by Coralee June
“That's Kemper,” Cyler explained nonchalantly.
“I don’t know,” I said, answering the blonde’s question. “They had to have used transports to catch the train. I increased our speed to try and outrun them, but they never attempted to board the train again.”
The one Cyler called Kemper nodded as he absorbed what I told him.
“They got what they wanted. 26 Walker men were taken captive, not to mention a small fortune’s worth of gold,” Maverick said while releasing my wrist and tucking it under the soft covers.
“What do they want with the Walkers?” I asked.
“They’re newly vaccinated, non-disabled men. They want what we wanted.” Cyler sighed.
“You did the right thing, though,” Kemper added. “Increasing your speed to outrun them and get everyone here safely was the right thing to do.”
My stomach growled loudly, causing Kemper, Maverick, and Cyler to look at me. I grinned sheepishly.
“If you just show me to the kitchen, I can get started making . . . uh? What time is it?”
“Noon” Kemper said simply.
“Ah, well then I can get started for lunch, then. Do you have any preferences?” I casually asked while removing my covers and placing my feet on the wooden floor. I heard quiet moans and looked around the room, confused. None of the men met my eye, and I looked down to see that my nighttime slip was nearly see-through, revealing my chest and an eyeful of my bare back.
“You aren’t lifting a finger, babe.” Cyler broke the tension. “I want your pretty, little head back on this pillow and relaxing for the rest of the day,” he ordered.
“I’ll bring up some lunch in a few,” Kemper offered.
“Thanks, that would be great. I-I don’t want to impose, though. Just some crackers would be sufficient.”
“Ah, fuck. Don’t be one of those martyrs. We aren’t here to feel sorry for you. We find a problem and fix it. As of now, you’re hungry. Kemper has offered to fix it. Let's move on,” Cyler said forcefully. His brash nature never ceased to amaze me.
The sound of a metal click caught my attention, and I looked to see Maverick clicking an ankle bracelet onto Cyler’s injured leg.
“Just a precaution–it reads his vitals and will let me know if the infection comes back. We have him on round the clock antibiotics, but you can’t be too careful. It also serves as a tracking device. So, if you leave this bedroom–I’ll know. You need rest. Stay here for the day,” Maverick said with a cheery smile. I could sense that he enjoyed having the upper hand over Cyler, and Cyler’s expression hinted that it was rare that he released control.
“A day here with the lovely Ashleigh. However will I survive?” Cyler grinned and rolled over to me then settled under the covers. He smelled like cinnamon and mint, and the combination wafted throughout the room. I rolled my eyes at him and felt slightly uncomfortable by his nearness. Kemper slipped off his sweater and threw it at me. I accepted it gratefully, and he turned a large screen at the front of the room. Maverick and Kemper filtered out the door. While Cyler nonchalantly flipped through channels, I laid back down and tried to wrap my head around all that had happened.
Cyler sat in comfortable silence, watching the news, but I felt hyper-aware of every move he made and breath he took.
“I was worried about you,” I whispered.
Cyler turned to face me with a sad expression on his face.
“I’ve been an ass to you. I’m surprised you were so worried.” He shrugged. “Kemp told me that you looked wild when they pulled up. Almost like a true Dormas woman.” He smiled.
“I couldn't let a fan of my chocolate cake perish,” I replied with a chuckle. “Where are we?”
“My brother and I live here with the other council leaders. We built it a while back as the main hub for all of Dormas. We don’t have the fancy government buildings that Galla has, but I like that my people feel welcome in my home.”
I got up from the bed and walked over to a window dressed in sheer, white fabric, which coated the room in an incredibly bright light. I felt Cyler’s eyes on me, so I tugged Kemper’s sweater down lower so as not to show off too much of my legs. Obsessive modesty was something ingrained in me by Mistress Stonewell.
I slowly opened the windows and gasped at the sheer beauty of the town. Logs and wood made up each building, and the main street that led up to the Black home seemed paved with a dirt and sand mixture. People loitered on the road, selling goods and exchanging pleasant conversations.
