The rains would end, and when they did, Ian and I... The rains would end, and when they did, Ian and I would be together, partners in the truest
senseThis was a promise and an obligation I had never had in all my livesThinking of it made
me feel joyful and anxious and shy and desperately impatient all at the same time–made me
feelhuman
After all this had been settled, Ian and I were more inseparable than everSo when it came time
for me to test my new face on the other souls, of course he went with me
This raid was a relief for me after long weeks of frustrationIt was bad enough that my new
body was weak and nearly useless in the caves; I couldn't believe it when the others didn't want
to let me use my body for the one thing it was perfect for
Jared had specifically approved of Jamie's choice because of this guileless, vulnerable face that
no one could ever doubt, this delicate build that anyone would be motivated to protect, but
cartier love even
he had a hard time putting his theory into practiceI was sure raiding would be every bit as easy
for me now as it had been before, but Jared, Jeb, Ian, and the others–everyone but Jamie and
Mel–debated for days, trying to find a way around using me for that
I saw them eyeing Sunny, but she was still unproven, not trustedOn top of that, Sunny had
absolutely no intention of setting one foot outsideThe very wordraid had her cowering in
terrorKyle would not go out with us; Sunny had gone hysterical the one time he'd mentioned it
In the end, practicality had won out
It was good to be needed
Supplies had been dwindling; this would be a long, thorough tripJared was leading the raid, as
usual, so it went without saying that Melanie was includedAaron and Brandt volunteered, not
that we really needed the muscle; they were tired of being cooped up
We were going far to the north, and I
prada replica handbags was excited to see the new places–to feel the cold again
Excitement got a bit out of hand in this bodyI was bouncy and hyper the night we drove to the
rock slide where the van and the big moving truck were hiddenIan was laughing at me because
I could hardly hold still as we loaded the clothes and sundries we would need into the vanHe
held my hand, he said, to tether me to the surface of the planet
Was I too loud? Too oblivious to my surroundings? No, of course that was not itThere was
nothing I could have doneThis was a trap, and it was too late for us the minute we arrived
We froze when the thin beams of light shot out of the darkness into Jared's and Melanie's faces
My face, my eyes, the ones that might have helped us, stayed obscured, hidden in the shadow
made by Ian's wide back
My eyes were not blinded by the glare, and the moon was bright enough for me to clearly see
the
chanel jewelry Seekers that outnumbered us, eight to our sixBright enough for me to see the way they
held their hands, to see the weapons that glinted in them, raised and pointed at usPointed at
Jared and Mel, at Brandt and Aaron–our only gun still undrawn–and one centered dead on Ian's
chest
Why had I let him come with me? Why did he have to die, too? Lily's bewildered questions
echoed in my head:Why did life and love go on? What was the point?
My fragile little heart shattered into a million pieces, and I fumbled for the pill in my pocket
“Steady, now, everybody just keep calm,” the man in the center of the group of Seekers called
out“Wait, wait, don't beswallowing anything! Jeez, get a grip! No, look!”
The man turned the flashlight on his own face
His face was sun browned and craggy, like a rock that had been eroded by the windHis hair
was dark, with white at the temples, and it curled in a
omega watches for sale bushy mess around his earsAnd his
eyes–his eyes were dark brownJust dark brown, nothing more“Okay, now, you don't shoot us, and we won't shoot youSee?” And he laid the
gun he was carrying to the ground“C'mon, guys,” he said, and the others slid their guns back
into holsters–on their hips, their ankles, their backs… so many weapons
“We found your cache here–clever, that; we were lucky to find it–and decided we'd hang out
and make your acquaintanceIt's not every day you find another rebel cell He laughed a
delighted laugh that came from deep in his belly“Look at your faces! What? Did you think you
all were the only ones still kickin'?” He laughed again
None of us had moved an inch
“Think they're in shock, Nate,” another man said
“We scared them half to death,” a woman said“What do you expect?”
They waited, shuffling from foot to foot, while we stood frozen
Jared was the first to
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