by Coralee June
“How are they?” I asked Maverick.
“They seem to be a healthy bunch. Some were even overweight, which isn’t necessarily what we expected to come through from the Walker Zones. Apparently, some of them had jobs on their trade dock hauling crates. But still, something feels off.” He spoke mostly to himself and rubbed his fingers along the line of his red beard. We decided to walk over to the gymnasium and observe. Once there, Patrick had them doing a variety of drills, and they accomplished each task with precision. They seemed highly organized and incredibly fit. Maverick was right; something was off.
While watching, I noticed a tall and beefy Walker looking directly at me. I cautiously met his gaze and immediately broke eye contact when I saw him peering at me with an aggressive intensity. Something about him seemed oddly familiar, but I just assumed that I saw him when Cyler and I made our visit to the Walker Zones.
I spent the day assisting at the Dormitories. I dressed beds, assisted in making dinner, and helped Maverick organize his files on each Walker. It was a long, tedious day, but keeping busy allowed me to keep from obsessing over Josiah or what he intended for me. Although I felt terrible leaving Jacob back at the main house, I figured that he was resourceful enough to evade Jules’ manipulative and cruel antics.
By nightfall, both Maverick and Patrick were carrying me out of the Dormitories and back to their home. At first, I leaned against both of them while we walked, but exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks with each step. My eyes continued to grow heavy, and before I could protest, Patrick picked me up in his large arms and began carrying me through the town’s center. It was nice to be close to him, and I tried discreetly to feel his strong muscles while I leaned against his broad chest.
He carried me with care; I melted into him and without realizing it, I released a contented moan which caused both him and Maverick to chuckle. Once we were closer to the house, he set me down and with tired, shaky legs, the three of us made our way up the drive. I knew that I couldn’t avoid Josiah forever, but I prayed that he would be gone when the door opened.
Unfortunately, he was already standing at the threshold of the Black Home with his arms crossed when we opened the door. He looked over at Maverick, Patrick, and me with frustration. I wanted to comfort him, but the anger that rolled off of him in waves made me feel unsure. “I was wondering where you went off to.” His smile held a sad look about it that made me involuntarily cringe. I stood there for a moment and considered everything that had changed between us in a short few weeks. For as long as I could remember he was my haven in a world of chaos. But, I still felt Josiah’s tight grip from the night before, and briefly questioned if it was safe to pass him.
Luckily, Maverick noticed my open discomfort and placed his hand on my lower back while guiding me inside. He strategically placed himself between Josiah and me, which made me sigh in relief. “Ash was helping us get the new Walkers settled in,” he briefly explained on my behalf.
Without waiting for Josiah to respond, he kept his hand on me, and we walked to my bedroom. Patrick stayed behind and engaged Josiah in idle conversation. Before being out of sight, I peered over my shoulder and saw a glimpse of the Josiah I knew and loved. He had a defeated expression, and I knew that he regretted the last moment we were alone together.
We made it to my bedroom, and Maverick gently shut the door behind me. He then asked, “Do you want to explain what that was about?” I looked down at my feet and shrugged. How could I explain when I didn’t understand why I felt nervous around Josiah?
Josiah has been my one constant in life, the one person I could always rely on, but the man here, today, was nothing like the boy I grew to love. “Josiah has . . . changed . . . since the last time I saw him. I can’t explain it,” I said.
“Did he hurt you?” Maverick asked with more force than necessary. “No, of course not.” I bit back while crossing my arms. “It’s like, me being here has released a flood of emotions that even Josiah doesn’t quite understand. I was the girl he could never have, but also the Walker he owned. I was both his and not his. I think for the first time in his life, I’m completely inaccessible, and it scares the hell out of him.”
“What do you mean by ‘never have’?” Maverick asked softly. My lip began to quiver, and tears welled up, begging to be released. “I’m a Walker,” I whispered carefully, as though that was all the explanation needed. Maverick joined me, by sitting on the bed. He grasped my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly.
