Wings of the Walker: The Complete Walker Series

by Coralee June

  “She wasn’t dating Allaire. She was showing him her findings. Dominique wasn’t Lackley’s Companion like I thought. She was his scientist. And she came to Ethros with me as a Companion to hide once he realized that her cure wasn’t working. The woman I’ve been fucking created the damn virus in the first place.”

  All at once, a clear understanding flooded through me like an icy shock to the system. My dream, my understanding of Dominique, it all made sense now. That woman was tortured and disturbed, nearly teetering on the edge of insanity. I realized, then, that she wasn’t suffering from all that the world had done to her, but instead from the guilt of all the things she’d done to the world.

  “How did you even find her?” I asked. I wasn’t sure how far to push, how much Cavil would be willing to say. If I acted like I was hanging on the edge of his words, worshipping each syllable pouring from his lips, maybe I could distract him and…

  “She cornered me in Lackley’s home. She said she was Lackley’s most prized Companion, but she wanted to go with me. I saw the opportunity to claim one of Lackley’s possessions and didn’t think anything of it. I wish I’d known then what I know now, though. I had the answers for the cure under my nose this whole time and didn’t even know it,” he chuckled to himself.

  I closed my eyes, once again reliving the glimmer of a memory I was gifted with when Jules gave me the death pill. Maybe it was a message from Josiah. Maybe he wanted to give me one last nudge in the right direction. Leave it to Josiah to find a way to help me from the dead.

  I swallowed deeply as Cavil slowly removed his shirt, revealing yet another crisp, white undershirt beneath. “We went through Allaire’s office to find out who else he was working with. I never imagined I’d find his correspondence with Dominique. Just before you escaped, she and Allaire unlocked the cure. She injected it in her son, Payne, then sent him away with the hopes of keeping him far from me. Once I find him, I’ll have it all. And there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me.”

  Oh no. Payne. He couldn’t do anything to Payne.

  “It’s a shame Dominique died. I would have liked to have seen her expression when I bled her son dry in front of her,” Cavil added while unbuckling his belt. Some dark part of my brain knew what would happen next. I knew where this would lead. Cavil wanted to exercise his power over me in front of Maverick and Cyler.

  “The day Allaire died, she hung herself in her jail cell. Pity, huh? I bet she knew I’d find his research. Allaire seemed to think I’d never find her son, but I have my ways. It’ll take no time at all to bring him back to Ethros.”

  I grabbed my chest and held it tightly, taking in the pain of her death. Conflict over the woman that died rocked through me. She was Payne’s mother. The woman that helped us escape. But if what Cavil was saying were true, she was also the woman responsible for killing a majority of the population.

  I looked over my shoulder at Maverick and Cyler then bit my lip. I knew they were stuck between feeling hopeful about this new information and defeated about Cavil. “You’ll never find him,” I whispered. I would still fight. I’d fight for my guys. I’d fight for Payne. For the empire.

  “Is that so? You know where he is, Walker?” Cavil stopped undressing to look at me. He was trying to assess what I knew. I kept my face soft as the pretentious bastard looked me over. “You do, don’t you?” I bit my lip, praying that the idea I was slowly formulating would work. I didn’t think I had the strength, but I had to try. Looking around, there weren’t many other options. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” I replied with a smirk.

  Cavil snapped his head to the guardsman. “Go! Get me a fetter. I bet she’s wearing a dud. Tonight’s fun just kicked up a notch.” Cavil then turned to face me. He clasped my chin between his index finger and thumb then growled, “I’m going to figure out where he is. And you’re going to tell me.”

  The guard left the ivory room to get what Cavil required. I saw in the fake emperor’s eyes the eagerness he was feeling. He was too confident in his position, and it was time to strike. I took the time for a single breath, resolving to use everything Huxley taught me for one blinding moment of bravery. This was what I’d wanted. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” I said before lifting my leg up and kicking Cavil in the balls.

