“We’re searching for a home together,” I reached for Joshua’s hand. “Ours was destroyed. We’re also seeking asylum. Can you grant us that, please?” I hated begging, I always felt it was beneath me, but if I had to get down on my hands and knees, and kiss Chancellor Collins’ dirty boots, I would. I did not want to go back to the Gravelands.
Chancellor Collins glanced at me and then Joshua. “You have a choice, though, it’s not much of one. Pass the tests, and you can call this place home.”
“Or?” Joshua asked, glancing at me anxiously.
“Die trying,” he remarked mirthlessly. Was he kidding? I hoped he was joking! “Now that you know where our city is, we can’t just let you walk out. Or drive out,” he scolded us. “It’s much too dangerous for us. Tonight you can stay here. You’ll find a bed on the other side of that door.” His finger wagged in the direction of the bedroom. “Tomorrow you will begin training.”
“Tests? Training?” I repeated feeling an overwhelming sense of nausea. “What exactly do the tests entail?” I didn’t know what we were up against, but going in blind would likely get one or both of us killed.
“Our tests have four parts: Bravery, Integrity, Honesty and Self-Worth. Tomorrow morning your training will begin. Until then I suggest you get as much sleep as possible. It will be an exhausting day.” With that, he let himself out the door.
The words hung in the air for a few minutes before I finally stood. I headed toward the window and saw a guard standing by the door and the car nowhere in sight. “Figures,” I muttered as I glanced back at Joshua. Obviously, we had no easy escape routes, considering they’d moved our car, not to mention Joshua’s injuries. Even if I could take out the guard, I doubted I’d manage to find the vehicle, bring it back and grab Joshua without being seen. With a resigned sigh, I turned to Josh. “Come on, let me help you into bed.” I offered him my arm as he stood and hobbled towards the bedroom with me.
He grimaced. “Somehow I think I’m going to lose bravery if I can’t walk on my own.”
I shook my head. “You can’t think like that. For all we know it’s a test to see if we’re afraid of spiders. Maybe we’ll be covered in them.”
“That sounds disgusting,” he laughed. “Besides, if that were the case, it’s unlikely the tests would require any training.”
I knew he was right. I just didn’t want to face the obvious truth that we’d once again stumbled into trouble. I led him toward the bed, noting only one mattress in the small bedroom. “I guess we’re sharing this,” I laughed anxiously as I helped him sit down.
“Oh come on. It won’t be so bad,” I could swear his face had turned red, but the light was barely visible through the windows, and darkness bathed the bedroom.
“Let me blow out the candles in the other room, and I’ll join you in a minute.” I headed back to the kitchen and took the last candle with me to the bedroom. I placed it on the counter, blowing it out before climbing into bed beside Joshua.
Shifting on the mattress, I slipped beneath the covers and bumped into his warm body. I laughed nervously, feeling him half-naked beside me. “I changed for bed.”
“Into what?” I laughed closing my eyes as my fingers reached out, feeling his bare chest. Joshua still wore his boxers, but my skin flushed, nonetheless. I shifted onto my side, burying my face in the pillow.
“Come on, we’re married now and you have too many clothes on,” he tugged at the hem of my shirt.
“Nice try,” I laughed nervously. I knew he had to be joking, right? “We can’t. You know we can’t.” We had too much at risk. I shifted so I could see his face, even in the darkness. “How do you know about that stuff?” I asked with a curious smile. Just weeks ago I had kissed him, and he hadn’t known what the simple gesture was. Now, he was suggesting something more entirely!
“Sex?” he asked. “While you explored Haven with Jacqueline, I picked up a few books at the library.”
“You were doing research?” I asked, wondering what he planned to do with this newfound information. I was grateful the bedroom was dark, and he couldn’t see the redness spread across my cheeks.
“Not exactly.” He leaned in, kissing the tip of my nose. “Or maybe I was,” he let the words trail off as he rolled onto his back. “It’s weird that no one ever speaks about it, don’t you think?”
Rolling onto my stomach, my eyes never left his. “People don’t need to have sex if babies are born in labs.” It was a valid point.
“It’s not just about that.” He reached out and his index finger danced against my arm. Immediately, I felt an unusual warmth spread through my veins. My body relaxed as I shifted closer. “We need human contact to survive, intimacy,” Joshua whispered. “I can’t believe people don’t touch one another anymore. Not in the way I read about.” His fingers moved over and down my arm in soft motions. “I have to believe some people still do, in secret.”
I didn’t know what to think. I’d read a romance novel or two and remembered the prince wooing his bride, but this was different. This wasn’t a fairytale, it was real. If we got pregnant, everyone would know. There’d be no secrets, no tests, no lies. I didn’t know what would happen, but it would change our lives in ways I wasn’t ready for.
My fingers found his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “We should get some sleep.” As much as I wanted to explore more with him, I also knew tomorrow morning would come soon enough, and we would have a long day ahead of us.
“Goodnight, Olive.” His breath tickled my ear as he leaned in to kiss my cheek.
“Night, Josh.” I yawned, letting my eyes close knowing I would fall asleep before long.
CHAPTER 15
Morning came far too quickly and my stomach lurched with each passing moment, knowing they’d come for us. Soon, our training would start. I didn’t want to think about what happened if we didn’t pass the tests. Would we really die or was he trying to merely scare us? I rolled around, restless.
“You awake?” I heard Joshua’s soft voice as I stared up at the ceiling.
“Unfortunately,” I admitted, shifting against the mattress to face him. “Too nervous to fall back asleep.” The sun had already come up, and the windows had no blinds to block the morning light.
I felt his warm hands wrap around my waist as he hugged me beneath the covers. “Me, too,” he whispered.
“Any idea what the tests might entail?” My mind kept going over the four categories. I didn’t see how they’d determine if we were fit to be a part of their community. Apparently they didn’t want any weaklings in their town.
“Don’t stress.” He kissed my temple. “I just hope we both survive,” he laughed under his breath. “I’d hate to consider we’d both have to escape again and steal another car.” His voice sounded teasing, but I knew deep down he was nervous. We both were. I knew if the tests were indeed passable, we would do just fine. I hated to consider the alternative. In fact if they weren’t passable, we would have to find a way to cheat to ensure our safety.
I shifted to sit up in bed but felt Joshua tugging on my arm. “Lay back down,” he protested. “I like lying here with you.”
I smiled, staring down at him. “I do, too, but I think I could use a real shower.” I made a face, leaned down and pretended to sniff him. “So could you.” I laughed, climbing out of bed and slipping out of his embrace. As much as I wanted to stay in bed all morning, I knew they would be judging and testing us, and giving a bad impression wouldn’t do either of us any favors.
Joshua smiled up at me with a mischievous grin. “Can I join you?”