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.”
I shifted, placing my free hand on Joshua's stomach,
smoothing my fingers over his shirt. “I was thinking about that and what we
could do to best defend Spade. I think we should declare Spade a country. Gain
independence from Cabal.”
“The Republic of Cabal.” Joshua smiled.
“Okay, gain independence from The Republic of Cabal and then
when our new militia is trained we send a team after Isaura. She needs to be
stopped.”
“I agree, with stopping Isaura.” His fingers moved up my arm
and danced down my skin causing goose bumps to rise on my flesh. I shifted
closer, wanting to get warmer. “I think we will have some trouble declaring
Spade a country. Their militia is larger by far and Isaura is powerful. Maybe
after Isaura is taken down, we could work to achieve statehood or independence.”
“Isaura is powerful, but with the numbers treated with
Mindonsiphan, that's got to give us an advantage,” I reasoned. I shifted
closer, sliding my leg between his, my hands finding his lower back.
I didn't hear an answer or if he provided me one it wasn't
in words so much as actions. His lips descended down onto mine and I felt my
body relax back against the mattress as my hands roamed over warm skin. “You
know we can't,” I mumbled against his lips. “I want to, but I haven't been
eating the Silphium and we can't risk pregnancy. “ I kissed him. “I'm not ready
for kids and honestly I'm not sure I want them.” At least I had a choice and I
should have been grateful for the opportunity since many craved the option. It
didn't change how I felt though and what I was going through.
Joshua dropped one final kiss to my lips before pulling back
breathless. “Can we procure any Silphium in Spade?”
I hoped we could. I didn't want to imagine never being able
to do amazing things with Joshua again. “We'll find a way,” I assured him, reaching
for his hand and giving it a squeeze.
Four months had come and gone. Henry had offered freedom to anyone
wanting to leave. Not a single woman spoke against the town that had brought
them in, accepted them as their own and saved them from the horrors they'd
experienced. Spade's wall had expanded as had housing for all the new members
of town. Four afternoons a week had been spent training different groups that
had all been treated with Mindonsiphan. It had been difficult but I hadn't
expected anything less. I was thankful there hadn't been an uprising within
Spade's walls. Perhaps Henry's offer of freedom had shown to the people they
were not being held against their will, and at any time they would be allowed
to leave. As had the promise of being reunited with their families.
It was late afternoon and the final week’s training had
surmised. I was proud of the work we'd accomplished. Monday would start a new
week, but the few days off would be nice to relax. The town of Spade expanded
farther than anyone had imagined. The stone pillars and towers reached four
stories above the city. Stone streets reached as far as the eye could see and
homes built within the walls of Spade stretched on for what seemed miles. I was
impressed by everyone's eagerness to help. Old and young alike. I'd been made
aware that a party in the city square would convene at sundown tonight to
celebrate the finished project.
“There she is!” I heard Joshua's voice and spun around on my
feet finding his arms wrap around me.
“Hi.” I smiled and laughed. His lips place a chaste kiss on
mine. “Done for the day?” I'd spent my afternoon training the town along with
Elsa and Cate. Joshua and Aidan had spent it making sure the new structure was
secure. I didn't know how they did it or if it involved their abilities.
“I certainly hope so.” He lifted me off the ground, spinning
me wildly. My arms clutched around his neck as I held on, laughing.
“What's gotten into you?”
“I have some news.” My feet grazed the ground and I felt his
hand in mine. “Come on.” He smiled, his eyes full of promise as he led me back
towards the main tower and our quarters.
We moved quickly through the halls on the first floor out of
earshot of anyone who may be nearby. “Thirteen of the women we brought back
from Torv are pregnant.”
My eyes widened and my mouth hung agape. How was that
possible? “What?” I didn't believe it! We didn't have the facilities to help
thirteen women through childbirth let alone save their lives if they had the
same fate as most in Torv.
“Thirteen,” Joshua repeated with a smile. “They're all four
months pregnant. It seems they were pregnant when they arrived here. It's good
news. I already spoke with Henry. In fact he's the one who told me the news.”
Joshua continued on, “The doctors can find no evidence that the women aren't
perfectly healthy and I know what you're thinking, that there is a high
mortality rate, but that might not be true for these women. After all, they've
been treated with Mindonsiphan and whatever Isaura mixed up, prior to getting
pregnant.”
“What about the antidote we administered to counter the
effects of what Isaura injected them with?”
“It woke them up, so we assumed it had worked,” Joshua said.
“Apparently, we were wrong.”
“Isaura did this?” I asked having to be certain.