Moirai (17 page)

Chloe glanced at me before returning her attention to
Zarrah. “Tell him, he can ask me himself.”

Zarrah sighed, “He said he couldn't do that right now,
since you've got company.” She gestured towards us.

“It's okay. If you need to go speak with your husband,” I
said, “we can wait here or he can come over. We'll make room,” I offered,
trying my best to be polite. I didn't quite feel it appropriate to ask any
personal questions, certainly not with her daughter at the table.

Joshua nudged me under the table, his knee intentionally
brushing mine.

What?
I asked without moving my lips.

I don't want you to panic but I think I see your
father
. Joshua hadn't stopped staring towards the right, in the direction
Zarrah had come from. I shifted, catching where Joshua's gaze was, and looked
over, seeing an older gentleman with the blackest hair and the brownest eyes
staring over at us. Even more than a decade later, he'd barely changed.

I shook my head no, in denial. It couldn't be him. He was
dead. I was certain he was dead. My mother had buried him, at least I thought
she had. I could still remember the funeral as though it were yesterday. Could
he have another brother? I sat frozen as he slowly walked closer, and the room
seemed to spin with his movements. As he approached I saw how tall he was, just
as my father had been, slightly over six-foot. The resemblance was more than
uncanny. I didn't want it to be my father; knowing he was alive meant the worst
thing possible. He wasn't the man I believed in all those years. One hand held
my fork, the other reached down, gripping Joshua's thigh as I tried not to
tremble. I was not ready for this.

I'm not going anywhere
. I was thankful that I
could hear his thoughts, know he spoke the truth and that it was something only
we shared together. I gave the faintest of nods and quickly averted my eyes,
but it was too late. He now stood to the right of Zarrah and fast approached
us.

My breath caught in my throat, and I dropped my fork. It
would have clashed loudly had the room not been pure chaos. Each moment seemed
to last a lifetime and all I could think was what I would say to a man I
thought had died more than a decade ago.

His eyes never left mine and even as I tried to look
away, I could feel his intense gaze. He stopped and paused as he reached Chloe,
dropping a kiss to the top of her head. She turned around surprised and then
relieved. “Oh good, you're here.” Chloe turned back towards us. “This is my
husband, Gavin.” Staring up at him, I felt a chill course through my body as I
stared into his eyes. They were darker than I remembered.

“I know,” I nodded. My eyes narrowed, and my hand grabbed
the fork, stabbing the meat on my plate before shoving it into my mouth.

Zarrah frowned, glancing at her father, and then at me.
“What does she mean, she knows?” Zarrah questioned, half forgetting I sat
across from them.

Gavin sighed, resting his hands on his wife's shoulders
as he stood behind her. “Olivia is my daughter.”

“Was,” I corrected him, refusing to look up at him. “I
wouldn't call us related anymore. You died when I was five.”

“Olive.” His voice was soft, tentative. It made my blood
boil.

“Don't!” I screamed, my voice piercing through the noise
and above it. Slowly, people turned from their seats, curious what caused the
commotion. “Don't ever call me that,” I warned him. “We are nothing, you and I.
We're certainly not family.” I spat at the idea, disgusted.

“We are family, whether you want to see it or not,” Gavin
answered calmly. He was a little too calm, considering he hadn't seen me, his
daughter, in more than ten years. I was shocked! “You owe me a thank you.” He
stared at me. I avoided his gaze. “Both of you together, that's my doing,” he
boasted, proud of his accomplishments. “I know you're angry, I get that,
Olivia, but, if it weren't for me, you'd be dead or married to some Levi guy.”
My face paled and I lost my appetite.

Joshua cleared his throat. “What are you talking about?”
This involved him as much as me.

Gavin smiled. “I thought you'd want to know, Josh. You
were a good kid, your mom and I best friends when we were younger. She knew my
predicament. Eventually, I'd have to get Olivia out of Genesis and who better
to trust than a friend. Seems fitting that you both became friends, didn't even
have to force it.” He looked smug.

