by Coralee June
“Well, aren’t you two a cool drink of water?” she said while pretending to fan herself. “What damned corner of the empire have you been hiding in, and where is my one-way ticket?”
She held her hand out, and naturally, my antisocial twin, Huxley, didn’t accept it. Luckily, Patrick still had the good sense to be polite and grabbed it gingerly.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, Mistress…”
The woman burst out in laughter. Bending over at the waist, her breasts bounced as she shook with humor. It wasn’t until she broke out into a coughing fit that she stood to wipe her eyes and calm down.
“Oh, you’re a funny one. I’m no Mistress, kid. I’m a madam. Which is just those pompous Elites’ way of saying I’m a whore.”
Patrick turned such a bright shade of red that I couldn’t help but giggle. At the sound, Madam B turned her attention towards me.
“You must be the immune Walker that Jules pretends to hate,” Madam B said with a wink, making Jules scowl behind her. “She won’t admit it, but she missed you. If I had to hear one more word about your chocolate cake, I might have gone mad.”
“You have a nice home,” I said while looking around. I couldn’t get over the fact that it seemed so similar to one of the Elite manors.
“My customers like to pretend they aren’t slumming it in the Zone when they visit here. It took a while, but we like to give them the illusion that they are at home. The show starts when they walk through my door,” Madam B explained with a wild grin.
She walked towards me and placed a painted finger under her chin. “Well, let me get a look at you,” she ordered.
I stood still, forcing my posture straight like Mistress Stonewell had taught me. I kept my eyes ahead, and my arms firmly at my side. I had been trained by the best to be a household Walker, I could do this.
“Oh dear,” Madam B said while circling me. “I see what you mean, Jules.”
“What?” I asked.
“You’re not going to work at all.”
I swore I heard Huxley say, “Thank God,” but I didn’t dwell on that.
“What do you mean I’m not going to work? I’ve been a Walker my whole life, I was trained by the best in etiquette and cooking. I lived in the Governor of Galla’s manor.” I’d never been one to brag about my upbringing, but I felt it pertinent to show her my abilities.
Madam B traveled back until she was facing me. Her eyes gave me one last appraising swoop before she spoke again. “That's great and all, hon. But we don’t need a Walker. We need a Companion. I bet you’re a virgin.”
I felt the blood rush from my skin as I bit my lips in embarrassment. How could she possibly know that?
“Oh, no, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I know many girls that wish they had your predicament. Not many want this life,” she said, “but for this mission, we need someone with a bit more experience. Someone who can blend in and flirt.”
“I can do that!” I resolved. I was determined to fit whatever mold she needed me to. “I can do whatever it takes.”
“Oh really?” Madam B asked. “Louis, come down here please,” she yelled towards the stairs while keeping her eyes on me.
Soon, pounding boots descended the stairs, and a man with reddish hair and black eyes bounded towards us. He looked like Madam B but had more freckles peppered across his skin.
“This is my son, Louis. Seduce him,” she ordered. Beside me, I watched as Huxley, Patrick, Kemper, and Jacob went into fits of disapproval.
“Abso-fucking-lutely not!” Huxley shouted.
“Certainly there is another way,” Kemper then added.
Patrick laughed like the idea was absurd before giving Louis a murderous glare.
Jacob, who was still fumbling to remove his mindspeak translator from his ears was letting loose a list of monotoned threats.
“Enough!” Madam said, holding up her hand. She gave me a sly smile while taking in the angry group of men in her sitting room before speaking again. “All of them? Well well well, maybe I’ve underestimated you after all.”
She took another look at me, and I stopped trying to stand tall. I thought of my guys. Of the heated stares, the sensual way they touched me. I pushed each loving thought I had of them to the forefront of my mind while standing beneath Madam B’s intrusive stare. Finally, she spoke. “You still have a lot to learn, and not enough time to do it. We have a meeting tomorrow, and I’ll let the other girls decide if you’re fit to stay. Until then, Louis will show you all to your rooms. Tonight, Jules will change your appearance so my son can update you in the Walker database.”
