by Coralee June
“Ah. Yes, well, I’ve learned that in order for something to come to fruition, one must face their desires head on.” Patrick gave me a wink as he turned around and got in step with us.
“What does that even mean?” I asked incredulously.
“It means,” Huxley began “that my brother is a presumptuous dick.”
I chuckled as Patrick debated on dropping his box of pastries and punching Hux. “It means, that whatever happens, happens,” Patrick said, causing Hux to growl again.
“I thought I was supposed to treat you all like my brothers—" I began.
“Oh yuck, yeah . . . well let’s nip that one in the bud right now,” Patrick interrupted while wearing a firmly set look of pure disgust. “Regardless of whatever happens, please, for the love of all that his holy, don’t ever, ever refer to me as you brother again.” Patrick gave an exaggerated shiver.
“Uh, I second that one,” Huxley added sheepishly.
“You do realize that Lois probably has sent out a mass newsletter to everyone by now. They’ll be planning our wedding within the week!” I exclaimed. Patrick gave me a sideways glance and bit his lip.
“You’d look good in red,” Patrick whispered.
“Red?”
“Its tradition for brides to wear red,” he replied.
“Can we please talk about something else?” Huxley begged. “Look, just ignore them, we did you a favor. Now Lois will stop bringing suitors to the Bakery, and you can go about your day. We know the truth, and that’s all that matters. None of us are fucking courting you,” Huxley said with such conviction that each beat of my heart felt like the crunching gravel beneath his feet. It was nice to pretend that this was a reality; that I could have all of them, but once again, Huxley doused me in an ice cold bucket of reality.
“Well, look who’s being the dick now,” Patrick said to Huxley while rolling his eyes and taking my box of treats and piling it on top of his. “Go on back to the Bakery, sweetie, I’ll see you tonight,” Patrick told me. He somehow managed to juggle the three boxes he was carrying and kissed my cheek.
Before leaving, I decided to make it known that I could have handled the situation without their help. “For the record,” I began with a frown. “I didn’t need your help. Maybe I wanted to get to know Norman and—and…what was his name again?” My anger fizzled out as I tried to remember his name.
Huxley didn’t dignify my statement with a response. Instead, he simply stomped off like he usually did when he was feeling particularly moody. Once Huxley was out of sight, Patrick placed the boxes on the dirt ground and stormed towards me
“For the record,” Patrick said while grabbing my face in his hands. He had a determined, steely look in his eyes. “This courtship between you and me? It’s real,” he said before placing a firm, chaste kiss upon my lips. I wanted to linger in the sensation, but he pulled away, picked up his food, and followed after Huxley.
Chapter Sixteen
Cyler called a Leadership Council meeting the next day. He insisted I attend and make his favorite dinner. For the first time since my birthday, Cyler, Huxley, Patrick, Maverick, Jacob, and Kemper were all in the same place at the same time, and I was giddy with excitement. Although I craved one on one time with each of them, I couldn’t help but feel drawn to their group. Together they were vibrant and full of life. They brought out the best in each other, the best in me.
Cyler watched me cook from his perch at the dinner table while he occasionally typed on his Tablet. We were waiting for the others to arrive—as always, they were working up until the last possible minute.
“What’s the meeting about tonight, Cy?” I asked while putting my casserole dish in the oven.
Cyler looked up at me and gave me a forced smile while turning off his Tablet and setting it down. “I’d prefer to wait and discuss it whenever we’re all together, babe,” he replied.
I couldn’t help but slump my shoulders at this. The last time Cyler ‘surprised’ me with something, it was Jules’ and Josiah’s engagement.
“Should I be worried?” I asked, still feeling persistent.
“I don’t think so,” was all Cyler said in response. His assurance fell flat, and I grumbled at his inability to just spit it out.
One by one, each of the others began to arrive. Jacob greeted me with a flirty smile and a kiss on the cheek before dipping his finger in the homemade ice-cream I made this morning.
“What did we even eat before you came along?” he mused while swiping another finger-full and walking upstairs to shower before the dinner meeting.
