@@@@@Only a few kept their chins stiffly in the
@@@@@Only a few kept their chins stiffly in the air, their shoulders
squared: Lily, Trudy, Heath, Wes… and frail Walter, of all people
“Easy, Kyle,” Walter said in his feeble voiceHe walked with deliberate steps toward me, his eyes, the same vibrant cobalt
as his brother's, glowing with rageI couldn't keep my eyes on him, though–they kept returning
to Jared's dark shape, trying to read his camouflaged face
Melanie's love flowed through me like a lake bursting through a dam, distracting me even more
from the enraged barbarian closing the distance quickly
Ian slid into my view, moving to place himself in front of meI strained my neck to the side to
keep my view of Jared clear
“Things changed while you were gone, brother
Kyle halted, face slack with disbelief“Did the Seekers come, then, Ian?”
“She's not a danger to us
Kyle ground his teeth together, and from the corner of my eye, I saw him reach for something in
his pocket
This captured my attention at lastI cringed, expecting a weaponThe words stumbled off my
tongue in a choked whisper“Don't get in his way, Ian
Ian didn't respond to my pleaI was surprised at the amount of anxiety this caused me, at how
much I didn't want him hurtIt wasn't the instinctive protection, the bone-deepneed to protect,
that I felt for Jamie or even JaredI just knew that Ian should not be harmed trying to protect
me
Kyle's hand came back up, and a light shone out of itHe pointed it at Ian's face, held it there
for a momentIan didn't flinch from the light
“So, what, then?” Kyle demanded, putting the flashlight back in his pocket“You're not a
parasiteHow did it get to you?”
“Calm down, and we'll tell you all about