“Wow. It's beautiful.” I exclaimed.
“Be sure to tell Kemp. He’s led most of the teams that built our town. When Influenza X hit, we burned most of old town down to prevent the virus from spreading and rebuilt about ten miles east from the original town center,” he explained.
I tore my eyes from the beautiful scenery and openly observed Cyler again. He looked pale. “You need to rest,” I said. “May I please excuse myself? I don’t know who helped me change and wiped the blood off of me, but I would very much enjoy taking a shower.” I wondered if Maverick was the one to change me into this nightie. The thought made me shiver.
“Ah, sure. And, no worries. The seamstress that sewed me back together helped get you in here,” he assured me.
The shower was amazing. Cyler warned me that there was a hot water timer of ten minutes, so I used every nanosecond to enjoy the heat that caressed my tired muscles. Kemper told me that a pile of clothes in my size would be in the cabinet under the sink, but instead, all I saw were small scraps of fabric that couldn’t possibly pass for actual clothes.
I picked a brightly-colored piece that left my shoulders bare and only hit my knees. It clung tightly to my waist and flared out at the hips. The pattern had white and yellow flowers on it. It was beautiful but severely revealing. I walked past the room Cyler and I were in, and was pleased to find him sleeping peacefully. Although he wanted me to spend the day relaxing, I decided that my time would be better spent exploring my new home and finding out where my living quarters would be.
The upstairs was stunning. Six bedrooms, each with private baths, covered the expanse of the floor and were connected by a living area in the center. Although it felt highly intrusive, I snuck peeks into each room and was surprised to find them all tidy and neat. The wooden furniture throughout the house was uniform, but each room had different bedding.
The sitting room had six recliners, instead of a couch, and all of them faced a large and intimidating screen on the far back wall. How many people did he say lived here?
I made my way down the vast and beautiful staircase that welcomed me into their entryway. Weapons of all sorts hung up on the wall, and again I noticed that there were six slots for them.
I made my way towards the kitchen and was surprised to find Maverick slumped over at the kitchen table observing something on his tablet intently. I coughed to make my presence known, and he turned to look at me.
“Oh, Ashleigh. I see you’ve found the clothes we set aside for you.” He swallowed deeply while his eyes drank in my appearance. “I know that Galla fashion is more conservative in nature, so if you feel uncomfortable, we are happy to find clothes that fit your tastes. Those were left behind by Jules, and I think you’ll find them to be more fitting for the hot weather,” he explained.
Knowing that the dress I wore belonged to Mistress Black, suddenly made me uncomfortable. I felt a frown kiss my lips, which caused Maverick to look at me curiously.
“Actually, would you mind coming here for a moment?” He gestured for me to sit next to him, and I obediently obliged. Maverick opened up another screen on his tablet, and I leaned over to inspect what it was he wanted to show me.
“I was able to recover some footage from the ambush,” he explained. “I was curious how they were able to get inside. The doors on our trains always remained locked, but I was able to find that before the security feed cut, one of the guards opened the door.”
I watched the screen, and sure enough, a la
rge man with a hidden face opened the door to the last train. I gasped.
“I was wondering if you remembered this man at all?” he asked. He rewound the video multiple times, while I observed quietly. I tried to jog my memory, but the man, although oddly familiar, didn’t necessarily look like anyone I knew. I shook my head no in frustration.
“Could he be a scavenger?” I asked. Scavengers were people that lived on the outskirts of the empire, in the deadlands—a forest where nuclear waste turned everything toxic.
“It’s very possible,” Maverick replied.
So, someone on the inside was a traitor, which made life at the Dormas province much less safe.
Maverick got up from the table and began making two sandwiches. I watched as he painstakingly sliced thick cuts of yellow cheese, lettuce, onion, and meat. I once again stared at the image of the guard that let in the scavengers.
“Where were the other guards during this time?” I asked casually. “If you can narrow down where everyone else was, maybe you can figure out who it was that let them in.”
