"It— I don't know. I don't think so." It should have left on its own, but it hadn't. I had no way of knowing why. Maybe if I'd been here, I could have convinced it to leave Poison. I could have told it I would bring it to the Yeerk Pool. I hugged myself tighter.

"I'm sorry, Poison," I said. My voice was stronger this time. "I should have said something, or done something, but— there's a lot you don't understand."