Patrick and Huxley arrived next. Huxley greeted me with a nod and a small grin, which was more than he usually graced me with these days, and in usual Patrick fashion, I was plucked from the stove and spun around while he sang silly nursery rhymes. A few days ago, I casually mentioned that I never learned any during my childhood in the Stonewell home, and Patrick was now making it his mission to make sure I learned each and every song imaginable.
“Ring around the rosey, a pocket full of poseys. Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down!” he sang while he tickled me. I giggled while his fingers moved mercilessly against the sensitive sides of my stomach.
“Again with the nursery rhymes, I see,” Maverick said with a smirk, dropping stacks of papers onto the kitchen table. He was researching a new lead on the vaccine and it was keeping him up all hours of the night. He looked exhausted, but his spirit seemed renewed with the possibility of a breakthrough, so I didn’t scold him—too much.
“No work at the dinner table, Maverick,” I said. I removed myself from Patrick’s arms and made my way over to Maverick. Once close enough, he swept a curly strand behind my ear and kissed me on the forehead. Over the last week it had become his standard form of greeting, and I found myself craving his hellos throughout the day.
“How was your day?” I asked. Looking him over, I saw the black circles under his eyes, but a bright light flashed between his irises that brought joy to his tired face.
Maverick pulled me in for a hug and mumbled into my hair. “I’m so, so close, Ash.”
Cyler’s rough voice broke us apart. “Stop distracting the chef! She’s got a very important job to do, you know!” he joked while trying to sneak a bite of some left over cake I brought home from the Bakery. I walked towards him and playfully slapped his wrist before going back to work while Cyler and Maverick discussed an issue between the mine workers and the new Scavengers.
Kemper arrived just as I was finishing up dinner. I looked up to greet him with a smile, but instead of his usual happy stare, I was greeted with a look of utter terror. I stopped chopping vegetables for the salad and went to him.
“Kemper, what’s wrong? You look terrible.”
His eyes scanned the room and everyone became silent. I noticed how the room grew tense, as if preparing for the worst. Every scenario imaginable flashed in my mind, and I reached out to clutch his hand in anticipation.
“Lately, a few of the female Walkers have become a little more forward,” he began with a shudder. Patrick snorted, and the room erupted into merciless laughter.
“Another naked girl in your office again, Kemp?” Patrick asked, laughing. My eyes snapped to Patrick to gauge the truthfulness of his statement. Surely he was joking?
“No . . . worse. Much, much worse,” Kemper replied while pouring himself a class of whiskey and downing it whole. “I was accosted while trying to use the restroom.” He threw up his hands in exasperation. “Becca is relentless!”
The sane part of me wanted to have empathy for Kemper; he was, after all, someone I cared deeply for. But the primal version, the one that felt wildly protective of him, wanted to claw Becca’s eyes out. She might be nice, but Kemper was mi—.
“Ash? You okay? You’re gripping the end of the table like it bit you,” Patrick asked in a concerned voice while licking his bottom lip. I looked down to see that I did, in fact, have a death grip on the mahogany table.
“I’m fine, just concerned for K
emper,” I managed to bite out while releasing my hold. Kemper’s knowing eyes met mine, and he smiled like he knew what I was thinking and was pleased by it.
“I’m just not used to the attention. We haven’t had women in Dormas for a while. I’m going to start telling them that I’m courting someone.” Kemper shifted his gaze to me.
“Oh! Haven’t you heard? We’re all courting Ashleigh,” Patrick said while studying his nails nonchalantly.
“What?” Maverick asked immediately while looking at me with the hint of a smile.
“Lois kept tossing some pretty unsuitable suitors Ash’s way. It was pretty pathetic, really. Therefore, being the selfless and benevolent person that I am, I offered myself up, and you all, as her devoted suitors!” Patrick said with a clap of his hands.
“Perfect. I’ll add this topic to the Agenda for our Council meeting. We have a few logistics to work out.” Cyler grinned, and I remembered our moment in the treehouse.
