by Silver, Ruth
My face paled. Had they been seen driving east? “You think they've been caught?” I asked, feeling my stomach sink.
“There's a meeting right now,” she admitted. “It's why Joshua has been gone for a while,” Sydney explained. “Listen, I know you want to help and do what's best for all of us but you have to sometimes do what's best for you first,” she told me seriously. “You are important and I know you realize that. You could have been killed today and you were lucky you weren't. Maybe Hazel in her split decision did what was right. I can't know for certain. I do know that if you ever become pregnant and a stunt like that happens,” she stared at me gravely, “it wouldn't end well for the baby.”
“I'm not pregnant,” I answered bluntly. “If that was one of the tests you ran, you should know that.”
“It wasn't,” Sydney remarked. “Joshua assured me when we brought you in that you weren't pregnant. You just…you need to be careful. Okay?”
“Fine.” I didn't like being told what to do. I understood her concern but it was my life. Besides, it wasn't as though Sydney had given a better suggestion for what Hazel and I could have done earlier that day. She just chided me like a child and I didn't appreciate it.
Sydney worked to remove the monitors I had been connected to. “Hold still,” she told me, finally letting me go. “Joshua will be here in a few minutes, if you can manage to wait.”
I didn't try and get up from the bed. My hands gripped the edges as I glanced over at Hazel across the room. “How are you doing, Hazel?” I asked, seeing her lying quietly.
“Okay,” she answered hoarsely. She sounded worse than I did. “I'm sorry, Olivia. I hadn't meant for any of this to happen.”
Grimacing, I pushed myself off the cot, walking over towards Hazel's bedside. “Don't listen to what anyone says.” I stared at her. “You did the right thing. You probably saved everyone's life in this town. They owe you,” I told her proudly.
Hazel reached for her cup, taking a sip of water. “I wish everyone agreed with you.” I patted her hand softly.
“It'll be okay,” I assured her. “We're safe now. The drones are gone. Nothing can touch us.” I wasn't going to let the government do what it had to Haven. Not ever again.
CHAPTER 5
“Olivia, what are you doing out of bed?” I heard Joshua's voice and turned around, glancing at the door.
“I'm fine. Sydney said I could go.” I glanced back in Sydney's direction as she tended to another patient, ignoring us. I didn't mind it. “Come on, take me home, Josh. Please.” I knew home wasn't going to be the place we'd spent the past several months making our own.
“Are you sure you're okay to walk? You're not dizzy?” Joshua asked.
“I'll be fine.” I didn't dwell on it. “So where to?” I asked, knowing we'd be in temporary housing for a while. I just hoped it didn't mean being put back into the recruit center.
Joshua led me out of the medical center and into the cold winter air. I wrapped my arms around myself and Joshua held an arm around me. I didn't complain: I was grateful for the additional body heat. “We have nicer accommodations,” he informed me as we walked down the road.
“Nicer?” I gave him a peculiar look, confused. What we had was already a step up from when we first came to Shadow.
“I spoke with the Chancellor,” Joshua explained. “He wants to make sure you're comfortable and that what happened, never happens again.” He held me close as I shivered from the breeze. “Cold?”
“No, I just like to freeze to death,” I smirked. “Where are you taking me?”
Joshua couldn't resist laughing. “You're freezing? You were going outside the other day without shoes on. You amaze me.” He leaned closer, dropping a kiss to the top of my head. We rounded the corner to another street, south of where we lived. I hadn't traveled much to this block of town. Mostly because it was housing for the recruits and a few other members of Shadow. Our house had been situated west of the main road. The council members all lived on the south side of Shadow. I never asked why. It hadn't crossed my mind. I had just been glad we had someplace to live. He pulled out a key from his pocket and led me to the front door of a two-story cottage. “This is home.”
“For a few weeks?” I guessed. “Until the house is fixed up?”
“No,” Joshua shook his head. “The Chancellor was serious, as am I. We're going to live here now, where it's safer.”
