by Silver, Ruth
“Hope your boyfriend made it through safely,” Isaura laughed and as I turned around I took a step down the hallway, backwards towards the panel window.
I gritted my teeth and spat back, “He's my husband.” I couldn't think about Joshua right now. I couldn't concern myself with the fact the portal had been destroyed while he'd crossed through to Spade. All I could do was hope he'd made it there safely.
“Soon to be a widower,” Isaura cackled as a wave of smoke spun around her. “Where do you think you're going?”
Her eyes narrowed as I tentatively took another step backwards and closed my eyes. I imagined Spade once again, but a different room, my room. The chambers where I'd stayed and felt safe and warm. I crossed my arms and threw myself backwards against the window, flying through it and tumbling downwards. My back hit the floor hard as I gasped for air, relieved to see a castle ceiling staring above me.
Joshua! I screamed for him, knowing he couldn't hear me if I used my voice. I'd brought them all to Spade but a larger location, the city square. I tossed the door open, running from my room. I ignored the cuts and scrapes that burned my skin where glass had pierced through me. It didn't hurt. Not like the feeling had when I'd witnessed the portal close on Joshua.
Olivia? Although he hadn't answered me right away, the moment he did a wave of relief washed over me. I ran through the tower, spiraling downhill as I threw myself into the city square scouring the town for Joshua. I hadn't seen him yet. Hundreds of women lined the square, some sitting and others standing.
The moment my eyes caught sight of his mop of brown hair and blue eyes, I rushed forward. Throwing my arms around Joshua, he embraced my small frame. “I thought you were right behind me.”
“I was,” I gasped for air. “Isaura destroyed the mirror.”
I felt his lips descend on mine and my fingers weaved through his dark locks. “How did you get home?”
“The window at the far end of the hall.” I took a chance that paid off. It could have been a suicide mission, but it wasn’t. His lips grazed against and my eyes closed, savoring the moment knowing it wouldn't last.
CHAPTER 16
The women we'd brought back from Torv were given temporary quarters, bunking up with other families. Henry, Joshua and I sat in a room together studying the familiar maps I'd snuck a peek at just days ago.
“What do you suggest?” Henry asked letting out a heavy breath. “There are too many mouths to feed. I can't make room long-term for an additional three hundred people.”
“I know that,” I agreed. “We have two options. We expand the borders of Spade or we form a new town.”
Henry raised an eyebrow. “Expand Spade how?” He didn’t oppose growing the community. He was right though, space was limited. There had been room for guests but not more than the entire population of what Spade had been.
Joshua pointed at the map. “You have land going west of Spade that's unaccounted for.”
“Actually it's not,” Henry answered. “It's where we keep the drones we've taken down.”
“We could move everyone to a western city? Someplace by Thena or Shadow?”
Joshua frowned. “Those cities were destroyed. Transferring everyone through another portal is too risky and traveling through the Gravelands would be deadly. Spade has better defenses. We have a fortified wall we can expand and enough soldiers and new people willing to fight.”
Henry laughed. “You're going to send women to stand on the battle front?”
“Why not?” I narrowed my eyes.
Henry held up his hands in surrender. “I'm not speaking about you, dear. I know what you're capable of. You're different though. Stronger, tougher. Most of the women out there are terrified.”
“Wouldn't you be?” I questioned. “They believed they were in a different world, happy, taken care of and woke up to realize they'd been in a medical lab for God knows how long!” I stood up, pacing the length of the room. “We can't abandon them.”
“We won't,” Joshua interjected. “They’re our greatest asset right now.”
“What do you mean?” I frowned.
Joshua stared at me, a faint smile at the corner of his lips. “They're all like us now, Olive. They've all been treated with Mindonsiphan.”
I realized it had been mentioned before. I hadn't quite known why we had administered the antidote. I'd assumed wrongly that it had been to counteract the Mindonsiphan, but they'd told me Isaura had another compound she'd given them. “What's this mean for us?” I asked walking towards the window. I stared down at the corridor. A few women walked outside but it wasn't crowded like it had been.
