Ian’s eyes were frozen wide.

Jared’s voice changed, became low, almost tender. So much more dangerous than the shouting. “Why didn’t you want to tell her?”

My jaw locked hard. It was not the secret, but still, it was a secret he would have to beat out of me. In this moment, my determination to hold my tongue had less to do with self-preservation than it did with a stupid, grudging kind of pride. I would not tell this man who despised me that I loved him.

He watched the defiance flash in my eyes, and he seemed to understand what it would take to get this answer. He decided to skip it—or maybe to come back to it later, save it for last, in case I wouldn’t be able to answer any more questions when he was done with me.

“Why weren’t you able to access everything? Is that… normal?”

This question was very dangerous, too. For the first time so far, I told an outright lie.

“She fell a long way. The body was damaged.”

Lying did not come easily to me; this lie fell flat. Jared and Ian both reacted to the false note. Jared’s head cocked to the side; one of Ian’s ink black eyebrows rose.

“Why isn’t this Seeker giving up like the rest?” Ian asked.

I was abruptly exhausted. I knew they could keep this up all night, would keep this up all night if I continued to answer, and eventually I would make a mistake. I slumped against the wall and closed my eyes.

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “She’s not like other souls. She’s… annoying.”

Ian laughed once—a startled sound.

“And you—are you like other… souls?” Jared asked.

I opened my eyes and stared at him wearily for a long moment. What a stupid question, I thought. Then I shut my eyes tight, buried my face against my knees, and wrapped my arms around my head.

Either Jared understood that I was done speaking or his body was complaining too loudly to be ignored. He grunted a few times as he squeezed himself out of the opening of my cave, taking the lamp with him, and then groaned quietly as he stretched.

“That was unexpected,” Ian whispered.

“Lies, of course,” Jared whispered back. I could just barely make out their words. They probably didn’t realize how the sound echoed back to me in here. “Only… I can’t quite figure out what it wants us to believe—where it’s trying to lead us.”

“I don’t think it’s lying. Well, except the one time. Did you notice?”

“Part of the act.”

“Jared, when have you ever met a parasite who could lie about anything? Except a Seeker, of course.”

“Which it must be.”

“Are you serious?”

“It’s the best explanation.”