“Ah, excellent idea,” Maverick replied while walking over a plate full of food to me. “Unfortunately, that was the only feed I was able to recover. It would seem that the stream was corrupted,” he said with disappointment. “Now, eat. I noticed you hardly touched what Kemp brought you earlier. Your blood sugar was incredibly low when you collapsed on the train.”
I leaned forward and gingerly took a bite of the giant sandwich. “Are you a healer?” I asked.
“Not really. My Dad was the healer. I studied under him until he died.” He shrugged. “I know the basics, but in more extreme situations we have to call over a healer from a neighboring province. Luckily, our new fortune has allowed us to buy more equipment for our clinic, so I’m hoping to be more self-sufficient soon.”
I nodded in understanding. Something told me that Maverick was modest in his abilities. “Where is it that I am to sleep? I didn’t notice if you had Walker Quarters or not.” I wanted to move my belongings and look over the tablet that Josiah slipped into my messenger bag the day I left.
“We wanted to let you decide. My brothers and I sleep in the bedrooms upstairs. The room you were just in is Cyler’s,” he explained. “You are welcome to stay in our downstairs bedroom, or Kemper suggested having a guest house built for you in the back.”
I was shocked by their generosity and kindness. Any room in this house would be a step above the dark and damp basement at the Stonewells.
“Oh, please tell Kemper not to go to any trouble for me,” I exclaimed, causing Maverick to laugh.
“From the way he was looking at you, I doubt it would be any trouble at all,” he joked, causing me to blush.
“I’ll gladly take the downstairs bedroom. And if you find my presence in your household to be too much of a disturbance, I’ll happily move to whichever location you deem appropriate,” I offered.
“Yeah, you’re gonna have to stop that,” Maverick said, shocking me.
“Stop what?” I asked.
“Stop acting like you’re this inconvenience in our household,” he said with a growl. “From what I gather, Walkers are expected to be submissive and think nothing of themselves. It's bullshit.” He shrugged. “We want a community of equal people that contribute to the village while exercising their rights. It’ll be a long road, but I want you to try and consider yourself as a guest here, not a fucking slave.”
I bristled at his commentary. How could I go from spending eighteen years of my life thinking I was one thing, to considering myself to be an equal?
“I’ll try,” I muttered.
“Good,” he exclaimed with a clap. “Now, let me show you to your bedroom. Our other town leaders will be here tonight. They went out to inspect trolley.”
“So, there are six of you?” I questioned.
"Correct. We are each in charge of operations in an area that we have expertise in; we live together simply because it's more convenient."
I mused over recipes that could be filling to six adult men.
“Does anyone else live here?” I asked.
“Our sister used to, but as you’re aware, she left to live with her future husband,” Maverick said this with a hint of disgust. It was evident that Jules wasn’t the favorite amongst her family.
Maverick directed me towards a door tucked in the back corner of their home. He slowly opened it, and I sucked in a big breath, completely in awe of the room before me.
Four large windows overlooking the great expanse of trees behind their home stood on the south wall of the room. In the middle was a large king-sized, four-poster bed with a thick, white comforter. A bathroom was attached, and I was shocked to find a nice-looking tub that could comfortably fit three people. There was also a walk-in shower. It was amazing. It couldn’t possibly be for me.
I opened my mouth to exclaim that this would be way too much for a Walker, but the look on Maverick’s face and his request from earlier that still echoed in my mind, stopped me from speaking. Instead of protesting, I ran to him and gave him an appreciative hug. It was awkward, and we both stumbled at the force of it, but he accepted me with open arms and a chuckle.
“Thank you so much,” I whispered.
“I had no idea you’d like it this much. Maybe we should have Kemp build you that guest house. I wonder what kind of thanks I’d get then.”
I blushed at his teasing and continued to explore the room. After bringing me my bag, Maverick left to further investigate the locked footage from the train car.
