if their heart rate exceeds 110 beats per minute, they’ll pass out. I came across it while trying to develop a copy of the X Vaccine, and it proved to be quite handy. By morning, all of them will be infected, and any little hint of excitement will render them useless,” he continued proudly.
“What about Josiah’s guards?” I asked, even though I wanted to know about Jo.
“They should be pretty easy to keep under control, but to be safe, we’ve planned to slip a pretty potent sleep powder into their morning coffee,” Cyler explained.
“So this whole time you’ve known?” I was still trying to wrap my head around this strange situation.
“You were the only unknown,” Jacob explained.
Kemper got up and grabbed my hand, guiding me from my closet and back to the floor. He sat behind me and placed both legs on either side of me. I was positioned so that if I leaned back, my shoulders would collide with his chest.
“We know how you feel about Josiah, and we didn’t want you to feel pulled in either direction. Tomorrow, we will explain that we have apprehended his guards, and that he will need to be on the next train to Galla. We can assume that Josiah will be asking you to join him. Please forgive us for keeping you in the dark,” Kemper said while pinching my curls in his hands.
It suddenly became obvious to me what this all meant. Pretty soon I would once again have to decide between Dormas and Galla. Between Josiah and my new friends. My new . . . family. I looked around the room at the men that were quickly finding the empty holes in my heart and filling them. I wondered if staying behind would make them more of a target.
“We can’t afford to take on the Galla province yet, but we need to show a display of strength until we can gather more allies. As we speak, Huxley is making arrangements to meet with neighboring Scavengers,” Cyler stated.
Almost as if he heard us talking about him, Huxley opened the door and entered my room without knocking. He stared at all of us and shrugged. “I secured a meeting with a neighboring camp on neutral ground. Hopefully, this will get us in with the scavengers,” he said in a gruff voice and followed by a yawn.
“Well. We’d better get some rest, we’ve got a big day ahead of us.” I said casually. I could sense that each of them wanted to continue to chat about what was going on, but the thoughts that swarmed my brain were equal parts depressing and scary.
Chapter Twenty
I ended up sleeping on my bed squished between Jacob and Cyler. Warmth came off them in waves, and it kept a thin sheen of sweat on my forehead, but I didn’t dare complain. I felt safe near them and relished the contact they both gave me. How did this family become such a necessity to me?
Everyone else left to their rooms, but in the morning, I was shocked to find Huxley sleeping on the floor at my door. I doubted he was concerned about me and just wanted to make sure Jacob and Cyler were alright. I made my way to the kitchen while they slept and prepared breakfast. I decided on a simple meal of eggs, bacon, and toast. I wasn’t sure how long everyone would be staying and didn’t want much food to go to waste.
Eventually, the guys made their way downstairs. I noticed that they each wore thick belts with long knives belted to them. The weapons made me nervous but curious. They were quiet and watched me with varying looks of apprehension. Even Huxley moved with a strange sadness that I didn’t quite understand. Soon, the doorbell rang, and Jacob headed to answer the door with a stern scowl.
I made myself busy until Jules’ shrill voice could be heard echoing throughout the hallway. I instantly worried about Jacob being alone with her, but before I could go to join them, Huxley threw an arm out to stop me, and Cyler waltzed towards the entryway with a broad, determined grin.
Soon, everyone was in the kitchen, and my hands shook while plating breakfast. I hoped that everyone would make their way towards the dining room, but Josiah seemed to want to be near me, and the others didn’t trust him to be alone with me. The strange mix of possessiveness and protectiveness made me dizzy.
Occasionally, I eyed