“You deserve someone that doesn’t see you as a Walker, Ash. I hope he’s suffering. I hope he realized how amazing you are, and how foolish he is for letting anything get in the way of being with you.”
I looked up at Maverick in awe of his words. The Black brothers consistently amazed me with their kindness and big hearts. I wanted to believe that I was good enough for Josiah, but I knew that our world didn’t necessarily work like that, I couldn’t expect him to forgo his life for me.
“Please stop looking at me like that, it’s killing me,” Maverick said while shaking his head. “Either way, you feel uncomfortable, and I don’t think you should be around him alone.” I nodded in agreement. Josiah was acting like a rabid dog, desperate to mark his territory.
Chapter 19
That night, I politely declined an invitation to dinner, and Patrick brought me a tray full of food. I ate alone in silence, but my thoughts were loud and echoed against the walls of my room. I felt incredibly torn between everything I thought I knew and everything I’d learned over the past few days.
Josiah loved me. Or at least, I thought he did. I always thought he had my best interest at heart. But, I was growing to care for each of the people here. Even Huxley was growing on me, despite his gruff exterior. My perception of the way our world works was changing rapidly, and I felt suffocated by the truth of it all. Josiah’s love was driven by his desire to own me–to completely dictate every part of me. I wanted to give the Dormas Providence a fair chance.
Later that evening, a light knock on my bedroom door brought me to the surface of my thoughts. I was wearing a very thin and short nightgown, so I draped a robe around myself before answering.
Cyler was scratching his head when I opened the door; he wore tight trousers and a navy, cotton shirt. The moment his eyes met mine, he swept my body with a gaze that caressed my soul. “Hey, babe, I thought I’d keep you company,” he said. His voice sounded raw and exhausted. I wondered if he had gotten much rest since the attack on the train.
Instead of stepping aside to let him in, I scolded him. “You look like you could use some sleep. I’m fine; you need to go to bed.” I suggested.
“I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t rest. Something is off with that boyfriend of yours. He’s planning something, and I don’t want you caught in the aftermath.” He grunted. I smiled at his offhanded protectiveness.
“Come on, just let me in,” he pleaded. Wordlessly, I opened the door and allowed him to enter to my room. He turned the lock on my door handle, and suddenly the room felt very crowded. Cyler took up all the air in my bedroom, and I was gasping for clarity.
He casually walked around and eyed all the windows, making sure they were locked and secure. Then, he clumsily leaped on the bed and crossed his legs at the knee while placing his arms behind his head with a smug, relaxed expression on his face.
Cyler and I didn’t speak. The tension I felt was too intense, so instead, I sat in the corner wingback chair and began sketching. About thirty minutes later, Cyler was snoozing lightly. I got up from my chair and covered him with the quilt that was folded at the foot of my bed and smiled at his relaxed expression. Another light knock got my attention, and I made my way to the door.
Surprisingly, Jacob was on the other side wearing an exhausted expression. “I’m sorry Ash. I couldn’t sleep and–” a loud snore erupted from Cyler, cutting him off, and causing both of us to chuckle. “I guess Cyler had the same idea as me.”
I didn’t argue an
d let him inside. This was their house, after all. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. I don’t trust anyone from the Galla providence, and I’m starting to think we’ve done this all wrong.” He plopped down, crossed-legged on the floor, and just as I was about to shut the door, Kemper and Maverick walked through the threshold and sat on the corner of my bed, waking up Cyler. Apparently, they were all feeling unsettled, and my room was the new meeting spot to discuss it. They talked about the new Walkers and Josiah, and my thoughts drifted back to the new Walkers and the openly hostile one that practically growled at me.
“Maverick,” I started, causing their side conversations to stop. “Did you ever get the train surveillance video to work?” I asked. Maverick looked at me curiously and shook his head no. “I couldn’t recover the missing footage. We were never able to find out who opened the door from the inside.”
I closed my eyes and tried to remember each face of the guards that boarded the train and immediately the familiar scowl of the man I saw earlier invaded my vision.
“He’s here. The guard from the train. I just realized. He was at the New Walker Dorms today.” My admission caused the entire room to fall into an eerie silence.
