“Let’s vote,” Sharon said before her mother could answer him. “Raise your hand if you think Kyle should be allowed to stay here, with no penalty for the… misunderstanding.” She shot a glance not at me, but at Ian beside me when she used the word I’d used.

Hands began to rise. I watched Jared’s face as his features settled into a scowl.

I struggled to raise my hand, but Ian tightened his hold around my arms and made an irritated noise through his nose. I held my palm as high as I could get it. In the end, though, my vote wasn’t necessary.

Jeb counted out loud. “Ten… fifteen… twenty… twenty-three. Okay, that’s a clear majority.”

I didn’t look around to see who had voted how. It was enough that in my little corner all arms were crossed tightly over chests and all eyes stared at Jeb with expectant expressions.

Jamie walked away from Jeb to come squeeze in between Trudy and me. He put his arm around me, under Ian’s.

“Maybe your souls were right about us,” he said, loud enough for most to hear his high, hard voice. “The majority are no better than -”

“Hush!” I hissed at him.

“Okay,” Jeb said. Everyone went silent. Jeb looked down at Kyle, then at me, and then at Jared. “Okay, I’m inclined to go with the majority on this.”

“Jeb -” Jared and Ian said simultaneously.

“My house, my rules,” Jeb reminded them. “Never forget that. So you listen to me, Kyle. And you’d better listen, too, I think, Magnolia. Anyone who tries to hurt Wanda again will not get a tribunal, they will get a burial.” He slapped the butt of his gun for emphasis.

I flinched.

Magnolia glared hatefully at her brother.

Kyle nodded, as if accepting the terms.

Jeb looked around the unevenly spaced audience, locking eyes with each member except the little group beside me.

“Tribunal’s over,” Jeb announced. “Who’s up for a game?”

CHAPTER 36.Believed

The congregation relaxed, and a more enthusiastic murmur ran around the half circle.

I looked at Jamie. He pursed his lips and shrugged. “Jeb’s just trying to get things back to normal. It’s been a bad couple of days. Burying Walter…”

I winced.

I saw that Jeb was grinning at Jared. After a moment of resistance, Jared sighed and rolled his eyes at the strange old man. He turned and strode quickly from the cave.

“Jared got a new ball?” someone asked.

“Cool,” Wes said beside me.

“Playing games,” Trudy muttered, and shook her head.

“If it eases the tension,” Lily responded quietly, shrugging.

Their voices were low, close beside me, but I could also hear other, louder voices.

“Easy on the ball this time,” Aaron said to Kyle. He stood over him, offering his hand.

Kyle took the offered hand and got slowly to his feet. When he was standing, his head almost hit the hanging lanterns.

“The last ball was weak,” Kyle said, grinning at the older man. “Structurally deficient.”

“I nominate Andy for captain,” someone shouted.

“I nominate Lily,” Wes called out, getting to his feet and stretching.

“Andy and Lily.”

“Yeah, Andy and Lily.”

“I want Kyle,” Andy said quickly.

“Then I get Ian,” Lily countered.

“Jared.”

“Brandt.”

Jamie got to his feet and stood on his toes, trying to look tall.

“Paige.”

“Heidi.”

“Aaron.”

“Wes.”

The roll call continued. Jamie glowed when Lily chose him before half the adults were taken. Even Maggie and Jeb were picked for teams. The numbers were even until Lucina came back with Jared, her two small boys bouncing in excitement. Jared had a shiny new soccer ball in his hand; he held it out, and Isaiah, the older child, jumped up and down trying to knock it from his hand.

“Wanda?” Lily asked.

I shook my head and pointed to my leg.

“Right. Sorry.”

I’m good at soccer, Mel grumbled. Well, I used to be.

I can hardly walk, I reminded her.

“I think I’ll sit this one out,” Ian said.

“No,” Wes complained. “They’ve got Kyle and Jared. We’re dead without you.”

“Play,” I told him. “I’ll… I’ll keep score.”

He looked at me, his lips pressed into a thin, rigid line. “I’m not really in the mood for playing a game.”

“They need you.”

He snorted.

“C’mon, Ian,” Jamie urged.

“I want to watch,” I said. “But it will be… boring if one team has too much advantage.”

“Wanda.” Ian sighed. “You really are the worst liar I’ve ever met.”

But he got up and started stretching with Wes.

Paige set up goalposts, four lanterns.

I tried to get to my feet-I was right in the middle of the field. Nobody noticed me in the dim light. All around, the atmosphere was upbeat now, charged with anticipation. Jeb had been right. This was something they needed, odd as it seemed to me.

I was able to get onto all fours, and then I pulled my good leg forward so I was kneeling on the bad. It hurt. I tried to hop up onto my good leg from there. My balance was all off, thanks to the awkward weight of my sore leg.

Strong hands caught me before I could fall on my face. I looked up, a little rueful, to thank Ian.

The words caught in my throat when I saw that it was Jared whose arms held me up.

“You could have just asked for help,” he said conversationally.

“I -” I cleared my throat. “I should have. I didn’t want to…”

“Call attention to yourself?” He said the words as if he were truly curious. There was no accusation in them. He helped me hobble toward the cave entrance.

I shook my head once. “I didn’t want to… make anyone do anything, out of courtesy, that they didn’t want to do.” That didn’t explain it exactly right, but he seemed to understand my meaning.

“I don’t think Jamie or Ian would begrudge you a helping hand.”

I glanced back at them over my shoulder. In the low light, neither had noticed I was gone yet. They were bouncing the ball off their heads, and laughing when Wes caught it in the face.

“But they’re having fun. I wouldn’t want to interrupt that.”

Jared examined my face. I realized I was smiling in affection.

“You care about the kid quite a bit,” he said.

“Yes.”

He nodded. “And the man?”

“Ian is… Ian believes me. He watches over me. He can be so very kind… for a human.” Almost like a soul, I’d wanted to say. But that wouldn’t have sounded like the compliment it was to this audience.

Jared snorted. “For a human. A more important distinction than I’d realized.”

He lowered me to the lip of the entrance. It made a shallow bench that was more comfortable than the flat floor.

“Thank you,” I told him. “Jeb did the right thing, you know.”

“I don’t agree with that.” Jared’s tone was milder than his words.

“Thank you also-for before. You didn’t have to defend me.”

“Every word was the truth.”

I looked at the floor. “It’s true that I would never do anything to hurt anyone here. Not on purpose. I’m sorry that I hurt you when I came here. And Jamie. So sorry.”

He sat down right beside me, his face thoughtful. “Honestly…” He hesitated. “The kid is better since you came. I’d sort of forgotten what his laugh sounded like.”

We both listened to it now, echoing above the lower pitch of adult laughter.

“Thank you for telling me that. It’s been my… biggest worry. I hoped I hadn’t damaged anything permanently.”

“Why?”

I looked up at him, confused.

“Why do you love him?” he asked, his voice still curious but not intense.

I bit my lip.

“You can tell me. I’m… I’ve…” He couldn’t find the words to explain. “You can tell me,” he repeated.

I looked at my feet as I answered. “In part because Melanie does.” I didn’t peek to see if the name made him flinch. “Remembering him the way she does… that’s a powerful thing. And then, when I met him in person…” I shrugged. “I can’t not love him. It’s part of my… the very makeup of these cells to love him. I hadn’t realized before how much influence a host had on me. Maybe it’s just human bodies. Maybe it’s just Melanie.”