Page 42 of Stealing Infinity (Stolen Beauty)

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I sit silently before Arthur, wishing I’d never asked. This is a man who’s accomplished more in one lifetime than pretty much anyone else on the planet. So, what could he possibly be aiming for next? And what could a high school loser like me actually offer—what part does he think I can play?

“And, uh…what exactly is that?” I say, unable to hide my unease. “What is your greatest ambition, if you don’t mind my asking?”

In an instant, Arthur’s hard and angular features soften as he focuses on some distant horizon visible only to him. “Soon,” he says, leaning back in his seat. “Soon, you’ll discover what Gray Wolf is really about. But not yet.”

When he returns to me, he wears an expression gilded by so much unwavering faith in my abilities, I’m suddenly willing to do whatever it takes to meet the ridiculously high expectations he’s set for me.

And yet, I’m also dreading the day I’ll eventually prove myself to be nothing more than dreadfully ordinary.

Because if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that that day will come.

If I were to make a graph of my life lived so far, it would consist of a gradual (though seriously unimpressive) incline, followed by a sudden and dramatic decline, that ultimately levels off to a long, consistent flatline of the sort that only a miracle can revive.

Is Gray Wolf that miracle?

Arthur clearly thinks so.

As for me, I’ve never been one for harboring hope.

“For now,” Arthur says, “why not just allow yourself to settle in and enjoy the process as it unfolds?”

I know the question was hypothetical, but in my head, the answer comes swiftly—because what if I don’t like what I discover?

I look to Arthur, about to respond, when the lights start to blink on and off, and the ground begins to shake.

I freeze.Please no, not another Unraveling. Never has this happened twice in one day. Before I saw the person vanish in the maze, it’d been years since the last time reality cracked and I was forced to witness the real reason my dad left.

It was after school, and just after letting myself into the house, I headed for the pantry in search of a snack. When the fluorescent lights started to flicker, I didn’t pay it any notice. It was only when the ground began to tremble and I heard two raised voices that I turned to find my parents standing next to the sink.

I called out to them, but they acted like I didn’t exist. And though I was used to the sight of them arguing, I was struck by how much younger they looked—their bright, unlined faces still new at the fight.

I zeroed in on my mom’s shaking hand and the pregnancy test pinched between her fingers. Her chin quivered, her shoulders shook, as my dad stood before her, face creased in anguish.

It took me a minute to realize I was the baby who’d made those lines appear on that stick. And my dad’s look of torment was all the proof I needed to know I’d been unwanted from the very first moment he’d learned of my existence.

“Natasha.” The sound of Arthur’s voice yanks me out of the reverie. “Are you okay?”

I snap my eyes open to find my fingers gripping the edge of the table, while the room that surrounds me is unchanged.

“Gray Wolf is home to the world’s most advanced technology.” Arthur narrows his gaze in study. “It generates massive amounts of energy, which sometimes results in the sort of effects you just experienced. Eventually, you’ll grow so used to it, you won’t even notice.”

I nod in embarrassment and mumble some excuse about not having slept well, but one look at his pointed gaze tells me he sees right through the lie.

Tossing his napkin onto his plate, he pushes away from the table. “Come,” he says.

“Where to?”

Arthur regards me with a shaded look I can’t read. “Looks like you’re ready to jump ahead in your studies.”