Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,331

thumb along my neck, where I knew there was a mark from where Cyler nipped at my skin the night before.

“Mia’s asking for you,” he whispered. “The others have already said goodbye. We’ll meet you at the transport in fifteen.”

Walking back to the makeshift command center, I used the three minutes of solitude to study myself. Everything felt like a whirlwind. Every second since killing Cavil was filled with extreme highs and lows. When I opened the door to the building, I was surprised to see people already up and moving for the day.

People pushed past me as they cleaned the room and organized supplies with Tallis giving off commands towards the back wall. I took a moment to admire the fierce leader in his element. He seemed once again at ease, leading with that wise, charismatic way I was drawn to when we met.

Our eyes met for a moment, and I watched his expression twist into something that looked somewhere between amusement and peace. He didn’t cross the short distance to say goodbye to me. The state of the empire meant that goodbyes had a permanence about them that was too depressing to meet head-on. We never had the sort of relationship that meant tear-filled goodbyes. So instead, he nodded once then continued picking up where Cyler left off, building what little of the community he could into something that I hoped would one day survive.

“Agrio,” Mia said with a grin as I made my way over to her. “We’ve got to stop saying goodbye like this.” I grinned at her. “The last time we said goodbye, I was in a wheelchair. Now I’m on bed rest eating baked beans like it was a gourmet meal.”

Once closer to her, I knelt down and placed my hand over hers. “Next time I see you, you’ll be chasing everyone around and keeping people on their toes. The end of the world hasn’t been very kind to you. But you’re a fighter, huh?”

Mia took another bite of beans and choked them down, gnawing on the metal spoon like it was made of cake. I would kill for some cake right about now. “That’s me. Strong as an ox. Cunning as a fox. And when I’m not dying of starvation and stab wounds, I’m pretty lethal, you know.”

I smiled and squeezed her hand before pulling away. “Keep an eye on Jules, will you? She can be a bit reckless. Tallis has been a good influence on her, but sometimes I wonder if she’s lost herself to all this...violence.” I looked up just as two men started practicing throwing knives. Tallis was teaching them about the proper angle.

“Nah, you’re wrong,” Mia began while eyeing the men with speculation. She twitched when one of them threw the sharp blade at the wall. I wondered if she was itching to get up and teach them how it was really done. My friend could throw circles around even the best. “Jules found herself in the violence. Tallis balances her. He kills when he has to but prefers peace. She forces him to let go of his guilt; he reins her in. They won’t need me.” She looked up at the concrete ceiling of the room like it held all the secrets of the empire. I patiently watched, knowing that my time to say goodbye would soon come to an end.

“Can you do me a favor?” Mia asked in a soft voice, and for the first time since knowing her, I heard a vulnerability in her tone that made me pause.

“Of course,” I replied.

She let out a huff of air like the words pained her to say. “Aarav. If you see him, can you tell him...I’m sorry? He’ll know what that means.” She wiped moisture from her eyes and caught me staring at her with pity. “The asshole is probably dead by now. But just in case…”

“If I see him, I’ll tell him,” I promised before standing. “See you soon, Mia.”

She smiled. “Promises, promises.”

When I got back outside, all my men were standing outside the transport. Patrick was leaning against the hood of it, arms crossed as he watched me approach. Huxley was standing by Jules, giving her some last minute instructions, probably something bossy along the lines of “don’t be stupid.”

Cyler and Maverick stopped talking to stare at me as Kemper checked over the solar panels on the roof of the transport. They looked determined and stunning. I swallowed, trying to wet my parched throat at the