按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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； ” he whispered。 “Doesn’t that matter？”
“Of course it matters。 So much。 Can’t you see？ That only makes it more… necessary。”
His eyes flashed open。 “Is it so unbearable to have me love you？ Is that it？ I can keep my mouth shut；
Wanda。 I won’t say it again。 You can be with Jared； if that’s what you want。 Just stay。”
“No； Ian！” I took his face between my hands—his skin felt hard； strained tight over the bones。 “No。
I—I love you； too。 Me； the little silver worm in the back of her head。 But my body doesn’t love you。 It
can’t love you。 I can never love you in this body； Ian。 It pulls me in two。 It’s unbearable。”
I could have borne it。 But watchinghim suffer because of my body’s limitations？ Not that。
He closed his eyes again。 His thick black lashes were wet with tears。 I could see them glisten。
Oh； go ahead；Mel sighed。Do whatever you need to。 I’ll… step into the other room； she added
dryly。
Thanks。
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer to him until my lips touched his。
He curled his arms around me； pulling me tighter against his chest。 Our lips moved together； fusing as if
they would never divide； as if separation was not the inevitable thing it was； and I could taste the salt of
our tears。 His and mine。
Something began to change。
When Melanie’s body touched Jared’s body； it was like a wildfire—a fast burn that raced across the
surface of the desert and consumed everything in its path。
My unwilling body was a fog between us—a thick curtain； but gauzy enough that I could see through it；
could see what was happening。
It changedme； not her。 It was almost a metallurgical process deep inside the core of who I was；
something that had already begun； was already nearly forged。 But this long； unbroken kiss finished it；
searing and sharp edged—it shoved this new creation； all hissing； into the cold water that made it hard
and final。 Unbreakable。
And I started to cry again； realizing that it must be changing him；