Ruth Silver - Isaura

I’d been to Haven once, six months after my escape. The town was in the process of rebuilding, it would take years to fully reconstruct what had been torn down. The rubble was hauled away and stones were being laid in its place, and buildings began to take shape. I offered to help rebuild Haven, but Henry insisted I was needed in Spade. I didn’t argue. With the infertility treatments lasting longer than Joshua and I had hoped, it was best to not overtax our usage of Mindonsiphan. Elsa suggested that overexertion may have caused the initial treatments not to work.

In two years, seventy-five new babies had been born. Every mother had survived labor: It was truly a miracle. It was difficult to know if the children harbored the same abilities as their biological parents from Mindonsiphan, but every so often something strange would happen and a parent would insist their child was special. No one would tell them otherwise, the fact children were being born naturally again was special.

In a few years’ time, the new generation of children would start school. If they were anything like Adelaide, everyone in Spade would know. I was excited by the changes we’d made and the differences we shared.

Adelaide had moved in with Ainsley, the test results sealed tightly in an envelope. Neither had the courage to open and Ainsley thought it best to wait, fearful Adelaide might pull away if the results weren’t what they’d both hoped.

Today wasn’t only a celebration of freedom from the Republic of Cabal but of hope. Humanity would live on. Albeit some women grew restless, missing their husbands and their old homes, so Hunter and Gavin decided to chance a mission to Torv to bring the men to Spade. It had been a long overdue promise, pushed aside in fear of war. Henry couldn’t hold out much longer. The catch: it might be a one-way ticket for Hunter and Gavin if caught. Spade would have to deny everything to prevent war. It was risky. I wasn’t thrilled that both my father and uncle planned to go. They were the last bit of biological family I had left. I hadn’t heard from my mother and doubted I ever would. I wasn’t welcome in Genesis and the only person I trusted to find her was Gavin. I didn’t think she’d speak to him, I know I hadn’t wanted to the first time I saw him in Torv.

“You’re leaving?” I wrapped my arms around Gavin’s neck. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

“Just for a little while, kiddo. You know it’s got to be done.” Gavin patted my back.

For the first time, I wasn’t jealous about his trip to Torv or that I was staying in Spade. Gavin and Hunter hopefully wouldn’t be recognized. They hadn’t gotten caught on previous missions to Torv. Pulling back, I stared down at the ground, a faint smile on my lips. “You better come home in one piece. I have some news you’ll want to hear when you get back.” I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again.

“And what news is that?” Gavin asked, pushing a lock of blonde behind my ear.

“You come home,” I insisted, “and I’ll tell you then.” I wasn’t going to do this, say goodbye. I gave Gavin and then Hunter one last hug. I wouldn’t say the words. “Be safe,” I offered with a weak smile.

“Take care of her.” Gavin glared at Joshua before offering a friendly hug.

Joshua stood beside me and wrapped an arm around my waist as Gavin and Hunter climbed into the car. We stood outside the gates of Spade, just beyond the wall. Nothing but dirt and fields stretched on for miles.

“You could have told him,” he whispered into my ear as I smiled sadly, waving goodbye.

“I know.” I didn’t want to jinx it.

The engine of the car roared to life. Gavin and Hunter waved as they pulled away from Spade and headed south. The car sped away in the distance until I couldn’t see it anymore.

“You miss them,” Joshua whispered against my ear.

“Of course I do.” Gavin hadn’t always been there for me, but recently he showed he’d grown up, become a man. I appreciated what he’d done, helped me find Joshua and helped rescue me and the other women from Torv. I would always be grateful for his actions. He’d proven himself with time. He’d slowly grown to become a father to me.

“He’ll come home,” Joshua assured me as much as himself. He took my hand and led me back through the gates into Spade.

“Where are we going?” I asked as we walked through the city center.

“Tonight is a celebration of our independence,” Joshua reminded me. I didn’t feel like celebrating. Two people I cared for had traveled into the unknown. They planned to smuggle people out of Torv. If the Republic of Cabal wasn’t as terrible as Cabal had once been, they’d be allowed to leave willingly. None of us knew what to expect. Two years was a long time. Changes would have happened within the new government and with Isaura gone for good, no one in Spade knew what was going on down south. We’d kept our distance, as promised. “I think it should also a celebration for something else,” he reminded me.

I felt the smile grow on my lips as my hand stretched over my abdomen. In a few months we were going to be parents. I hadn’t always felt ready but now I looked forward for what was to come.

Three months passed and with it, Gavin and Hunter returned with two of the women’s husbands from Torv. I hadn’t seen either of them yet and was excited to share the news with both my father and uncle.

“You’ll see them at dinner,” Joshua assured me. “In the meantime you should rest.” He was concerned if I was anxious it could cause me to miscarry. I pushed all thoughts aside as I rested a hand on my swollen abdomen.

“I want to see them now.” I couldn’t wait. I didn’t have the patience for it. “Help me find them.” I slipped into a pair of shoes and headed out the door.

“Pretty soon we’re going to need to find another place to live.” I shot him a look. “I don’t mean outside of Spade,” Joshua clarified. “There just isn’t enough room for all of us in the bedroom.”

Stepping outside, the sun was high up in the sky and forced me to squint as my eyes adjusted to the light. “I know. We’ll talk about that later. I need to see Gavin and Hunter.” I wanted to know they were home and all right.

Together we descended down towards the city square.

“Olivia!” Henry called and I spun around, finding him poking his head out of his office. “Do you have a few minutes?”

My eyes lit up the moment I saw Gavin and Hunter behind him. “You’re home,” I breathed a sigh of relief. Walking in past Henry I wrapped my arms around Gavin, pulling him tight to me, as much as I could.

“Wow, you’re pregnant.” Gavin glanced from my stomach back up to my face. “Congratulations! When did this happen?” he asked, surprised.

“Six months ago,” I confessed. “And it’s twins.”

Hunter laughed. “Really?”

Joshua snaked his arm around my waist as he stood beside me. “We’re excited,” he answered. “A little nervous, but I know Olive is going to be a great mother.”

I blushed and quickly changed the subject. “So you made it home safely,” I beamed, glad they were both alive and well. “How did the trip to Torv go?”

Hunter glanced at Gavin before answering, “We were able to bring back two men with us. The rest who wanted to be reunited with the families in Spade were provided a map. We suggested they make travel arrangements with one another. It’s safer in large numbers.”

“That wasn’t all we did,” Gavin offered. “I was just telling Henry about the first draft of a treaty that would cease any and all fighting between our nations. Truth is–” he paused. “They need our help. After Isaura died, the women who were part of her experiments were released back into the population of Torv. Almost overnight fires erupted in buildings, and minor earthquakes occurred. The women treated with Mindonsiphan have no idea what they’re capable of doing and no control over their abilities. They’re volatile and the Republic of Cabal has rounded them up into camps. They don’t know how else to protect the rest of its citizens.”