  As expected, he crumpled over with a curse as I stood. “Fuck you,” he snarled while pulling his tablet from his pant pocket and pressing down on the button that electrocuted Maverick and Cyler. Their harsh screams made me wonder if he turned the setting up to the highest mode. I wanted to look back at them, but I knew if I did, I wouldn’t be able to do what I had to.

  I wrapped my arms around the top half of the bedpost, and using my body weight, I pulled as hard as I could until the wood cracked, breaking the post free. I stumbled a bit with a curse. It was heavier than I’d expected, and a large, splintered crack dug into my palm as I steadied myself.

  Cavil tried to move to stand, and I knew this was it. I didn’t have time to think or cry. I had to end him now and think about my morals later. Sometimes while we’re stuck thinking about the consequences, we lose sight of the rewards.

  I swung back and hit Cavil in the head, and I wasn’t sure if it was his skull cracking or the splintered wood. Rearing back, I hit him again.

  And again.

  And again.

  And I hit him as blood covered the ivory room.

  I hit him as Maverick and Cyler screamed in agony.

  I hit him until his skull was so broken that I was sure he could never hurt me or my men again.

  “Ash, stop,” a pained voice cried out, the sound the only thing able to break me from the rage that flowed freely through me. I realized then that my guys were being electrocuted within an inch of their life. Quickly, I picked up Cavil’s tablet then cursed when it wouldn’t accept my fingerprint. Their screams grew quieter, and I knew that we didn’t have time to spare. I picked up Cavil’s hand and placed his index finger on the screen.

  Once it was unlocked, I turned off their fetters, and not a moment too soon. I dropped the tablet and crawled towards them with tears in my eyes. “Maverick, Cyler,” I cried out, touching their faces as their chests heaved. I smeared red blood along their cheeks. “Are you okay?” I asked.

  It took what felt like ages for them to answer, but it was finally Cyler that responded in a hoarse voice. “Let’s get out of here.” I checked the tablet, praying I could disable their fetters from here, but a red alert flashed on the screen before it locked once again. Cavil must have had a failsafe on his tablet directly tied to his life.

  I quickly went back to Cavil’s body and took a moment to look at it with clear eyes while they stood and made their way to the door. We had to leave before the guard got back with a fetter intended for me. I knew I needed to leave, but I had to take a moment to see what rage could do to a person. It was important that I truly absorb what I was capable of.

  His head was a mangled mess. I’d expected this to feel...more. But his blood was just like mine. He wasn’t invincible. He died.

  “Ash, we have to go,” Maverick said while hunching over and clutching his stomach.

  “Okay.” Tearing my eyes from Cavil, I paused, dipping down to grab the Heat strapped to his thigh. My fingers trembled from the adrenaline as I held the weapon in my hand. Pressing the button while aiming at Cavil, his body turned to dust in a matter of seconds, as if he was never really there. Hopefully it bought us some time.

  “You had to do it, stay strong,” Maverick said in a soft voice while placing his hand on my lower back. Was he worried about my soul? Was he worried that the Ash he knew was gone forever?

  Or was that just me?

  “I know.”

  End of the Walker

  Chapter One

  Dormas was gone. Completely gone.

  I stood in the dirt, staring out over the destruction with a deep slump to my shoulders. Ahead of me was nothing but ash and billows of smoke filling the afternoon sky. Little embers were
still eating at the collapsed buildings, taking the ashes and consuming them whole.

  Based on the level of destruction, we assumed that Dormas burned to the ground last week. The moment word got out that Cavil was dead, the empire had erupted in chaos. His loyal guards destroyed the town without reason, probably as some half-assed attempt at retribution. It was no secret that the Dormas Leadership Council was responsible for his death. Everyone knew he was keeping Cyler and Maverick captive.

  For the last few weeks, Resistance groups, Scavengers, and Walkers alike all banded together to fight what was left of Cavil’s men. They had weapons, but we had heart.

  Well, our allies had heart. Mine was beating, yes, pumping blood through my malnourished and exhausted body. But I wondered if the thing banging against my chest actually felt anything these days, if it were still really capable of emotion. Because if I had a heart, shouldn’t I feel guilty about killing Commodore Cavil?

