Page 65 of Gifted

He clears his throat and casts a quick look to Anna before focusing back on me. “Very few people know what I’m about to tell you. We need to keep it that way for our school to function. If people knew the truth about our first and most gifted student, we’d be shut down and he’d be taken away.”

“You’re talking about my suitemate, Daniel?”

The man nods and folds his hands on his lap. “Daniel is special. Beyond gifted. Not only can he see everything inside you, he can control your thoughts. We’ve spent years conditioning him to prefer isolation and submit to our control. We apologize for not intervening sooner in your situation. We didn’t realize his interest in you had escalated to the level it had.”

My heart races as I stare at them in horror.

“Daniel swept you into his world and convinced you of an enormous spectrum of lies. Even worse, he made you fall for him romantically.”

“What?” The vision flashes back with agonizing clarity.

“You were convinced you were in love with him. You were ready to sacrifice yourself to save him.”

“Save him from what?”

“From the elaborate conspiracies he concocted in his disturbed mind. Basically, from us, the very people trying to help him. It’s understandable that a mind as complex as his would also be plagued by severe dysfunction.”

I clench my eyes shut. “But the visions. I’ve seen other things. I’ve seen him with you. In a room.”

“And what is it that you saw? Do you truly know?”

I meet his compassionate gaze and draw in a breath. No. I don’t know anything. “He was strapped to a table and appeared to be in pain.”

Clausen doesn’t seem as concerned as he should. His sad nod is just as strange. “Yes, an unfortunate reality when you’re dealing with such dangerous abilities. But it’s only for everyone’s safety, including his, that we have to resort to such measures at times. We have ways of helping him and some are more unpleasant than others.”

“So these memories I’ve lost, the missing pieces?”

“We forced Daniel to release the hold he had on you. We thought the easiest way would be to have him remove all memory of himself from your head. That’s worked in the past with other individuals.”

“This has happened before?”

“Several times.”

“So why did he choose me?”

“We don’t know. For the most part he stays to himself, but every so often someone piques his interest. We try to prevent it as much as possible. Perhaps something about your ability appealed to him. You know things about other people, too. Maybe he thought getting inside your head would be a shortcut and give him access to information he couldn’t get on his own.”

I cover my face with my hands, struggling with his story. I can’t remember my history with Daniel, so they could be right. But what about the electric twinge that soaked every moment we were together in the classroom? What about the vision? I don’t remember loving him, but my fierce reaction to the image of our kiss has to mean something. It’s all so horrifying that I know my tenure at Madison Academy has ended. It’s time to go home.

“You failed me. How could you let this happen? Why isn’t he locked up somewhere?”

“He’s locked up a lot of the time, but it would be cruel to imprison him permanently.”

Cruel? Anger fires through me, and I cast an icy glare. “You don’t think what happened—what’s happening—to me is cruel? If he’s the monster you say, he shouldn’t be near the other students, period. How much have I lost? What if he’s stolen other memories as well?”

My stomach drops when his face falls.

“Actually, my dear, we’re afraid he did.”

“What? How do you know?”

“Do you remember your father, Rebecca?”

My desperate brain searches for any remnant of the man who raised me. Nothing. Panic floods through me. “What are you saying?” My hands shake; my heart pounds. “He stole that too?”

Clausen nods. “Your father is a very important senator. His name is Claude Albertson. Daniel probably wanted information on him, which is why he targeted you. I’m sorry for misleading you, but we hoped to preserve you from that part.”

“Senator Albertson?” The name sounds distantly familiar. “No.” I shake my head. “No! This is wrong. I want them back. I want it all back!”

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