Ghost Town Page 0,82

How would I know any of what I said to you?"

She thought for a second that she'd gambled all the wrong way, because Amelie looked so angry, and so . . . confused. All she had to do was hit her, and Claire was going to come to a very messy, unpleasant end.

"A good question," Amelie finally said. "How do you know these things? Only Myrnin and I know of the machine. No one else. No one alive. Did he tell you?"

"I work for him," Claire said again. "I work for you. And there's something wrong with the machine. That's what's wrong with you. Don't you feel something's wrong?"

Amelie kept watching her for a moment more, then frowned down at Oliver, who was propped now against the wall, still making no effort to rise. She turned and walked back to a big, polished desk. Claire looked around and realized that she recognized this room; she'd been in it before, but by portal rather than the front door. There were a lot of old books in built-in shelves, and beautiful old furniture, and soft lights. Large windows that were, just now, uncovered to show Founder's Square at night.

The cage in the middle of the park was lit up like an exhibit. Claire wondered if the boy was still in there, or if somehow he'd managed to take advantage of the confusion and get out. She kind of hoped so. What if Kyle didn't remember why he was in that cage? How awful would that be?

Claire limped over to a chair and fell into it. Her head was spinning, and she felt like she wanted to throw up, but there was no way she was going to do that on Amelie's fancy carpeting. Oliver had already bled all over it.

Outside the room, there was sudden silence, and then the door banged open with a crash that sent the lock flying right out of the wood. Michael came inside, dragging the guard along with him. She'd been tied up with what Claire realized were strips torn from her coat, and he'd added a gag. Both of them looked ragged and worn-out.

Amelie stood up, mouth open, and cried, "Sam?" just a second before she realized she was wrong. Not Sam Glass. His grandson. They looked a lot alike, except for their hair color. Sam's had been more red. "Michael. But you . . . you can't be . . ." Her expression changed, slowly, and she breathed out, "No. Not possible. You can't be any get of mine. I would know this. I would remember." But Claire could tell that she could feel it was true--and that made Amelie even more confused.

A confused Amelie was very dangerous.

Michael dumped the guard in the corner and came to Claire. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay."

"There's blood on your shirt."

Oh. Yeah, her neck was bleeding a little. Not enough to worry about. "I'm fine." Except for the headache, which was bad, but that wasn't something she wanted to go into. Michael looked doubtful, but he turned from her to look at Oliver. "What happened to you?"

"Complacency," Oliver murmured. "I thought she was under my control, and then . . . she changed."

"She lost her memory," Claire said. "She forgot you'd taken over. So she attacked you."

Oliver lifted a weak hand in agreement, and they all looked at Amelie, who was white as a marble statue now. "How can this be? You were . . . I remember you, Michael. You should be younger . . . thinner--"

"And not a vampire," Michael said. "But I am one. And you made me one."

"Yes," Amelie whispered. "I can feel that. But how . . . how can this be true when I don't--"

"It's the machine in Myrnin's lab," Michael said. "We need your help to stop it before it's too late. Myrnin doesn't remember things, either. He won't let us get close without a fight. You're the only one he'll listen to."

"I must think," Amelie said, and sat down as if she'd lost all strength. "Leave me." She didn't seem to care about them anymore, any of them. There was a deep, miserable confusion in her eyes, and Claire remembered how the vampire in the diner had snapped. Surely that wouldn't happen to Amelie.

Not to Amelie.

Claire turned to Oliver. "Help us," she pleaded. "We need your help. You still remember."

"For how long?" Oliver asked. He, too, sounded weak and odd. "I saw it overtake her. It will do the same to