Instinctually, I reached up to touch my hair and frowned when I imagined all the things Jules would do to me. And as if reading my mind, Madam B said, “The idea is to make you attractive. Don’t worry. She’s smart enough not to do anything ridiculous.”
“Thank you,” I choked out. Madam B was a strange woman, indeed. But I found her humor and abruptness endearing.
“Stay off the third floor, it’s where my girls work. Not unless you want a lesson in seduction.” She winked at me and turned away, leaving us all in the entryway.
Louis looked at all of us before speaking to me. “I was going to make a joke about seducing me, but I don’t feel like dying today. I was at least hoping to make it to the end of the month. I’m going back to work.” He gave an awkward wave before heading back upstairs.
“Smart man,” Huxley said. “I like him.”
Chapter Ten
I spent a good half hour searching for myself in the reflection of a dirty mirror in Jules and Tallis’ room. The unfamiliar girl staring back at me had long, straight hair that hit my lower back. The sleekness of it had me baffled. I’d always been at war with my curls, but these unfamiliar new tresses had me missing my wild mane. Jules applied some cream to it, lightening the shiny strands to match my white roots.
A plumping serum took my already cushioned lips and made them even more voluptuous. I found myself making facial expressions in the mirror and staring at the red lipstick Jules so carefully painted on me.
My skin was tanned from being in the sun the last five months, and Louis brought eye drops which temporarily changed the color of my irises to grey. I’d have to add drops every morning, but the overall look was...haunting.
It was me, I knew that much, but the woman in my reflection was cold. Was this what my men saw when they looked at me? The numb, unfeeling woman just scratching the surface of existence?
“Ash?” Kemper’s voice called out from behind me. I sucked in a deep breath before turning to face him.
“You might want to get used to calling me Shade,” I said with a half-grin. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. The new name Louis assigned me in the database felt foreign on my lips. I’d have to practice introducing myself as such if I wanted to survive. It felt like each step closer to revenge I got, the less of myself I had.
“Shade? That's an interesting choice,” Kemper mused while walking forward. He pinched my lightened hair between his fingertips. “I miss your curls,” he whispered.
“As much as I’m happy that you like my curls, I’ll admit that the maintenance of the straight hair will be a relief. Jules said the chemical she used will last for a month! Can you believe this magic serum to tame my hair has been around all this time?” I asked incredulously, joking to hide that I felt like a foreigner in my own skin. Jules was efficient and well-versed in the arts of pampering and appearance. It was jarring almost. She went from cleaning her knife to discussing the proper tint of red for a Companion to wear. She transitioned through her personalities efficiently. I wondered if I’d be able to go from Shade to Ash as quickly.
“I think you could shave your hair off, and I’ll still find you addicting,” Kemper said before leaning forward to kiss my forehead. “Madam B wants you to come down and meet the other Companions.”
“Okay,” I replied nervously. Madam’s words still echoed in my mind. I felt inadequate in this role. Jules c
ould dress me up, but my inexperience was in the way I carried myself.
Kemper must have seen the unease in my expression because he immediately went to fix-it mode. “What's wrong, sweetheart?” he asked while gripping the bathroom countertop, caging me between his arms.
“I’m not as experienced…”
I could feel Kemper’s eyes boring into me as I stood there; he looked me over, pausing at my chest where the dress Jules picked was draped dangerously low. The see-through material had gained all of his attention.
“Everything about you is sexy. I want you to be the first thing I touch in the morning,” Kemper said in a hoarse voice before kissing my neck. “And at night? I want you to be the last thing I taste.”
Kemper kissed my collarbone while teasing my hardened nipples through the thin material of my dress. “I love your heart. I love how honest you are. I love the way you treat others. I love how you dive into your passions and sacrifice yourself. But don’t doubt for one second that I don’t find you completely, fucking, ridiculously sexy. I think I’ve been perpetually hard since meeting you,” he said with a chuckle.
