by Coralee June
Cyler then grabbed my hand and led me up the stairs to the main cabin, then dropped it as soon as we were out of sight. I felt like a political pawn in whatever games he played.
The cabin was plush and luxurious. A bar sat on the far-east side fully stocked with liquor and other novelty drink items. The seats were purple velvet with gold trim. Never once did I imagine that I would be allowed to travel in such conditions. Once again, Cyler surprised me.
I looked at him in awe. His whiplash of moods always had me questioning myself, but ultimately he seemed to be a good leader that wanted to provide for his people.
“Can I get you anything to drink, Master Black?” I asked. Cyler looked up from his tablet with an annoyed expression.
“What’s with this ‘Master’ business? I hate that, just call me Cyler. And before you fall in love with me, I’d like to make it clear that my informal preferences stem from feeling extremely uncomfortable about my new role in this society.”
His candid admission made me feel simultaneously vulnerable and angry.
“Don’t mistake my politeness for affection, Cyler. Old habits are hard to break, and I think it would be challenging to fall for someone that uses people as pawns for political gains.”
“Then how did you ever fall for a guy like Josiah Stonewell?" he asked in a sharp tone, and the truthfulness of it felt like a slap in the face. "I do what I have to for my people,” he said simply. “Our numbers have dwindled while these pompous assholes hoard the cure for a preventable virus. Now that we’ve become one of the most profitable provinces in the empire, there are certain steps we have to take to make sure what we have isn’t taken from us.”
He had a point. It would be easy for Josiah to lead a team and capture the Dormas lands.
“So, you’re giving them gold while building an army,” I stated.
“Ah, you’re a smart one. Yes. Galla men are greedy. It's easy to flash some gold and offer to allow their lower class population into our province. It’ll also be easy to motivate the Walkers to defend their new home. I will provide them with freedom and respect. Something they’ve obviously never had. We have enough gold stockpiled that we can afford the Galla province’s steep rates and enough vaccines to protect our people from Influenza X. And letting my annoying sister marry the poor lad as a gesture of goodwill buys us some more time,” he continued with a chuckle. “She’s been begging me to move to Galla. The alliance will make them feel good about our partnership.”
Hearing his brash opinion of his sister made Cyler that much more menacing. Could he honestly be that heartless to pawn off his blood? Although I wasn’t necessarily a fan of Jules, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her brother’s opinion of her.
“Why tell me this?” I asked Cyler while he rose and poured two glasses of amber liquid in chilled glasses. Cyler handed one to me and swallowed his in one gulp. I watched his Adam's apple bob up and down.
“You would have figured it out, anyways. I need to build a rapport with the Walkers. I’ll need your help to do that,” he said. I took a swig of the drink and coughed down the flames that scorched my mouth and throat. My belly immediately felt warm. Cyler chuckled at me, and we then sat in awkward silence.
Within the hour the train started up and we were moving towards Dormas. Cyler set up his office in the main cabin and worked throughout the day. I brought him lunch and snacks but mostly listened to the various calls he made.
I watched in awe as we passed through different terrain. Abandoned cities and desert made a dramatic wasteland portrait in the huge window. It made me feel small and insignificant. The Stonewell home was where I’d spent the majority of my life. My existence revolved around their routine, and in that, I lost myself. It was equal parts humbling and saddening to see that the world was so much bigger than Josiah. So much bigger than me.
I felt hopeful about my future, despite the fear of the unknown. I was excited to experience life outside of pining for Josiah Stonewell and wishing I was something I’m not. Ultimately, I looked forward to figuring out who I was outside of my duties as a Walker. Cyler said I would be free in Dormas. The train ride made me realize that I wanted to use my freedom to become something more than the timid Walker that obeyed every command.
Later that evening, a call came through for Cyler that caught my attention. It was about Jules, and the person on the other end of the line seemed acquainted with her.
