recruits and a few other members of Shadow. Our house had been situated west of the main road. The council members all lived on the south side of Shadow. I never asked why. It hadn't crossed my mind. I had just been glad we had someplace to live. He pulled out a key from his pocket and led me to the front door of a two-story cottage. “This is home.”
“For a few weeks?” I guessed. “Until the house is fixed up?”
“No,” Joshua shook his head. “The Chancellor was serious, as am I. We're going to live here now, where it's safer.”
“How is this any safer?” It wasn't as though I didn't like our little home near the infirmary and the center of town. I just didn't see how moving a block south would protect us.
“Well for starters, our home is heated without the use of a wood-burning stove,” he informed me. “No chance of smoke inhalation, at least from that. I can't promise what'll happen if you get behind the stove and cook,” Joshua teased as he unlocked the front door, leading me inside.
I stepped in first, glancing around, surprised by the size of the home. “Wow,” I breathed, turning around to face Joshua. “We don't need anything this big.”
“Maybe not,” he shrugged. “But it's ours. Remember how Jaxon kept telling us if we passed the tests it was a lucrative job?” He leaned in and kissed me softly.
“Then why did they put us up in the other house if this is where the recruits live?” I didn't understand.
Joshua grimaced. “I suppose it's my fault. I told them I wanted the simplest place for us. That we didn't need anything except each other,” he confessed. “I missed Genesis and a part of me hoped that if we lived in simplicity it would remind me of that.” I stared at him, seeing something else flash across his eyes. “I'm sorry,” he breathed and I understood why. If we'd come here first, I never would have ended up in the infirmary.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I'm not mad at you,” I told him. “How could I be?” I mused, kissing his cheek before letting go. I took his hand, guiding him with me through the home for our own private tour. “This place, wow.” I shook my head in wonder, amazed that the home was furnished and stocked with food.
“I know.” he nodded as we walked from one room to the next. It was ours and the fact that we didn't have to share it with the other recruits made it even better. Together we walked upstairs, finding three bedrooms.
“Why so many rooms?” A part of me knew the answer and another part still felt compelled to ask. Joshua tugged my hand, pulling me into his embrace as he stared at me for a long moment.
“One day, we may want to start a family together.” He breathed against my skin. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his. I wasn't ready yet and I didn't think Joshua was either, but just the fact we could have a family and could have two children of our own was something to be grateful for. I let out a nervous breath, pulling back as my hand stayed tight in his.
“Time to see our bedroom.” I smiled, pulling him with me. My eyes glanced over the room, still not believing this place was ours. Walking further in, my fingers brushed over the powder blue bedspread. I shifted to sit down, only now realizing how warm and toasty our home was. “How does the heat in this place work?” I asked, lying back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling with a smile.
“Solar energy. There are panels on the roof actively working to produce solar heat or air in the summer,” Joshua explained. “It's part of the newer technology that Shadow uses. As is this,” he told me, walking over and pushing a button on the wall. The blinds slowly shut. “Vertical blinds.” He smiled. “They have complete black-out properties to ensure no drones or soldiers can see the lights on from outside. They automatically close at sundown unless we adjust the settings,” he assured me. “We'll finally have electricity at night again.”
“Wow.” I didn't know what to say. I pushed myself off the bed and glanced from room to room upstairs before heading back down to the main floor.
“I have a surprise for you,” he told me as we reached the bottom stair by the foyer. “Close your eyes,” he told me. I shut them and he grabbed my hand, leading me further into the house. “No peeking,” he insisted as we walked several feet before stopping. “You can open them.”
My eyes opened and, though the vertical blinds were still shut, Joshua had turned the lights on in the house. My eyes moved over the warm yellow painted walls towards the bookshelf.
“Like it?” I felt Joshua's breath at my neck.
“It's amazing,” I whispered, turning in every direction, seeing books lining the shelves and a plush red sofa to sit on. Joshua knew about my love of reading but I hadn't been spoiled with books before, never like this. “How did you manage it?” I asked, turning in his grasp, wrapping my arms around his neck. I knew it must have cost a fortune, considering how rare books were in Shadow.
“That would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it?” He kissed me softly and I pulled him to the sofa, sighing in comfort as we sat down together.
“It wouldn't for me.” I shook my head, staring at him. “I don't know how you did this, Joshua. All I can say is…”
He cut me off. “Wow?” He teased, leaning in and stealing another kiss.
“I was going to go with 'thank you,’” I remarked. “But yes, wow is another good word for it.” I reached out, resting my hand on his thigh. “Are you going to give me a hint how you managed to acquire all these books?” I could tell most of them had been read and some had quite a bit of age to them but I didn't care. New books were incredibly hard to come by.
Joshua grinned, staring at the shelf on the wall where the books were situated. “Let's just say I know how to make friends,” he teased.
“And I don't?” My jaw dropped in mock anger. My fingers reached out, tickling him.
Joshua laughed. “Are you sure you want to go there? Do you remember who won the last time we did this?”
My eyes narrowed and I dropped my hands. “Fine. Fine. Know that this isn't over yet,” I told him, standing up.
Joshua watched me and finally stood up to follow. “Where are you going?”
I glanced back over my shoulder at him as I headed into the kitchen. “I'm hungry,” I remarked. After all, I hadn't eaten much breakfast. “Then I'm taking a shower.” I was covered in grime and smoke. After lunch and a nice hot shower, I climbed onto the sofa, having grabbed a book from the shelf. It was on Greek mythology. I didn't know much about Greek history or its mythology. The cover looked old and worn, from more than a lifetime ago. I shouldn't have been surprised. Most books came from hundreds of years ago. Few of them had been reprinted. It was rare to find a press in any city. Genesis only allowed printing of sanctioned materials. I glanced at Joshua, wondering how he'd acquired so many used books.
“What are you reading?” Josh asked, climbing onto the sofa beside me.
“
Joshua laughed. “You know I'm not a little kid,” he teased. I nodded but didn't care. I wanted us to share something together. “Okay, go for it.” Joshua smiled. “What legend are we reading about today?”
“Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.” I turned to the first chapter. “The three Moirai.”
“What does that mean?” Joshua asked.
I laughed, “Will you let me read or not?” He smiled but didn't answer. “The Moirai were responsible for every mortal from birth to death. Clotho spun the thread of life. Lachesis measured the thread and Atropos cut the thread, ending one's life. They’re destiny, if you would —though no human could blame the Moirai—for we are responsible for our own failures.”
“Free will.” Joshua nodded slowly. “Do you believe in destiny?” He stared at me curiously.
I glanced up at him, thinking about his question. “I don't know. I don't think our life is laid out for us. We have the right to make it, however we choose,” I answered. “Though the authorities in Cabal would disagree. We still have the ability to choose. We face consequences though, based on those choices, our actions.”
Joshua stared at me. “But the question is, do you believe in destiny? Do you believe that even with free will, some choices are still the same? Say, for instance, you and I were best friends as children and now, we're engaged.” Joshua smiled. “I'd say that's destiny.”
I disagreed. “What one might consider destiny could be completely chance, or rather chaos,” I rationalized. “It was men who decided we'd be matched together in marriage.”
Joshua considered my words. “How did those men decide though?” He pushed on. “Was it not destiny that brought us together? We were the same age, born in the same town. Soul mates.” He grinned, enjoying the