Joshua's face turned red as he stood up, jumping up and
over the table, throwing a punch at Gavin's face. Gavin didn't have time to
move. It landed square on his jaw. “You're a coward!” he spat, “leaving your
wife and daughter behind. Don't pretend you know her or anything about us.”
Joshua's voice was laced with anger and hatred as he threw another punch at
Gavin only to find his arms being restrained by the guard that was supposed to
protect me.

I stood up, no longer hungry and wanting nothing more
than to be far from Torv and even farther from Gavin. I couldn't watch the
fight and didn't want Gavin to see the tears that were threatening my eyes. My
heart ached as I headed for the nearest exit out of the cafeteria which seemed
to be miles away. I was turned around. Finding a door, I pushed it open,
realizing I was in a back stairwell. “Just great!” I screamed, slamming my
hands against the wall in frustration. Swallowing the building anger, I ran up
the stairs, one flight at a time until I felt myself out of breath. Then I
walked the remainder to our floor. Pushing the door open, I headed through the
long corridor and around the corner only to see the guard hovering in front of
Joshua's door.

“I'm going to have to report you.”

“So do it!” I could hear Joshua's retort as I slowly
walked down the length of the hall towards his room. “Gavin is a jerk.”

“He is,” I breathed, knowing it was true. I approached
the open door, giving a knock.

“I was wondering where you've been.” Joshua gave me a
weak smile. “Seems I'm under house arrest.” He gestured towards the guard
standing outside the room.

“Fighting isn't condoned in Torv,” Kelvin answered. “I'd
have ignored it if it wasn't in front of the entire cafeteria. My hands are
tied.”

“So what does that mean?” I asked, coming to sit on the
bed beside Joshua.

“In most circumstances, you break the rules and you’re
sent into the militia.”

“Okay.” That surprised me. “Joshua isn't a citizen of
Torv though,” I reminded the guard, “so does that mean he'll be sent home?” I
hoped that was what it meant. I didn't want him to be forced to join Torv's
military.

“In all likelihood, yes.”

I leaned in, brushing my lips over Joshua's as my fingers
played in the nape of his neck. “So I guess our vacation to Torv will be cut
short.”

“No,” Joshua sighed as he pulled back slightly before
leaning in, taking another taste. “You came here for a reason, you should
finish what's been started.”

“You mean kill Gavin?” I joked.

“Well, at the very least beat him to a pulp.” He smiled
between kisses. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I whispered against his lips.

“Do you think it's true?” He sighed, closing his eyes as
he leaned his forehead against mine.

“Which part?” I asked. “That he kept me from marrying
Levi Keller?” I blanched at the thought. “I should be
so
grateful.” I
smiled as Joshua's eyes shined. “Doesn't mean I'm forgiving him.”

“He doesn't deserve your forgiveness. Not for what he
did, leaving you, making you believe he was dead. All he knows are lies.”

I was there when his casket was lowered into the ground.
I grieved for him. The man I believed a hero was not the same man I had met
just minutes ago.

“I want to go home.”

“All in due time,” he whispered against my ear before
pulling back. “You know after this you and Jaxon are going to Genesis.” I
didn't answer right away; it was something I wasn't ready to talk about. “I
could come with you.”

“That's not part of the plan.” I smiled, knowing in my
heart it was what I wanted. My feet dangled off the bed as I brushed my
shoulder against his. “Our risk would increase tenfold if you came with us.”

“You don't trust me?” Joshua was surprised.

“No!” I laughed, shaking my head. “Quite the opposite. I
don't trust myself,” I clarified. “With you and me back in Genesis, it'll be
like old times. We can't act like we know each other. It's going to be tough
enough getting me inside the walls without rousing suspicion.”

“Jaxon's taking care of it.”

“That makes me nervous.” I laughed anxiously. “Besides,
you have your part and I have mine.”

I felt his lips graze my cheek as he pulled me back
against the mattress.

We shouldn't be talking about this where they can hear
us. I'm not sure we can trust them yet.
With Kelvin standing guard and
reporting on Joshua's behavior, we couldn't take any chances that they'd learn
our plans.

I felt his lips set fire to my heart as he kissed a path
across my neck and down to my stomach. My fingers tangled in his hair, and I
pulled him up to my level.
We're not doing this with the door open
. I
grinned.