“Ay, brother. She’s gone for good. It's for the best. I don’t think the poor fool truly realized that we got the better end of the deal. I’m disappointed, too. But it’s what she wanted. Wait till you see who I got in exchange for her.” Cyler looked up to meet my gaze and winked at me. His words made me feel like auctioned cattle, and I frowned. Cyler then told the person on the other line goodbye and hung up.
“What’s with the frown, Ash?” The nickname rolled off his tongue, and the familiarity surprised me.
“I feel like cattle,” I replied.
“Oh, don’t worry. I was just messing with my brother. He has a soft spot for pretty gals, and I’m sure he’ll drop his jaw when I waltz in with you. But I want to be abundantly clear– you aren’t my property.” Cyler got up, grabbed my chin and forced me to look him in the eye.
“If you believe anything I say, believe this. You will have freedom in Dormas. I am not forcing you into my household; I’ll pay you, protect you. All I need in exchange is loyalty and some more of that damn good chocolate cake.”
He threw me what I assumed was his best attempt at a reassuring smile, and I considered his words while he moved back to the plush, velvet chair and took another sip of whiskey. I observed him openly. I found myself trying to wrap my mind around the manipulative nice-guy that was determined to do right by his people.
I found a pencil and paper lying next to him, and after briefly asking his permission to have it, began sketching while the train moved on. Art was always something I had a passion for but lacked the time or supplies to fuel it.
I briefly wondered if I would now have time to do the things I enjoyed. I sketched an abandoned church we passed by on the train. Its shattered windows gleamed with promise, and the door’s paint was peeling. Trash littered the front lawn, and graffiti stained its white, wooden walls. Realistically, it was a run-down chapel left alone to suffer the effects of time. I captured each mark, each testament to its survival despite the lack of care.
Hours passed, and just as I was finishing my morbid sketch, I was startled to find Cyler standing behind me, peering at the picture. “It’s beautiful,” he muttered. The smell of whiskey filled my nose. “What made you want to draw that?”
“It needed someone to remember it. Someone to recognize that despite everything it has been through, it's still beautiful,” I answered.
Cyler nodded at me, and after looking once more, made his way to the oversized couch and laid down. I almost expected the flirty man to provide more commentary, but he took my explanation in serious strides. Soon, snores bounced off the side walls of the train’s cabin. Once he was sound asleep, I made my way around and cleaned up some of the clutter he’d left. I swept the crumbs and washed his glass. I still wasn’t entirely sure what role he wanted me to play, so I just performed the duties I was used to. Until I knew what they expected of me, I would continue to care for Cyler and his household.
Although I felt tired from the travels and from staying up the night before, I couldn’t sleep. The anxiety was overwhelming and it made me want to crawl out of my skin. I casually paced the floor in rhythm to Cyler’s timely snores.
Chapter Nine
I allowed my anxiety to consume me and was lost in thought when a loud bang erupted, followed by screams from one of the other passenger cars. I stumbled over to where Cyler was peacefully sleeping and shook his shoulders in an attempt to wake him up.
Another loud noise erupted. “Cyler, please wake up,” I yelled. His eyes bolted open, and he grabbed my shoulders. He sat up and peered at me with sleepy eye
s.
“What’s wrong, have a bad dream?” he asked jokingly. I started to explain when another bang erupted, and Cyler stood immediately. The noise seemed to stun him out of his playful mood. He jogged over to the control panel which was hidden by a wooden dash. He then skimmed the many screens until he saw the Walkers being ushered through the trolleys by strange men dressed in black. Each Dormas guard stationed in the individual carts was either lying motionless on the wooden floor of the train or missing.
“Fuck. Stay here. Do not leave this room under any circumstances, you understand me? I'm locking it. Only open it for me.” Cyler grabbed a holster of knives and ran to the back portion of the train.
I bit my nails in anticipation while listening to more bangs and loud screams. I tried to watch what was happening on the screen, but one by one each feed was cut, leaving me to wonder in fear what was happening.
