Isaura (16 page)

Joshua pulled me inside another corridor, practically
dragging me by the hand as he led me towards the women. All of them had begun
to show, their bellies pushing against their shirts, their breasts swollen and
a nervous smile laced on each of their faces. Five of them sat waiting
patiently to be seen. I smiled trying to hide my concern as I held out my hand,
introducing myself. “Henry wants us at the births. To make sure everything is
okay.”

You're not serious?
My own experience months ago
while Drezden gave birth hadn't gone particularly well. I had saved her, but
she'd been close to death, too close.

I think we're the most skilled in Mindonsiphan. If anyone
has a fighting chance it'll be with us around. Besides it's just a
precautionary measure. Hopefully, they won't need us at all.
His lips
didn't budge as he smiled at the women. They talked amongst themselves, the
chatter in the room was electrifying and I finally I gave a weak nod and
slipped out of the room.

“Where are the other pregnant women?” I asked him.

“They're all healthy and have returned to their jobs or home
for the day. There's no reason to be concerned.”

“We're not midwives or doctors,” I reminded Joshua. “Besides
even if the pregnancies are healthy and the women are fine, what then? Do you think
Isaura is going to let these children be free? As it is we don't know the
effects of Mindonsiphan or if it can pass from the mother to the child.”

I felt Joshua's hand rest on my arm. “Take a breath,” he
reminded me as he led me further away from the women, careful so they wouldn't
hear us. “Listen, I know you're scared. It's okay to be nervous but trust me,
this is good news. Amazing news. It's going to give hope to every woman that
maybe they too can conceive.”

I glanced down at the ground. “False hope,” I muttered under
my breath.

“You don't know that.” Joshua was always the optimist.
Nothing seemed to change that about him. “Listen.” He reached for my hands,
giving them an affirmative squeeze. I glanced up, meeting his stare. “Isaura's
still out there, but everyone in Spade is prepared to fight for our freedom and
stand behind you.”

“I'm not a leader.” I sighed, stepping towards the window at
my right cut from stone. “Henry's the leader.” I was relieved not to be in
charge. If things went to hell at least it wasn't on me. I felt Joshua's stern
gaze and finally I turned my head meeting his stare. “I guess I'm just
uncomfortable,” I offered. “Isaura isn't going to forget about me and I'm sure
we've ticked her off to no end. Stealing the women she experimented on isn't
going to win us any brownie points.” It was the truth. We couldn't get away
without someone dying. Life was never that simple.

Joshua leaned forward, dropping a kiss to my forehead. “Relax,
okay?”

I wished I could relax. I smiled, hoping it was enough to
keep his own worries at bay. “There's something I never told you. Find Henry.”
I gently pulled from his grasp. “Call a meeting. Just those from Shadow and
Henry. We need to talk, it's about Isaura.” I couldn't believe I hadn't thought
of it sooner . Isaura had taken me to 2225. Whether it was real or not, there
had to be something about that time, that moment she wanted me to see. I just
hadn't been looking for it.

“What is it, Olivia?” Henry stood in his office gesturing
for us to come in and close the door behind ourselves. Joshua shut the door and
I walked towards the window. It was always easier to speak when I felt like I
had freedom within my grasp. Though Henry never held us against our will, it
wasn't as though we had anywhere else we could go. Elsa and Cate sat on the
couch along the wall, Aidan propped himself up on the arm.

“When I walked outside and gave myself up to Isaura, what
did you see?” Had I gone mad and dreamt it like I had Joshua while I was under
her control. Now though, the pieces were slowly making sense, falling into
place.

Henry paused. “I wasn't at the gate, but the guards told me
about it. They mentioned a cloud of smoke that plummeted around both of you
before you disappeared.”

“You vanished into thin air,” Cate answered. “I thought you
were playing a trick, trying to go invisible to outsmart her.”

“Invisible?” I asked, “Can we do that?”

“No.” Elsa laughed. “Not technically. In the same way a
glamour works to help you disguise your appearance, invisibility makes you
disappear, but your physical form is still in the same space. It gets
complicated because your clothes, will give you away.”