I looked out the windows at the forest in the distance, enjoying the fresh open air. For five blissful minutes, I didn’t think about the Stonewells or Josiah; I didn’t think about the crippling fear I felt when Cyler was trembling from the wound in his leg.
All I thought about was the openness of the woods and my beautiful, new room. It was incredibly peaceful until the shrill ringing of a tablet brought me out of my daydreaming and back to reality.
I quickly found my bag and began rummaging through it to see the tablet Josiah slipped into my bag. Once I saw it, I answered the video call request.
“Hello?” I answered breathlessly. Josiah’s face appeared on the other line and a stabbing pain reverberated in my chest. He looked good. Achingly good. His strong jaw made my knees weak, but the frown on his face made me nervous. His icy eyes roamed over my face and torso, absorbing my bright dress with its low-cut top.
“I’ve been worried sick about you.” He sighed. “You look amazing.”
“I’ve only been gone a couple of days,” I whispered. Although Maverick and Cyler both said I was a free woman in their household, I didn’t think that they would appreciate finding me chatting with their sister’s future husband.
“There were rumors here that someone attacked your train. I needed to see that you were okay,” he urged.
“I’m fine. I didn’t even see the attackers. Cyler kept me safe in the first-class cabin,” I added.
“Of course he did,” Josiah muttered.
I looked Josiah over and noticed that his shirt was wrinkled, his hair crumpled. He looked sexy all disheveled. I shook my head at the thought.
Not mine. Not mine. Not mine.
“You look terrible,” I joked.
“I’ve been worried sick about you. Do you even miss me?” he asked longingly with a hint of a whine.
“Yes,” I answered honestly. “I don’t want to miss you, but yes.” His eyes brightened at my admission.
We began an easy conversation, avoiding all the weighty topics that strangled my heart with a tight grip. I showed Josiah my new room, and he was equal parts impressed and sad. I don’t think Josiah wanted me to like being in the Dormas province.
“What were some of your favorite meals I used to make?” I asked. Josiah groaned in response.
“Oh God, Ash, do I have to list off all the amazing things you’ve made for me? It’s bad enough I don’t have you, but living without your cooking will be
the death of me.” He put a hand on his forehead dramatically, making me giggle.
“Oh, hush. I’m in a house full of men now. I was trying to think of what foods I could make to thank them for this amazing room.” I explained.
“What do you mean a house full of men?” Josiah asked with a forced and angry tone.
“All the town's leaders live here,” I answered.
“FUCK!” Josiah roared.
“What?!” I asked. His outburst was entirely out of character.
“How much research did you do on Dormas?” he asked me.
“I did enough.”
“Did you see that they are experiencing a shortage of women there?” he asked with a hint of malice. “Some of them share women.” His face twisted in disgust. “They just toss them around like toys,” he explained.
Josiah’s words drenched me in fear. Surely, they wouldn’t expect that of me, would they? “Ash, you need to come home.” Josiah pleaded while gripping the edge of his bedroom desk. I considered leaving, despite the fantastic room and the promise of freedom. The Black brothers’ intentions with me seemed too unsettling, but just as I was about to ask Josiah to send transport for me, Jules' voice rang through the speakers.
“Who are you talking to, Jo? I thought we could continue what we started last night.” Jules’ sultry voice made my throat close up, and tears threatened to spill down my cheeks.
“Maybe you should have considered that before allowing me to leave,” I said bitterly.
Josiah absorbed my expression painstakingly. I didn’t hide my hurt. I let him take it on for the brief moment shared between us, and then I switched the screen off.
No matter what Cyler and his leadership council intended for me, I refused to face the deception and pain Josiah offered.
Chapter Eleven
I gathered my courage and made my way to the kitchen after spending hours researching Dormas on my tablet. Sure enough, articles explaining their peculiar solution for a lack of females came up on many sites. At first, I was alarmed, but as I flipped through the images provided, I saw a handful of women with big smiles on their faces, surrounded by adoring men. I almost felt jealous, but I wasn’t sure it was a lifestyle I wanted.