“How is this any safer?” It wasn't as though I didn't like our little home near the infirmary and the center of town. I just didn't see how moving a block south would protect us.
“Well for starters, our home is heated without the use of a wood-burning stove,” he informed me. “No chance of smoke inhalation, at least from that. I can't promise what'll happen if you get behind the stove and cook,” Joshua teased as he unlocked the front door, leading me inside.
I stepped in first, glancing around, surprised by the size of the home. “Wow,” I breathed, turning around to face Joshua. “We don't need anything this big.”
“Maybe not,” he shrugged. “But it's ours. Remember how Jaxon kept telling us if we passed the tests it was a lucrative job?” He leaned in and kissed me softly.
“Then why did they put us up in the other house if this is where the recruits live?” I didn't understand.
Joshua grimaced. “I suppose it's my fault. I told them I wanted the simplest place for us. That we didn't need anything except each other,” he confessed. “I missed Genesis and a part of me hoped that if we lived in simplicity it would remind me of that.” I stared at him, seeing something else flash across his eyes. “I'm sorry,” he breathed and I understood why. If we'd come here first, I never would have ended up in the infirmary.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I'm not mad at you,” I told him. “How could I be?” I mused, kissing his cheek before letting go. I took his hand, guiding him with me through the home for our own private tour. “This place, wow.” I shook my head in wonder, amazed that the home was furnished and stocked with food.
“I know.” he nodded as we walked from one room to the next. It was ours and the fact that we didn't have to share it with the other recruits made it even better. Together we walked upstairs, finding three bedrooms.
“Why so many rooms?” A part of me knew the answer and another part still felt compelled to ask. Joshua tugged my hand, pulling me into his embrace as he stared at me for a long moment.
“One day, we may want to start a family together.” He breathed against my skin. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his. I wasn't ready yet and I didn't think Joshua was either, but just the fact we could have a family and could have two children of our own was something to be grateful for. I let out a nervous breath, pulling back as my hand stayed tight in his.
“Time to see our bedroom.” I smiled, pulling him with me. My eyes glanced over the room, still not believing this place was ours. Walking further in, my fingers brushed over the powder blue bedspread. I shifted to sit down, only now realizing how warm and toasty our home was. “How does the heat in this place work?” I asked, lying back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling with a smile.
“Solar energy. There are panels on the roof actively working to produce solar heat or air in the summer,” Joshua explained. “It's part of the newer technology that Shadow uses. As is this,” he told me, walking over and pushing a button on the wall. The blinds slowly shut. “Vertical blinds.” He smiled. “They have complete black-out properties to ensure no drones or soldiers can see the lights on from outside. They automatically close at sundown unless we adjust the settings,” he assured me. “We'll finally have electricity at night again.”
“Wow.” I didn't know what to say. I pushed myself off the bed and glanced from room to room upstairs before heading back down to the main floor.
“I have a surprise for you,” he told me as we reached the bottom stair by the foyer. “Close your eyes,” he told me. I shut them and he grabbed my hand, leading me further i
nto the house. “No peeking,” he insisted as we walked several feet before stopping. “You can open them.”
My eyes opened and, though the vertical blinds were still shut, Joshua had turned the lights on in the house. My eyes moved over the warm yellow painted walls towards the bookshelf.
“Like it?” I felt Joshua's breath at my neck.
“It's amazing,” I whispered, turning in every direction, seeing books lining the shelves and a plush red sofa to sit on. Joshua knew about my love of reading but I hadn't been spoiled with books before, never like this. “How did you manage it?” I asked, turning in his grasp, wrapping my arms around his neck. I knew it must have cost a fortune, considering how rare books were in Shadow.
“That would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it?” He kissed me softly and I pulled him to the sofa, sighing in comfort as we sat down together.
“It wouldn't for me.” I shook my head, staring at him. “I don't know how you did this, Joshua. All I can say is…”
He cut me off. “Wow?” He teased, leaning in and stealing another kiss.