Henry studied the map before glancing over at me. “It means we have a greater army, a better defense than we could have ever imagined. We need to work fast though, reinforce the western walls and build another settlement to house our newest families.”
My gaze turned towards Joshua. “Are we to train them?” I understood what they were suggesting. “They could retaliate and decide they want to return to Torv. They have families there,” I reminded them walking away from the window as I glanced at the maps. “There has to be another way.”
Henry agreed. “There is, Olivia.” He sat down behind his desk. “We send word to their families. Offer them an alternative, a place to live, here.” He pointed at the map. “We go in and strike Torv here.” His finger landed on the state building and justice center.
I hung my head, confused. “How is that going to help anything?” I didn't want another war or uprising. One rebellion was enough. Did we not fight for justice and independence? Did we not fight for the freedoms we deserved? Had we not been granted what we asked for?
Joshua spoke up, “It'll bring light of the conspiracy and corruption within the new government. It's not our best option but it seems our most direct.”
I held up a finger to pause him. “What is our best option?” I wanted to hear all of it before making any rash decisions.
Joshua sat in his chair, his eyes locked with mine. “We go to Torv and negotiate a treaty. I doubt it'll work, though. Isaura is in cahoots with the leaders of the new government. They want everyone treated with Mindonsiphan along with her concoction. We don't actually believe there to be any effects on women being able to conceive.”
“Then why? What's the point in it?” I didn't understand what Isaura was planning. She had me and I escaped. Why had she wanted me in the first place?
Joshua stared at me. “She wants to destroy you.” His voice sounded grave, his tone sad. “You're the key to everything. If you're dead, she has ruling power.”
I grimaced. “No. If she wanted me dead, she'd have just killed me. She had me sedated for a reason.”
“She was gathering information. Do you remember any of it?” Henry asked.
“Of course!” I groaned, “I told her about both of you and Cate. At the time I thought I was talking to Joshua, but I realize now…” My words trailed off. “She knows you're both like me.”
Henry stood up, glancing towards his bookshelf where he found and retrieved a text. He carried it over and placed it on the table beside the maps.
“What's that?” I asked.
He blew the dust from the cover and wiped it clean. I couldn't read the archaic language. “It's a series of stories, mostly fables, some fairytales, except I'm not sure everything is mythological.” He admitted, “While you were both gone I did some studying… I was reading to Adelaide.” Henry said, “The portals that you make only work in mirrors and glass. Correct?”
“Right,” I agreed.
“Have you ever heard of Through the Looking Glass?” Henry asked.
Joshua stood up, walking towards the book to see what he was talking about. “It was a children's story we read in school. What about it?”
“In the same way Alice can travel through a mirror, you've unlocked the key for traveling to another place in Cabal.” Henry paused trying to explain it to me. “Fairytales may be more real than we think. I believe
Mindonsiphan has been used for generations. I did a little digging and there was a physicist, Gerald Feinberg, who introduced the idea that telepathy existed due to elementary particles he called mindons. It was all hypothetical in his lifetime.”
“When was Gerald Feinberg alive?” I questioned.
“The twentieth century. Now, I recognize that Through the Looking Glass was written long before he was born and Mindonsiphan does more than just telepathy. However, it doesn't change the fact the elementary particles, mindons, existed all along.”
Joshua glanced at me and I felt his arm wrap around my waist. “It makes sense,” he reasoned.
“I guess so.” We had no idea where the drug had originated only that Chancellor Collins had administered it in Shadow. Had he found the concoction on his own or the ingredients to make it buried away in Shadow?
“Suppose it's true. What does it mean?” I asked Henry. “You can't tell me the children's story is real.” There were some fantasies I couldn't believe.