As each moment passed, I tried to remain strong, but tremors overcame me as the fear crept in. I checked and rechecked that the door to the connecting trolley was locked, and once convinced that no one could get in, I sat on the plush couch and listened intently.
At first, I could hear movement and loud, but indistinguishable shouts, then silence. An eerie silence. A silence that amplified the rhythmic sounds of the train and made my heart beat seem unbearably loud. I waited, and still there was no sign of Cyler.
I contemplated his strict instructions but decided that it would be better to ask his forgiveness than sit waiting to be attacked. I grabbed a cast-iron pan that was in one of the cabinets of the kitchenette and opened the door that led to the next cabin. Sticky air blasted my face, and I skipped across the open connector, then slowly opened the door that led to the passenger train car.
Inside was a terrifying sight. Cyler lay face down on the floor, bleeding, while women and children were crouched low and cowering in their seats.
“What happened here?” I whispered.
“Get low; they’re coming back,” a woman whispered.
I bent over and heaved Cyler onto his back, then checked his pulse. He was still alive but bleeding badly from his leg. He clutched a knife in his hand, and I went to grab it when he grunted.
“I told you to stay in the main cabin,” he growled.
I rolled my eyes. Only Cyler would scold me while on the brink of death. “Tell me what to do,” I replied hastily. I wasn’t sure who had attacked us, but I wasn’t willing to find out. Before Cyler could provide me with any instructions, he passed out again.
A young boy crawled his way up to us and sat down. He then placed both his hands over the wound in Cycler's leg, to try and stop the bleeding. It appeared to be second nature to him, and I wondered how many times he’d had to do the same thing in the Walker Zones.
“We were in the back train when they attacked us,” the boy whispered. ‘They forced all of the women and children to move towards the front of the train while they searched the cargo cabin. Each bang was them releasing a trolley. They found a chest of gold and stole it. They also put all the men in the back trolley and disconnected it from the rest of the train. Master Black tried to save them, but they outnumbered him. We aren’t sure if they're coming back for us.” Worry was etched on his face.
I quickly absorbed all he said and made a plan of action. If these people were coming back, we needed to consolidate and increase our speed. They had to have been using transports to get aboard, and without the added weight of the other trolleys, we could easily outrun them. Josiah used to talk to me about trains, and I knew enough to feel confident in my decision. The train’s main cabin was where all the controls were.
“Okay, everyone, let’s make our way towards the main cabin. We need to increase our speed and try to put as much distance between them and us as possible. If they've disconnected the other trolleys, then they aren’t on board right now. I was just in the main cabin, and I promise you all it is safe. I’ll need three of you to help me move Cyler.”
I heard a few grumbles of disapproval, but luckily, most complied. Eagerly, the women and few children traveled single file into the main cabin. The younger boy and a strong woman stayed behind and helped me lug Cyler’s limp body into the main cabin, getting blood everywhere.
I then went to the train’s central control panel and observed the different functions. After several minutes, I found the release mechanism for the last connected trolley and clicked to detach it. Our attackers must have used rudimentary bombs to remove the other cargo and passenger trolleys because it disconnected without a bang.
Next, I found the speed controls and watched as the control panel calculated the maximum speed we could travel with our allotted fuel. I was lucky this was one of the newer trains with a better system, otherwise I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get us safely to Dormas. By the computer’s new calculations, we’d arrive in two days. I just hoped Cyler would make it that long.
Through the night, I watched Cyler. I kept hard pressure on the wound in his leg and tried to decrease the bleeding as much as possible. Eventually, a seamstress from the Walker Zone came forward and offered to stitch Cyler up. It was a long shot, but we removed his pants, and I watched as she carefully sewed the three-inch-long gash back together. We disinfected his wound with alcohol but also kept some to give him for the occasional times he’d woken up in pain.
