Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,374

shallow sigh as my eyes shimmered with unshed tears. I missed him.

“Oh, so you’ve had practice then? Maybe I should find a harder riddle for you to solve,” Tallis suggested while puffing out his chest.

“I like a challenge,” I replied.

“So do I.”

Tallis’ words felt suggestive, and I felt his eyes on me again. The hint of desire forced me to imagine all the meanings buried deep within his statement.

“Liking a challenge and rising to the challenge are two completely different things, Scavenger.”

“I think you’ll find that I always rise to the challenge, Agapimenos.”

I swallowed down lust and looked Tallis over with new eyes. He might be a Scavenger, but he was all man. A man with muscles and a flirty smile that made my stomach clench.

“What were the other two trials?” I coughed out. I wanted to move closer and needed to put space between us. Flirting with Tallis was like breathing; it just happened regardless of whether I was thinking of it or not. I needed to end it. Now. Normally, I liked a gentleman that was upfront with his intentions, but Tallis was no gentleman.

“I’ll tell you another day,” Tallis replied with a faraway expression as he tied up his long white hair.

“Fine,” I grumbled as we made our way to camp. Once there, I was surprised with a large group of adults and children waiting for me around a campfire.

“Word traveled that you’re going to teach. We have a lot of people wanting to learn,” Tallis explained, and a sliver of nervousness hit me. I knew I had the intelligence to teach them, but a room full of Scavengers still had me on edge.

I coughed and rolled my shoulders back, giving off what I hoped was a confident impression. “Alright students. Let's get started, shall we?”

Everyone went eerily silent as I asked a series of questions to gauge their education level. Although there was a wide variety of skill levels, most of the Scavengers had a basic education. I then split Scavengers up into different groups based on their current abilities. After that, I assigned some of the higher leveled individuals to those that had no prior education. It was a little rocky at first. Some of the men and women gave me rude looks, while others ignored me. I guess prejudice between our people went both ways.

Gordon wore a blinding smile as I stuttered through instructions, making everything almost worth it. He still wasn’t wearing his prosthetic leg, but he seemed happier today than the last time I saw him. In the sun, his pale skin and baggy eyes were more pronounced. The clothes he wore were too big, showing off his skinny frame. It looked like he rarely saw sunlight. After getting a group of younger children to trace their letters in the dirt, I spoke to him.

“Gordon, I thought we agreed that you would try wearing the leg.” I crossed my arms over my chest, raising a scrutinizing brow. He might have taken a metaphorical step in the right direction by coming today, but that wasn’t enough.

“I—I tried to wear it, but it hurt and rubbed against my skin. I don’t think it fits correctly,” he explained, and I felt a semblance of relief.

“Oh, well that should be an easy fix. Let's go visit Maverick at the clinic. I’m sure he can readjust it so it's more comfortable for you. I have the day off for Pioneer Day tomorrow. Have Tallis walk you to town, and I’ll bring you to Mav.” I’d been looking for an excuse to avoid Pioneer Day and was happy that a solution had presented itself.

“Wow, thank you,” Gordon said while scratching the back of his neck, leaning more on his crutch.

“Don’t cry over it. I need your help teaching some of the younger kids. They're helpless. I don’t need you wasting time by hobbling around,” I replied with a dismissing wave of my hand.

Gordon laughed, and his face morphed into something that almost showed how young he actually was. Usually, he was so mad that it was hard to tell, yet at this moment, he was beautifully carefree.

“Whatever you say, Miss Black!” Gordon threw me a two-fingered salute before shuffling over to a group of adults who were discussing an equation. Once I tore my eyes from Gordon’s excited chatter, I noticed Tallis observing me while tilting his head to the side. When our eyes met, I felt stripped bare. With bright eyes, he skimmed the tips of his