Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,84

says my name, or how Kemper is perfect at everything, and how I want to soothe all that tortures Maverick. I think about all of them, Mia. More than I should.” Mia stopped backward-skipping to gape at me. We silently stood in the street until she broke out in uncontrollable laughter.

“You’re a true Dormas woman now!” she bellowed, causing me to cringe. “When I named you Agrio I had no idea just how wild you were! Get it, girl!!” She held up her hand for a high five but slowly lowered it when I merely stared at her in confusion.

“Come on, aren’t you just a little excited? You’ve got, hold up, I need to count.” She started ticking off names on her fingers, “…four, five, SIX men! That's gotta be a record somewhere!”

Mia’s flippant attitude made me smile, and she rewarded me with a slap on the shoulder. Her tiny frame concealed her strength well and, once again, I stumbled, almost falling until she caught me and firmly righted my frame.

“Yes, yes, well this is all very exciting, but you forget,” I said while rubbing my shoulder and neck. “I might be attracted to them, but there’s no guarantee that one of them, let alone all of them, return those feelings. They’re firm in their resolve to treat me like a sister.” Well, maybe not Patrick—there was definitely nothing sisterly about what happened between us. “Not to mention, we’re on the brink of war, and I’m still finding my way out of Josiah’s shadow.” Saying what truly bothered me caused a fierce melancholy to dig its tendrils down deep into my chest.

Mia slowed her pace, and her mocking expression morphed into something that resembled understanding. Her pale arm snaked around mine. Her fingers lightly dug into my skin, causing me to stop and stare at her.

“Huxley told me about Josiah,” Mia said with sad eyes. I opened my mouth to ask her when, how, and why but she held up a hand to cut me off. “Huxley’s my best friend; we tell each other everything —get used to it. I know that you definitely shouldn't worry about any of them liking you, hell, those boys are half way to being in love with you. As for the war, now is the perfect time to act on whatever feelings you have, because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.”

She squeezed my arm harder and peered at me with sad, yet stoic eyes. “And Josiah? You should probably figure that out, and soon, because it’s no longer just your heart on the line.”

I remained quiet and let each revelation wash over my consciousness. Some part of me knew that, no matter what, this limbo would crash and burn. We couldn't continue to tiptoe over the line. The small touches, the hugs, the cuddling… it would all eventually lead to something more. I just needed to learn how to navigate this with care. Mia was right; there was a lot at stake. Not only was my heart on the line, but their cohesiveness as a group was, too.

Mia and I ended up spending the day at the General store, where after some curious stares and questions, Lois welcomed her with open arms and a ton of work. We both spent hours giggling over the guys while painting toys for the Walker children.

Chapter Nine

The next day, I woke with a renewed spirit. Kindle's death and my guilt still lingered, but I felt a new purpose about everything. I decided that my first step in reasserting myself meant that I needed to overcome my reservations about the clinic and visit Maverick.

Like the others, Maverick had been distant since the Guard’s escape and Kindle’s death. I felt his patient, martyred coldness deeper than the others, even more so than Jacob, and I was determined to find out why.

So much had changed since Maverick and I guided that Walker woman to her death, and I still felt the pull of grief and sadness whenever I got near the cumbersome clinic. Maverick and I bonded deeply the last time I ventured here. I learned of his selfless heart, and I watched his sobering disenchanted views about death. He approached her passing like a frequent spectator of grief.

Once inside the Clinic, I shouted for Maverick but heard no response. After swallowing a few gulps of courage, I began making my way towards the back room where it all began. Where it all ended .

I passed the room where the Walker woman took her