“Oh really?” I asked. My voice was low and raspy as he continued to massage my skin.
Kemper grabbed my hand and forced me to drag my touch down his trim chest and stomach, traveling lower until I could feel how hard he was.
“Feel what you do to me, Ash. Own it. You make my cock ache."
I let out a gasp as I stroked him, begging to dip inside his pants to feel him without the barrier of clothes, but before my fingers could travel beneath his waistband, he stopped me.
“We don’t have time, sweetheart. But believe me, if I could—I would. I’ll happily remind you for the rest of your life how desired you are. I might not like this plan, but I definitely don’t want these people to shake your confidence.”
I pulled my hand back, and Kemper crashed his lips to mine, infusing his confidence and attraction into our kiss. My plump lips seemed more sensitive, and when he bit my bottom lip, I gasped at the sharp yet pleasurable sensation.
Kemper wrapped one hand around my neck and the other through my hair. I felt treasured and divine. His kisses were primal. Adoring. He poured his conviction into me with every flick of his tongue and press of his lips. Abruptly, he ended the kiss and pulled away with a small smile. I watched as he slipped back into his usual passive persona, but it took a moment for his fiery eyes to calm.
Knowing I had the power to obliterate his restraint gave me such a thrill. He might be perfect and collected for everyone else, but with me, he embodied a pure, unfiltered, uninhibited chaos.
In the main sitting room, the others were waiting patiently. Jules and Tallis had left to collect supplies from a carrier in the tunnels. I adjusted my dress and hair once more, feeling uncomfortable under the stares of my men.
Huxley rested his eyes on my legs. They were exposed through the high slit in my white dress, and he looked at them like they were taunting him. Then, he traveled his eyes up my body with longing, but when he saw my face, his relaxed lips went hard with disapproval. I wasn’t sure how to take that. Did he not like this disguise? “You look beautiful,” Patrick said. “But you always have,” he quickly added while glaring at Huxley from the corner of his eye, as if daring him to say otherwise.
“What’s on your face?” Huxley asked. Jacob elbowed him then began digging in his pockets.
“Makeup?” I replied.
He looked like he didn’t know how to respond. Luckily, Jacob intervened. “You don’t just ask a girl what’s on her face!” the mindspeak blurted out. “Have I taught you nothing? Ash, Jules did a fantastic job disguising your appearance. The makeup is tasteful, but I’m thankful I get to see your beauty underneath. It’s like a mask almost. They see your war paint, and we get to see the real you.”
I smiled at Jacob’s comments then giggled when his mindspeak continued rambling, against his wishes. “See, you idiots? That's how you woo a girl. Take some fucking notes on how to make her feel beautiful for fuck’s sake!” Kemper chuckled beside me. I understood that this was an uncomfortable situation. I decided to take a page from Patrick’s personality and lighten the mood.
“I’m just thankful Jules didn’t follow through with her original plan to shave my eyebrows. I might not be a fashion expert, but her lie about that being a new trend was too transparent.”
The guys all laughed, and I took a seat by Jacob. Checking his ears, I noticed that he had removed his mindspeak translator, so I made a mental note not to ask him too many questions or engage him in conversation. I didn’t want him to feel inadequate, embarrassed, or upset. So instead, I didn’t use words. I only grabbed his hand and smiled, thankful that I was with him. I hoped that soon we would have time one on one to catch up, but for now, I was determined to fulfill my duties for Madam B.
The kitchen doors opened, and the crass Companion manager walked in, munching on a cupcake. When her eyes landed on me, her chocolate-covered mouth widened into a broad grin.
“I hardly recognized you! Jules does good work.” Madam B then shoved the rest of the chocolate cupcake in her mouth before licking the frosting from her fingertips.
Plopping on one of the chairs, she rested her feet up on the coffee table. She was utterly relaxed and in her element. “The girls should be here any moment. They had rounds at Cavil’s estate this morning for a diplomacy meeting. Cavil sure does enjoy using them to convince leaders,” she joked. “I’m sure they’ve aided in at least seven trade deals since he arrived here. The other brothels in the Zone are pissed that I’ve got all the good immune Companions.”
