| 3:11a |
@@@@@The strength of my body gave strength to my
@@@@@The strength of my body gave strength to my control, to my determination
I drove her from my limbs, chased her from every hold she'd found, thrust her back into the
recesses of my mind, and chained her there
Her surrender was sudden and totalaah, she sighed, and it was almost a moan of pain
I felt strangely guilty as soon as I'd won
I'd already known that she was more to me than a resistant host who made life unnecessarily
difficultWe'd become companions, even confidantes during our past weeks together–ever since
the Seeker had united us against a common enemyIn the desert, with Kyle's knife over my
head, I'd been glad that if Ihad to die I would not be the one to kill Melanie; even then, she was
more than a body to meBut now it seemed like something beyond thatI regretted causing her
pain
It was necessary, though, and she didn't seem to grasp thatAny word we said wrong, any
poorly considered action would mean a quick executionHer reactions were too wild and
emotionalShe would get us into trouble
You have to trust me now,I told her'm just trying to keep us aliveI know you don't want to
believe your humans could hurt us…
But it's Jamie,she whisperedShe yearned for the boy with an emotion so strong that it
weakened my knees again
I tried to look at him impartially–this sullen-faced teenager slumped against the tunnel wall
with his arms folded tightly across his chestI tried to see him as a stranger and plan my
response, or lack of response, accordinglyI tried, but I failedHe was Jamie, he was beautiful,
and my arms–mine, not Melanie's–longed to hold himTears filled my eyes and trickled down
my faceI could only hope they were invisible in the dim light
“Jeb,” Jamie said–a gruff greeti |