“Ainsley.”
“How can that be?” I laughed. It seemed unlikely. “Are you
sure?” It was good news, especially since Adelaide was going to be moving in
with Ainsley soon.
“Well not one hundred percent certain,” Joshua admitted. “I
had to trace back family names and ancestors. The problem is not all the
information is in our records but Elsa can run a DNA test if we want to be
certain. Honestly, I don't think it matters. Blood related or not, we've found
a wonderful home for Adelaide. It may offer some answers for their own personal
benefit but we know Ainsley would make a fantastic mother. We've seen how she
is with Adelaide.”
“I like Ainsley,” Adelaide smiled. “Could she really be my
grandmother?”
Joshua reached over, giving Adelaide a hug. “She might be.”
I felt the biggest smile reach my lips. My eyes landed on
Rane. “You're pregnant?” It was huge news.
“Within a few days of the final treatment Henry and I
conceived a child together.” Rane smiled warmly reaching for his hand.
Henry beamed, “Friday we will be announcing our engagement
with a party. We'd like everyone to attend.”
“Are there are any more fertility treatments available?” I
asked wasting no time in beating around the bush.
Rane gave me a peculiar look as did Henry. “We are seeking
out volunteers, but why are you asking?”
I let out a heavy breath. “It's a long story.” I glanced
beside me at Joshua reaching out for his hand. “While in Torv, I came into
contact with the Red Plague and had to be administered the vaccine.”
“The Red Plague?” Gavin's eyes widened. “Are you sick?” Was
he worried about me or concerned about a second wiping out of society?
“I'm fine,” I assured them, having a sip of wine. “I'm
concerned with the effects of the vaccine.” I didn't have to state the obvious:
I was afraid I was like everyone else had been, unable to conceive. I chewed my
lower lip anxiously. “All I can think is that my mother, well her family hadn't
been vaccinated.”
“That's impossible.” Henry frowned. “Everyone during the
Plague was vaccinated. It was the law.”
“Let's just say things aren't what you thought back then.” I
glanced at Joshua, giving the faintest of smiles. “There were rebels who evaded
the government. Most probably did get vaccinated and those who didn't likely
died. It's possible a few survived and their genetic offspring didn't suffer
the same consequences those who had been given the vaccine had,” I explained. “It's
likely my mother's parents or grandparents for that matter were part of the
small band of rebels who evaded vaccination.”
“But why?” Henry asked shaking his head.
“They were suspicious of the government. They believed there
were side effects of the drug but they couldn't prove it.” I sighed. “It
doesn't matter. What matters now is that I'm no longer capable of conceiving a
child.”
Rane frowned. “As far as you know you are, but maybe you're
wrong.” She was being the optimist. “Maybe you can conceive a child as you've
always been able to. Whatever made you special could be bigger than some stupid
rebels avoiding vaccination.” I smiled: she wanted to make me special, make me
greater than I was. I appreciated the thought but I was just me.
Henry glanced from Joshua back to me. “You're volunteering
for the fertility treatments?”
I sighed. “I hoped a doctor could give me a definitive
answer if I could conceive and if not, yes I'd like to sign up.” I was likely
being selfish. Women in Spade and all across the world had wanted children
their whole lives and known they couldn't have them. Here I was, taking the
first chance at putting myself before others. Maybe I was selfish or stupid. It
was still experimental, it could potentially kill me. One test subject wasn't
enough to consider something a success. I didn't care though, I needed hope.
Gavin interrupted, “Are you sure, Olivia? It's risky.”
“I understand the risks.” I glanced at Joshua hoping he was
in agreement with me. After all, he was the one who wanted a child more than I
ever had. If it were up to me I'd have gone my entire life not wanting
children, deciding not to have them but the moment I couldn't have them,
something changed. The choice having been taken away made me desire it more
than I had. That and making Joshua happy.
Joshua squeezed my hand. “You don't have to do this for me.”
He stared at me and I glanced over seeing the adoring look in his eyes telling
me I didn't need to do it, but he wanted me to. I could see right through him.
