Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,256

what it would be like to live that sort of life. Growing up in a brothel would be a disillusioned and challenging life.

“There are a few brothels here in the Zone, but only the best get used for Elite functions. I’m a regular. My girls know the rules. They’re top-notch, you see.”

I picked up my tea and took a sip, absorbing this information and trying not to feel disgusted by it. I also couldn’t help but feel curious about how things had changed since the cure became obsolete. Before, people were bound to the cure and would sell themselves for it because there was no other way. Unless you were Elite and could afford it, you gave up the only priceless possession you had—yourself.

“How is this system still holding up when there is no cure for the Elite to dangle over your heads?” I asked. For a moment, Madam B’s face went dark, but she slipped back into her proper mask. The quick shift in her appearance made me question her alliance. The Elite weren’t the only ones benefiting from this system. The brothel owners made lots of money selling their Companions.

“I’ll admit, it’s put a damper on business. Sometimes I think I’m meant to feel bad about my job,” Madam B said while picking up a muffin and nibbling on it. Her pink lipstick smeared as she chomped down. “But then I think about all the lives I’m saving. Sex always sells, my dear. Doesn’t matter the infrastructure or the motivations. I provide a nice life for my girls. They might have started working here because they wanted the cure, but they stay because it’s their only chance at the parties, the clothes, and gifts. If they left here, they’d have to move into a one-bedroom shack in the Zone. They could marry a poor Walker, and they’d live happily ever after, swimming in their own filth. Or they can give me their bodies, and I’ll give them the world.”

She sounded eerily like Cavil. But unlike him, she didn’t see the world through a prestigious lense of self-indulgent worth. She knew what made the world spin—and used it to her advantage. She didn’t feel sorry about her station in life because she’s honest with herself. There was strength in honesty.

After a while, she dove into the proper etiquette of a Companion. All the rules were overwhelming, I almost couldn’t keep them straight. “When you enter the room, you must wait for your procurer for the night to sit. Always sit on his or her left. Some of the older Elite members will request that you wear lipstick. It’s tacky, but oblige them.”

I briefly thought back to Dominique and frowned at my memory of her in Ethros. “I’m familiar with the red lipstick,” I whispered before taking a sip of tea. “Back in Ethros, Cavil’s Walker Companion, Dominique, forced me to wear it.”

If I squeezed my eyes shut, I could almost feel Dominique's terse lips on mine, and I shivered in disgust. “Dominique? Strange, Jade hasn't mentioned a Dominique,” Madam B said while dipping her brow in confusion. “Not once have my girls seen him with anyone.”

“She has been serving him for a few years as his head Walker,” I said, thinking of Payne as anxiety swirled around in my gut. I wondered how he was doing since we’d left. I also couldn’t help but think about the promise I’d made Payne. What if something had happened to Dominique?

“I haven’t heard of a woman named Dominique. Perhaps she didn’t come with him? It’s very possible. Men like Cavil don’t fix their attention on someone for too long.”

I shook my head while trying to wade through what I knew about Dominique. She’d been with him for years.

“Perhaps you’re right,” I mumbled. If what Madam B said were true, then it would be a lot harder to collect Dominique than I originally planned. I just hoped Payne could handle waiting a little longer. There was still an uneasy memory clinging to me. One that had stayed in the back of my mind since dying in the deadlands. I knew it was close. An answer involving Dominique was just there, close enough for me to reach.

“Well,” a voice said from behind me. I turned around to look at Jade and Blythe. They were wearing all white again. Their hair was pulled up in elegant styles, and red lipstick donned their plush lips.

“We’re off to Cavil’s home,” Blythe said. “I’m looking forward to seeing