“She’s still alive?” I felt my heart leap that she hadn’t been put to death by the Governor. That was a thought I hadn’t wanted to face, but knew she could be tried and convicted of treason.
Rebecca nodded faintly. “As of this moment your mother is a free woman. Governor Craynor can’t do anything with her. She can’t bear any more children naturally and is too old for their tests to give them any answers.”
I felt my heart lurch. “Is that what they wanted, to experiment on me?” The air sucked from my lungs as the room sweltered and spun chaotically.
“We’re not entirely sure what they wanted with you, Olivia,” Rebecca clarified. “It’s possible they wanted to silence you, but, of course, the entire town saw your arrest. And let’s face it, the government isn’t one to admit they’ve been wrong all along.”
“Wrong?” I repeated, trying my best to focus as sweat dripped down my forehead.
“They’ve convinced the population the only way to have children is through a lottery. Your mother would have shown Genesis another way. It would have meant an uprising,” Rebecca explained. “Governor Craynor was rash in his decision to arrest both you and your mother. I believe his advisors knew that after the fact, and it’s why they released your mother from custody. Under one condition…” she paused, staring at me wanting me to absorb the information.
“Which is?” I hung onto her every word.
“You never return to Genesis. If you do, she will have to turn you over to the government.”
I hadn’t expected that from Rebecca. Maybe I should have. I knew I couldn’t return home again. I’d escaped prison, and my homecoming would put others in the rebel alliance in danger. I wasn’t going to have anyone’s blood on my hands. I smirked to hide my pain. “Guess it’s good for me I don’t plan on returning home.”
Rebecca gave me a reassuring look. “Jacqueline will take you to the dining hall and then back to your room to rest.”
“I have one more question,” I glanced at the members of the council.
Rebecca nodded. “Go ahead with it, dear.”
“Why did you help me escape?” It was an honest question, one that had nagged me since she handed over the skeleton key. I knew I was married to Joshua, but that was a weak excuse from what I’d already experienced. We’d only been married for a few hours, and according to Rebecca our marriage wasn’t legal anyway.
Rebecca sighed and clasped her hands together. “Do you realize how important you are, Olivia?” I didn’t answer her. I understood the significance of why the government wanted me, but not the rebel alliance. “Olivia,” she paused. “You can change the entire world in the blink of an eye. You’re the last woman in Cabal capable of conceiving, and likely the last woman on earth who will naturally have a child. The rebel alliance knows of your mother and your birth from eighteen years ago, but many towns consider it merely a myth. Seeing you would be,” she hesitated, feeling the weight of the words. “It would be more than just a miracle. It would bring about an uprising. It would change the world we live in and would offer hope to a generation completely unaware of the idea.”
“People don’t fight when they’re happy,” I reminded Rebecca. “Those in Genesis have it good. They have jobs, food, shelter, clothing. No one complains.”
“No one complains until they have to give up a child.” She stared at me through harsh eyes. “Don’t think it was easy for me to hand over Jacqueline.”
“I’m sorry, I hadn’t meant…” I stalled and shook my head, not intending to offend her or anyone else on the council. “I just think people have it mostly good back home. They won’t care if I can have kids without winning the lottery,” I paused thinking it over. “Or maybe they will care, grow jealous and agree with the government in killing me.”
Alexia raised an eye. “Are you mocking us?”
“No.” I quickly shook my head. “What if I don’t want children?” I knew I’d just thrown the obvious back in the face of those risking their lives to save me, but it should have been my decision, not theirs!
Rebecca spoke up once again. “We’re confident you’ll change your mind in time.”
Landon cut Rebecca off. “Olivia, your freedom comes at a cost. Bringing you here puts Haven at risk,” he told me. “We’re willing to take that risk if you’re willing to accept your fate. You may stay in Haven, but please know in three years’ time we expect you to choose a husband, a partner, to have a child with.”
“What about Joshua?” I asked, astounded by this turn of events. Why didn’t I see this coming? They didn’t rescue me from prison and offer me a home without wanting something in return. I was naive for thinking otherwise.
Landon sighed. “We prefer you choose someone else. Someone not matched to you by the government. You see, Olivia, accepting your marriage and having a child with Joshua would only further solidify what they’re fighting for. We disagree with the way they select one’s fate.”
“But you can certainly decide mine,” I muttered, appalled by the suggestion.
Landon stared at me, eyes narrowing. “We are letting you choose who you wish to marry,” he reminded me. “If you can’t make the decision then yes, we will pick a husband for you.”
“I have three years to choose a mate?” I repeated, still dumbfounded by this revelation. Just like Genesis, they planned to use me. It must be why Rebecca had helped me escape. I didn’t want this life. Haven wasn’t looking any better than Genesis, the place I’d always called my home. Maybe I could stall for the next three years and figure something out?
Rebecca sighed. “In two weeks’ time, we’d like you to return. Then we’ll ask you some questions about your own history. At that time, we hope you’ll become more involved in our town and the rebel alliance. We’d also like to be kept up-to-date with whom you’d like to see yourself partnered with. In the next few weeks, we can set up potential candidates for you to go out with, and you can meet members of our community.”
Their expectations didn’t come lightly and without a huge cost. I didn’t see too many options. “Two weeks from today.” I nodded, accepting the rules – for now.
“This meeting is over.” Rebecca stood up and opened the doors, letting Jacqueline into the council room. “Please take Olivia to get something to eat and then escort her back to her room to study.”
“Yes, Mom.” Jacqueline nodded, leading me down to the street and across the road. The town that had just moments ago felt looming and filled with hope seemed much smaller in comparison. Rows of homes lined the street as we walked further into town. They weren’t government-issue by any standard, each with a different paint scheme on the outside and attached side-by-side. I’d never seen anything like it in my life. It seemed a nice enough place to call home, if it hadn’t been for the council demanding I marry and bear a child for them.
CHAPTER 7
Lying in bed, it took no time for my eyes to close and to find my way toward sleep. Escaping from prison in the middle of the night and then traveling for hours on foot had exhausted me. Besides, having a comfortable bed made it easier to rest. It seemed I’d slept for hours when I awoke and my eyes tried to adjust to the bedroom’s darkness.
I felt around, struggling to locate a light switch as I climbed out of bed, knocking into furniture with a groan. After a moment of relief I flipped the switch, basking the room in extreme brightness. I rubbed at my eyes and did my best to adjust to the light. I glanced around the bedroom, spotting the texts I received from Jacqueline after lunch. I was supposed to start reading them and learning the history of our country. All I wanted was more sleep.
Walking toward the shelf, my eyes landed on the titles of the books. They didn’t seem so bad. Cabal History, World History, The Third and Fourth World Wars. I pulled the second largest text, Cabal History, from the shelf and flipped through the book. The book had very few images – it was mostly writing and looked to be quite long. I shouldn’t have expected much more, because cameras hadn’t been used for centuries.