I walked from the window towards the couch, plopping myself down. “You think they have different motives?” I tried to make sense of this new information.
“I can't be certain about any of their motives without further information from their own council. Yet, not a single member from their council was willing to join them on the trip here. I find that bewildering.” He paused for a long moment. “Did you hear the news?”
“What news?” He stared at me for a long moment, only making me ache with anticipation. “What?” I asked again, hating the games. “If you know something,” I demanded, expecting an answer in return.
“I know quite a lot, Olivia. I'm just not sure you're ready for it.” He paused, thinking another long hard minute about it. “Mason relayed some news to me,” Collins admitted. “I'm not sure what to make of it, if anything. We had agreed not to discuss who you were with the council or anyone in Torv but Jaxon went against better judgment.” I wondered if Collins was worried for me; he looked puzzled by the news, as was I. “He met with the council at Torv, trying to negotiate a deal between our towns, an alliance if you will. In their talks, it seems as though someone in Torv already knows you.”
“Knows me?” I frowned. “That can't be possible.” I didn't know anyone from the rebel alliance in Torv.
His eyes pierced through mine as he let out a soft breath. “Perhaps there were some survivors in Haven.”
“That's what you've heard? There were people who lived through the attack?” I felt guilty for abandoning the city, running away with Joshua when they needed our help. Perhaps his mother was still alive. My heart quickened at the thought.
Collins sighed, “I don't know, Olivia. I wasn't there. I can only relay what I've been told. My best guess is that someone survived. Torv has been looking for you. I can only assume it's because there are survivors from Haven.” Collins laughed softly and as he leaned closer, he rested a hand on my back. “Don't look so upset.”
“How can I not be upset? They're looking for me and now they know where I am!” I didn't feel safe. I wasn't sure why but I had the sneaking suspicion they wanted me as a guinea pig. I hoped I was wrong, but the fact they were impregnating women and not entirely successful in their attempts made me think otherwise.
“Elsa asked that you join her and Chloe on a return trip to Torv in the coming weeks. They have several pregnant women in their town and from what I hear, they need all the medical help and expertise they can get. I think you should join them.”
“I'm not a doctor.” A soft sigh slipped past my lips. My mind was in a fog. “I don't know how I can help.”
He didn't answer my question, not directly. “I think it'd be good for you. Believe it or not, Olivia, I've been on your side since we first met.”
That got my attention. I glanced up, giving him a disbelieving look. “Yeah, right,” I muttered. I remembered when we'd first met and he put a gun to me. After that, he'd forced me to train with the other recruits, drugged me with Mindonsiphan, and lied to me at every opportunity. Somehow, I felt like Chancellor Collins only looked after himself.
In the evening, as we headed for bed, I was glad to see Joshua again. “So how was your day?” I asked, sitting in the darkness of our bedroom at the edge of the mattress while Joshua stripped down to his boxers for bed.
“Good.” he smiled, pulling back the covers before he climbed under the sheets. “Missed you though,” he admitted, gesturing for me to join him.
Lying in my pajamas, I shifted back on the bed, slipping my feet under the warm blankets. “I had an interesting day.” I let the words hang in the air, wondering which part to tell Joshua first.
Joshua sat up in bed, waiting for me to further elaborate. “You going to make me guess?”
I rolled my eyes, smiling as I gently pushed him onto his back, lying down beside him. My eyes met his as I traced a warm path with my finger down and across his chest. “Chancellor Collins wants me to go to Torv. The thing is,” I paused, unsure I believed it. “It seems they already knew who I was before Jaxon, Mason, and Margo showed up.”
“Hmm?” He frowned, his brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of what I told him. “Any chance someone had survived the attack on Haven and relayed the news to Torv? Then again,” he mused, “you'd think they wouldn't want you to come to Torv because you'd be putting their town at risk.”
“Exactly my thoughts.” I shifted onto my back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to wrap my brain around all of it. “Who would know about me? Let alone the fact I survived the attack?”
“Maybe they didn't know you survived. It's possible they assumed you were dead until these three new people show up from a town they've never heard of.” He rolled onto his side, draping a leg over mine as he pulled me closer. “If I told you I didn't want you to go…” His words trailed off.
It wasn't that I wanted to go to Torv. I wasn't a fan of danger, but I didn't like sitting on the sidelines either. I wanted to be a part of something bigger. “I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet.” As it was we were running out of time. The Governor's Ball was in the spring and I needed to be in Genesis before the party to know the exact date and time.
“Maybe I can help convince you to stay.” He smiled, pulling me closer in his embrace.
My fingers slipped beneath his shirt and traced a path along the hem of his boxers, grazing his skin. “You could come with me,” I offered with an eager grin. “This time don't let Collins tell you no.”
“You think it will work?” His eyes momentarily closed.
“Too tired?” I teased, leaning on my elbows as I dropped a kiss to his eyelids, the tip of his nose, and then his mouth. “If you give him a reason he can't refuse, then he'll have to let you accompany me to Torv.”
Joshua's eyes fluttered open. “What reason would that be?”
“Tell him you can't live without me.” I beamed.
CHAPTER 14
Nearly a week had passed since the guests from Torv had arrived. Joshua and I decided to go for a run, before showering and getting dressed for our weekly meeting. I knew Chancellor Collins would insist on sending Elsa, Chloe, and me to Torv. The pregnant women weren't getting any less pregnant and I knew soon enough some of them would give birth. I didn't want to imagine what it was like or even witness the nature of it. I'd heard stories, enough of them as a child to know it was painful. I didn't want to be around it, but I also knew Elsa had requested I come along.
Once dressed, Joshua and I headed towards the council room where we always met for our weekly update. I hadn't spent much time with the members of Torv aside from having met Chloe. I knew two others had come along, Beckett and Asher. Joshua had trained with Beckett and Asher in hand-to-hand combat in the gymnasium. I spent those early mornings in skills training with Maya. She'd taught me how to tie a knot and how to get out of them. She was also on hand when I worked with Adelaide to teach her self-defense. She got along better with Adelaide than Hazel, and Maya had many more years of training and experience. As much as I wanted to be Adelaide's guide, it was best to let someone who knew what she was doing instruct her. I never once told Adelaide about the Mindonsiphan and hoped when she came of age we'd live in a free world where she'd never have the need for it.
Joshua led me to the long oak table where I took a seat, and he did the same beside me. One by one, the council members joined us over the next few minutes: Cate, Mason, Elsa, Maya, Hazel, Aidan, and lastly Chancellor Collins.
“Let me start this week,” Chancellor Collins began, “with anyone who has new information they'd like to share with the council.”