“I’ll tell her no such thing. Why should I?”

“It’s this damn facilitator thing. I thought you were safe. I was unconscious, so I thought the emotion wouldn’t trigger anything.”

“You’re not making yourself clear, Megan.”

“I’ll try to slow down.” She took a deep breath. “Remember I told you that I had this other gift. Gift? No, that’s not the word. So far it’s been mostly a curse. Anyway, when I’m experiencing extreme emotion, it’s dangerous for me to touch anyone.”

“Yes, I noticed you treated everyone as if they had the plague.”

“It’s because I facilitate. Whatever latent psychic gift the person I touch possesses becomes active. Mind reading, healing, finding… whatever. But that sudden freeing of the psychic talent can be too much for some minds.”

“Madness. Yes, you told me all that. But you also said I didn’t have to worry because you were in a coma when I touched you in the swamp.”

“But it just occurred to me that I was still aware of those dead children that were buried on that island even then. That means that the coma wasn’t deep enough. At least, I don’t think it was. I just don’t know.”

“Shh. You’re upset for nothing, Megan.”

“Don’t tell me that.” Megan was silent a moment. “Look, I know you probably didn’t believe me when I told you about this weird facilitator stuff. You accept that I can hear echoes of what happened to those murdered children in the place where they were killed because you were there, you saw me going through it. But the other is too bizarre for you. Well, it’s bizarre to me too. But I’m not going to let anyone be hurt by it if I can help it. I touched you. I held your hands. That’s all it takes sometimes. Lord, I don’t want to hurt you, Eve.”

Jane was coming toward her, pulling her duffel bag, her brows lifted inquiringly.

“I’m not hurt,” Eve said. “Nothing is going to happen to me, Megan.”

“I hope not. But if anything strange does happen, don’t be afraid. We’ll work through it together.”