“We know,” Cyler said with the biggest grin. Slowly each of them smiled brightly at me. "Why do you look so happy with it?!” I asked incredulously. I had expected them to scatter into a panicked frenzy, not look at me like I told them the best news of their life. “Because you told us,” Jacob answered with a shrug. I searched their faces for clarification but found none. “We knew the moment Josiah arrived that the Walkers he brought weren't Walkers at all. Then, Huxley found the Tablet in your room and saw that you’ve been communicating with Josiah. We couldn’t be sure if you were on our side or his,” Maverick explained with a guilty look.
“So, right now, Galla Providence Guards are camped all around town, and you knew?” I asked incredulously. “Why the heck are you all here, we need to prepare!” I exclaimed while rushing over to my closet and throwing on a long dress over my pajamas.
“Because if any of their heart rates exceed 100 beats per minute, they’ll pass out,” Maverick answered casually. Cyler then fist bumped him, and they chuckled. “What does that even mean?” I asked.
“Today, I gave each of them what they thought was a vitamin booster. Instead, they got a fun little bug I created,” Maverick said with a grin. “Basically, after 24 hours, it will set in, and if their heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute, they’ll pass out. I came across it while trying to develop a copy of the X Vaccine, and it proved to be quite handy. By morning, all of them will be infected, and any little hint of excitement will render them useless,” he continued proudly.
“What about Josiah’s guards?” I asked, even though I wanted to know about Jo. “They should be pretty easy to keep under control, but to be safe, we’ve planned to slip a pretty potent sleep powder into their morning coffee,” Cyler explained. “So this whole time you’ve known?” I was still trying to wrap my head around this strange situation.
“You were the only unknown,” Jacob explained. Kemper got up and grabbed my hand, guiding me from my closet and back to the floor. He sat behind me and placed both legs on either side of me. I was positioned so that if I leaned back, my shoulders would collide with his chest.
“We know how you feel about Josiah, and didn’t want you to feel pulled in either direction. Tomorrow we will explain that we have apprehended his guards, and that he will need to be on the next train to Galla. We can assume that Josiah will be asking you to join him. Please forgive us for keeping you in the dark,” Kemper said while pinching my curls in his hands.
It suddenly became obvious to me what this all meant. Pretty soon I would once again have to decide between the Dorma and Galla Providences. Between Josiah and my new friends. My new . . . family. I looked around the room at the men that were quickly finding the empty holes in my heart and filling them. I wondered if staying behind would make them more of a target.
“We can’t afford to take on the Galla providence, yet, but we need to show a display of strength until we can gather more allies. As we speak, Huxley is making arrangements to meet with neighboring villages,” Cyler stated.
Almost as if he heard us talking about him, Huxley opened the door and entered my room without knocking. He stared at all of us and shrugged. “I secured a meeting with a neighboring tribe on neutral ground. Hopefully, this will get us in with the scavengers,” he said in a gruff voice and followed by a yawn. “Well. We’d better get some rest, we’ve got a big day ahead of us.” I said casually. I could sense that each of them wanted to continue to chat about what was going on, but the thoughts that swarmed my brain were equal parts depressing and scary.
Chapter 20
I ended up sleeping on my bed squished between Jacob and Cyler. Warmth came off of them in waves, and it kept a thin sheen of sweat on my forehead, but I didn’t dare complain. I felt safe near them and relished the contact they both gave me. How did this family become such a necessity to me?
Everyone else left to their rooms, but in the morning, I was shocked to find Huxley sleeping on the floor at my door. I doubted he was concerned about me and just wanted to make sure Jacob and Cyler were alright. I made my way downstairs while they slept and prepared breakfast. I decided on a simple meal of eggs, bacon, and toast. I wasn’t sure how long everyone would be staying and didn’t want much food to go to waste.
Eventually, the guys made their way downstairs. I noticed that they each wore thick belts with long knives belted to them. The weapons made me equally nervous and curious.