“I was going to go with 'thank you,’” I remarked. “But yes, wow is another good word for it.” I reached out, resting my hand on his thigh. “Are you going to give me a hint how you managed to acquire all these books?” I could tell most of them had been read and some had quite a bit of age to them but I didn't care. New books were incredibly hard to come by.
Joshua grinned, staring at the shelf on the wall where the books were situated. “Let's just say I know how to make friends,” he teased.
“And I don't?” My jaw dropped in mock anger. My fingers reached out, tickling him.
Joshua laughed. “Are you sure you want to go there? Do you remember who won the last time we did this?”
My eyes narrowed and I dropped my hands. “Fine. Fine. Know that this isn't over yet,” I told him, standing up.
Joshua watched me and finally stood up to follow. “Where are you going?”
I glanced back over my shoulder at him as I headed into the kitchen. “I'm hungry,” I remarked. After all, I hadn't eaten much breakfast. “Then I'm taking a shower.” I was covered in grime and smoke. After lunch and a nice hot shower, I climbed onto the sofa, having grabbed a book from the shelf. It was on Greek mythology. I didn't know much about Greek history or its mythology. The cover looked old and worn, from more than a lifetime ago. I shouldn't have been surprised. Most books came from hundreds of years ago. Few of them had been reprinted. It was rare to find a press in any city. Genesis only allowed printing of sanctioned materials. I glanced at Joshua, wondering how he'd acquired so many used books.
“What are you reading?” Josh asked, climbing onto the sofa beside me.
“We're reading about Greek mythology,” I offered, opening the book. “I want to read it to you.”
Joshua laughed. “You know I'm not a little kid,” he teased. I nodded but didn't care. I wanted us to share something together. “Okay, go for it.” Joshua smiled. “What legend are we reading about today?”
“Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.” I turned to the first chapter. “The three Moirai.”
“What does that mean?” Joshua asked.
I laughed, “Will you let me read or not?” He smiled but didn't answer. “The Moirai were responsible for every mortal from birth to death. Clotho spun the thread of life. Lachesis measured the thread and Atropos cut the thread, ending one's life. They’re destiny, if you would —though no human could blame the Moirai—for we are responsible for our own failures.”
“Free will.” Joshua nodded slowly. “Do you believe in destiny?” He stared at me curiously.
I glanced up at him, thinking about his question. “I don't know. I don't think our life is laid out for us. We have the right to make it, however we choose,” I answered. “Though the authorities in Cabal would disagree. We still have the ability to choose. We face consequences though, based on those choices, our actions.”
Joshua stared at me. “But the question is, do you believe in destiny? Do you believe that even with free will, some choices are still the same? Say, for instance, you and I were best friends as children and now, we're engaged.” Joshua smiled. “I'd say that's destiny.”
I disagreed. “What one might consider destiny could be completely chance, or rather chaos,” I rationalized. “It was men who decided we'd be matched together in marriage.”
Joshua considered my words. “How did those men decide though?” He pushed on. “Was it not destiny that brought us together? We were the same age, born in the same town. Soul mates.” He grinned, enjoying the banter between us.
I couldn't help but laugh. “You believe in soul mates?” I didn't. I couldn't. It wasn't that I thought there was anyone else out there for me. Joshua was all I ever wanted. It was more to do with the idea that only one person could be right for someone. I didn't buy into it.
“I'm guessing you don't.” his smile faded.
I shrugged, gesturing towards the antique book as he sat back and let me read to him.
Nearly an hour had passed, and I glanced over at Josh, closing the book in my arms. “You never did tell me how you managed all this.” Joshua took the book from me, putting it on the table beside us. “Let's just say, I owe someone a favor.”
“One heck of a favor,” I murmured. “Do you think you'll be able to pay him back for all the books?” There was no possible way we could afford it. Maybe one or two but not the fifty or so he had on the shelf. It was astonishing.
Joshua leaned in, kissing me. “When the war is over and the world is finally righted and just,” he grinned, “I've managed to secure myself a job.” I frowned, confused. “The printer in town would like me to come work for him.”
