Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,5

in these suitcases I’ll be punished,” I whispered, praying that he would not be angered or offended at me correcting him.

Master Black turned slowly and once again peered at me with what I could only assume was a curious expression. Just before he could say anything, Mistress Stonewell appeared in the doorway.

“Please forgive our Walker, Master Black,” she cooed. “She can be somewhat absent-minded. Although we've provided her with the best training money can buy, she still seems to forget her place in our household,” she said with a sneer. I cringed while she threw metaphorical daggers at me with a deadly expression. Her thin lips forced themselves to smile, but I could sense that I would be punished later for this.

“Ah, of course. Your Walker insisted on carrying my luggage, but I was being stubborn,” Master Black answered with a charming grin. “Forgive me for stepping on any toes.” He then dropped the luggage where he stood and walked up the drive where they both disappeared inside, leaving me to gather the rest of their belongings.

It took me a while to get their heavy luggage up the two flights of stairs and inside the guest rooms. Mistress Stonewell paged me twice on my watch, and by the third signal, I had finished hauling all of their luggage. I sprinted to the sitting room where everyone but Master Black and Josiah were scowling at me.

“Good heavens, Walker, our guests are parched. Hurry up and get them some tea,” Linda ordered. I looked over at the full tray of tea and crackers I had purposefully placed on the nearby bar earlier and fought the urge to roll my eyes. She could have efficiently served our parched guests, but she was too prideful to lift a finger. Nevertheless, I nodded yes and made quick work of serving their drinks.

I poured Miss Black’s tea first, but she refused to acknowledge my existence. She lacked any warmth and politeness. It wasn’t uncommon for various prejudices to exist against Walkers, but her overall dismissal seemed to speak volumes about her character.

When I went to pour Master Black’s tea, he nonchalantly reached into his belt and pulled out a long knife with a shiny, golden handle encrusted with jewels. The sudden appearance of a weapon made me gasp, and I almost dropped the tea tray. Weapons are outlawed in Galla, and it was rare to see one up close. I trembled in fear and wondered what made him reveal it while I was standing so close.

“I bring my late Uncle’s blade as a gesture of peace. In the Dormas province, it is customary to place all weapons on the table when sharing a drink with a potential ally,” He explained while dropping the knife on the coffee table with a loud clank. He then grinned at me, obviously amused by my discomfort. I wanted to scowl at him but bit back the urge.

When it was time to serve Josiah’s drink (green tea with two cubes of sugar and a chocolate chip cookie on the side), his fingers grazed mine when I handed him the cup. I blushed at his quiet show of affection, but when I turned around to make my way over to my designated Walker chair in the corner where I was to wait in case I was needed, I noticed Master Black staring curiously at us. Did he see our brief interaction? I scolded myself. We needed to be extra careful.

“How were your travels, Miss Black?” Josiah asked her politely before sipping his tea.

“It was enjoyable, thank you. We greatly appreciate you lending us your transport. It was much faster and more luxurious than the train,” Miss Black answered in a voice that sounded sickly sweet to my ears. “Oh and, Josiah, please call me Jules. We’re to be engaged, after all.”

We’re to be engaged, after all…

My stomach dropped at this revelation, and my heart pounded. It felt like the entire room was swallowing me whole, and Josiah’s eyes darted to mine in shame. I forced the teardrops that demanded to fall down my cheeks to remain behind my stony eyes. I knew that arranged marriages between provinces were somewhat common, but how could he be engaged to such a young woman? And why didn’t he at least warn me?

I quickly surmised that this all-important deal between the Black and Stonewall families involved this arranged marriage, and it was also the reason why Josiah was so distant over the past few days. Anger