Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,385

a shrug, dragging his eyes away from my toned legs.

"Is everything ok?" Seeing Tallis here felt different than our walks in the woods. This was more personal. More intimate. I fleetingly worried that someone would see us. Tallis looked left and right before leaning closer, his familiar smoky smell filled my senses.

"I need your help with something," he replied cautiously.

"With what?"

“Come with me to Saberus."

I scoffed at him. Saberus was a province two-hours away by Transport. They were a forgotten place with many questionable trading practices. It was an elite destination for some of the more powerful men in Dasos. I've heard many rumors about the men that spent their weekends in the gambling houses and Walker Brothels.

"What business could you possibly have in Saberus?" I asked, my brow furrowed. I dropped my hands to my side just as Tallis leaned in closer.

"I'll have to explain on the way. Do you want to do something good today, Agapimenos?" I froze at that question and my breath hitched. He made being good sound so easy, so simple. He gazed at me with hopeful eyes. It felt like he saw that last flicker of a flame in the corner of my soul and was frantically encouraging it to burn bright.

"Fine, but I need to be back by morning for my shift in the Gardens. Just let me get changed.”

Tallis bit back his smile, obviously amused by my current outfit.

"Wear something nice," he ordered, and my lips curled in amusement.

"Don't I always?"

Apparently, Tallis also had free rein of the Transport, too. It was waiting for us outside the Walker Dorms once we left. Tallis held the door open for me as I slid inside, my floor-length lavender evening gown spread out around me, covering the floor of the transport. I waited for Tallis to input our coordinates before berating him with questions.

"In case you're wondering, it’s bad form to sneak into a woman's bedroom at night," I told him, keeping my tone cheeky. I pinched Mother's ruby necklace between my fingers.

"I've never had any complaints before." Tallis pulled out a large knife and inspected its handle. For some reason, that comment made tendrils of jealousy poke holes through my confidence.

"I mean, really, you sure know how to impress a gal. Plan on taking me to a Brothel?" I joked while searching through the door compartment. Cyler usually kept a flask here somewhere...

"Actually, that's exactly what I plan to do." Tallis slipped his knife into the belt of his pants. He was wearing a shirt today, and a grey cap sat on his head, hiding his trademark Scavenger hair.

"Surely, you're joking," I replied just as my fingers connected with the cool metal of my brother's hidden whiskey stash. Bingo.

"I'm very serious. Every six months or so, this particular brothel gets a new shipment of Walkers. Lately, I can’t get into the auctions without a Holder.”

“Why do you go to the auctions?" I asked. I took a deep swig of the burning liquid and winced away the heat dancing along my tongue.

"Because this Brothel deals young girls. Some of them Gordon's age," Tallis explained. His neck was red with anger. "I get alerts when they get new Walkers, and I usually can sneak them out, but they’ve increased their security.”

I swallowed deeply. This wasn't just an evening stroll, this was a mission. My leg twitched, and I tapped my black heels on the floor of the transport.

"So, what do you need from me?" I asked, trying not to reveal the energy that coursed through me.

“It's fairly simple. I need you to bid.”

"Easy enough, what’s my cap?"

"We don't have one. I just need you to win," Tallis said with steadfast eyes. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. My eyebrows shot up in shock.

"Did my brother give you gold for this mission?" I asked while leaning forward in my seat. No cap? How could he afford this?

"Your brother doesn't know. You can bid whatever because we aren't going to pay it. You're going to place the highest bid, then go to the back room and fill out the Walker purchasing contract. I'll be there waiting to rescue you."

"I see a few flaws in this plan. What if I'm outbid? What if you can't rescue us? What if they have heat?” The list of reasons why this wasn't going to work kept piling between us.

"You said yourself that you wish your brothers hadn't pushed you away. You want to be a part of the