Joshua frowned. “So you should have known, Cate, that Olivia
didn't disappear because of the Mindonsiphan,” he prodded.

Cate sighed. “I didn't know what to think. I've never used
the ability. I'm not as strong as you, Olivia.”

That surprised me. “Aren't we all the same?”

Elsa and Cate exchanged glances, wondering who should
explain. Aidan cleared his throat. “Not exactly. You both were given a stronger
dosage of Mindonsiphan.”

“Why?”

Elsa sighed. “There was a mix-up in the lab.”

“You're kidding.” Joshua scoffed. “When were you planning on
telling us this?”

“Never,” Cate whispered. “Collins told us after the
injection took place. The dosage was twice the usual strength. He worried it'd
kill you both and when it didn't, he was adamant that there would be other side
effects.”

“Like?” I asked.

Cate stared at me. “Your abilities are stronger than ours. I
could never manifest fire, let alone create a portal.”

“Well, you haven't tried,” I reminded Cate. “Maybe you can
do those things, too.” Why was I always being told I was different? I wanted to
be the same; I wanted a normal life.

“I have,” Cate answered and stood up, approaching me by the window.
“Like it or not, you and Joshua are extraordinary.”

“So much for being ordinary,” I mumbled. I glanced past Cate
at Joshua. “Speaking of extraordinary, Isaura claimed to have taken me back in
time. To 2225. When we disappeared on the lawn.”

“Time travel?” Henry frowned. “Can the Mindonsiphan do that?”

“No.” Aidan was adamant. “If it's true, it's something else
entirely new we’re dealing with.”

“We moved through time like nothing happened, except it had.
Spade hadn't been conceived yet. It was just grass and dirt.” I remembered that
much. “Is it possible there's another reason she chose 2225?”

Joshua stepped towards the bookshelf. “The Red Plague.
Wasn't it in the twenty-third century? Do you have a history text?”

Henry sighed. “2225 was the year the Red Plague swept over
the world. Why would she take you back in time?” Henry questioned. “Did she
want to infect you?” He walked towards the bookshelf and Joshua stepped aside. “I
don't have any history texts in here on the Red Plague. The school house might,
but I do have something a little more interesting.” Again he pulled open his
mythological book, rummaging through the handwritten inked pages and paused
with his finger over a drawing. “Is this what Isaura wore that day?”

The drawing was a picture of a cuff bracelet, with
inscriptions in a language I didn't recognize and a pattern grooved of swirls
on the surface. I remembered the piece of jewelry. I hadn't thought anything of
it. “She had it on her right arm.”

Cate walked over, peeking over Joshua's shoulder to get a
look at the ancient text and the picture they were talking about.

“It's a magus bellus. Its legend states it allows wearers
the ability to travel to another time. It works like the portal through your
mirror. You can only use it to travel to one time and in the same place.” Henry
laughed, “I never thought any of these stories were real.”

“I've never even heard of it.” I glanced at Joshua. “What do
you think?”

Elsa and Aidan stood from the couch, walking over to the
open book. “Do you mind?” Aidan asked wanting to have a look.

Joshua examined the pages in the open book before stepping
back giving Elsa and Aidan room to view it. “Why 2225? If she could pick any
year, why then? Do you think she could find a cure from the original
inoculation?”

“No,” Elsa answered. “But the original virus, yes. It's
possible the cure could be within the original host.”

Henry's face grew pale and grave. “Do you think she'd bring
the host through to present day and infect us?”

Joshua sighed. “She's evil but why go through the trouble?
Aren't we all inoculated already?” He glanced at me. “Any suggestions?
Theories? Ideas you wish to enlighten us with?”

I paced the length of the room. I was disgusted that I
hadn't seen it sooner. “Isaura was trying to reverse the infertility problems.
I'm sure of it. We have thirteen women who are pregnant. All the women under
her experimentation were given Mindonsiphan and something else.” I eyed Elsa: She
was the scientist in the group. “What antidote did Hunter and Gavin work up?”

Elsa frowned. “I don't know. Hunter had already procured it
when we arrived. I helped prepare it into vials but I didn't ask for a rundown
of ingredients.