  I didn’t. I really didn’t. And now that I was looking out over what was left of our home, I wished I could do it again. I never thought I’d be the type to approve of murdering, but I felt nothing except relief to have Cavil’s blood on my hands.

  The other companions abandoned us the first chance they got, and I didn’t blame them. Madam B was killed during the riots. Kemper said he saw her murdered by stray heat. It was hard to think that all that was left of the passionate, hardened, and boisterous woman was dust. Her home was destroyed, too. We never knew for sure what had happened to Jade, though. We all assumed that she was still in Cavil’s building when it exploded. Blythe, Lowe and I mourned the loss of our spunky friend, they more so than I. But once again, loss was common in the empire. It bonded us but also tore us apart. Now that the job was done, there was no real need for us to be together. Our camaraderie was circumstantial and crumbled at the first sign of adversity.

  We stopped the transport and parted ways with a simple nod. Later on, I regretted it; I should have insisted that we stick together. Alliances were crucial, and there was something to be said about safety in numbers. But at the time, I was too focused on Cyler and Maverick. My, how I’d come a long way from being the timid little Walker girl of Galla. It was every man or woman for themselves. And I only had enough emotional capacity for the six men I loved, Jules, Mia, and Payne. Loving people was a dangerous game at the end of the world.

  “Babe, come on,” Cyler said while drawing me out of my thoughts of that fateful night and reaching out to grab me. He looked abnormally pale, and I noticed how his hands trembled when he brushed his fingertips along my skin. I knew his exhaustion was a side effect of the death pill. It took him and Maverick much longer to wake up than it took me. Their bodies liked the idea of death a little more than they loved living. I spent almost two days staring at their chests, praying that they’d wake up, while Huxley drove us to the Scavenger camp where Payne was supposed to be.

  I still remembered crying in a heap on the floor, begging them not to die. In a moment of weakness, I pleaded to Josiah to give them back. I wasn’t a religious woman; the empire had given that up centuries ago. But I knew that my childhood friend gave me my men back. Or maybe I was crazy.

  I’d never forget the disappointment I felt when we found the camp abandoned. Now we had no idea where Payne was or if he were even alive. Aarav and Mia were missing, too. I’d never seen Jules cry, but she sobbed at the sight of the abandoned tents and debris. Hell, I even felt a pang of disappointment at the idea of Mistress Stonewell being gone. I had the closure I craved, but despite everything, I felt a sense of responsibility for her. So we did the only thing we could think to do.

  We went home.

  “I just want to look a little while longer,” I said while taking in our ruined home. I wanted to soak in the destruction so it felt real. For so long, I dreamed of coming back here, of walking down the street and resuming my job at the bakery while spending my nights with my men. But that dream seemed so out of reach now. We had a cure to find. A town to rebuild. A sense of trust to reestablish. I looked over my shoulder at Huxley, who was standing watch, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked back at me with those challenging eyes. “I miss it,” I whispered before turning back to look at where Black Manor would have stood.

  “Well, it’s gone,” Jules said to my right, kicking at a rock on the ground before spitting in the dirt. She’d come a long way from the girl that I met back in Galla just a few months ago. She was wearing trousers and a smile, looking at her burned downtown like it was a challenge, not a problem. Jules thrived. I’d never seen her so alive or so determined to hunt and fight her way through the crumbling empire. She’d changed a lot in the last few months, and our friendship had grown, too. I couldn’t tell if she was jealous or proud that it was I who delivered the deadly blow to Cavil.

  I let out a slow exhale before turning to walk towards Kemper. He was rifling through a pile of trash, looking for anything that might be useful. “You okay?” I asked. He’d designed most of this town. Built it from the ground up with his bare hands in homage to his grandfather. Seeing it destroyed must have been devastating for him.

  “It can be rebuilt,” he said with a simple shrug. I knew there was more behind his response. He was just as burdened by the wreckage as the rest of us. The only difference was he liked having a purpose and couldn’t wait to make things perfect again.

