Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,252

lipstick. Her dark eyes were framed by thick lashes, and her shorter stature still felt imposing with her unamused posture.

“Is this the girl?” the dark-haired woman asked while nodding towards me.

Madam B rolled her eyes. “Yes, Lowe. This is Ash, or should I say Shade?”

The blond looked to Lowe then back at me before smiling. “Hey, Ash, I’m Blythe.” She immediately walked towards me and held her hand out to shake mine. “Maverick has told me so much about you,” she added in a lower voice, peering at me with an assuming look that made me want to squirm away from her. She knew Maverick? Was this the correspondent that was passing notes back and forth with him?

Next to Lowe was an older woman still just as striking as the other two, but there was a weary way in which she carried herself that made me pause. “I’m Kaye,” she said with a bored shrug.

Lastly, a woman with bright blue hair and a mischievous grin to match waved to me while saying, “I’m Jade. I’m the one that’s going to kill Cavil.”

I was shocked by the nonchalant way she had said that. Was she used to killing? “Well, it’s nice to meet you. Not going to lie, I’m a bit envious.”

After nodding in greeting to Kaye and Jade, I brought my attention back to Blythe. “You’ve spoken to Maverick?” I asked.

She smiled. “Every night almost.”

“You wish!” Jade called from the entryway while flipping her blue hair over her shoulder and adjusting her white dress. “You sit on the floor of his bedroom, pining over him while he works.”

Anger flashed in Blythe’s eyes as she turned to Jade. “Well, at least I’m not forced to sit with Master Byron and his foot fungus.” All four of the girls burst out in fits of giggles, and I felt even more out of place. They had history, stories, and experiences which bonded them. How could I possibly fit in?

“So you’re all immune?”

“Yep!” the short woman—Lowe—answered. “Jules found me in a brothel outside of Ethros. One of my regulars was a member of the Resistance. Once I passed the blood test, I was brought here.

The older woman stared at Madam B for a moment before speaking to me. She was haunting in her tone. Each word was like dancing along the cliff of grief. “I’ve been here my whole life. Grew up on the third floor of this house, actually,” she said with a forlorn frown. “Didn’t find out I was immune until Jules performed the blood test on me three weeks ago. Been working my whole life for a cure that not only has become obsolete, but I never even needed.” I felt pity for Kaye. I couldn’t imagine striving so long for something that no longer mattered. But even immunes were locked into the status we were born with.

“Well, now that we’ve all met, we have some plans to discuss. I also would like each of you to work with Ash on her...skills,” Madam B said.

Blythe looked me up and down with a scowl that made me dislike her even more. “She does look like she’ll need a lot of work.”

“Nonsense,” Jade said while walking towards me and plunking down on the couch beside Jacob and me. Unlike the others, there was nothing slow and graceful about her movements. She was a dominant presence in their group. “She’s pretty enough. Most of the time, they just want you to sit there and look pretty. Cavil often forgets I’m even there. If she can survive not talking for hours on end, she’ll do fine.”

“Well, of course! Anyone can look pretty. It's the other part of our job this little Walker looks inexperienced with,” Blythe said while throwing a pointed stare at me. I seriously didn’t like her. From the moment she arrived, she’d been trying to undermine me.

Huxley spoke up. He had been quietly observing everything with interest, and I knew that he was cataloging each woman in his mind, seeking out their threat level and if they were suitable for the mission.

“That won’t be a problem. I’ve been assured that she won’t be going to anyone’s room. Maverick or Cyler will claim her for the night.”

Madam B spoke up, “Yes yes, that's right. From what I understand, Cavil’s been eager to keep them caged but happy. He doesn’t want people thinking he’s imprisoned the Dormas leaders, but he also won’t let them go. They’re allowed to claim Companions, it’s how Blythe has