Jared had a different reaction. He lunged toward me, closing the length of the hallway in a few running strides. I cowered into the wall and covered my face with my arms. Peeking around my elbow, I watched him jerk the gun up from the floor.

“Are you trying to get us killed?” he almost screamed at Jeb, shoving the gun into the old man’s chest.

“Calm down, Jared,” Jeb said in a tired voice. He took the gun in one hand. “She wouldn’t touch this thing if I left it down here alone with her all night. Can’t you see that?” He stabbed the barrel of the gun toward me, and I cringed away. “She’s no Seeker, this one.”

“Shut up, Jeb, just shut up!”

“Leave him alone,” Jamie shouted. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You!” Jared shouted back, turning on the slim, angry figure. “You get out of here now, or so help me!”

Jamie balled his fists and stood his ground.

Jared’s fists came up, too.

I was rooted in place with shock. How could they scream at each other this way? They were family, the bonds between them stronger than any blood tie. Jared wouldn’t hit Jamie—he couldn’t! I wanted to do something, but I didn’t know what to do. Anything that brought me to their attention would only make them angrier.

For once, Melanie was calmer than I was. He can’t hurt Jamie, she thought confidently. It’s not possible.

I looked at them, facing off like enemies, and panicked.

We should never have come here. See how unhappy we’ve made them, I moaned.

“You shouldn’t have tried to keep this a secret from me,” Jamie said between his teeth. “And you shouldn’t have hurt her.” One of his hands unclenched and flew out to point at my face.

Jared spit on the floor. “That’s not Melanie. She’s never coming back, Jamie.”

“That’s her face,” Jamie insisted. “And her neck. Don’t the bruises there bother you?”

Jared dropped his hands. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “You will either leave right now, Jamie, and give me some space, or I will make you leave. I am not bluffing. I can’t deal with any more right now, okay? I’m at my limit. So can we please have this conversation later?” He opened his eyes again; they were full of pain.

Jamie looked at him, and the anger drained slowly from his face. “Sorry,” he muttered after a moment. “I’ll go… but I’m not promising that I won’t come back.”

“I can’t think about that now. Go. Please.”

Jamie shrugged. He threw one more searching look at me, and then he left, his quick, long stride making me ache again for the time I’d missed.

Jared looked at Jeb. “You, too,” he said in a flat voice.