  “Can it?” I asked. Kemper stopped sorting through debris to look at me. Grabbing my hands, he then pulled me into a hug before whispering in my ear.

  “Of course it can, Ash. The only thing you can’t rebuild is a person. And the only people I care about are here.” I thought back to the bracelet they got me for my birthday, that day now felt so far away. The inside engraving had said “Home is wherever you are.” And now, looking out at what little was left of Dormas, that saying felt more authentic than ever. My men were my home. They were my safe place. I knew that Kemper was right, and as he held me there in what used to be the middle of the road of Dormas, I stole what little comfort he could provide. I let it seep through my skin and settle in my bones. There was a chill in the air, an ominous warning that winter was upon us.

  "Is anything salvageable?" I asked. Jacob was standing off in the distance, looking at what used to be our home. Black Manor was nothing more than a pile of rubble. He tucked his hands into his grey pants and kicked at a fallen piece of timber. His beard had grown some, and his broad shoulders seemed even more muscular now since he’d been moving the rubble and saving anyone trapped. Every town we arrived at was always the same. Nothing was left.

  "It's all salvageable. But for now, we might have to go to old Dormas," Kemper answered me.

  Jules popped her neck, rolling her head around before speaking. "Didn't we leave that town because it was infected? We should probably stay away, shouldn't we?" Her voice was patronizing, a tone I had come to expect from her. Tallis made her bold and brave, but her need to be right made her anxious, like she had something to prove.

  Cyler dusted his hands off on his black denim jeans before answering her. "Everywhere is infected, Jules." I stared at Cyler, who had pulled his long black hair up into a ponytail and was staring back at me. He was still tall and impressive, but it broke me to see his pale skin and slumped shoulders. He was right, though. Every town we’d come to was nothing but infected Walkers. Sometimes we had to just stay in the transport to avoid coming into contact with any of them. The disease was spreading faster than ever before, now that the cure was obsolete.

  I looked behind me just in time to see Maverick emerge from what was left of the clinic. His hands were full of various first-aid kits, but even from here, I could tell that none of it was of use. "They cleared most of it out," he said with a frown before setting it down on the ground at his feet. His red hair was knotted and full of soot, but his brown eyes still flickered with hope despite the burden on his shoulders. I observed the black circles under his eyes; calculating how much longer he could go before needing to rest.


  "Well, let's go check out old Dormas." My eyes fluttered to Cyler's for a moment, remembering that old motorcycle ride we once took. That moment in the treehouse seemed so far away now. I missed the simplicity of it. It was a place where Cyler was strong, and the only thing between us was worry that we couldn't make the group relationship work.

  "Always wanted to take you back to that treehouse, Babe," Cyler said with a smile. He was trying to lighten the mood, and I appreciated him for it.

  "Maybe this time we’ll actually make good use of it," I boldly replied, not even surprised at how much I had changed over these last few months. I’d come to appreciate that every moment was precious. You never knew when it could be your last, so I made sure to take each little bit from my men that I could.

  Shuddering, Jules shook her head before grabbing Tallis’ hand. "Gross. Can you at least pretend to have a sense of tact?" she asked while wrinkling her nose. Tallis, on the other hand, didn’t seem bothered. He’d grown more stoic over the last few weeks, allowing Jules to take the lead. But he winked at me then, in that quiet, playful way I’d come to expect. I winked back. It was the little moments of normalcy that made all of this bearable.

  Patrick started coming up the drive, destruction covering the road on both sides of him as he carried various items in his arms. He had gone down to the train station, checking to see if he could salvage anything, and it looked like he did. I stared at his towering figure, appreciating the way his clothes clung to his frame. Huxley jogged up to meet him and took a few of the supplies from his arms. Despite the sadness and the sense of loss we all felt, my twins looked ready to take on the world, Huxley with his fierce expression, and Patrick with his optimistic outlook on life. Together they could probably rule the empire if they wanted to.