Lilah was surprised to see tears collecting in his eyes.
“It’s finally hit you,” Lilah’s voice was a whisper. “We’re free.”
The sight of his tears mixed with the music and the drinks brought tears to Lilah’s own eyes. She wanted this music, this moment, to last forever.
Underneath his cold exterior, Lilah decided Adam was sweet. He just needed a little help to bring his walls down. Maybe it was the excitement of the moment or the wine, but she found herself moving closer, wiping the tears from his cheeks, and planting a kiss on his lips.
Chapter Sixteen
Adam
Adam had been in a haze of liquor and conflicting emotions since the beginning of the party, but the moment Lilah planted her lips on his, the haziness in his mind snapped back to clarity.
He pulled back, his stomach in knots, and looked at Lilah, wide-eyed with horror. What was she thinking? Had he given her the wrong signals?
Adam couldn't deny that her kiss was soft and her embrace was warm, but this couldn't happen. No matter how nice Lilah or the mutants of Eden seemed on the surface, he knew deep down that they were rotten.
Adam was on a mission, and he fully intended to complete it. He was already struggling to nip the misplaced empathy he felt toward the mutants in the bud; he couldn't allow himself to feel anything romantic toward one of them.
“I’m sorry... I got carried away,” Lilah said, taking a step back. She looked at the ground and blushed.
“Yeah,” Adam snapped. “You did.”
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Lilah forced a smile.
“Forget it happened,” she said, turning her back to him and walking away. Adam watched her get another drink.
Things were getting out of hand. Adam knew he needed to contact the Watch now; he couldn't put it off any longer.
It was time to follow through on his plan to take Eden down.
Chapter Seventeen
Lilah
There was nothing quite like the sting of rejection to sober Lilah up quick.
She sat under a tree and watched the others dance as Angela and Jesse played upbeat tunes on the piano. She was ready for the party to end, for everyone to go to bed.
Lilah noticed Angela giving her curious glances then saw her mouth something to Jesse. Angela stood up and left Jesse to play music alone. She joined Lilah under the tree.
“You look tired,” Angela said.
“A two-week journey through the forest does that to you.”
“It’s deeper than that, I think.” Angela pressed, repositioning one of the flowers in her hair.
Lilah huffed. “What do you mean?”
“Soul-tired,” Angela said. “Trust me. I’ve been there.”
Lilah couldn’t imagine what Angela had to be ‘soul-tired’ about. She was beautiful and, judging from how she played music, obviously talented. She’d probably never been rejected from anything in her life. She looked like she belonged in a fairy tale, not in a post-apocalyptic world. It was hard for Lilah to imagine Angela existing anywhere outside of this perfect garden.
“I highly doubt you’d understand,” Lilah sighed. How could she put it into words, this unsettling feeling that lurked in the bottom of her gut? It wasn’t completely due to Adam’s rejection. The rejection was simply the catalyst that anchored her back to reality.
Eden was too perfect, Lilah saw now. And like the original Eden, it couldn’t last long.
“Try me,” Angela insisted.
Before Lilah could answer, she noticed Angela’s father, Nathan, approaching. He joined them under the shade of the tree, plopping down beside his daughter on the ground.
“How are you adjusting to Eden?” he asked.
Lilah frowned. Was her disenchantment that obvious? Why hadn’t she been able to crush the spark inside of her before it blossomed into hope? If she steered clear of hope, she’d never be disappointed. Despite her efforts, there was still a speck of hope in her that would not die. It was the source of all the disappointment she’d faced throughout her life.
“Eden is a dream,” Lilah admitted. “I’m wondering when I’ll need to wake up.”
“It’s hard to accept that a place like this could exist when you're accustomed to what’s out there,” Nathan said. “But in time, I hope you’ll come into your strength. You’ll see your mutation as a gift, your powers as magic.”
This caused Lilah to laugh out loud. “Magic? More like a curse.” She shook her head. “You don’t understand. Everyone has always been against me. If everyone is against you, you’ll start to question things about yourself. You’ll assume their words must be true. If I had any type of magic, I’d still have my family. I wouldn’t need to hide out here.”
Then Nathan’s voice took a more commanding tone.
“I want you to listen to my words, and listen closely,” he said. “You may not believe it now, but it's something you need to know.”
He paused, waiting for Lilah to acknowledge him.
“I’m listening,” Lilah said.
“The world never tries to destroy the weak,” Nathan continued. “The weak are not a threat. If people try to destroy you, it’s because you are powerful.”
“I’ve never been powerful,” Lilah insisted. “I can’t shoot fire from my fists or move mountains with my hands. They get hot when I'm mad. That's it.”
“You have never felt powerful,” Nathan clarified. “The fire that rages through your veins is your strength, and they want you to believe otherwise. Even if you do not see it or feel it, you have magic in your veins. They fear you because they cannot stop it.”
After Eden’s inhabitants had consumed as much food and drink as their stomachs could muster, the music stopped. Lilah looked up and saw Jesse walking over to and sitting under a tree.
“Thanks for the encouragement, really. I’ll talk to you guys later,” Lilah said. She stood and walked over to Jesse.
