Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,137

after you see your Ash? Hmm?” He gestured behind him where one of the soldiers wearing an all-orange jumpsuit was taking off his hat and walking towards us. Long white hair fell around his face. Tallis.

“Tallis, what’s going on? Is Ash with you? What about Jules?” Maverick growled out. Usually it was Cyler that negotiated trade deals and alliances, but I saw him struggling to stand. Blood had gathered in his mouth.

I started to slip under the weight of Josiah’s body, and we slowly lowered him to the dirt ground before I moved to Cyler and helped him sit. Tallis shook Mav’s hand with a smile.

“Ash and Jules are in a safe house outside the city. I figured you wouldn’t appreciate me bringing them to a battle,” Tallis explained with a grin. Thank God.

Commodore observed us with a smile. He looked power hungry and volatile. “And, to answer your question, Maverick. We’re here to take over the Empire.”

Fight of the Walker

Chapter One

I wanted to claw out of my own skin. It didn’t take long for the safe house to become stifling. Jules’ personality alone took up all the vacant space, which left me in a smelly corner that reeked of mice urine and mold, agonizing over the guys’ safety.

Tallis repeatedly assured me that my note to Maverick was delivered, but that was two days ago. Despite telling Maverick that we would save him, here I was, still sitting in the safe house and waiting for someone—anyone—to respond to our plea for help.

Today, I allowed myself one six-hour nap to combat the delirium. When I wasn’t pacing the floors, I was reliving my desperate goodbye with Maverick. Many times, I found myself daydreaming about our kiss while dancing my rough fingertips across my lips, as if trying to recreate the sensation of his mouth on mine. My body was an accumulation of conflicting emotions—giddy anticipation and debilitating fear. Would Maverick or the others kiss me when we were reunited? Would I ever see them again?

My Galla style dress felt stiff and tight against my chest, making our already helpless situation feel even more constricting. Tallis tried to keep a strong front for us. He was a natural leader, willing to reassure and fake a smile for my benefit. But I didn’t want false hope, I wanted action. Resolution.

Fear and anxiety gripped me so tightly I had to constantly remind myself to breathe. Two days. Two days without word or confirmation that our plea for help was received. We watched the news. Clung to the whispers broadcasted in Scavenger resistance groups. And yet? Nothing. Silence.

Tallis paced the floors with a grim expression. The weight of the world made his shoulders slump, and occasionally he’d notice us watching, then force his posture to straighten. Jules secluded herself, only interjecting to complain.

"Anything?" Jules asked. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked down at the floor.

"Nothing," Tallis replied with a frown.

"Maybe they didn't get it? Or maybe I wasn't clear enough? Motivating enough?" she asked.

This wasn’t the first time I sensed her insecurities. She, too, wore the burdens of this situation, and each minute that we didn’t get a response, she lashed out more. Jules' eyes flashed to mine and her expression hardened.

"I'm sure they got it, Jules. It's treason to go against Emperor Lackley. People are scared, and now they know just how much power he wields," I said. My voice felt scratchy against my throat. How long had it been since I drank water?

"You'd be surprised how motivating anger can be," Tallis said while pacing the floor. "They'll come." He looked to Jules, and she resumed picking at her nails.

The sounds of my fidgeting echoed across the empty walls of the building. Each breath I took coated my tongue with sand and dust. Debris stuck to my sweaty pores, making my skin feel gritty.

“Could you please stop tapping your fingers? It feels like you’re knocking against my brain,” Jules complained for the millionth time.

I wanted to scream at her, but it would be wasted energy. How could she seem so calm, so unaffected? I wished that I could turn down the volume of my thoughts like she could.

“I’m sorry you aren’t as burdened with concern for your brothers as I am,” I countered, leaning back against the musty wall. I looked at the ceiling and noticed an exposed wooden beam covered in dust. A mouse scurried past, and I squinted my eyes to stop falling dust from getting into them. My entire