CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Eve was struggling within herself about the loss of her brother--the man she had grown up with and loved for many years. It was so unfair for this to happen, so suddenly, so roughly, and without warning. She paced the darkened room, searching for answers, but finding little.
He was a good man. He was faithful, and loving, and hard-working, and honest--about the best brother she could have ever hoped for. In her mind, it was senseless that he be taken away at such a young age, when it would have been likely that he live to see six centuries pass.
Her love for him would never stop, she knew that now. Nomatter how hateful or vengeful he became at the end, she vowed she would always see the good in him. Above all the qualities that were most distinctive in him, bravery was the most exceptional. But she knew that this would be his demise.
Novacadians were not pure; they were vulnerable to forces of good and to evil--that had already been decided. But were they at fault?
Yes. All the prophets and all the elders combined did not know the origins of the species, but one clue remained: One of the prophets had said that one day, during a period of widespread peace, temptation would come to their doorstep, awakening old hungers and desires that had been dormant for centuries.
A long time ago, Novacadians were tempted with the primal urges of lust, hatred, and envy. No one knew when, or how. But through the years, the people of Novacadia evolved into a race of Love and Peace, leaving behind all their selfish drives. The only problem was that they were still deep inside of them, ready to reignite in full force, like the flip of a switch. All it needed was for someone to turn them on.
Autumn didn't deserve to die. If only he could hold on just a little bit longer, just until the prophecies came to pass, then maybe he would be saved. But Eve knew that he wouldn't. The sickness had blackened his heart and twisted around it like thorns.
Something is coming, Eve. She looked to the window, sucking in a breath. She recognized the voice as the elder of the two sisters, Sarah.
"I know," she said. "My brother has fallen victim to the humans."
No, Eve. Something else. It is coming from the sky and it will change the planet and our race forever.
She nodded her head. "Then I am ready for it."
Outside, the skies rumbled with thunder. Anthony was sitting in the living room of the hut, going over the notes that they had made since they had moved in. There weren't many, since the rest of the team had had little interactions with the two sisters, but enough of them so as to make some progress.
The younger sister, who was named Rebecca, came out of the bedroom on wobbly knees and frail, bare legs. "Anthony, something is about to happen to your men."
He looked up at her, and remembering to use the mental telepathy he had just learned, thought, "What's going to happen?"
She braced herself against the frame of the door. "A brother of your Eve is about to snap. You will not be harmed. But others will be."
Anthony looked to the others who were slumbering on their mats. "Is there anything we can do to stop it?"
"No," she said. "Once a Novacadian has been bitten by the illness, there is nothing that anyone can do. I don't know where or how he will retaliate, but he will--and others will probably follow."
Gentle rain began to pour down, tapping at the walls of the hut--no doubt the leak before the deluge. Water began dripping down into the hut from the holes in the ceiling, and a big drop fell on top of Anthony's head.
"When?" Anthony asked.
"Soon," she said. "Tomorrow."
"Will Eve be alright?"
She shook her head. "Eve will never fall victim to the plague. She is our messiah. She will hold firm."