They were quiet and watched me with varying looks of apprehension. Even Huxley moved with a strange sadness that I didn’t quite understand. Soon, the doorbell rang, and Jacob headed to answer the door with a stern scowl.
I made myself busy until Jules’ shrill voice could be heard echoing throughout the hallway. I instantly worried about Jacob being alone with her, but before I could go to join them, Huxley threw an arm out to stop me, and Cyler waltzed towards the entryway with a broad, determined grin.
Soon, everyone was in the kitchen, and my hands shook while plating breakfast. I hoped that everyone would make their way towards the dining room, but Josiah seemed to want to be near me, and the others didn’t trust him to be alone with me. The strange mix of possessiveness and protectiveness made me dizzy.
Occasionally, I eyed Josiah and each time he looked determinedly at me with wide, fierce eyes and clenched fists. Jules tried diffusing the tension in the room by discussing the differing fashions between each providence, but it just added to the angry tone of the room.
We made our way towards the dining room and sat down in tense silence. The Black brothers, Josiah, and Jules all seemed to wonder who would break first, who would crack the dam of pleasantries and unleash the violent river of everyone's true intentions. Josiah’s eyes furiously scanned his tablet with fiery eyes. I was used to the severe and focused expression he wore, and I assumed that he was receiving an urgent update, probably relating to either the incapacitated guards or the newly-diseased, fake Walkers.
Surprisingly, Kemper was the one to end the pleasantries. His soft exterior wore a stern expression that caused the exotic butterflies in my stomach to go wild. He sat with his arms crossed and his lean frame seemed rigid and tense, preparing for action. “We’ve arranged for a train to pick up you and your men this morning and take you back to the Galla Providence. After breakfast, we will happily escort you to the station,” he said with an uncharacteristic smugness.
Josiah's face went from aggravated to ferocious, but his voice remained even. “Jules was hoping to stay for the Solstice Festival; she’s spoken very highly of it all month. Perhaps we could intrude on your kindness for a bit longer?” he asked. This political dance was exhausting. Neither one wanted to admit what was going on, and it was too dangerous to start a war.
“Ah, the Festival is tomorrow, and we simply have too many preparatio
ns to make. It would seem that the Walkers you provided us with need much more work than we originally planned. For some reason, we found a group of them asleep outside the Walker Dorms this morning,” Maverick said with a smirk. He was, apparently, proud of himself.
I watched as Josiah’s face turned various shades of red, but he swallowed his rage in an exaggerated gulp. “Perhaps I should take this round of Walkers back with me? I would hate for this to reflect poorly on Galla; we only want to give you the very best,” he said in a low voice.
“That won’t be necessary. The new Walkers all seem quite eager to stay behind here with us. I’ve promised them a cure for their . . . laziness. I look forward to working very closely with them,” Kemper said with a smirk.
“Well, then I guess it is my turn to speak.” Jules interrupted with a high-pitched voice and forced proper accent. “Josiah and I have decided that we simply aren’t a good match. I’m too . . . homesick.” While she said this, she looked at Jacob with sick and hungry eyes that made my stomach drop. “We have called off the engagement indefinitely, and I’ll be moving back home.” Her words caused everyone to exchange varying looks of surprise.
“Oh sister, I'm most displeased to hear that,” Cyler said in a menacing tone that reminded me of his darker side.
“Of course, this means that the terms of our contract are breached,” Cyler continued.
“Oh yes, I’ve considered this” Josiah said with a mock sigh. “Which is why I’ve concluded that I should take Ashleigh back with me to Galla. I feel that although it’s an unfair trade, it’s a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the sake of goodwill between our providences. The success of the empire relies heavily on our alliance.” Josiah’s voice was so proper that I almost missed the insult he threw my way.
“I completely agree,” Huxley said. He was leaning against the wall at the entryway to the meeting room. The dark circles under his eyes gave him a rugged, terrifying look. He began walking towards where Josiah and Jules sat, and before speaking, he bent over to whisper in Josiah's ear. “It would be a very unfair trade.” His voice was low and full of meaning. Was Huxley defending me?
