Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,130

and I exchanged curious glances. Surely it couldn’t be that easy .

“Tallis is getting the guys, we need to go soon,” she said while standing up, stretching, and sauntering over to the vent.

“How did you even—" I began before she cut me off.

“Oh, little Walker. Can we talk about this later?” Jules asked in a patronizing tone. “My brother looks like he’s about to do something heroic and stupid, so I suggest you use the next sixty seconds to talk him out of it, so we can get the fuck out of here. I’ll be in the air duct.”

I whirled around and peered at Maverick. He looked like he swallowed a porcupine. “Ash, I’m staying here," he said while walking towards me.

"No, you aren't," I replied simply. "Aren't you the one that always calls me on my martyr act? You're not staying here. End of discussion." I crossed my arms over my chest. Maverick grasped my elbows and yanked them from me. He folded my arms around his waist and pulled me close.

"Emperor Lackley is crazy, but his lab is far superior to mine. I need to stay behind and figure this out. There are a lot of lives on the line. Plus, someone needs to keep an eye on Josiah," Maverick added. We both turned to look at Jo, who was heaving deep breaths. It looked like he just sprinted a mile.

"What if Lackley punishes you for my escape?" I questioned while looking back at the clock with tears in my eyes. Jules said a minute which meant I had twenty seconds to convince him to come with us.

"Lackley won't punish me, he needs me." Mav began rubbing small circles on my back. “Once you get the rest of the guys out, they’ll find a way to get to me. Until then, it’ll give me more time to crack this mutation and look over Jo.”

I felt a massive sense of regret build beneath my skin. I needed more time. Maybe it was the pressure of the last few days or the fear of never seeing him again, but I tentatively raised up on my tiptoes and brushed my lips against Maverick’s. I refused to let another moment go by without allowing him to know just how much he meant to me .

At first, he was tentative; his lips moved cautiously against mine as if he was afraid I would break under the pressure building between us. But then he leaned over more, and we met in the middle of fear and wistful promises. Our kiss was like a wave. It crashed to the shore, and we wanted to walk along its intensity before the ocean claimed it back. This wasn't the last time I'd see Maverick. This wasn't the end of our story.

Maverick's lips trailed along my jaw and towards my neck. His exploratory kisses ended just at my ear, and I felt the flick of his tongue before he whispered against me, “Your kiss tastes like the rest of my life.” He hummed out a low baritone moan. "I can guarantee that I’ll see you again. Go, before I change my mind and do what I want to do instead of what I need to.”

I made my way over to the air duct, not caring that my first kiss with Maverick was in the Emperor's lab with Josiah and Jules, or that thousands of lives were in his capable hands. Before entering the duct where an angry Jules sat impatiently, I turned around and saw Maverick loosen his tie and clench his jaw. His fists were balled, and I wondered if he, too, was struggling to keep still, to not forget the world and the heavy weight upon our shoulders.

"Bye," I mouthed. I love you , I thought.

Chapter Twenty-Five

I struggled to keep up with Jules as her slinky movements navigated the tight, humid air ducts with ease. Occasionally, she referenced her watch for directions, but otherwise, she appeared to be confident in her directional capabilities. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that it would be Jules to head up my rescue mission. Although I was learning that Jules was made up of many parts, some good, some bad, I didn't necessarily trust her not to lose me within the complex ventilation system.

A massive fan at the end of the duct was stationary, and we snaked our way through its dusty wide-set blades and out another vent. The crawl space was small and suffocating, and I