The sound comes from Jamie, who reassures Wanderer. He is holding a bedroll and tells her that he couldn’t sleep because Jeb snores. Furthermore, Jamie usually sleeps in Jared’s room, which he reveals this is. Jamie asks Wanderer if Melanie is still alive inside her head. Wanderer agonizes over the question because it could be used against her. Eventually, however, she confirms that Melanie is still within her. After she shares this, Wanderer realizes Doc is no longer snoring.

More quietly, Wanderer shares that she grew to love Jamie because of what Melanie shared with her. Jamie falls asleep, and Wanderer does too. When she wakes, Jeb is waiting. Jeb sends Jamie to his classes and takes Wanderer to a field that needs to be readied for planting. When she finishes working in the field, Wanderer realizes that they intend for her to continue helping the next day.

Wanderer takes a bath and scrubs her clothes, changing into a fresh pair. Jeb insists that Wanderer eat in the kitchen with everyone else, though her presence brings silence. In the days that follow, Jeb attempts to get the other humans used to Wanderer’s presence. He leaves Wanderer with other humans during chores, which terrifies Wanderer, but no one attacks her. Wanderer realizes what Jeb has done on day four, when she goes to the kitchen: “’[T]here was no sudden silence. No one paused to stare daggers at me. No one seemed to notice us at all” (239). When Jeb and Wanderer are alone, she asks him why he’s not protecting her. He tells her he’s been getting the others used to her.

Jeb continues the process by sending Wanderer on errands throughout the complex. When Jeb sends Wanderer with a message for Doc, Ian goes with her, and Wanderer asks him why he does not kill her. Ian explains that she doesn’t seem to want to do them any harm. He shares that he and Doc are trying to protect her because there are still humans in the compound who want to kill her.

Over a week passes, and Wanderer works as hard as she can to be as little a burden as possible. Wanderer has learned more about the inhabitants of the caves, including their names and their relationships with each other. There are 35 humans living in the hideaway. Jamie fills Wanderer in on more details. After Melanie was captured, Jared, Maggie, and Sharon (Maggie’s daughter) searched for Jeb and his hideout together. Sharon and Doc started a relationship after she arrived. Melanie is very quiet now, except when Wanderer speaks to Jamie. Jamie asks why, and Wanderer tells him it’s because it takes so much effort for her to speak.

Since things have “calmed down,” Jeb asks Wanderer if she would teach. Wanderer refuses because she thinks no one would want to learn from her. Jeb argues that they need to learn from her to understand their circumstances. 

During a meal, Doc approaches, though Sharon is clearly not pleased he’s speaking with Wanderer. Doc questions her about the other planets she’s been to and asks how the souls knew so much about humans. Wanderer admits that they take samples. She reveals that she is likely thousands of years old, though it is hard to say in Earth years. Doc asks about the souls’ natural life span, and Wanderer tells them that with a healthy host, souls can live forever. This revelation infuriates Sharon and unnerves the others, and Wanderer quickly leaves the kitchen.

Wanderer falls into a routine of answering people’s questions after dinner. Some of the humans treat her more respectfully as a result and are curious about other planets and the details of how the souls live on Earth and how their society functions. Wanderer finds that she functions as a storyteller, which helps relieve the others’ boredom. 

As Wanderer and Jamie are telling the listeners about a planet with what the souls call “Dolphins,” there is a commotion. Jared enters and demands to know what’s going on. Kyle is even more appalled and moves toward Wanderer, but Ian steps between them. Jared moves forward, and it is clear that he’s made up his mind. He asks Jeb for the gun, but Jeb tells him he doesn’t have it. Jared tells him to find the gun quickly, and Jeb tells him that Wanderer might actually belong to someone with a stronger “claim”: Jamie.

Jared agrees to go take a bath. Wanderer feels wracked with guilt over the position Jamie is in and how devastated he will be when she’s killed. Several of the people Wanderer has grown close to offer to protect her, but she needs time alone to think. She considers running away, but she does not know how to leave and has nothing waiting for her in the outside world. She goes down a dark crevice, away from the others.

