Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,263

you,” Kemper said with a smirk.

I blushed, realizing they were right. Cyler and Maverick were going to be furious—and I couldn’t wait.

During the transport ride to Cavil’s tower the girls chatted amongst themselves, completely ignoring me. Blythe, at least, seemed less smug now that I was joining them. Her outfit was definitely more risque than before, too. It was practically lingerie with a sheer, white overlay. She was beautiful. Applying her lipstick, Jade smacked her lips at a compact mirror before looking at me, “You look good, Walker Queen.” I rolled my eyes at the sarcastic nickname. Ever since Madam B called me that at the meeting, all the Companions had taken up addressing me as such.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

I imagined what my reunion with Cyler and Maverick would be like. Would they kiss me? Would they recognize me? With shaky fingers, I pulled out the compact mirror in my purse and frowned at the grey eyes and light hair. My plumped lips and harsh cheekbones looked foreign on my face.

Kaye looked with sad eyes out the window as Lowe, Jade, and Blythe chatted excitedly about a diamond necklace one of the men gifted earlier today. I leaned forward to whisper, “Got any advice?” to Kaye. She stiffened then turned her gaze towards me, a sadness penetrating my soul with such fierceness that I clutched my chest and had to catch my breath.

“Advice?” she asked. I watched as her hand with red-painted nails dug up the slit in her dress and pulled out a shiny flask. She took a small sip before continuing. “Do you have a survival instinct, little Walker Queen?” she asked. “Do you lean on your instinct?”

“I’m not sure what you’re asking,” I replied. The others had gone quiet and were leaning closer to hear what Kaye had to say. It was rare that she spoke, so they were just as intrigued as I was.

“Of course you don’t understand. My advice is to cling to that innate, primal part of you that screams for you to run when you find yourself in a dark place. Listen to that voice that warns you of danger. Take your adversity, take your differences, your resilience, and use it to your advantage.”

“Well damn, Kaye,” Lowe said with a laugh. “I think the girl just wanted to know what fork to use at the dinner table. We’re not going to war.”

“Every day is war,” Kaye replied in a curt tone before staring out the window once more.

The tower where Cavil lived was quite easily the tallest in Galla. As advertisements for fetters and videos of Cavil kissing babies scrolled along the exterior, I felt my stomach drop. Guards patrolled out front, and the transport didn’t stop outside, it traveled through a revolving garage door, stopping inside a brightly lit lobby.

Sanitizing steam filled the small space, cleaning the transport before the doors opened. I patted my pocket where a tiny compartment holding my puke-pill was. It was sewn into a seam, ready for if I was claimed for the night. I didn’t necessarily want to spend my evening puking the entire contents of my stomach, but it seemed preferable to a night in a stranger’s room.

I followed the others into the lobby, stepping outside of the transport with shaky legs and a chin raised high. I willed myself to embody the personality of Shade. She wasn’t scared. She knew how to fight. She didn’t know grief or sadness. She could handle anything the world threw at her. She didn’t go numb to cope, nor did she lash out in anger. She was cool, collected, and a badass.

“A new one, huh?” a guard asked while looking me over and checking his tablet. He scanned my face, nodding once the Walker database came up.

“Grew up in Saberus. Immune. No children or family.”

Another guard walked up to me and grabbed my hand, pricking my finger with a needle and putting a drop of my blood on a test strip and grinning when the red stain turned a bright shade of green.

“Well, look at that. You’re one of the lucky two percent, Companion. Clear!”

We were guided to an elevator, and as we all rose to the top floor, I stared out the clear glass to the city below. In the distance, I could see the Zone. It stood proud with flickering lights and smog outside of Galla despite the grime and poverty.

The door slid open, revealing an ivory room full of people. “Get ready, Shade. I’m off to