The Host (The Host #1)(101)

“Jared?” I heard him say, feigning surprise.

My heart felt heavy in my chest; the sensation was more pain than fear.

“I know it’s with you,” Jared answered. He raised his voice, so that anyone between here and the main plaza would hear. “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he called, his voice hard and mocking.

CHAPTER 29

Betrayed

Maybe I should have run the other way. But no one was holding me back now, and though his voice was cold and angry, Jared was calling to me. Melanie was even more eager than I was as I stepped carefully around the corner and into the blue light; I hesitated there.

Ian stood just a few feet ahead of me, poised on the balls of his feet, ready for whatever hostile movement Jared might make toward me.

Jared sat on the ground, on one of the mats Jamie and I had left here. He looked as weary as Ian, though his eyes, too, were more alert than the rest of his exhausted posture.

“At ease,” Jared said to Ian. “I just want to talk to it. I promised the kid, and I’ll stand by that promise.”

“Where’s Kyle?” Ian demanded.

“Snoring. Your cave might shake apart from the vibrations.”

Ian didn’t move.

“I’m not lying, Ian. And I’m not going to kill it. Jeb is right. No matter how messed up this stupid situation is, Jamie has as much say as I do, and he’s been totally suckered, so I doubt he’ll be giving me the go-ahead anytime soon.”

“No one’s been suckered,” Ian growled.

Jared waved his hand, dismissing the disagreement over terminology. “It’s not in any danger from me, is my point.” For the first time he looked at me, evaluating the way I hugged the far wall, watching my hands tremble. “I won’t hurt you again,” he said to me.

I took a small step forward.

“You don’t have to talk to him if you don’t want to, Wanda,” Ian said quickly. “This isn’t a duty or a chore to be done. It’s not mandatory. You have a choice.”

Jared’s eyebrows pulled low over his eyes—Ian’s words confused him.

“No,” I whispered. “I’ll talk to him.” I took another short step. Jared turned his hand palm up and curled his fingers twice, encouraging me forward.

I walked slowly, each step an individual movement followed by a pause, not part of a steady advance. I stopped a yard away from him. Ian shadowed each step, keeping close to my side.

“I’d like to talk to it alone, if you don’t mind,” Jared said to him.

Ian planted himself. “I do mind.”

“No, Ian, it’s okay. Go get some sleep. I’ll be fine.” I nudged his arm lightly.

Ian scrutinized my face, his expression dubious. “This isn’t some death wish? Sparing the kid?” he demanded.

“No. Jared wouldn’t lie to Jamie about this.”

Jared scowled when I said his name, the sound of it full of confidence.

“Please, Ian,” I pleaded. “I want to talk to him.”

Ian looked at me for a long minute, then turned to scowl at Jared. He barked out each sentence like an order.

“Her name is Wanda, not it. You will not touch her. Any mark you leave on her, I will double on your worthless hide.”

I winced at the threat.

Ian turned abruptly and stalked into the darkness.

It was silent for a moment as we both watched the empty space where he had disappeared. I looked at Jared’s face first, while he still stared after Ian. When he turned to meet my gaze, I dropped my eyes.

“Wow. He’s not kidding, is he?” Jared said.

I treated that as a rhetorical question.

“Why don’t you have a seat?” he asked me, patting the mat be-side him.

I deliberated for a moment, then went to sit against the same wall but close to the hole, putting the length of the mat between us. Melanie didn’t like this; she wanted to be near him, for me to smell his scent and feel the warmth of his body beside me.

I did not want that—and it wasn’t because I was afraid he would hurt me; he didn’t look angry at the moment, only tired and wary. I just didn’t want to be any closer to him. Something in my chest was hurting to have him so near—to have him hating me in such close proximity.

He watched me, his head tilted to the side; I could only meet his gaze fleetingly before I had to look away.

“I’m sorry about last night—about your face. I shouldn’t have done that.”

I stared at my hands, knotted together in a double fist on my lap.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me.”

I nodded, not looking at him.

He grunted. “Thought you said you would talk to me?”

I shrugged. I couldn’t find my voice with the weight of his antagonism in the air between us.

I heard him move. He scooted down the mat until he sat right beside me—the way Melanie had hoped for. Too close—it was hard to think straight, hard to breathe right—but I couldn’t bring myself to scoot away. Oddly, for this was what she’d wanted in the first place, Melanie was suddenly irritated.

What? I asked, startled by the intensity of her emotion.

I don’t like him next to you. It doesn’t feel right. I don’t like the way you want him there. For the first time since we’d abandoned civilization together, I felt waves of hostility emanating from her. I was shocked. That was hardly fair.