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“We’ve lost
someone recently; his absence will be felt, in more ways than
one.”  Avian’s eyes flickered toward Gabriel’s face for a
moment.  I didn’t miss the pain that filled them.  “We
invite you to stay with us, if you can be trusted.  We won’t
hesitate to dispose of you if we find otherwise.”
    “ We won’t be trouble,”
Victoria said, her voice desperate.  “Please, we just want to
stop running.”
    Our attention turned to
West.  Even though it hadn’t been stated, and even though
Victoria seemed to be the same age, he was obviously the one who
had taken care of everyone, the one who made the
decisions.
    He simply
nodded.
    “ I will have some of the
extra tents set up,” Gabriel said.  Avian looked relieved to
hear that he wouldn’t have to share his quarters again with a
stranger he didn’t know if he could trust.  “How does she look
Avian?”
    He didn’t even look up as
he scrubbed at her skin, Victoria’s face looking pained.  “The
cut was bad.  It’s amazing you didn’t bleed to death. 
Even more amazing this infection hasn’t killed you.  But if we
keep it clean it should heal up fine.  I suggest she stay off
her feet for at least a few days.”
    Gabriel nodded, looking
momentarily at the boy.  I knew it hurt him to see another
child.  Gabriel had lost a child to the infection in the
beginning.
    “ You will go with Eve to
the fields this morning,” he said, taking his eyes away from Brady
and looking at West.  “This is important.  The gardens
keep us alive.  If he acts suspicious, if you fear any
betrayal from him, kill him, Eve.”
    West glanced at me
briefly, his eyes slightly wide with surprise at Gabriel’s bold
words.  He then looked back at Gabriel and gave the smallest
nod of understanding.
    “ Come on,” I said as I
went to the flap of the tent.  “I am already late.”  I
didn’t wait to see if he followed me as I headed in the direction
of the gardens.
    He walked a few paces
behind me.  I listened for any sounds of wrong movement. 
I kept my hand on the knife that was fixed in my belt, ready to use
it on him if he tried to attack.  He only followed me, his
eyes taking the forest around us in.
    “ How many are there here?”
he finally asked, his voice falling in short waves in the
trees.
    “ Thirty-four,” I said
automatically.  “I mean, thirty-three.  There are
thirty-three of us in Eden.”  It felt like a rock had just
formed in my chest as the image of Tye’s lifeless metallic eye
staring at me came back.
    “ And your leader, his name
is?”
    “ He’s not exactly our
leader.  He didn’t ask to be one but we all trust him. 
His name is Gabriel.  And the other one is Avian.  He is
as close to a doctor as there is anymore.”
    “ And your name is
Eve.”  It wasn’t a question.  “Where do you come from,
Eve?”
    My stomach knotted up, my
hand gripped tighter on my knife.  “You ask a lot of
questions.”  His question felt more meaningful than it should
have.
    “ I’m just trying to figure
things out.”
    He didn’t say anything
else after that and I made sure I didn’t let him see my face. 
Everyone had come from somewhere in Eden.  I just didn’t know
where I had come from.  All I had were broken images from my
nightmares that didn’t link together, a shattered mirror that would
never be put together again.
    We walked in hardened
silence the rest of the way to the gardens.  When we arrived
it felt as if every pair of eyes fell upon us, growing wide with
fear and curiosity.  I couldn’t raise my eyes to meet
theirs.  The attention made me want to run.  I had raised
myself to keep out of sight and in the shadows.
    Pretending like we weren’t
being scrutinized, I led West to the storage shed and grabbed a
wheelbarrow.  “This way,” I said, keeping my voice and my gaze
down.
    West was well aware of all
the looks he was getting but he didn’t hide from them like I
did.  He met their eyes, his