At her words, the front door slammed open, and chatter erupted through the hallways. “I’m telling you,” a bright voice said, “the man had a stuffed animal! He wanted to watch while I—”
I looked at the entryway as four women stood staring at us.
The first girl on the right had long blond hair, a pointed nose, and green eyes. She was beautiful, but her features were sharp. She wore an analytical expression as she openly observed our group, lingering a moment longer than I’d like on Kemper before looking at me.
The girl next to her had short black hair and full lips that were a bright red shade without the aid of lipstick. Her dark eyes were framed by thick lashes, and her shorter stature still felt imposing with her unamused posture.
“Is this the girl?” the dark-haired woman asked while nodding towards me.
Madam B rolled her eyes. “Yes, Lowe. This is Ash, or should I say Shade?”
The blond looked to Lowe then back at me before smiling. “Hey, Ash, I’m Blythe.” She immediately walked towards me and held her hand out to shake mine. “Maverick has told me so much about you,” she added in a lower voice, peering at me with an assuming look that made me want to squirm away from her. She knew Maverick? Was this the correspondent that was passing notes back and forth with him?
Next to Lowe was an older woman still just as striking as the other two, but there was a weary way in which she carried herself that made me pause. “I’m Kaye,” she said with a bored shrug.
Lastly, a woman with bright blue hair and a mischievous grin to match waved to me while saying, “I’m Jade. I’m the one that’s going to kill Cavil.”
I was shocked by the nonchalant way she had said that. Was she used to killing? “Well, it’s nice to meet you. Not going to lie, I’m a bit envious.”
After nodding in greeting to Kaye and Jade, I brought my attention back to Blythe. “You’ve spoken to Maverick?” I asked.
She smiled. “Every night almost.”
“You wish!” Jade called from the entryway while flipping her blue hair over her shoulder and adjusting her white dress. “You sit on the floor of his bedroom, pining over him while he works.”
Anger flashed in Blythe’s eyes as she turned to Jade. “Well, at least I’m not forced to sit with Master Byron and his foot fungus.” All four of the girls burst out in fits of giggles, and I felt even more out
of place. They had history, stories, and experiences which bonded them. How could I possibly fit in?
“So you’re all immune?”
“Yep!” the short woman—Lowe—answered. “Jules found me in a brothel outside of Ethros. One of my regulars was a member of the Resistance. Once I passed the blood test, I was brought here.
The older woman stared at Madam B for a moment before speaking to me. She was haunting in her tone. Each word was like dancing along the cliff of grief. “I’ve been here my whole life. Grew up on the third floor of this house, actually,” she said with a forlorn frown. “Didn’t find out I was immune until Jules performed the blood test on me three weeks ago. Been working my whole life for a cure that not only has become obsolete, but I never even needed.” I felt pity for Kaye. I couldn’t imagine striving so long for something that no longer mattered. But even immunes were locked into the status we were born with.
“Well, now that we’ve all met, we have some plans to discuss. I also would like each of you to work with Ash on her...skills,” Madam B said.
Blythe looked me up and down with a scowl that made me dislike her even more. “She does look like she’ll need a lot of work.”
“Nonsense,” Jade said while walking towards me and plunking down on the couch beside Jacob and me. Unlike the others, there was nothing slow and graceful about her movements. She was a dominant presence in their group. “She’s pretty enough. Most of the time, they just want you to sit there and look pretty. Cavil often forgets I’m even there. If she can survive not talking for hours on end, she’ll do fine.”
“Well, of course! Anyone can look pretty. It's the other part of our job this little Walker looks inexperienced with,” Blythe said while throwing a pointed stare at me. I seriously didn’t like her. From the moment she arrived, she’d been trying to undermine me.
Huxley spoke up. He had been quietly observing everything with interest, and I knew that he was cataloging each woman in his mind, seeking out their threat level and if they were suitable for the mission.