。”
“Okay。”
“What color is the light on top of the tank？”
“It’s… it’s just turning from purple to… bright blue。 Light blue now。”
I took a deep breath。 At least the tanks were functional。
“Great。 Pop the lid and wait for me。”
“How？”
“Latch under the lip。”
“Got it。” I heard the click of the latch； and then the whir of the mechanism。 “It’scold！ ”
“That’s sort of the point。”
“How does it work？ What’s the power source？”
I sighed。 “I knew the answers when I was a Spider。 I don’t understand it now。 Doc； you can go ahead。
I’m ready。”
“Here we go；” Doc whispered as he slid the blade of the scalpel deftly； almost gracefully； through the
skin。 Blood coursed down the side of her neck； pooling on the towel Doc had placed underneath。
“A tiny bit deeper。 Just under the edge —”
Silver glinted out from the red。
“That’s good。 Now you hold the hair。”
Doc switched places with me in a smooth； swift movement。 He was good at his Calling。 He would have
made quite a Healer。
I didn’t try to hide what I was doing from him。 The movements were too minute for him to have any
chance of seeing。 He would not be able to do this until I explained。
I slid one fingertip carefully along the back ridge of the tiny silver creature until my finger was almost
entirely inserted into the hot opening at the base of the host body’s neck。 I traced my way to the anterior
antennae； feeling the taut lines of the bound attachments stretched tight like harp strings into the deeper
recesses of her head。
I twisted my finger around the underside of the soul’s body； caressing down from the first segment along
the other line of attachments； as stiff and profuse as the bristles of a brush。
I felt carefully at the juncture of these tight strings； at the tiny joints； no bigger than pinheads。 I stroked
my way about a third of the way down。 I could have counted； but that would have taken a very long
time。 It would be the two hundred seventeenth connection； but there was another way to find it。 There it
was； the little ridge that made this joint just a bit bigger—a seed pearl rather than a pinhead。 It was
smooth under my fingertip。
I pressed against it with gentle pressure； tenderly massaging。 Kindness was always the way of the souls。
Never violence。
“Relax；” I breathed。
And； though the soul could not hear me； it obeyed。 The harp strings loosened； went slack。 I could feel
the slither as they retracted； feel the slight swelling of the body as it absorbed them。 The process took no
more than a few beats of my heart。 I held my breath until I felt the soul undulate under my touch。
Wriggling free。
I let it twist itself a little farther out； and then I curled my fingers gently around the tiny； fragile body。 I
lifted it； silver and gleaming； wet with blood that was quickly shed from the smooth casing； and cradled it
in my hand。
It was beautiful。 The soul whose name I’d never known billowed like a silver wave in my hand… a
lovely feathered ribbon。
I couldn’t hate the Seeker in this form。 An almost maternal love swept through me。
“Sleep well； little one；” I whispered。
I turned toward the faint hum of the cryotank； just to my left。 Jared held it low and angled； so it was a
simple matter for me to ease the soul into the shockingly cold air that gusted from the opening。 I let it slide
into the small space and then carefully relatched the lid。
and then I hugged it to my chest。 The outside of the tank was the same temperature as the warm room。 I
cradled it to my body； protective as any mother。
I looked back at the stranger on the table。 Doc was already dust…ing Smooth over the sealed wound。
We made a good team： one attending to the soul； the other to the body。 Everyone was taken care of。
Doc looked up at me； his eyes full of exhilaration and wonder。 “Amazing；” he murmured。 “That was
incredible。”
“Good job；” I whispered back。
“When do you think she’ll wake up？” Doc asked。
“That depends on how much chloroform she inhaled。”
“Not much。”
“And if she’s still there。 We’ll have to wait and see。”
Before I could ask； Jared lifted the nameless woman tenderly from the cot； rolled her face…up； and laid
her on another； cleaner resting place。 This tenderness did not move me。 This tenderness was for the
human； for Melanie。…
Doc went with him； checking her pulse； peeking under her lids。 He shone a flashlight into her
unconscious eyes and watched the pupils constrict。 No light reflected back to blind him。 He and Jared
exchanged a long glance。
“She really did it；” Jared said； his voice low。
“Yes；” Doc agreed。
I didn’t hear Jeb sidle up next to me。
“Pretty slick； kid；” he murmured。
I shrugged。
“Feeling a smidge conflicted？”
I didn’t answer。
“Yeah。 Me； too； hon。 Me； too。”
Aaron and Brandt were talking behind me； their voices rising with excitement； answering each other’s
thoughts before the questions were spoken。
No conflict there。
“Wait till the others hear！”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
”
“We should go get some —”
“Right now； I’m ready —”
“Hold up；” Jeb cut Brandt off。 “No soul snatching until that cryotank is safely on its way into outer
space。 Right； Wanda？”
“Right；” I agreed in a firmer voice； hugging the tank tighter to my chest。
Brandt and Aaron exchanged sour glances。
I was going to need more allies。 Jared and Jeb and Doc were only three； though certainly the most
influential three here。 Still； they would need support。
I knew what this meant。
It meant talking to Ian。
Others； too； of course； but Ian would have to be one of them。 My heart seemed to slump lower in my
chest； to curl limply in on itself。 I’d done many things I had not wanted to do since joining the humans； but
I couldn’t remember any this sharply and pointedly painful。 Even deciding to trade my life for the
Seeker’s—that was a huge； vast hurt； a wide field of ache； but it was almost manageable because it was
so tied up in the bigger picture。 Telling Ian goodbye was a razor…sharp piercing； it made the greater vision
hard to see。 I wished there was some way； any way； to save him from the same pain。 There wasn’t。
The only thing worse would be telling Jared goodbye。 That one would burn and fester。 Because he
wouldn’t feel pain。 His joy would far outweigh any small regret he might feel over me。
As for Jamie； well； I wasn’t planning on facing that goodbye at all。
“Wanda！” Doc’s voice was sharp。
I hurried to the bed Doc was hovering over。 Before I got there； I could see the tiny olive hand fisting and
unfisting where it hung over the edge of the cot。
“Ah；” the Seeker’s familiar voice moaned from the human body。 “Ah。”
The room went utterly silent。 Everyone looked at me； as if I were the expert on humans。
I elbowed Doc； my hands still wrapped aroun