Actually, we were
. Joshua laughed, pulling back
slightly as he rested his head beside mine on the pillow.

“Thanks for standing up for me today.” I didn't mind if
the guard heard us now. “You didn't have to protect my honor or anything, but I
appreciate that you did.”

Joshua grinned. “You mean when I hit Gavin? That wasn't
for you.” He nudged me. “That was because he put me in the middle and I wasn't
having any of it.”

Whether he was joking or not, I didn't care. What he'd
done could have gotten him into a lot of trouble. “Thank you,” I breathed,
dropping a kiss to his lips. “For everything.” From outside the door, I could
hear a female clear her throat, trying to get our attention. “Elsa?” I motioned
for her to come inside the room.

“We're needed in the infirmary. One of the women has gone
into labor.”

Elsa gave Joshua an apologetic smile. “You're required to
stay in the dormitory. Kelvin will be coming with us. Can you handle staying
put for a few hours? Jaxon should be in his room shortly, you can stop by and
pay him a visit if you get bored.”

“It's fine,” Joshua answered. “I can manage a few hours
on my own.” He gave me a quick kiss goodbye.
Good luck
. I heard his
thoughts and gave a weak nod.

“Thanks.”

We headed down to the elevator and out the building.
Chloe drove, her foot hard on the gas as she rushed through town.

Pulling up to the side of the building with an abrupt
halt, we shuffled out of the car. Standing by the curb, I stared up at the
dirty white paint coating the outside of the building. Most of Torv seemed
well-kept but the hospital had an older appearance, darker and maybe even a bit
gloomy. Built of brick and four stories tall, it barely seemed capable of the
secrets held inside. I wasn't ready to help a woman give birth but this was why
I'd come to Torv. There was no turning back. The sign flickered on and off
reading “Hospital” as we entered in through the heavy metal doors. Bright
florescent lighting enveloped the halls as we were ushered through basic
security and provided with disposable scrubs to wear. “There are guards here?”
I asked, surprised to see their presence inside the walls. I didn't understand
why it was necessary to have them at the hospital.

Chloe sighed. “The women are already high-risk
pregnancies. It's not uncommon for someone to come into the city and consider
stealing a newborn, when they find out they're not from Genesis. In some ways,
it makes the children incredibly valuable. We fear the government will want one
of the children to study,” Chloe confessed. “As it is we pay protection by
offering some of our men for their military.” The armed guard protecting me
stayed outside with the other guards. He wasn't needed or invited inside the
maternity ward. I was relieved to get away from him for even a short while.

I sighed, now understanding why Torv was allowed to
exist. “How many men are sent to the military to serve?”

Chloe shrugged. “I'm not part of the high council, but I
would guess at least twenty percent, perhaps more? We offer our men every year
or sooner when their numbers grow weak. Those that don't follow the rules in
Torv, instead of finding themselves in prison, are shipped off to the militia.
It keeps our community filled with law-abiding citizens. In return the
government leaves our town alone. Without us their military wouldn't stand a
chance.”

“What about Haven?” I asked, as we headed towards the
maternity ward.

Chloe frowned. “What about it? We're allies with Haven.
Well, we were,” she acknowledged. “But the men who serve take orders from the
government.”

I couldn't believe it. “What happens if the government
instructed your men to destroy Torv?”

Chloe smiled, tight-lipped. “They wouldn't do that.” She
looked confident of her answer. I wasn't convinced. If they fought for the
government it was entirely possible they were being controlled by it as well.
“Enough talk of military and government,” she instructed us. “We are going in
to help a pregnant woman in labor. I need each of you to focus and follow my
instruction to the letter.”

As much as I despised Chloe right now, I also knew this
was why I came to Torv and I wasn't going to let a young woman who was about to
be a mother die, not if I could help stop it. I stepped past the double doors,
my eyes taking in the sights around me. The room was the same sickening shade
the outside had been painted, and, worse it smelled of disinfectant. I shivered
as goose bumps coated my skin: the temperature had dropped several degrees
inside the room. They must have been trying to make it comfortable for the
woman in labor. The window shades were drawn, keeping the room dark and private
as we were on the first floor.