Fated Insurrection (Book 3)

Chapter 3

"There is in every woman's heart
a spark of heavenly fire,
which lies dormant in the
broad daylight of prosperity;
but which kindles up, and
beams and blazes in the
dark hour of adversity."

~~Washington Irving

****************

~Nevada~

Michael still hadn't woken up by the time night fell. Nova and I had taken turns checking on him while someone hovered outside the room. Nova had bandaged all of the deeper cuts, applying a salve he had concocted from plants in the garden that would help reduce the fever in his skin along with the pain. I was fascinated and made him promise to teach me in the days to come. Something told me it would come in hand.

My mother hadn't come out of her room yet and I remembered how she had been after we thought Ashira had died. It broke my heart, knowing there was nothing I could do to ease her pain. She felt more and more like my real mom every day but this wasn't something I could just make okay again. There would be no kind words or consoling actions that could right the wrong that had been done.

Dominic had confided in me that Alana had eventually cried herself to sleep, leaving the both of us feeling lost and wanting to help. An idea kept bouncing around in the back of my mind, taunting me with its possibilities but I did my best to ignore it.

Our small group moved through the day in an almost automated way, mindless chores and repetitive training consuming our thoughts as best as possible. August did his best to keep a calm mask but I saw through it, every time he thought I wasn't watching or when his eyes would clash with Robbie's.

There was an undercurrent of tension inside the house, acknowledged but not verbalized because to do so would bring it all to life. Nova and I trained harder than ever and, despite August's unappreciative glare, we managed to uproot and replant a century old Oak tree at the back of the garden. Nova and I had celebrated although the feat was pointless in itself, it was proof that we could do more and without disaster following in our wake. It was progress nonetheless.

It wasn't until late that night, as I stared up at my ceiling in the dark, that I began to entertain the niggling suggestion that had plagued me throughout the day. I knew it was risky and that I didn't need to be alone, but if I even mentioned the idea to August... well he would be less than thrilled at the very least.

August and Robbie were patrolling and would be almost continuously for the foreseeable future, which left Nova and I alone in our beds. As quietly as I could, I crept to Nova's room and tapped on the door. He opened it a moment later, clothes rumpled but by the look on his face he hadn't been able to sleep either.

"Still awake, huh?" Nova commented, stepping aside to let me in.

I wrung my hands nervously, already starting to pace across his carpet. With a sigh, Nova switched on his bedside lamp and perched on the edge of his mattress.

"Alright, out with it before you pop," he demanded, watching me fidget.

"Okay, so uh, you know how my mom is having... difficulties, obviously," I began, stumbling over my words, "and we all know she wants answers and we do too of course. I mean, I'm sure everyone wants answers except maybe for the person... well maybe people for all I know, that did it. Maybe it was a group of -"

"Nevada!" Nova said loudly, startling me and halting my rambling. "Focus."

"Right, sorry," I grimaced, beginning to pace again.