“I know: I'm doing it for me,” I assured him. “Besides, when
everyone finds out I'm like the rest of the world then at least no one will be
after me. When I lead them one by one into fertility treatments and we become
alike, ingrained together then I will be one of them.”
Henry glanced at Elsa. “Can you arrange to see if Olivia is
a viable candidate for the study on Monday?”
Elsa agreed, “I'll have her come into the lab and we'll run
a few tests.”
I hated that they were talking around me, like I wasn't in
the room. At least what they were saying wasn't bad; they were trying to help
me.
Henry glanced back at me once again. “There was one more
thing I'd like to discuss but please everyone, eat!” We clanked glasses and I
hungrily ate everything in sight. Henry sat across from me with Rane beside
him. He glanced at me. “I was hoping we could discuss the matter with Torv.
Joshua explained to me that we now own the land south to Haven?”
I nodded between bites of dinner. “Yes, that's correct.” I
tried to eat as politely as I could without making a mess, but I was starving. “I
cut a deal with The Republic of Cabal and declared Spade a country. I made them
recognize Haven as our land.”
“Our land,” he repeated again thinking it over. He glanced
at Joshua. “When you went to retrieve Olivia down south, was there any threat
down in Haven?”
Joshua glanced at me. “Yes. I saw two soldiers from Torv.
Both were searching presumably for Olivia.”
“Did they cross into Haven?” Henry asked.
“Yes, Henry. They did.” I remembered being forced to use a
glamour to conceal where I'd been hiding. What was he getting at?
Henry glanced at Gavin. “Do you think we can arrange to set
up towers at the southernmost tip of Haven? I'd like a lookout point to know if
the enemy tries to invade.”
“I don't think they will,” I mused, finishing my plate. “It's
not that they're afraid of losing,” I acknowledged. “They just don't see the
benefit of war right now. Besides their own country is a mess. They know as
much after what Isaura's done. They're trying to clean up the pieces. For a while
they’ll leave us alone.”
Henry sipped his wine. “That's what I'm worried about.
Awhile,” he admitted. “We should fortify our land. We need to make them aware
that if our borders reach Haven, so do our men.”
Joshua shot me a glance.
Why didn't he want this when I
suggested it?
I glanced at Henry, asking Joshua's question. “What made you
decide on this now? Was this information not brought to you when Joshua and Janessa
returned from Torv?”
Henry glanced down at his plate. He stalled for a moment not
wanting to answer before finally glancing up at me and sighing. “Joshua made
mention of it. I apologize for going against your judgment.” He eyed Joshua
thoughtfully. “I had considered it, but was concerned we'd be spread too far
thin here. I think it'd be best to send only a handful of men or women, who
will watch over our newly built walls and secure the perimeter. If they must
retreat we will stand ready and able, prepared to protect our home when the
time comes.”
Rane turned her attention from Henry towards me. “Do you
think they'll come after us?”
“I hope not,” I breathed, having another sip of wine. “It's
best to be prepared though. Just in case. I'm sure everything will be fine,
though.” I understood her concerns. She was pregnant, about to start a family
and didn't want to consider that Spade could be attacked in a few months or
years and her home destroyed. We would do everything in our power to prevent
that from happening.
“Are you sure this will work?” Of course she wasn't sure.
Asking was a stupid question but I was terrified of what the results might
otherwise be. Joshua sat in the corner of the room watching me. He hadn't
wanted to leave me alone and I'd been happy for the company.
“You are a unique case, Olivia.” The woman was taller than
me, heavy-set with fire red hair. She was unique in her own right. Telling me I
was unique was just icing on the cake. I smiled nervously as she prepared the
first injection. “I had to tinker with the dosages just slightly since the
vaccination you had wasn't generations ago. You've also been given Mindonsiphan
I've been told?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“That's good. It means your body can heal rapidly. We've
seen that with the other women when we've asked them to come in for
observation.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, glancing at Joshua.
“Not everyone who had been taken by Isaura received the
infertility treatment. Some had but it was a guessing game as to whom until we
did some tests. The women of course all volunteered to know and those who
hadn't been given the treatment have been put on a waiting list. Once Henry
approves the drug they'll all be allowed access to treatment.”
