Page 134 of Ashes of Honor

The herd parted as Hunter’s people emerged from the fray and formed a ring of defense—reminiscent of their training. Their hollow stares pierced through the battlefield, eyes spectators from an unspeakable abyss. Magic writhed around them, thick and unnatural, twisting the air as though reality itself recoiled in their presence. It wasn’t fire or ice, not any of the tangible elements I knew.

A wiry man with gaunt cheeks and sunken eyes raised a trembling hand. The motion seemed almost hesitant until a ripple came—a force that shattered a line of Pansies, their bodies crumpling as easily as paper. Their bodies collapsed, finalcroaked out groans ear splitting even in the thunderous roar of warfare.

Lola appeared at his side. Thick tendrils of darkness surged from the ground, coiling around a handful of Pansies at a time, dragging them down, eating away at their decaying flesh. The void of her power consumed them—old and dark.

General, incom?—

Elliot’s voice seared through my mind, sharp with urgency. I spun, my fire flaring in response, but I wasn’t the target.

Right flank—now!

I whipped around before I even processed why. The split-second reaction saved me—a bolt of steel sliced through the space where I’d been standing, embedding deep into the snow. The explosion of impact sent a shockwave rattling through my ribs. I staggered back, catching my balance just as Elliot’s breath hitched.

The guttural cry of an unforgiving death made me pause.

I wasn’t sure where to look. At the Pansies making their way through my soldiers or the arrow that struck through Elliot’s throat.

He fell to his knees, blood pouring between his fingers as he clutched at the wound. Then the blade came. It slashed across his chest, his skin flaying, ribcage now exposed.

He crumpled, lifeless, his wide eyes locking with mine for one agonizing second.

“Elliot!” The scream tore from me. Primal.

Flames erupted from my hands, incinerating his killer, my fury turning on the others nearby. They focused on me with carnal delight.

“Amaia!” Alexiares grabbed my arm, yanking me back as an arrow hissed past my ear. “We can’t stand here!”

My legs moved but my mind was stuck on Elliot’s broken body. Blood spread beneath him, ink spilling into a glass ofwater. The sight blurred. I couldn’t afford to cry. Not here. Not now.

For Morgan. For Sloan. This was a wound that couldn’t be stitched. I stumbled. Alexiares’s grip on me tightened, his voice came sharp in my ear. “Focus, baby, please. We can’t afford to lose you too.”

I had to keep going.To find my family.Elliot’s death. The screams of the drowning. The faces of soldiers who trusted me to lead them, now frozen in twisted agony beneath jagged shards of ice.

They’d been damned because of me.

But … It had worked.

Searching the decimated remains of battle, my eyes landed on a glimmer of hope.

“Reina!” My voice cracked as I spotted her, a dark shape barely visible against the icy chaos. Her horse thrashed in the freezing water, dragging her under with every desperate movement. She clung to its saddle, her strength waning as hypothermia took hold. Even from here, I could see the ice clinging to her lashes. Her lips, once flushed with exertion, were turning a sickly shade of blue.

“Someone get her!” I barked, but my order was lost in the cacophony of battle. I whipped my head around, searching for anyone,anything.

Tomoe was already moving. Her hand shot out, gripping the reins of Millie’s horse. “Take me closer!” she shouted.

“No!” I called out, not wanting to lose her too. I could do it. I would go. I removed my layers to jump in. Cold air sliced through me as Riley and Alexiares grabbed at my arms, fighting me every step of the way.

Millie was covered in decayed flesh and browning blood, her stark green eyes met mine before focusing on rescuing Reina. Determination silencing any additional pleads.

Reina’s head disappeared under the surface.

“No, no, no …”

“Let them do their job,” Alexiares hissed.

Seconds stretched into eternity. Then, a figure broke the surface of the water. Reina, sputtered, water rushing from her lungs. She shivered uncontrollably in Millie’s arms, barely conscious. Tomoe clutched the reins tightly, her eyes scanning for the fastest route to safety.

Millie’s horse was near exhaustion. She wouldn’t make it much further, but all she needed was a few extra feet and safety was theirs.

---