Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,10

your dessert,” I mumbled while my voice stumbled over his name. Cyler seemed very pleased, as he rewarded me with a wide grin that revealed large, white teeth.

“Master Stonewell, may I please continue with my evening chores? If there is anything additional that you require, I can retrieve it.” I gave him a dutiful smile, but he returned my gaze with eyes that burned with a fury that slapped me. Did I say something wrong?

“Of course,” he said while wiping the corners of his delicious mouth. “And, since Cyler, here, has decided that this should be an informal visit, please continue to call me by my first name as well,” he growled.

I nodded in understanding and resumed my chores in the kitchen by putting away dishes and starting to make dough for tomorrow’s cinnamon rolls. After gathering the ingredients and mixing them, I began slowly kneading the dough. It was tiring work, and my shoulders ached after mixing for ten minutes. I looked up and saw that both men were watching me slowly work the thick dough in silence. I felt their eyes caress each movement I made.

Once I was done, I put the dough in a ceramic bowl and wiped down the counter.

“Ash, do you like strawberries?” Cyler asked. I looked up to face him and felt my mouth salivate at the thought of indulging outside of my usual ration of bland oatmeal.

“It has been a long while since I’ve had the pleasure of tasting one. But, yes, strawberries are delightful. I hope you enjoy yours,” I replied with longing. Josiah had already finished his and was bringing over his dirty plate to the sink for me to wash. Cyler dipped the strawberry on his plate in leftover chocolate frosting and walked towards me.

“It would bring me great pleasure to share a bite with you,” he said in a low tone. My stomach dropped.

“Here, please.” He pierced the strawberry on his fork and held his hand beneath the dripping frosting to catch any chocolate that slid off the red sides. Without warning, he placed it against my lips, and I instinctually opened my mouth to taste the sweet fruit. Flavor exploded on my tongue, and a quiet moan escaped my lips. The chocolate frosting enhanced the flavor deliciously. I closed my eyes and chewed slowly, savoring each explosion of sweet flavor.

Once I swallowed the delicious treat, I opened my eyes to see both Cyler and Josiah staring intently at me with varying expressions of awe and longing.

“I’m sorry about this morning’s mix-up,” Cyler whispered so that only I could hear. “As well as for any additional pain I have caused you today.”

Before I could answer, Josiah coughed disrupting whatever trance that Cyler had me in. I took a step back and nodded my head submissively. Josiah was right. Master Black–Cyler–was dangerous.

Chapter Five

The next day, I served breakfast and was able to avoid additional talk about Josiah and Jules’ impending union. Mistress Stonewell was so thrilled about how the visit was going that she didn’t scold me when I nervously addressed both Josiah and Cyler by their first names.

I packed a light lunch for their planned tour of the province and even included additional strawberries in Cyler’s pack for reasons I didn’t fully understand. They waited in the common room for the transport to arrive, and once I was sure that they didn’t need anything else I bowed my goodbyes and made my way back towards the kitchen. I had a log of chores to complete in their absence as well as a considerable amount of meal preparations to coordinate for the extravagant dinner Mistress Stonewell had planned for this evening.

I looked forward to a break from the tension that radiated off of Josiah in waves. I also needed to distance myself from the fiery eyes that Cyler Black aimed at my every movement.

“Ashleigh, will you not be joining us today?” Cyler asked. His question caught me off guard, and I spun around clumsily to address the curious man.

“Assigned Walkers aren’t typically allowed to roam the province or utilize transports. We are given only a handful of designated routes to follow, and very few businesses allow Walkers on their premises,” I responded.

Most immune Walkers were allowed to run short errands on behalf of their households, but otherwise, laws prohibited Walkers from exploring Galla. As a child, I sincerely envied Josiah’s freedom to go to the zoo or fair. He knew this, so he would frequently bring me back small trinkets