Ninety One |
We stayed at the tower for two days and one night. Two days and one night that Sebastian didn't show up. Two days and one night I came to realize Lisa might have a crush on the new friend. Two days for me to realize Sebastian was not coming.
"We need to go today," I said as the sun began to set yet again.
Lisa paused from where she had been watching Oliver make arrows.
"Go where?" she asked curiously, "Shit, what is our next move?"
I grew silent. We wouldn't go anywhere, it would just put everyone in danger and yet I knew we weren't ready to face Maxwell. Slowly, I pulled out my father's book. Zero wanted to destroy this because of the knowledge it held. I hummed slowly, flipping over to a page Zero had flagged. My eyes widened, I knew this page!
Isle of Paradise. Bio-Gen's location, I had taken a brief trip there. It is closed off, they say the island is radioactive but this is not true. This is so they can work out of the eyes of anyone. They have a full village there, they've started building walls. Something is coming. I am suspicious. They are making this island fully self-serving. Why?
That's right, Bio-Gen had been the ones to really make the virus. My dad and Maxwell were simply their workers. That island, if it was self-serving back then, and it was so prepared for all of this, that meant that maybe they'd be the safest place to go. If that was true, that meant it was untouched by even Maxwell.
I gasped loudly.
"Mira?" Lisa asked curiously.
Could it be Maxwell feared that place?
"Then it's settled!" I laughed in delight, "We'll go to the island! Fuck you Maxwell!"
"An island?" Oliver asked.
I nodded, "You probably haven't heard of it, it was basically created by Bio-Gen. Oh, that was the people who were behind creating the cure, and the curse."
He tilted his head, those bright blue eyes peering from behind the skull, "Bio-Gen?"
"Have you heard of Eric Maxwell?" Lisa asked him.
Oliver was silent for a moment.
"I guess this is a lot to take in," I hummed softly.
"Ophelia."
We looked at him, "Huh?"
"Ophelia was taken by the tin men," he said quietly.
My hope deflated. Of course, what the hell was I thinking? If Maxwell was afraid of these people it must be for a reason. They were the ones who requested the end of the world after all. I sighed, and yet it was our best option against Maxwell. The question was, was it worth fight fire with fire?
"Do you want to talk about it?" Lisa asked him, placing her hand on his knee.
He paused, the skull moving to face Lisa, "Talk about what?"
"Ophelia," I cut in, "Wait, I know that name. Why do I know that name?"
He stood suddenly, "One. Shall I begin packing for our travel?"
I paused, one?
"Do you need help?" Lisa asked.
Oliver blinked down at her, "No."
Her eyes widened in embarrassment and I sighed, "Oliver she's asking if she can help you. Not if you're unable to do it yourself."
"Oh, then yes. If you want to help you can," he replied.
She smiled thankfully at me, "Thanks girly. I should phrase things differently."
"Why do you like him so much?" I asked, "I thought your type was town guards."
She looked at me and I found myself growing surprised. There was an excitement and happiness in her eyes that I hadn't seen before.
Actually, now that we were on the move I did notice she was happier. I hadn't even considered how different she was from the people at the Town of Roses. She was certainly a wolf of the Wolf Cove, those tribal tattoos were evidence of that. And yet, I've always noticed how annihilated she was in the Cove.
Now that I really thought about it, she always seemed much more comfortable in our little band of misfits. She certainly was louder with us around.
"Because he's so damn weird," she laughed, "He fits in well with us, don't you think?"
Then she was gone, stepping down the stairs after him.
I chuckled, before noticing Owl had stayed behind, sitting at my feet.
"Hey boy," I whispered patting his head.
I leaned my back against the wall, looking back down at the book.
One: Ophelia (no last name).
Bio-Gen took her from an orphanage, bribed off the director. She's two years older than Erin. Maxwell is taken in children, I presume to mock my experiments. I'm not worried, the agent I made is specially for Erin's blood. However, I know they have other scientists on this case, and if I'm being truthful, I'm sure the child won't survive.
They're cruel. I should have never agreed to their terms.
Two: Leon Piers.
It's interesting, he has a sister, and yet he was the only one tested on. I'm sure these two are Pier's children. It's interesting that he gave Maxwell the boy and not the girl. Maybe Piers has an ounce of morals left inside his brain, or maybe he's saving the girl for his own experiments. I pray Erin never has to learn how cruel these doctors truly are.
Three: Arribella (no last name).
I don't know anything about this subject other than she is in Maxwell's care.
"Mira."
I looked up, Lisa had returned, worry on her face.
I smiled, "What's up?"
"I'm sorry, I should have checked in with you before running off with Oliver," she whispered kneeling down in front of me, "Are you...ok?"
I paused for a moment, debating her question.
Was I ok?
"No," I admitted, "I miss him. I'm worried about him."
She sighed, "I know. We're going to pack up, and then we'll go after him."
I nodded, "Right."
There was a horrible sinking feeling in my chest. Something was wrong, I didn't know what but something was terribly, terribly wrong. As much as I fought that feeling I knew it had to do with Sebastian. He would have arrived by now if he was coming.
He wasn't coming.
Something had happened.
"Awe. Don't you like my gift?"
My eyes widened in horror.
What if his gift wasn't given yet. What if his gift had to do with Sebastian's disappearance? A hot rage filled me. Now I knew why he just left the way he did, he knew we'd come after him.
"Lisa," I whispered.
She tilted her head, "What is it—what's wrong?"
"I think that man, the one who controls the dogs," I said quickly, "I think he has Sebastian. I think he's trying to lure us out."
Her eyes widened, "Ok slow down."
I shook my head, "You don't understand! He's a Maxwell dog too, which means he knows Sebastian's strength and weakness. He knows how to hurt him. We don't even know where they are, for sure not yet at the City of Ash."
"Owl can track him."
We both looked over at the entrance. I gasped, standing to my feet and moving over to him. That's right! Cat's could track things right? Hopeful tears sprang to my eyes, I wanted to show him that I was back.
"H-How?" I asked.
He hummed, "He tracks all the animal walkers. We hunt them."
My eyes widened, "Why?"
"Animal Walkers killed our family. We kill them now."
I was surprised and curious. I wanted to know more about Oliver, he was certainly an interesting character and we were so different yet alike in so many ways. It was curious, from what I gathered we both grew up in this world alone. And yet, our paths had become so different.
"What are we waiting for?" Lisa laughed, "Let's go save that idiot!"
Now, tears sprang to my eyes for a different reason, "You guys..."
"Bitch save the tears," Lisa snapped, "We gotta go."
I nodded, wiping my face, "Right."
Maxwell could underestimate me all he wanted, I'd show him the subject he couldn't contain.