“As payback for the books?” I guessed. I had no idea there was a book printer in Shadow!
Joshua laughed. “No. I reprinted all these for him. These are the originals but the newer copies are in his store.” My jaw must have dropped. I couldn't believe it! We'd been here a few months, but still, how had Joshua found the time to reprint dozens of books? It was a mystery to me. “Don't look so surprised,” he laughed. “We all have special abilities now.”
“Yours is book printing?” Every day I learned something more about Joshua. I didn't care about his special abilities or talents that the Mindonsiphan had done to us. What mattered to me was deep down who he was, that he would do this for me.
There was a knock at our front door and Joshua glanced back at me as he stood up. “You rest here. I'll see who it is.”
“Okay.” I nodded, putting my feet up on the sofa. Joshua headed for the door. I couldn't see who it was from where I sat. I waited patiently, surprised to see our council members coming inside, all of them. “Hey guys?” I noticed everyone but Hazel and figured she was resting at home.
“Sorry for the interruption,” Cate announced. “We wanted to hold a meeting and since you shouldn't be out of bed, we thought we'd bring the meeting to you.” She took a seat on the sofa beside me. Of all the people in the council, she was the last one I wanted to sit next to. I knew I should have been thankful she came to my rescue, but I didn't want to have to owe her anything.
“Meeting?” I asked, glancing at the Chancellor. “Why today?” It wasn't our usual meeting time. “What's going on?” I asked. I moved my legs to sit up and Joshua grabbed a seat beside me.
Elsa grabbed a seat on the floor, making herself at home. “We had a visitor this afternoon after the drones flew overhead. There's no word yet about Jaxon, Margo, and Mason but Thena was hit.”
“Thena?” I asked.
Cate sighed shifting uncomfortably on the sofa. She picked at her fingernails, staring down at her lap. “Yes, that's where Mason and I come from. One of the five cities.”
“Oh.” I slowly began to understand. “Who was the visitor? How did they get here? I thought no one knew where we were.” I didn't entirely understand what was going on.
Chancellor Collins grabbed a seat on the chair oppo
site us. “Taron is a member of Thena's high council. All council members have a vague understanding of Shadow’s location. We don't hand them a map per se, but we do tell them how to get here. Should the need ever arise.”
I glanced at Joshua, remembering the night months ago when we were recruits. We had snuck out and caught Chancellor Collins conversing with a stranger at night, from a car. We had learned the stranger was my uncle, my father’s younger brother who lived in Fora. I still hadn't visited him. I didn't know if I ever would or even, if the time came, what I'd say. That hadn't bothered me nearly as much as the fact he had come into town and left without hesitation. I was beginning to understand how. Perhaps, my uncle had been a member of Fora's high council. “Where is Taron?” I asked, glancing at Chancellor Collins.
“Right now he's at the recruits’ center.” Chancellor Collins remarked, “I'm not crazy about keeping him there permanently. After we clean up your old living quarters, we may let him stay in your old home.”
I nodded, unsure how to feel about our home belonging to a stranger. I knew it wasn't our home anymore. The house we sat in was where we belonged. I glanced at Cate. “Do you know Taron?”
Cate sighed. Her eyes were red and I wondered if she'd been crying earlier. “Yeah, everyone knows him.”
The Chancellor folded his hands together over his lap. “I've been considering all our options this afternoon, but I think it's in everyone's best interest if we devise a search and rescue mission for Thena. I want to send Cate and Aidan to retrieve any survivors from the site.”
I glanced at Cate, realizing now why she was so upset. It wasn't just her old home that was destroyed but the people she loved and cared about. Her family lived in Thena, and they were likely dead. “Aidan?” I scoffed. “Why can't you send me?” I wanted to help. I was tired of training and practicing for what? To sit around when help was actually needed.
“Out of the question.” Collins shot me a pointed look. “You know you can't go.”
“I'm fine!” I rolled my eyes. “This,” I gestured to the fact I was cooped up on the couch, “isn't permanent. I can get around okay. Besides, Cate needs me.”