“We’re not fucking taking minutes to discuss courting a girl,” Huxley said while sucking in a deep breath of air. “I mean, we aren’t even courting her, not really.”
“Actually, I’ll have to agree with Huxley on this one,” I said before grinding my teeth in frustration. “None of you have asked to court me. Besides, we have much more important matters to discuss. Let’s just drop it, please,” I begged.
“You didn’t even ask her?” Jacob yelled while throwing his hands up. “We are totally fucking this up . . . . A woman should be wooed!”
They each began talking over one another. Huxley glared at me like this was my fault. Like I was chaos incarnate, here to ruin him and his family.
Cyler broke the tense discussions going on around me. “Enough! We can talk about all of this later. Let’s eat in the meeting room tonight.”
I was thankful that he promptly changed the subject. On one hand I wanted definite answers, I wanted to know what it was we were all doing. However, there was a darker part within me that didn’t want to deal with my insecurities. I didn’t want to face rejection, or worse, complete exclusion from their family.
We all gathered in the meeting room, and to my surprise, Tallis joined us. Luckily, I tend to cook more than necessary, so I had enough to spare. He looked just as wild and exotic as I remembered, but he lacked the bleeding authority he showed in our last meeting.
“Hello, Agrio,” he said with a smile. He sat down in the chair next to me, patting me on the shoulder.” I greeted him back with a friendly smile.
“Ash, would you mind running back into the kitchen and fetching the mustard seasoning, I find it goes great with this dish,” Maverick requested in an even tone, and I happily obliged. Once I had the seasoning and made my way back, I noticed that Jacob had claimed the seat next to Tallis, and there was a newly vacant spot next to Huxley.
Since this was a more formal affair, everyone waited for me to take the first bite, and unlike my first dinner in Dormas, I knew what to expect. I looked around the room with a sly smile as they all stared and slowly, ever so slowly, placed a small bite in my watering mouth. I felt rebellious, but I enjoyed feeling their eyes on me, and wanted to revel in their complete attention for as long as possible.
Once I took my bite, a series of scraping utensils and shuffling plates reverberated around the room, and everyone began eating in silent appreciation. I observed Tallis while he ate and noticed that he was watching the others for social cues. When Maverick sipped his drink, so did he. He held his silverware in a clumsy fashion, and I wondered if he usually ate with his hands and not a fork.
“Well, I guess it’s time to discuss why I’ve called you all here,” Cyler began while wiping grease from the corners of his mouth with an appreciative smile. “I’ve been in communications with the Ethros leaders down south, and they have offered me a deal…one I feel would be foolish to refuse.”
“Ugh,” Tallis groaned. “Ethros is the armpit of the empire. They have the manners and integrity of an X-infected goat.” He snorted and looked around the table, expecting people to laugh at his joke, but none did.
“They have Heat,” Cyler said with stoic intensity.
I gasped in shock. Heat was rod-shaped tubes that shot out blasts of concentrated waves of electric fire. One shot turned its victim to ash on impact. Emperor Lackley outlawed them decades ago, but some Providences had underground means of producing them. To be caught trading or making them was punishable by death.
“Absolutely not,” Maverick said while standing up. “I’ve dedicated my existence to the preservation of life, and we decided long ago that we would not involve ourselves in those sorts of trades.”
“Let me talk, Mav,” Cyler said calmly.
“No, I’m not even entertaining this,” Maverick said again. He started walking towards the exit when Tallis interrupted him.
“A wise man hears all sides before passing judgement, Maverick.”
Maverick froze and turned back around. He gave Tallis a menacing look that made my skin crawl. “There is nothing wise about buying lethal weapons from Ethros,” he said with a growl.
“We need better protection,” Huxley interrupted. He was scooting his food around his plate and had his blue eyes fixed on a singular spot on the table.
“Whatever, Huxley, I’m right and you know it!” Maverick hollered.
“Being right is subjective. Besides, everyone knows that it’s dangerous being right when it’s the government that’s wrong,” Tallis added in a wise voice. “You must greet that danger head on.”
