Unravel Me: The Juliette Chronicles Book 2 by Tahereh Mafi Read Free Book Online

stumble backward; make an effort to pull myself together. I feel a little embarrassed now that I’ve let go of him. Some part of me feels like I must’ve overreacted. “I’m sorry about that,” I tell him. “But thank you. I appreciate your help.” I try to lift my chin with some dignity.
    Kenji snorts. He’s looking at me like he has no idea who I am, like he’s not sure if he should laugh or applaud or run like hell in the opposite direction. He rubs the back of his neck, eyes intent on my face. He won’t stop staring.
    “What?” I ask.
    “How much do you weigh?”
    “Wow. Is that how you talk to every girl you meet? That explains so much.”
    “I’m about one hundred seventy-five pounds,” he says. “Of muscle.”
    I stare at him. “Would you like an award?”
    “Well, well, well,” he says, cocking his head, the barest hint of a smile flickering across his face. “Look who’s the smart-ass now.”
    “I think you’re rubbing off on me,” I say.
    But he’s not smiling anymore.
    “Listen,” he says. “I’m not trying to flatter myself by pointing this out, but I could toss you across the room with my pinkie finger. You weigh, like, less than nothing. I’m almost twice your body mass.” He pauses. “So how the hell did you pin me against the wall?”
    “What?” I frown. “What are you talking about?”
    “I’m talking about you ”—he points at me—“pinning me ”— he points at himself—“against the wall.” He points at the wall.
    “You mean you actually couldn’t move?” I blink. “I thought you were just afraid of touching me.”
    “No,” he says. “I legit could not move. I could hardly breathe.”
    “You’re kidding.”
    “Have you ever done that before?”
    “No.” I’m shaking my head. “I mean I don’t think I . . .” I gasp, as the memory of Warner and his torture chamber rushes to the forefront of my mind; I have to close my eyes against the influx of images. The barest recollection of that event is enough to make me feel unbearably nauseous; I can already feel my skin break into a cold sweat. Warner was testing me, trying to put me in a position where I’d be forced to use my power on a toddler. I was so horrified, so enraged that I crashed through the concrete barrier to get to Warner, who was waiting on the other side. I’d pinned him against the wall, too. Only I didn’t realize he was cowed by my strength. I thought he was afraid to move because I’d gotten too close to touching him.
    I guess I was wrong.
    “Yeah,” Kenji says, nodding at something he must see on my face. “Well. That’s what I thought. We’ll have to remember this juicy tidbit when we get around to our real training sessions.” He throws me a loaded look. “Whenever that actually happens.”
    I’m nodding, not really paying attention. “Sure. Fine. But first, take me to the research rooms.”
    Kenji sighs. Waves his hand with a bow and a flourish. “After you, princess.”

SEVEN
    We’re trailing down a series of corridors I’ve never seen before.
    We’re passing all of the regular halls and wings, past the training room I normally occupy, and for the first time since I’ve been here, I’m really paying attention to my surroundings. All of a sudden my senses feel sharper, clearer; my entire being feels like it’s humming with a renewed kind of energy.
    I am electric.
    This entire hideout has been dug out of the ground—it’s nothing but cavernous tunnels and interconnected passageways, all powered by supplies and electricity stolen from secret storage units belonging to The Reestablishment. This space is invaluable. Castle told us once that it took him at least a decade to design it, and a decade more to get the work done. By then he’d also managed to recruit all of the other members of this underground world. I can understand why he’s so relentless about security down here, why he’s not willing to let anything happen to it. I don’t think I would