“What is it?” he asked finding his way slowly across the homes and destruction towards me. I handed him the tin container with three syringes remaining.
“Henry.” I pushed it towards him. “If he’s still got a pulse, you have to try and save him.”
Joshua took the box and disappeared with it, back over the rubble to where he’d left a dying Henry.
“We found Elsa!” Cate called from thirty feet away. “She’ll be okay!”
How had they gotten separated? Had Adelaide needed Mindonsiphan to travel through the portal? Obviously it was unstable, tossing us in different directions, but I was the one to blame. I should have protected her. I should have done more, been there for her. I wiped the last tear as I held Adelaide in my arms. I didn’t know if there were any other survivors buried alive or dying. I didn’t have the energy to sift through and search for loved ones. I should have, but I was unable to move from the very spot with Adelaide in my arms.
“Get up!” I heard a woman’s voice, sharp and crisp, commanding. I sniffled once, turning my head to see who it was. Her raven hair and emerald eyes I could never quite forget, Isaura. Standing with her were six goons as she carried a long blade. A sword of some kind. I recognized her. She’d been in Torv at the representatives meeting. She’d spoken to me when I’d come for help. When Joshua had been taken.
“I know you,” I breathed carefully putting Adelaide down as I stood, holding my arms up in surrender. “Why are you here?”
“For you, dear princess,” she mocked and my eyes moved over her men. Two of them I recognized as well. They’d been the outlaws who had accosted us on our way to Haven, the other four I didn’t recognize. All looked untrustworthy. “Come with us,” she demanded and I felt two sets of arms on me, one at either side as they lifted me off the ground. I kicked and flailed.
“Put me down!” I demanded, my eyes narrowing as I whipped my arm out and around knocking the one man to the ground before kicking at my assailant. Two were down. It didn’t take much until I felt the tip of the sword at my throat.
“Try that again and I will slice you open. Orders were to bring you in alive. They didn’t say unharmed.” Her tone mocked me as her emerald eyes glowed.
“What are you?” I hissed, watching as two other men grabbed my arms and pushed me down onto the rubble on my knees.
“Your only ally,” she smiled wickedly. She gestured towards the men as they lifted me to my feet.
“Put her down!” I heard the tiny, fragile voice, but it was commanding and defiant. Little Adelaide wasn’t afraid. For almost seven, she looked a few years older. Adelaide came running at full speed towards the men who held my arms tight. She ignored the ash and debris as she ran with bare feet kicking down one man and the other, grabbing my arm but I was unable to move.
Isaura laughed, eyeing Adelaide. “Nice try, child.” She smirked, stepping towards me with a dark smile on her face.
“Adelaide, run!” I screamed. I wanted to move, to kick and scream and fight, but found my body incapable. Grateful I could still speak, my eyes found hers. “Run!” I told her again, hoping Joshua could hear me and at the same time wishing he couldn’t. Isaura would likely hurt him, too. Joshua, this is bad. Get out of here, now! I thought to him, hoping he’d listen to me.
Adelaide’s eyes widened in horror as she saw Isaura take after her and she ran fast and hard disappearing further into Shadow.
Isaura smiled turning back towards me. “Very well. It’s just you and me, for now.” She beamed quite proudly.
“What do you want?” I asked, trying to move, but still finding it impossible.
Isaura waved a hand and I felt my body no longer trapped. I eyed my surroundings. “Don’t even try it,” she warned me. “You may have been given a drug to heighten your abilities, Olivia, but I’ve been given something much more powerful.”
“What?” I asked not knowing if she’d confess what she was up to and who she was precisely. “Why are you here? Why are you doing this?”
Isaura laughed. “You don’t know?” She said. “I came for Collins. I got what I wanted.” The smile grew on her face. “He’s dead, as is the rest of your pretty little town.” Her tone dripped with hatred and I felt a shudder coarse through my body.
“What was it you wanted, Isaura?”
“You,” she smiled, staring at me. “You, Olivia.”
Olivia, where are you? I heard Joshua’s voice as Isaura stood before me.
Just get out of here, Joshua! Make a portal to Spade. I wanted them to be safe. They needed to be safe.
I can’t do that. I heard his voice and shook my head. “Damn it!” I screamed. Please just do it! I’ll be fine! I doubted he’d listen to me but what other choice did I have? I couldn’t risk Adelaide’s life or Joshua’s. If I was what Isaura wanted, she could have me.
CHAPTER 8
“What do you want with me?” I stared up at Isaura, unafraid and unwilling to let her scare me.
“It’s not only you I want.” Her voice dripped like honey and she pulled me closer. Her nails pierced my arm, certain to leave a mark. I refused to flinch. I didn’t want her to know she could hurt me. “It’s what you’re worth.”
“This is because I can get pregnant?” I wasn’t an idiot. The world seemed to now know who I was by now.
She let go of me, studying the marks she’d left on my arms. “One of many reasons. You are not the only one treated with what Collins referred to as Mindonsiphan.”
I didn’t say anything. Unwilling to attest that she was right, that there were others. “You don’t have to answer me, Olivia. I know the truth. I’m one of them now.” The smile lit up her face. “It wasn’t hard, considering he had the syringes in his hand when the city had fallen.”
“You did this!”
She waved her arms around. “All of this, of course,” Isaura boasted. “I’d hoped you’d come later when I could have glamoured the city, but all worked out in the end for me. In fact, everyone thinks Joshua is dead and soon they’ll think Craynor killed you, as well. No one will have any idea what I’ve been up to.”