“There is something I’ve been dying to learn,” Lilah said as she plopped down beside him.
“Oh?” Jesse replied.
“So, we are in a place full of mutants. Does anyone have cool offensive powers? Shooting lightning bolts out of their hands, breathing fire, something. Do you have powers?”
Jesse shook his head. “I’m actually not a mutant. And unfortunately, most mutations aren't as cool as in comic books.”
“That's depressing,” Lilah said.
Jesse chuckled.
“How can this place exist? What keeps the land healthy here?” Lilah asked.
Jesse looked away. “That’s on a need-to-know basis. All I can say is that Angela is an extraordinary woman, don’t you think?”
“How did you guys meet?”
“I’m ashamed to say we met in the least romantic way possible. I was sent on a mission by the Resistance, and I found her living out here with her father. She came back with me to the Chicago settlement.” A wistful smile spread across his face. “The first time I saw her…saw this place…I thought I had to be dreaming. She’s changed so much since we met a year ago. I’ve taught her a few things.”
Lilah raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. “Oh?”
“Like how to use a phone, how to shoot.” He paused, narrowing his eyes at Lilah. “Do you know how to shoot?”
“How would I know that?” Lilah asked.
Jesse shrugged. “It’s a post-apocalyptic survival skill.”
“I’ve been thinking about your weapons arsenal, actually,” Lilah said. “And your hole in the ground. It just kind of feels like backing yourself into a wall. Excuse my bluntness, but it’s not a very good plan.”
Jesse looked across the field to where Angela was sitting with Nathan.
“Creating that crawl space makes them feel safe,” he explained. “Trace, Nathan, and I have already decided that when the time comes, we’ll stay out to defend the others. I want to protect the people who call Eden home, and I will protect Angela with my life. The lives of ev
eryone here depend on it.”
Chapter Eighteen
Adam
While the mutants were distracted by drink and music, Adam snuck away toward the cabin. He sat on his cot, pulled out his pack, and took out his phone.
His index finger hit the first digit of Melissa’s number. He paused, setting down the phone and burying his hands in his face. Was turning them in the right thing to do?
Adam had never felt comfortable in the gray areas of life, in the wishy-washiness of ill-defined morality. Jesse and Angela were murderers and fugitives. Bringing them to justice was right. He hated how the people of Eden made him question the black and white way he tended to view the world.
There was no time for hesitation, he reminded himself. He picked up the phone and dialed the Watch.
Melissa picked up on the first ring. “Hello? Adam, is that you?”
Adam felt like his stomach was sinking. He took a deep breath before he spoke.
“Yes. Yes, this is Adam.”
“It’s good to hear from you.” Melissa sounded cheery. “Is Nate with you?”
Adam swallowed. “No, I’m afraid not. We had an incident.”
Melissa was silent for a moment. “Sorry to hear that. What happened?”
“A mutant living in a cave. It's dead now, but so is Nate.”
“We’ll have to let his next of kin know,” Melissa said.
“I have some good news,” Adam said.
“Oh?”
Though there was no one else in the cabin, Adam lowered his voice. “I found Eden.”
“That’s amazing news! Are you safe?”
“Yes.”
“We noticed some unusual healthy land while patrolling in the air recently. We sent backup to check it out. Now that you are there, we can use your CitCard’s tracking device to pinpoint the exact location. They should make their way to you in the next couple of days.”
“Sounds great.”
“Are you actually inside of Eden?” Melissa asked.
“Yes,” Adam said. “They think I’m one of them. A mutant.”
Melissa was silent for a moment. “Be careful. It’s a dangerous game you’re playing. Is there any information you can offer to help us with our mission?”
“They have weapons,” Adam said.
The door to the cabin creaked open. Adam’s heart jumped in his chest. He quickly hung up the phone and shoved it back into the bag. As Lilah walked in, he pulled food out of his pack as if he had been looking for a snack.
Lilah raised an eyebrow. “All that food at the party and you come back for that crap?”
Lilah walked over to his cot and sat next to him.
Adam took his blanket out of his pack. “I don’t like crowds.”
She placed her hand on his knee. “Hey. I’m so sorry about earlier... I think I just got a little overwhelmed and excited about finding this place, the fact that we made it here. And I may have had a little too much to drink.”
“Oh, it’s no problem,” Adam said. “I understand.”
“I hope we can still be friends,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand.
“Friends,” he said as he took it, unwilling to meet her eyes. She would be his sworn enemy once the Watch showed up.
“I know I've been kind of hard on you,” Lilah continued. “I guess people react to change in different ways. I just felt like you’ve been acting strange since we’ve entered Eden. I wanted to check on you to see how you were feeling.”
Adam met her gaze for the first time. “Tired mostly. We’d been walking all day, then we came to a big party. I don’t see how you are still standing.”
“That journey feels worlds away to me. Being here didn’t renew your energy?”
“I guess… This place just isn’t what I expected.”
Lilah squinted her eyes. “What exactly were you expecting?”
“I don’t know,” Adam said. Not Kindness. Not mutants who feel more like people than monsters. Not you. “It’s just been such an eventful journey, I forgot about what I’d do once I made it to the destination.”