“Does it matter?” Joshua asked. He rubbed the back of his
neck. “Thirteen women are pregnant,” he reminded me of my own words. “Seems
like something is working.”

“Yeah, but they were all impregnated,” I reminded him. “It
doesn't mean anything until women can naturally conceive.”

Joshua rested a hand on my arm. “Which might never happen.”

“We have to do something.” I hated to think Isaura may have
been on to something. “We'll make an announcement tonight at the festival about
the thirteen who have become pregnant and that all women treated with
Mindonsiphan may have the ability to conceive.” It didn't make me hate Isaura
any less, even if she had been the reason these women were fertile.

Henry frowned. “Is that such a good idea? To get people's
hopes up when it could be a lie?” He didn't agree with my methods, but there
was only one way to know for sure. Besides if it were the case, the women who
were fertile had the right to know and be prepared for a pregnancy they might
not want.

“They have a right to know,” I answered.

Henry sighed leaning back against his desk. “I suppose I'm
the one to make the announcement.” He hung his head. “What do you think this
will do regarding Isaura?” He didn't want some of the women turning to support
her.

“We make her a saint, after we kill her,” I remarked.

As the sky grew dark, I slipped on a dark red strapless dress
and Joshua put on a nice pair of slacks and dress shirt for the evening
festivities. I felt the slight bubble of excitement brewing within me. “Nervous?”
I felt Joshua's breath on my ear as he'd snuck up behind me in the bathroom.

“No reason to be.” I smiled into my reflection in the
mirror. I fixed my hair, curling the ends before following Joshua down to the
city square. I wanted to look amazing for tonight. The city square that used to
be no larger than a few hundred feet now stretched for half a mile. Spade had
grown and with the hard work and dedication put forth, the town was spending
the evening celebrating. We had all earned it and I looked forward to the
festivities, music, food and dancing.

I took Joshua's arm and together we headed down the stone
corridor. There was no forgetting tonight as from the moment we stepped out of
our room we could hear the music and excitement from below. Walking out into
the night air, I pulled Joshua close to keep warm.

“Hi, Olivia!” Elsa waved to me as I held Joshua's hand. We
mixed in with the crowd. Music filled the air and candles encased in colored
blown glass hung overhead to offer a beautiful ambience along with some light.

Joshua tugged my hand, pulling me tighter. His lips brushed
my ear and I smiled, glancing at him. “What's that?” I asked, having missed
what he'd said. It was loud and though I tried to focus on his words it was
difficult with the music and commotion. I had also been a terrible lip-reader
and every time I attempted to figure out what he said, I failed.

Happy Anniversary
. He smiled and my eyes lit up like
the stars in the night sky. Had I forgotten it was today? I laughed, smiling as
I pulled him tight into my arms and planted a kiss to his lips.
Just kidding
.
Joshua laughed aloud and I breathed a sigh of relief, shaking my head in
dismay.

“I can't believe you!” My voice barely reached his ears, but
he heard me. My cheeks reddened from the embarrassment of having been caught.

Joshua smiled, shaking his head. “Me? You don't even know
when our anniversary is.”

“Which one?” I smirked. “We have technically been married
twice now.” I dropped another kiss to his lips, laughing as I pulled away. My
hand stayed planted in his as I pulled him towards the upbeat music, dancing
with the crowd. I wanted to be a part of it. Forgetting all we'd been through,
unwinding for the night and just letting it all go.

Maybe it wasn't our anniversary. Maybe there'd been too much
going on to remember the exact date that we'd been wed in front of our friends
and family. I hadn't cared. I had Joshua and he had me. I danced like there was
no tomorrow. My feet spinning and hands clapping with the music as the song
changed but I never stopped. I never let up. Not for an instant. I didn't want
to forget this memory. Even if the date I wouldn't remember, this moment I
would for the rest of my life.

The party had been much too short. Henry had announced the
news of the thirteen women who were pregnant and that there was a possibility
all the women who had been under Isaura's influence in Torv may in fact be
fertile. The crowd buzzed with electricity at the news and the excitement
roared within Spade.

Inside our quarters I slipped out of my dress and into
pajamas while Joshua changed before climbing into bed. “What a night.” I
slipped in beside him.