Henry held up a hand. “I'm not saying everything we've ever read is factual. I'm saying some things may be based on truths. Stories we've often overlooked. My point is our abilities are all limited on what we see and know. If we study these ancient texts, perhaps we can uncover something else. A way to stop Isaura and maybe even make Cabal fertile again.”
I leaned back against the desk, crossing my arms. “I guess your experiment with Rane didn't pay off?”
Henry laughed. “No, we tried, but it wasn't successful.”
“Where is she? I haven't seen her since I left with Isaura.”
Henry smiled warmly. “She's been spending time with Adelaide and helping keep an eye on the newcomers. That's not to say I don't trust them,” he reiterated. “But they've been held against their will once already. We're not exactly showing them the door out of town.”
“They'd be killed if we did that!” I yelled and Joshua rested a hand on my arm. “I know. I'm sure you're right.” I rubbed my forehead exhausted. “What are we going to do?”
Joshua sighed. “Right now I'm going to grab lunch. We could use a break. Everyone else agree?”
I pushed off the table to stand up. “Yeah, I guess that works.” I was frustrated with the government, the system, everything. I still had so many questions. Things Joshua told me while I was sedated. I imagined they were all things Isaura had told me or I'd told myself, but I wanted to be certain nothing had seeped in that was real.
The three of us headed down to eat in the dining room, finding a few familiar faces. Rane, Elsa, Cate, Adelaide, Hunter, and Gavin had already started their meal. “It's good to see you again, Olivia.” Rane smiled warmly as she ate a bite of her salad.
“Olivia!” Adelaide jumped down off her seat, barreling at me. I bent down, embracing her in a hug. “I missed you so much,” she emphasized. “I'm glad you're home and that you're okay.”
“I'm glad I'm home, too.” I kissed her cheek and patted her back, helping her to the table. I pushed in her chair before finding a seat between Henry and Joshua at the table.
“We're all glad you're okay,” Rane said. “There was some concern through Spade after you sacrificed yourself to Isaura. What happened?”
“Honestly,” I laughed, putting my napkin on my lap. Henry passed me the bread basket after he finished with it. I placed a piece of bread on my plate, handing the bowl to Joshua. “I don't know. I remember some but I'm fuzzy on alot of it.”
Joshua stared at me. “Isaura had her under a heavy sedation in Torv. She was trying to get information and knew Olivia wouldn't reveal anything if she was aware of her surroundings.”
It was the truth, but I still hated the fact I'd be duped. I lathered butter onto the bread and took a bite. I couldn't quite remember the last decent meal I'd eaten. It didn't matter, I was doing okay.
“So what are we going to do?” Elsa asked. “Isaura is still out there, somewhere.”
Henry sighed. “She is and she's stronger than ever. She has the new government of Cabal in her hand and she's using them to do her dirty work.” He eyed me. “It doesn't explain her intention of drugging all those women though. What would she have planned on doing with them? Even if she could figure a way for them to reproduce, would they have been a secret breeding colony?”
“I don't know.” I put my half-eaten bread down and took a sip of water. “Isaura is a mystery to me. I've tried to figure out her plans. I can't fathom her end game. I mean great power is one thing, but she has it. She knows she has it.”
“It's like chess,” Henry surmised. “She's getting her pieces into position.”
I added some food to my plate, pushing it around. I was hungry, but the talk of Isaura made me lose my appetite. “If that's the case, she had me. She was already at checkmate. Why not kill me?”
“That isn't her plan. She may not want you dead,” Henry said.
Joshua frowned, looking me over.
“What is it?” I asked, not liking the look on his face. “What? Say it!” I demanded, growing uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Something was wrong.
“Isaura had you sedated just like the other women. We used the antidote to rid them of the component she mixed with Mindonsiphan. We never even considered testing to see if she'd injected you with it.”
I glanced around the room, feeling everyone’s gaze on me. “I don't feel any different.” It was the truth. “What was it supposed to do?”