“A good first step would be to stop avoiding the people here,” Lilah said, then her voice softened. “I get it. Back in Chicago, I’d been hurt so many times. I knew better than to let my guard down. But now we are surrounded by mutants and mutant allies. They are not going to kill you for being what you are.”
“Allies?” Adam said. “Are you saying they aren’t all mutants?”
Lilah nodded. “I had a chance to talk to some of the people at the party. Nathan and Trace don’t have any mutations. Neither do Jesse and Winter.”
Adam shook his head. If Jesse wasn't a mutant, why did he kill the innocent Wardens? Why on earth would normal humans want to get mixed up in all of this? Then he remembered the way Jesse looked at Angela and understood.
“You know, before coming to Eden, I'd never met another mutant before,” Adam said. “There was a guy in my town who attacked a woman, but I didn’t know he was a mutant until after the attack. And then the Wardens killed him.”
Lilah nodded. “Same. I’m the only mutant in my family. I’m not sure if I have a gene that passed down from some distant relative or if I caught a mutation from the environment. I’ve lived a pretty normal life. I have a CitCard. I attend high school like everyone else. None of my friends are mutants, and I don’t even know how to find the City Below.”
“What's the City Below?” Adam asked.
“I forgot you aren't from Chicago. The tunnels? From the old CTA trains? People use them to travel in and out of the settlement in secret, and some mutants live there.”
“Ah,” Adam said. “I see.”
Adam couldn't help but wonder if the Wardens would kill the human residents as well once they made it to Eden.
No, Adam reminded himself, they wouldn’t kill anyone on sight unless they posed a threat.
Would they?
Adam thought about the weapon arsenal that he warned Melissa about and shuddered.
He took a good look at Lilah. She had changed so much in the short time that he had known her. No longer injured and scared, she looked light and carefree, more concerned about him than her own predicament. All this time and he still had no clue what her mutation might be. He found himself hoping the Watch would spare her. She clearly wasn't the dangerous kind of mutant, and he felt the need to protect her.
He wondered what Lilah thought about dangerous mutants, like the one that had killed Nate. Or even people like Jesse who killed innocent Wardens. Surely she didn’t think his actions were acceptable.
He decided that in order to find out, he would need to ask.
“You know that Jesse kid? When I got here, I recognized him. It might be part of the reason I’ve been acting so strange.”
“Oh?”
“He’s one of the people involved in the incident.”
Lilah's eyes grew wide. “What? Are you sure?”
Adam nodded. “There are killers here, Lilah.”
Lilah pressed her lips into a tight line. She looked away. “I don’t know, Adam.”
“Don’t know?” Adam asked. “What don’t you know?”
“Look, I was never the biggest fan of the Resistance. Ever since the incident, I felt like I was being watched everywhere I went, and the rumors about my abilities increased. But you make it sound like cold-blooded murder, like they were not trying to rescue people.”
Adam frowned. That wasn’t the response he was expecting. Maybe Lilah was a monster after all.
The door swung open and Jill and Akeria walked in. Adam laid down on his cot. “I should really get some sleep.”
“Me too.” Lilah stood up. “Goodnight.”
Adam closed his eyes and listened to her footsteps as she walked back over to her cot. Lilah started a conversation with Akeria, and Adam listened to their voices echo through the cabin as he fell asleep.
His slumber didn’t last long.
Chapter Nineteen
Lila
h
Quick, sharp thuds on the cabin door stirred Lilah from her slumber. She groaned, opened her eyes, and glanced out the cabin window.
The night sky was dark. Who was knocking at this hour? As others started to wake around her, she sat up and looked across the room toward Adam. He was sitting on his cot and gawking at the door. Lilah shook her head. Why didn’t he open it? He was inches away. Maybe he was afraid of what could be outside?
Akeria, whose cot was positioned near Lilah’s, stood and marched over to the door. She swung it open, and Lilah watched Adam’s tense body soften at the sight of Angela and Jesse.
“We are sorry it’s so early,” Jesse whispered as he stepped into the cabin in a gray t-shirt and shorts.
Angela followed close behind him. She was wearing an oversized white gown, arms folded over her chest. The flowers in her hair were gone. “Violet just returned from her trip to the settlement, and things aren’t looking so good.”
Lilah remembered Jesse mentioning Violet’s name before but had no clue why she had been in the settlement.
“She confirmed that Kane sent Wardens into the forest to find Eden a couple of weeks ago, so we are going to need all the manpower we can muster to expand and fortify the crawlspace,” Angela said. “We might need to use it sooner than we thought.”
Trace, the older man that Lilah had met the day before, spoke up. “Are you saying the Watch is coming here? Shouldn’t we try to get out of here if that’s the case?”
“There is a cave nearby that we could possibly hide in,” Lilah suggested, and then she remembered the bodies and clamped her mouth shut.
Jesse shook his head. “They could already be nearby, waiting to attack the moment we leave the protection of our gates. We are safer here than out in the forest.” Then Jesse scratched his head. “We can’t exactly hide a thirty-acre garden,” he continued. “However, we can hide the people who call it home. When they come, we’ll be underground, and we’ll have our weapons ready.”
Finding Eden Page 8