Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,82

completely avoided the house and was spending late nights at the Clinic. I didn’t know how close they were to Kindle, but I did know that we all felt somewhat responsible for his passing.

What if we hadn’t celebrated my birthday?

What if Jacob didn’t trade his shift?

These lingering thoughts consistently ran on loop through my mind, attacking me in the vulnerable moments I sought happiness. And if I wasn’t thinking about Kindle’s dead body, I was obsessing over my almost-kiss with Patrick. The ricochet of emotions had me feeling sad, guilty, happy, and confused. Patrick and I hadn’t had a moment to discuss what happened, so I felt unsure about where we stood. I purposely sought out his gaze in the rare moments we saw one another, but he avoided me. Was he second guessing everything?

By the fourth day of keeping locked up in the Black Manor, I was filled with anxiousness and demanded that Cyler lift his rules about me leaving the house. I knew that he was merely cautious, but I couldn’t help but feel suffocated in the vast, empty home while the guys worked night and day.

“Fine!” Cyler huffed while carelessly spinning a knife on the kitchen island. “I still think we should wait till we are absolutely sure Lackley and Josiah aren’t planning anything, but Lois has been up my ass asking about you. That is one damn persistent woman.” He chuckled after discarding the knife and flipping through the morning news on his tablet and sipping his pitch black coffee.

I beamed when I learned that I would be allowed to return to my usual duties. In fact, I was so excited, that I kissed Cyler on the cheek before skipping out of the room and catching Patrick's forced smile. It was the first burst of happiness I’d felt since Kindle's passing, and I allowed it to flow throughout me.

I dressed in what had become my usual attire since moving to Dormas. Despite my modest habitual preferences, I liked the bright colors and slightly revealing nature of the dresses fashionable here. In Galla, my clothes reflected how repressed I felt; here, my style reflected freedom. I wore a teal form-fitting skirt that went all the way down to my ankles and paired it with a white shirt that hung off my shoulder and flowed freely around my torso.

During my walk to the general store, I spotted a familiar white head of hair and matching black attire—Mia. A small gaggle of women surrounded her. Upon further inspection, I saw a malevolent Jules standing apart from the group with Becca. They looked like they were headed out to the gardens to work and were both wearing uncaring expressions. Jules’ snarl was so thick that I imagined foam forming at the corner of her lips.

“I don’t see how they could let a scavenger within the Dormas borders. They’re all a bunch of ruthless murderers,” Jules sneered while crossing her thin arms. She was wearing a long, forest-green dress and was dripping with fine jewelry. The look felt jarring in comparison to the other Walker women standing around her. Did she wear that to work in the gardens?

“I heard a rumor that they drink the blood of their dead,” Becca added in a less severe tone. Becca appeared to be latched to Jules’ side, and I mourned the brief camaraderie we shared. It was evident that she was now one of Jules’ flunkies .

“Wanna find out if it’s true?” Mia asked with a hard frown causing Becca’s eyes to widen. Mia stood proudly against them, and I noticed her fingers twitching. The slight fidgeting of her hand reminded me of her knife throwing aptitude, and I quickly stepped up to stop the confrontation from escalating.

“Good Morning, ladies. It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” I asked loudly while breathing in the fresh morning air, diverting their attention to me. Jules crossed her thin arms over her chest. I noticed that she was significantly sunburned from working in the gardens.

“Maybe for you . We have to prepare for harvest in this sticky heat,” she complained while fanning herself.

“What an admirable job. You know, I heard that the harvest should be extra plentiful this year. Cyler mentioned we should have a festival. Maybe get all of Dormas to help, then have a big celebration,” I said excitedly with a large smile. I knew that Jules was mad about working in the gardens, but from what most of the other Walker women told me, it