Cyler’s face grew red, and I sensed that his patience was wearing thin.
“Don’t view this as an offensive move,” Cyler explained. “It’s simply so that we can have an excellent defense. A tool that would only be used if we’re under attack. I’ve never been one to seek out opportunities for needless loss of life, Maverick. You of all people should know that.”
I watched as their argument grew and opinions continued to ping pong between everyone, each bounce increasing the tension in the room.
Before I knew it, Cyler and Maverick were yelling at one another while Huxley broke a wooden serving spoon by banging it against the table. Jacob, Kemper, and Patrick watched the madness unfold alongside me.
“I think maybe we should all have the opportunity to voice our concerns or wishes,” I suggested in a sure but low voice. This was the first time I’d seen a fight between my makeshift family, and it was jarring to say the least. I stood and made my way over to Maverick, then placed my hand in his, I wanted to show him solidarity and support.
“I think Heat is a very drastic defensive measure, and everyone has a right to feel concerned about the implications of this deal,” I began and instantly felt tension leave Maverick’s frame. I silently thanked Mistress Stonewell. She was cruel and uncaring, but she taught me how to command a room.
“However,” I began, “We must consider the dangers that are upon us. I think that we should look into increasing our defensive measures in the most efficient way possible. It’s a hard choice, and I respect Maverick’s need to preserve life. I think a vote makes the most sense.”
Cyler peered at me, and I saw a millimeter lift in his lips, indicating that he was pleased with my little speech. Every time I asserted myself, his eyes twinkled with satisfaction, and it spurred me further despite the itching self-consciousness that filled me.
“Fine.” Maverick sighed while gripping my hand harder. I felt like the anchor keeping him in control.
“Jacob?” I asked. Our eyes connected just before his head dipped and shoulders slumped.
“I’m sorry, Maverick, but Kindle’s death could have been prevented. I support having Heat here in Dormas. As long as we approach it with the utmost care,” he quickly added.
“Patrick?”
“Against,” he replied with a shrug. His lips remained firmly pursed in a straight line. He provided no explanation for his vote, and his eyes shifted around the room as if he was nervous about his opinion an
d ready for others to judge him for choosing what he did.
“Huxley?”
“For. I’m tired of being the ant hiding from the magnifying glass,” he said. I briefly wondered if Huxley ever felt like an ant. It seemed implausible that someone so large and intimidating would ever feel so weak.
“Kemper?” I asked in a soft voice. I knew he was naturally gentler than the others and could sense I’d predict his answer.
“For. I want to know that I can protect those that I care about,” he said while his blue eyes caressed me with such adoration that my cheeks heated. His vote surprised me, but I respected his reasoning.
I looked at Cyler, and he nodded his head yes. I already knew what his answer would be. At the same time, Maverick shook his head no, while scowling deeply at anyone willing to look.
“I’m not sure if my vote counts, but in case anyone cares, I’m against it,” Tallis added, surprising me. His earlier comments made it seem that he was supportive of building our arsenal. “I’ve seen how Heat works. It’s a coward's weapon of choice. When I kill, I prefer to use a knife.” He pulled out a small dagger and began picking his teeth with the tip of it. “I like to see the whites fade in my enemy’s eyes as he dies,” he said menacingly with wide, wild eyes that shifted as he spoke, all traces of the wise and gentle leader gone.
“What’s your vote, Ash?” Jacob asked with an encouraging half-smile. His hands were folded in front of him, and he anxiously tapped his thumb against the wood of the table.
“I’m not sure my opinion counts, I’m not on the leadership council,” I replied while shuffling my feet uncomfortably.
Cyler waved his hand to dismiss my words. “Nonsense. We decided on your birthday that you were on the council,” he began. “Maverick, what was the title you gave her? Oh! Yes—Captain of Walker Relations.”
I felt a hive of anxiety buzz around my stomach, and I hated everyone just a bit for putting me in this position. I didn’t want to hurt anyone with my choice, and I also didn’t want to seem like I was taking sides.