Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,257

Maverick again.” I didn’t miss the way her eyes cut to me as she spoke. Jealousy threaded through each of my ribs, tightening my breaths and making me want to claw out of my skin. Why couldn’t I see him yet?

“Be sure to tell him I say hello,” I replied while forcing out a smile.

Blythe rolled her eyes before turning to Madam B, who seemed unamused. “Don’t forget, there’s a meeting tonight,” she reminded the girls.

Jade gave Madam B a salute. “You betcha. Can’t miss the Resistance meeting. We have to go from rich men telling us what to do, just to come home to poor men telling us what to do.” Sarcasm flowed smoothly from her words like poison.

Overall, Madam B had seemed a mildly pleasant person, but at Jade’s snarky comment, I saw her eyes turn to fiery slits of anger.

“You should be thankful. Don’t abuse the privilege of my kindness, Jade.”

“Don’t forget that your entire little plan is on my shoulders, Madam,” she replied with malice.

I sat up taller as the two girls ignored Madam B and sauntered past us to go out the front door. Madam B might think of herself as the girls’ savior, but there was still animosity between them. When the door shut, I reached out with shaky hands to take a drink of tea.

“People need to know their place in this world,” Madam B grumbled before plopping a soft cookie into her mouth.

I’m not sure why I was feeling so brave, or what moved me to speak up. There was something off about it all, something that had me questioning Madam B, despite my desire to please her.

“Funny,” I began before wiping my hands on my dress, a move that made her scowl at the stains on the white fabric. “Cavil said the exact same thing to me.”

I stood, desperate to find Huxley, Patrick, Kemper, or Jacob to discuss my feelings. We were in too deep. I might not trust Madam B, but what choice did we have? For now, we’d have to observe and be diligent. I was curious about this Resistance meeting Madam B mentioned. I just hoped it reaffirmed my decision to come here. I couldn’t help but wonder if every offer for help came at a price.

Cavil. Lackley. The cure. It all had taken something from me. It seemed every avenue for survival came at a price. That sobering thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. No one ever did anything without wanting something in return.

I helped Jules set up for the meeting to be held in Madam B’s basement. Apparently, they had this once a month to keep everyone updated on the proceedings. The meetings were always random, and they let members of the Resistance know that a meeting would occur by drawing circles on certain buildings around the Zone. Huxley, Patrick, and Tallis had spent most of the day discreetly drawing circles while Kemper worked alongside Louis, learning how to hack into the Walker database. The more who knew how to delete people from the system, the better.

“You should know, these meetings can get...heated,” Jules said while setting up a fold-out chair. She was once again wearing trousers, and her dark hair was braided up in a twist, showing off the sharp lines of her face. Her time in the Zone matured her. There was a time that I never thought Jules would put anything above herself. I liked this side of her.

“How so?”

“People want change, but many are too scared or too stupid to know how to go about it. You put a lot of angry people in one room and tell them it could be better, they all start telling you how to fix things without being willing to fix it. When Lackley died, it encouraged them some.”

I slammed my eyes shut as an onslaught of memories assaulted me. The stage. Lackley’s gleam. The blood. The screams.

Someone shook my shoulder, and I opened my eyes again, staring into Jules’ firm frown. “You have to stop doing that shit. Get it together.”

I squinted at her. “I’m fine. I’ve got it together. Sometimes I just relive that night.”

“What ever happened in Ethros is nothing compared to what will happen in these next couple weeks. You want to know what has helped me get over anything that comes my way?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“I think of the most tragic thing I’ve had to endure, and I remind myself I’m no one. I’m nothing. The world doesn’t care about