Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,261

Blan’s skull in. Blood. So much blood.

“Cavil wanted to see if your girls were available for a last minute function he’s having tonight. You have the best Companions in the Zone. I’ll admit, I'm not usually one to partake, but I haven’t seen this one before. Is she available?” He nodded at me.

I looked down at the floor, feigning submissiveness so I wouldn’t have to answer. “Shade is new. A recently acquired immune I got last night. I’ve been reaching out to my contacts across the empire to find immune Walkers needing work. I do what I can to please Emperor Cavil,” Madam B lied effortlessly.

“Well, I’d very much like Shade to join us then. We will send a transport to pick up your immune girls at 8. Please tell them to wear white. Cavil prefers it.”

Madam B nodded eagerly, leaning forward to open her front door and let him out. “In the future, Master, if you’d prefer to save yourself a trip to the Zone, I happily book appointments via tablet. Simply call, and we can work things out.”

The guardsman slowed then lingered in the doorway. “I was informed that a potential Resistance group might be meeting in the area. I wanted to scout the Zone for any suspicious activity.”

Madam B didn’t miss a beat. She clutched her chest like the skilled actress I'd learned she was. “Resistance meetings?!” she gasped. “Well, if I see anything, I’ll be sure to send word. I can’t believe people would be stupid enough to challenge Cavil. It’s a shame there's no respect for the hierarchy of things anymore.”

The guardsman smiled at her, seemingly satisfied by her shock. “Thank you, Madam. Please let me know if you hear anything.”

Once the door was shut, we didn’t speak for a while, as if too scared that he would return and ask for more. I struggled to digest that I would be going to Cavil’s home for a party tonight.

It wasn’t until I felt a hand on my waist that I turned around and faced the terror of the situation. Huxley had bypassed all build up to his episodes and was already lost to his protective rage. His stormy green eyes were swimming with concern, determination, and anger. I gripped his hand tightly before looking over my shoulder at Madam B, who was pacing the floor and talking to herself.

Finally, she paused and stared at me. “We do what we must, right? Find Jules. She’ll get you ready.”

And with that, she was off, skittering around her home and mumbling to herself as I came to terms with the reality that, within a few hours, I’d be coming face to face with the man of my nightmares.

Chapter Thirteen

The guys hovered as I got ready, vetoing three of the outfits Jules picked out because they revealed too much skin. “I don’t like this at all,” Huxley barked. In the last three hours, he kept repeating the same three phrases:

“No.”

“She’s not wearing that.”

And my personal favorite, “I don’t like this.”

What if Maverick or Cyler weren’t there? What if Cavil recognized me? What if I had to…

“Here, keep this in your pocket,” Jules said while slapping a small blue pill in my palm.

“What is it?” I didn’t want to come across as ungrateful or melodramatic, but last time Jules gave me medicine, I died. I was a bit hesitant to accept anything from her now.

“Just one more way we’re going to insure that Cavil and his men don’t claim you for the night. If Maverick or Cyler can’t get you, take this pill.”

“What does it do?”

Jules laughed, a sadistic grin covering her face that made Huxley growl. Jacob had to take his mindspeak back out of his ear so that she couldn’t hear his insults.

“Let’s just say it’ll make you so sick that no one will find you appealing. They’ll practically beg you to leave,” she laughed. “You’ll throw up for the next 24 hours, but it’s a small price to pay, in my opinion.”

“Are you sure that’s safe? I think I need to come up with another backup plan,” Kemper said while scrolling through his tablet, looking at the blueprints for Cavil’s tower in Galla. “There aren’t many ways in and out. It’s like he’s built a fortress.”

Jules rolled her eyes and leaned over me, lining my lids with black makeup. “You think we haven’t already exhausted all of our options? The only way in and out is as a guard, Elite, Walker servant, or Companion. They saw her,