Wanderer returns to the prison hole but falls as she’s trying to find the opening. The entire area is filled with cardboard boxes, and she quickly realizes that she’s surrounded by food. Wanderer lies down to think and discusses her options with Melanie. Their goal is to minimize Jamie’s pain. They decide that their death should happen quickly but not without resistance. However, Wanderer doubts she can fight because she is so against violence.

Jamie finds Wanderer and asks her to come back to the main settlement with him. He assures her she’ll be safe, but she realizes that Jamie is keeping a secret about Doc and Jeb from her. Then Jared arrives. Jamie tells him to go away, but Jared drags Jamie from Wanderer, who gets between them. In response, Jared shoves her against the wall. Jamie yells at Jared for hurting Wanderer and then hits Jared, telling Jared he isn’t the man Jamie thought he was. Then Jamie runs away. Jared goes after Jamie and leaves Wanderer behind. Wanderer takes stock of herself, finds herself relatively uninjured, and sleeps.

Wanderer wakes to find Jamie sleeping beside her. Jamie wakes as well and tells her that he spoke to Jared, who promised to leave Wanderer alone. Wanderer is conflicted but goes with Jamie to the kitchen, where there are eggs. A woman named Lucina refuses to serve any to Wanderer, so Jamie serves her himself. After she eats, Wanderer realizes that the room is somber. 

Ian, who is covered in dirt, leads Wanderer to the fields. He is appalled at the injury Jared inflicted on her face the night before. Jamie goes to class, and Ian and Wanderer sit in a field together. Ian asks Wanderer if Melanie is really still inside her, and Wanderer confirms that she is. Wanderer explains that resistors often refuse to leave the host. In fact, the souls no longer allow anyone to take an adult host because of these challenges.

The mood in the caverns is still grave at lunch. Ian suggests that he and Wanderer sleep where Wanderer hid the previous night. When they arrive, they see light coming from what should be an empty storeroom. Ian hurries forward to meet the unknown person, but the person—Jared—says he knows that Wanderer is with him.

Wanderer comes around the corner, and Jared reassures Ian that he does not intend to hurt “it”; he promised Jamie he would not. Ian tells Wanderer that she does not have to talk to Jared and resists when Jared tells Ian he wants to speak to “it” alone. However, Wanderer says that Ian can go rest, and Ian threatens Jared but leaves.

Jared tells Wanderer to sit down, which she does, though at a distance—to Melanie’s disappointment. Jared inches closer and asks Wanderer if Melanie is still inside her. Melanie wants to scream out the truth, but Wanderer fights her. She knows that Jared already believes she’s a liar and that nothing will convince him otherwise.

Melanie pulls her into a memory of Jared making her feel safe, but Wanderer is still uneasy. Jared asks Wanderer more questions, but she refuses to answer. Finally, he kisses her. Melanie takes control and punches him in the jaw. Wanderer is appalled and mortified, Jared is shocked, and Melanie is in agony, feeling betrayed by both Wanderer and Jared. Wanderer retreats into the prison hole.

Jared defends his actions, saying, “You know that was for you, Mel. You know that. Not for h—it. You know I wasn’t kissing it” (301). His words wound Wanderer. Melanie is furious but also relieved. Wanderer too feels betrayed: Melanie shared the memories of her love for Jared—making Wanderer love him as well—but is angry that Wanderer shares those feelings. Wanderer slowly drags herself out of the hole. Melanie admits she was wrong about the kiss and tries to forgive Wanderer. Wanderer is so exhausted that she sleeps.

When Wanderer wakes, she finds Jamie waiting in the garden for her. He takes her to the kitchen to get food, and people begin filing into the kitchen for her teaching. Life returns to normal, but the six people who were on the raid still treat Wanderer with hostility. 

One day, Wanderer learns that Walter—a human dying of what is most likely cancer—is in the hospital cavern. Walter is near death and has asked for Wanderer, so Ian and Jamie take her to see him. Kyle spots them and is noticeably furious to see his brother and Jamie acting so friendly with Wanderer.

When they see Walter, he is delirious. He mistakes Wanderer for someone called Gladys, whom he has been waiting for.