CHAPTER 15
We piled into the vehicle, Joshua in the backseat with me and Chloe up front beside Elsa, who drove us towards Torv. We had packed enough food and water in the trunk for the journey east. The top was down and sunlight streamed in as we headed east, glaring as Elsa struggled to see the road ahead.
I was thankful to have Joshua in the back to myself. My hand rested on his thigh as I kept my lips sealed.
I'm glad you're here. I thought to him, knowing only he could hear my thoughts. It was nice to be able to talk without Chloe listening. I still didn't trust her, and it wasn't as though Elsa needed to hear us conversing either.
Nowhere else for me to be. Joshua smiled at me. He squeezed my hand. We doing this the whole trip?
I laughed under my breath, glad the wind was loud as I tried to stop myself from laughing aloud. I wanted to ask you something, for only us to hear.
Joshua shifted and sat facing forward, his eyes on the road in front of us, pretending nothing was transpiring. He didn't want Chloe to suspect anything, especially if we both started laughing for no apparent reason. This better be good, he teased me.
It always is, I thought to him. Do you think we'll find the need to use our abilities in Torv?
Joshua glanced at me. I hope it doesn't come to that. In fact I'm pretty sure we should be careful not to stand out. If anyone suspected what we're capable of, I'd hate to think what they'd do to us.
I swallowed the knot in my stomach. You think someone would intentionally hurt us? I didn't want to consider Joshua might be right.
Promise me no matter what you won't use your special talents. Joshua stared at me, waiting for an answer.
I shifted anxiously in the backseat. I didn't intend on doing anything, but things happen. When my emotions ran high, I tended to react. Joshua knew that about me. I could see the concern in his eyes. I'll be careful, I reassured him. I just had to keep reminding myself that I couldn't show my abilities. In Shadow I'd gotten used to it; often I felt as though it had become a part of me. I had to watch myself around strangers. Our abilities were one of our biggest defenses in fighting the government and were an even greater offense.
Good. Joshua smiled. He leaned closer, moving his hand from mine as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. His lips tickled my ear. “We should both probably behave,” he whispered.
I laughed, turning my head as our mouths brushed against each other. “This is behaving?” I raised an eye and saw the look in Joshua's eyes.
“It is,” Josh nodded. My hand moved to rest on Joshua's thigh. “Now look who is misbehaving,” he teased me.
“Au contraire!” I laughed. “I am behaving quite well considering being locked in the backseat with you for days on end.”
Joshua removed his arm from around my shoulders and crossed them defiantly. “I'm bored.” He sighed loudly, making sure Chloe and Elsa could hear. “And Olivia is being mean.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm.
“Seriously?” I knocked his leg hard. “How old are you?”
Elsa laughed. “Do you kids need to be separated back there?”
“Please!” Joshua groaned, teasing me.
Chloe turned around, raising an eye and watching us curiously. “So are you two…?” Her words trailed off.
Elsa glanced at Chloe. “They're engaged. Two of the biggest kids imaginable, but they are sweet together, and no,” she glanced at Joshua in the rearview mirror. “You're sitting back there with your fiancée.”
I laughed, slugging his shoulder. “See! You get to sit with me for the entire trip.”
Joshua groaned. “It's torture back here.”
I patted his thigh and felt his fingers lace with mine. At least it helped pass some of the time.
As night began to fall, we stopped the car and ate a quick dinner that we'd packed before switching seats in the vehicle. Joshua drove and I sat in the front seat with him as Elsa and Chloe slept in the back.
“You know where we're going?” I knew we were to head east, but I didn't want us getting lost on the way.
“I got us to Shadow,” Joshua reminded me with a smug grin. “I think I can handle the map, considering I drew it.”
“Okay. Okay.” I held up my hands in mock surrender. “You win.” We continued to head east as we drove further into the desert. I was grateful it was late March and the weather hadn't warmed up enough to make this trip unbearable. “Let me know when you get tired,” I offered.
“Why, so you can tease me some more?” Joshua glanced at me. “I'm okay for a while. It's dark, you should try and get a few hours of sleep.” I felt his hand on my arm and knew he wasn't joking.
I nodded weakly. “Thanks.” I tried to get comfortable in my seat before I shut my eyes. It wasn't long until I drifted to sleep.
CHAPTER 16
We drove nonstop, except for the occasional bathroom break and to switch drivers. Solar energy powered the vehicle throughout the night. I read about it once in a textbook back in Genesis. Fossil fuels had grown near extinct and with wars breaking out over the last remaining oil wells, the government demanded production of energy-efficient, solar and wind powered vehicles. I remembered the solar symbol and saw it etched on the dashboard.
I was sore beyond belief, cramped up in the car for nearly thirty hours. It felt like thirty years. As we drew closer to Torv, I could see the city stretch out in front of us. The air here had grown warmer, humid. I peered out the side, taking in the sight of the town.
We drove through the main city iron gates: they stood two stories tall and surrounded the entire town. “So this is Torv?” I mused. It reminded me of Haven, which had been situated a few hours north.
Chloe beamed proudly. “Home sweet home.”
We drove through the tall gates and further into the cobblestone-paved streets. My eyes moved over the buildings. The town looked lavish in comparison to everything else I'd seen. The buildings looked well-kept and lights shown through their windows as they used electricity to light their town.
It wasn't that Shadow didn't use electricity, but it was used sparingly. Generators ran the older parts of town and the newer homes in Shadow operated using solar technology with blackout capabilities for the windows. The city center never had been upgraded. Seeing Torv, it reminded me of Haven and I felt my stomach somersault. My fingers gripped Joshua's arm, digging into his flesh, unable to stop myself.
“This is…” My mouth was agape as we turned the corner and the buildings grew taller. Neon lights flashed and pulsed for the local theater. “Wow.” I didn't know what else to say. I'd never seen an actual theater with movies or actors. I'd read about it in a fantasy novel but I'd never experienced it. Torv was lavish, even more so than Haven had been. “How many people live here?”
Chloe thought about it for a moment. “Not sure. We're not a particularly small town,” she confessed, “but we always have enough for everyone.”
We pulled to the corner of the street, parked the car, and piled out. I couldn't believe how humid and warm it was outside. Joshua pulled open the trunk and we grabbed our bags. Chloe grabbed her testing kits as we followed her inside, and I was thankful for air conditioning. I couldn't imagine how the weather was in the summer here if it was warm already! We walked down the corridor as I slowed to take it all in. The carpet was plush and pale. The walls were freshly painted in a light blue with white trim boards that stretched from ceiling to floor. My feet sunk into the cushioned carpeting; I was surprised by luxury wasted on the ground. I stood with my bag in hand as we approached the elevator. I'd never been in one but remembered them from Haven. “How many floors are there?” I asked as Chloe pushed the arrow to head up.