Gavin and Hunter exchanged a quick glance. Hunter spoke up, “We're not sure. The intent was to help women to prepare for pregnancy, but you're already capable, so it seems counterintuitive to have given you the drug.”
“Are you sure?” Joshua's eyes widened. “Does anyone have the antidote left over? Any additional doses?”
Elsa sighed. “We only created enough for the women we rescued. There wasn't any extra.”
“I'm sure it's nothing. I'm fine. I mean you had to wake everyone else up with the antidote. I woke myself up,” I reminded them. “Besides who knows the consequences of administering an antidote when one isn't necessary.” I felt fine, albeit a little anxious about their suggestions. The room got quiet and as I ate I could hear chatter begin up again. I let out a nervous breath glancing at Joshua. Can we talk later, just you and me?
Joshua smiled at me as he ate. Anytime you want.
We finished lunch and agreed to meet with Henry again in the evening after dinner. Joshua and I headed together to our room, wanting some privacy and I had a few questions I wanted answered. Once inside, Joshua closed the door behind us. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tight against him. His lips found my neck and my legs weakened. “No,” I gently pushed him back. “It's not that I don't want this.” I offered him an apologetic smile. “I wanted to talk. Just you and me.” I approached the bed, having a seat and reaching for Joshua's hand, pulling him down beside me on the mattress. “Maybe after we talk.” I smiled, resting a hand on his thigh. “We'll have time to do something else. Something a little more… interesting,” I offered, seeing his eyes shine.
“Whatever you want, Olive.”
I moved to lie back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. I needed to sort out what I'd learned while under Isaura's control and make sense of it. “While you were in Torv, did you see Hazel at all?”
Joshua frowned, sitting on the bed to watch me. “No. She died in Shadow along with everyone else. Didn't she?”
I sighed. “That's what I thought,” I said, trying to remember the exact words I'd heard from Joshua's lips. It hadn't been Joshua speaking them though. “Hazel was pregnant – at least you told me that – in my dream,” I explained. “Maybe it's nothing. I mean if she were pregnant and part of the initiative, she'd have been in the building, right?”
Joshua shifted, lying down against the mattress, his head coming to rest beside mine. “I haven't seen Hazel in, wow, a long time,” he admitted. “I haven't seen anyone pregnant in Torv though. Sure there were discussions about it, volunteers and
some people recruited against their will as part of the initiative but I never saw Hazel.”
“Okay.” So at least one bit of information had been planted by Isaura but I couldn't fathom why. Had it been a trap to get me to try and save her? “How about Isaura and the government working with her?”
“That's true.” Joshua reached for my hand. “I wish it weren't but we do have evidence she's behind the facility we freed this morning. There's also talk that she's the head of the Ministry of Defense. Originally one of the acting members was in charge until he died under mysterious circumstances.”
“How did you find all this out?” I asked, turning towards Joshua.
Joshua laughed sitting up on the bed. “It happened while we were in Torv. We didn't see the body but the doctors came straight away and there was a funeral shortly after. Word travels quickly when people are afraid.” He paused leaning down to drop a soft kiss to my forehead. “I'm pretty sure Isaura is behind it. I never saw the body but I didn't have to. I saw her in the Ministries robes. It could only mean one thing.”
“She's in charge.” I sighed, closing my eyes. “This isn't good. How could we have let this happen?”
“We?” Joshua shook his head. “We aren't responsible for Isaura's actions.” He was stern in his words and he spoke the truth. It still felt a little to be my fault. Though it explained why Isaura had drugged me and locked me up. If she had intended to kill me, she may not have had the time since she was busy gaining control of the government.
“I know. You're right. How far deep is she in? I mean the Ministry of Defense runs the military but does she have control over the acting council and the states.”
Joshua sighed. “As far as I can see she's got her hand in everything. Even if we take her out, that's a big if, I don't know what'll happen. They could retaliate and destroy Spade.”