The train remained mostly quiet, aside from Cyler’s brief whimpers of pain. I could sense that the earlier excitement of leaving Galla was now entirely extinguished by the attack. The women and children were rightfully scared, but I felt too distraught over Cyler to even briefly remove my eyes from his weak frame, despite the overwhelming exhaustion that consumed me.
Each minute ticked by slowly. Whispers about Cyler’s condition annoyed me, and I kept wiping his brow to remove the sweat from his forehead. Eventually, he began to have uncontrollable tremors. The seamstress and I had to hold him down to keep him from re-opening his wound and tearing the amateur stitches.
Although I didn’t know Cyler well, it pained me to see him suffer. For reasons I didn’t understand, I ached to take his pain away, and I spent each moment comforting him. Despite his rough exterior, Cyler Black had become a friend, a friend that I wasn’t willing to give up on just yet.
The tremors came in waves, each one increasing in severity. I gripped Cyler's hand and whispered words of encouragement.
Finally, as the sun rose on the last day of our travels, Cyler’s fever spiked as we arrived at a beautiful village framed by trees and full of homes made of wood. There were dirt roads and a crowd—mostly men—eager to meet us. Some cheered, and some had curious expressions, but I stood on shaky knees, ready to announce that we needed help. Once the train came to a complete stop, I slammed the sliding door open and screamed for a doctor. My voice was hoarse and weak, but it was loud enough to gather the attention of our welcoming committee. Hot air hit my face, and immediately I was greeted with looks of shock and concern.
“It’s Cyler, quick, we need help! Hurry!”
Three men pushed their way through the crowd and boarded the train.
“What happened?” a red-headed man asked while feeling Cyler’s forehead and looking around the main cabin. “Are you hurt, too?” he asked.
I looked down at myself and saw that blood stains completely covered my dress and skin. The exhaustion, fear, and overall emotional turmoil of the past few days consumed me like a relentless fire. The last thing I saw was the red-headed man’s concerned expression before I welcomed the darkness. As it flooded my vision and relaxed my senses, I fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Ten
The first thing I heard when waking up was the sound of Cyler’s angry voice.
“How long has she been asleep, are you sure you didn’t find anything wrong with her? Do we need to call a neighboring healer?” He spoke fast and choppy. His grave voice made my heart hurt, and for a moment, I almost forgot about all the events that led to that moment.
But, memories flooded me
, and I realized that I wasn’t in my basement in the Stonewell home but somewhere Cyler was wounded. I shot up in bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, determined to figure out where I was and if he was ok. The last thing I remember was pulling up to Dormas.
Once my eyes focused, I turned to see a room full of men staring intently at me. I was wearing a flimsy nightgown, and their intense focus made me pull the soft blankets up to my chin.
Cyler grinned and limped his way over to the bed. He plopped down with a grunt and placed a hand on my knee. “You had me worried, babe.” The flirty nickname made me cringe, causing laughter to fill the small, dark, room.
“Last I remember, you were the one they stabbed. What are you even doing up?” I scolded.
A red-headed man that I vaguely remembered grabbed my wrist and checked my pulse.
“Cy refused to rest until he knew you were okay,” he said kindly. I jerked my hand away from his cold fingers, earning myself a scowl from him. His hair was a red-brown, and his beard matched. Framed by thick lashes, his dark eyes looked kind. He was striking with thick lips and perfect, white teeth.
“How long have I been asleep?” I asked.
“Two days,” the red-headed man answered.
“I’m Maverick, by the way.” He held his hand out, and years of practiced politeness urged me to shake it. As soon as our fingers touched, he gripped my wrists and went back to checking my pulse which was racing at all the attention focused on me. He was a sneaky one.
“Any longer, and I would have been dead,” Cyler whispered. “Thanks for taking care of me and the other Walkers, Ash.”
A toned, but slender blond man with intriguing blue eyes in the back corner spoke, “What I want to know is why they left the women. If the attackers wanted to take away our resources, why spare them? I don’t get it.”