Untouched The Girl in the Box - By Robert J. Crane Page 0,66

recovered.” He hesitated. “Though there is a...cost to her power.”

“There’s a cost to any power, it seems.” I breezed it out, way more than I really felt. “After all, if I used my power constantly, I’d end up with the mental equivalent of a clown car.”

Ariadne didn’t seem to find that amusing. “Her power, when used to excess, triggers almost the opposite.”

“Personalities leave her?” I shrugged. “Explains a lot.”

Old Man Winter spoke. “She loses her memory. If a Persephone-type reaches the end of their strength and continues to heal or grow a life, it is at the cost of their own faculties. They become a blank slate, new, fresh. Young again, as well, but at the cost of all they remember.”

“Tabula rasa,” I said with a breath.

“Indeed.” Ariadne took her usual place by the window. “If Gavrikov is after her, it would be best if we hid her for a while.”

Old Man Winter gave her a subtle nod. “You know where.”

“The basement? You’re gonna send her to the basement, right? Where you stuck me when I was hiding from Wolfe?” I shook my head. “Bet the flower girl will love that. Couldn’t you send her to another campus?”

Old Man Winter’s reaction was subtle, but not so subtle I missed it. “It would be best to have her close at hand.”

“Why?” I was curious. “Because you can protect her better here?”

His answer was lacking in any kind of subtlety, and it rattled me. “Because it is not wise to deprive a man who can explode with the force of a nuclear bomb of the only thing he desires—the thing he would be willing to do anything to get.”

I felt a pressure deep in my throat, this time less raw emotion and more...unsettling. “Yeah...that doesn’t sound too wise.”

Chapter 22

I found myself in the cafeteria. The glass had been repaired from when Clary and I had our epic battle, but the kitchen looked as though it were closed. The options for meals appeared to have been carted in by caterers; the serving buffet (which we had destroyed) was gone, replaced by long tables, heating elements and silver devices designed to keep the food warm. Most of the cafeteria ladies were gone, but the few that were left gave me glares as I passed. Nothing new there.

Until I got to the end. I picked up a croissant and put it on my plate, ready to face the inevitable crowd to see if there was a place for me to sit by myself. “Excuse me?” The light voice jarred me and I looked up to see one of the cafeteria workers. She was young, a little older than me, but round of face and with big brown eyes. She smiled at me and I looked back at her. “Thank you. For warning us to get out of the kitchen before it happened.”

I stared at her. “What?”

“When you and the big man fought into the kitchen?” She indicated with her eyes to the corner where M-Squad sat, Clary laughing his way through three plates piled high in front of him. “You warned us to get out right before it exploded.” Her eyes were sincere and her smile was sad. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

“I wouldn’t have let you get caught in the middle of what was going to happen.” I managed to croak the words out. In truth, I didn’t even remember saying anything to them. If I had, it was an offhand comment, no more worthy of recognition than anything else you do without thinking about it.

Yet somewhere, deep inside, I felt Wolfe, almost buried, stir in revulsion. Zollers had given me a second dose of the drug after our session in his office, and the drowsy effects were considerably less (though I was still tired). I could feel him though, in there somewhere, upset at what I had done.

Naturally, it caused me to smile back at the girl. “You’re welcome.”

I walked across the cafeteria to where a guy sat at a table for two, all by his lonesome. He looked, honestly, like someone had stolen all his happy. I stopped in front of him. “Is this seat taken?”

“What do you want?” Scott Byerly’s voice was worn resignation, all shot through with deadness.

“I want...” I took a deep breath. “I want to apologize.” I swallowed my pride and went on as he looked up in surprise. “There may have been some other influences pushing me toward what I did to you, but it