Page 143 of Ashes of Honor

Isabella fell back as we moved toward the hills. I noticed movement in the distance—shadows that didn’t belong.

Ah.So this is what a fallout shelter looked like. Apparently, ours was on the bougie side. Who knew the Appalachians were full of them? Not me. It loomed not too far ahead. Asher nestled into me, stroking the neck of my horse as if it were the best moment of his life.

My nostrils rose in disgust. There was a stale, metallic sharpness that clung to the air. I gathered my composure and dismounted at a safe distance. Millie followed suit, two othersat our backs that were deemed least threatening for initial interactions. Naturally that meant Tomoe had to stay parked outside.

Asher moved silently at my side, his small hand gripping the hem of my jacket, our boots crunching on gravel and grass. I let calm trickle continuously through the tether between us, softening the jagged edges of his fear. It wasn’t much, but it was a small comfort that I could provide. One that made me happy I was here—the experience he may have had if I had not been … I didn’t want to think about it.

“I know you’re scared,” I said gently.

His gaunt, reddened face tilted up toward mine with the kind of maturity no child of any age should have. “No, not of you. Everyone wants you to win.”

My steps faltered. “Then what are they scared of?”

“Ronan.” He tightened his grip on my jacket. “If he thinks someone helped you … he’ll send them again. Like he did with my parents.”

“Who?” Millie said with a bit too much aggression. Her hand flew over her mouth, covering those adorable freckles out of embarrassment. She hadn’t meant to scare him, Millie was simply curious.

Asher flinched, and I brushed a calming hand over his head. “Zombies. They made my parents one after they got bitten.”

I clenched my jaw, shoving down the rush of fury that threatened to rise. My father—Ronan’s—experiments. First, he’d turned people intothose thingsagainst their will, and now he was escalating. This wasn’t survival of the fittest anymore; it was calculated cruelty.

“Oh, you sweet—” I kneeled to meet Asher’s gaze. “You don’t have to fear that either. Whatever happens, I promise—we’ll protect you. All of you.”

His nod was faint, hesitant, but it was trust.

The shelter was nearly worse than outside. Asher guided me through narrow corridors littered with mismatched blankets, expired food, and debris pushed into corners. Faces watched from the shadows—pale, hollow-eyed, clutching loved ones tightly. Whispers followed us, low and fearful.

“It’s been a few days, we’re pretty sleepy,” Asher murmured. “He’s been sending them in waves since the wards glitched to let you through. My sister is in our room, come on.”

These people weren’t running—they were hiding, waiting, and hoping they wouldn’t be next. The air turned thick with the smell of damp earth and unwashed bodies. Makeshift beds were crammed into corners and I was pretty sure that was feces on the other wall.

“It’s been days, you said?” I asked, voice low.

Asher nodded, “The smell helps keep them away as long as we’re quiet and they don’t already know we’re here. They haven’t found this spot yet.”

“We need to remain focused on the mission,” Millie reminded me and I offered her a nod. And we would do that—find an adult to warn—but first, I was going to give these kids some food and heal what I could.

Thirty minutes had passed,and I’d done my darndest. If I could take the two of them home with me, I would. Sad as it was, that wasn’t my objective today and now we needed to do our job. Isabella was getting impatient anyway.

“War is coming this way. If you can, warn others in the area and stay hidden. I can promise you safety from our troops,but there’s no telling what will happen if you’re caught in the crossfire.”

The middle-aged woman nodded, her hair thin strands of gray that didn’t match her voice or her face.God,all I wanted to do was help. Not warn people and move on. That was the trade off of no longer simply being a medic, I supposed. Healing and helping in the sense I was accustomed to was only a small portion of this job.

A murmur rippled through the crowd, but their response was cut short by a scream.

“We got company!” Isabella’s shout snapped Millie and me to attention. “Defensive positions!”

Her command pushed us into action. I couldn’t remember much on our way out—only the call over my shoulder wishing Asher and the woman the best of luck and to lock the door behind us.

The sky had opened up in the half hour we were inside. Blinding sun disorienting me as horror unfolded. Pansies swarmed up the hill—feral, rotting creatures moving with unnatural speed. Their hollow eyes gleamed with bloodlust, teeth snapping as they homed in on us.

A mare shrieked and reared, throwing her rider directly into their path. He barely hit the ground before they descended, tearing into him with a sickening crunch that turned my stomach. I notched an arrow and fired. One fell, but more surged forward.

We charged into the fray. Horses surged forward, hooves striking the rotting creatures, sending them crumpling to the ground.

“Keep them back!” Millie shouted, still at my side, refusing to mount her horse when mine was too far to get to without a fight.

“We trained for this, silly, we got it!” I called out, the wild grin on my face causing her to frown.

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