Joshua frowned, a feeling of uncertainty passing over his
features. “And it's safe?”
“As far as we know,” she assured him. “Elsa should have gone
over all this with you? Olivia is of course only the second trial we've done.
Rane was hugely successful. We suspect it will work though. We've only mimicked
the drug Isaura had concocted. In your case as I've explained earlier we had to
adjust a few proteins to ensure the strength would be potent enough, but I
don't see any issue at all.”
I studied the woman's face as she cleaned the area of skin
before pricking me with the needle and securing a bandage. “How do you know all
this?” I asked.
“Aside from being one of the test subjects Isaura had taken?
I was part of her team of scientists before she thought me a perfect candidate.”
The woman grimaced, her face filled with disgust. “I get it. I mean I
understand why she did what she did but all she had to do was ask me. I
probably would have agreed to it anyhow.”
I glanced at Joshua. “Are we done?” he asked, standing up.
“We are for today. Come back on Thursday for another dosage.
We have to repeat this for the next few weeks and then we'll hope the results
are a success.”
“Thank you.” I shook her hand before walking out with Joshua
in tow, closing the door behind us. Adelaide and Ainsley sat in the waiting
room. I didn't have to ask to know why they were there, they were waiting to
run a DNA test. I gave Adelaide a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.
Ainsley reached for Adelaide's hand. “I told you, the
results don't matter,” she insisted.
Was it a good idea to know for sure? Once the answer was
provided, it was set in stone. It didn't mean Adelaide would be loved any less
but she'd always wonder about her family. Maybe having concrete answers was a
good thing?
“I know.” Adelaide bounced in her seat. “Bye!” She waved as
Joshua and I headed out of the small clinic.
He pulled me outside with him, his hand in mine as I gazed
up at the night sky. The moon was full and the stars sprinkled like fireflies
twinkling in the distance. “I feel like it might be happening,” I whispered.
“What? Us having kids?” he asked and I leaned in brushing my
lips against his before pulling back.
“Are you nervous?” I was terrified. Although it wouldn't
happen overnight, the thought of becoming a mother was frightening. Joshua held
my hand and led me from the city center towards our room.
“I am, but we've had practice raising Adelaide and the
doctor told us it would take time,” Joshua assured me as he led us into our
bedroom. He shut the door behind us and slipped out of his shoes. “I know you want
a child now that things have gotten complicated,” he teased, climbing onto the
bed. “In the meantime, no one said we couldn't practice.”
Laughing, I stalked over towards the bed, my hand reaching
out pushing Joshua onto his back. “Practice? That's what you're calling it? You
can do better than that,” I threatened covering his mouth with kisses. For the
moment I didn't care what happened, whether we conceived a child in the coming
months or years. All I wanted was to be home with Joshua and right now, I had
that. He was all I ever needed. Since we were children we'd been best friends
and now we were that and so much more.
It was the celebration of a new nation. Spade had been free
from the Republic of Cabal for two years. Everyone who had wanted a dosage of
Mindonsiphan had been provided with one. An outlook post had been forged in
Haven with men rotating shifts and transporting themselves through a portal in
order to go home to Spade. We'd learned that the dosage Joshua and I had of
Mindonsiphan made us stronger than most - but anyone treated with Mindonsiphan
and proper training could come and go as they pleased.
I'd been to Haven once, six months after my escape. The town
was in the process of rebuilding, it would take years to fully reconstruct what
had been torn down. The rubble was hauled away and stones were being laid in
its place, and buildings began to take shape. I offered to help rebuild Haven,
but Henry insisted I was needed in Spade. I didn't argue. With the infertility
treatments lasting longer than Joshua and I had hoped, it was best to not
overtax our usage of Mindonsiphan. Elsa suggested that overexertion may have
caused the initial treatments not to work.
In two years, seventy-five new babies had been born. Every
mother had survived labor: It was truly a miracle. It was difficult to know if
the children harbored the same abilities as their biological parents from
Mindonsiphan, but every so often something strange would happen and a parent
would insist their child was special. No one would tell them otherwise, the
fact children were being born naturally again was special.