Page 40 of Ashes of Honor

“Is she showing up every day on time?” she pressed, her tone insistent.

“Yes,” I replied, each word laced with the tension of someone with nowhere left to turn.

“Does she at least attempt to follow your instructions?”

“Yes, but she’s too distracted that it’smeteaching to heed any of my advice.”

Amaia tilted her head, her expression shifting to one of understanding. “But she is trying to follow said advice?”

“Yeah,” I conceded, my shoulders slumping.

“Then it doesn’t seem unproductive to me,” she said with a shrug. “Remember who the authority figure is here, Riley, and who’s the future soldier. You are a lieutenant—act like it.”

Her words, though firm, were a lifeline, pulling me back from the edge of my doubts. I smiled, the tension easing as I pulled her in for a hug. “Be safe.” I held it longer than necessary. She didn’t push away.

“Wouldn’t dream of doing anything but,” she replied, as I released her, winking at me before stepping back.

Tomoe

The announcement went the better of the two ways I’d envisioned. That was the good news and about as far as I was able to see on my own. Issue was, with an uncanny amount of people nervous and a healthy mix of those at ease, the rest of the future was a fucking toss-up. Too many possibilities, far too many shifting minds, thoughts, and opinions.

That was the problem. Thought wasn’t linear, wasn’t predictable—not when tangled with fear, pride, desperation. I could calculate odds, chart patterns, map outcomes, but the sheer weight of so many conflicting mental pathways made prediction impossible. It wasn’t chaos, not exactly. More likestatic. Deafening, useless noise, drowning out what should’ve been clear signals.

The human mind was not as complex as one would think. Within a singular community, groupthink was far more common than theorized. No such thing as an original thought or experience when surrounded by like-minded people. The Compound, as most settlements Before and After, was just that—filled with individuals who shared common morals, values, and expectations. Predictable. Manageable. Until civil unrest cracked through the foundation. Then things got complicated. Less straightforward.

Which meant I needed help. Something I had a sour taste in my mouth asking for.

There were only three of us in Salem Territory that had the ability tosee. I’d already had Riley send word to call them back to The Compound and with one residing right outside our walls and the other within, they’d be here within the hour. With little time to prep, I set up my space, laying out my Labradorite, Amethyst, Tourmaline, and Selenite around me. The devil was in the details. Every advantage we could get right now, I would take.

At the moment, finding out our exact number would help us determine how great our odds were. That’s what our chances were—odds. Slim. Pretty much nonexistent. Doom and gloom were a far cry from glory.

What we needed was to see inside Covert Province. Problem was, toseethe way we needed to, the amount of power required to get the job done was more than any of us possessed. I had a plan, and it was a fool’s one. Walk among them. Take in every security measure, every magical enhancement, every creation they had. Use it to destroy them.

For Seth. For us.

A knock on the door startled me.

“Come in,” I said, expecting Aileen or Guy to wander in.

Guy resided within The Compound and stumbled in and out of my study as he pleased. Usually to gather records or check in to cross-check any ominous visions. He never knocked, though. Aileen was more likely.

Instead, a small, frail child stood in the doorway, and I groaned. “Are you lost?”

Yasmin appeared behind her, with Lola in tow. They flanked the girl, the picture of reluctant bodyguards. A flicker of a vision passed through my mind, filling in the gaps as quickly as they formed—a fractured image of shadows and cages, an aura of fear. Hidden secrets. All of it connected to the child in front of me. Fascination had me leaning forward without thinking, eyes narrowed on the girl. She reeled back instinctively, her shoulders stiff with fear, only to be soothed by the gentle touch of Yasmin.

“It’s okay, Lilia,” Yasmin murmured softly, never breaking eye contact with me. Daring me to scare her further as she ignored my scoff. “This is Tomoe. TheSeerwe talked about.”

Frankly, ‘Lilia’ looked like she’d been through some shit. Her hair was tangled, skin pale, eyes seeing yet unseeing all the same. All symptoms of a powerfulSeerwho saw far beyond anything they’d ever hoped. There was trauma in knowing the future, present, and past. To see the hope from here and now and watch it all fall away in the future.

“What is this?” I inquired, directing a meaningful glance at Yasmin.

“Lilia is from Covert Province,” Yasmin replied. She stepped slightly to the side at Lola’s advance. “She’s here to help.”

Lola’s sharp gaze flicked to me, dark, shadow-like magic swirling around her before retreating at Lilia’s hunching of her shoulders. “I am here to help the child ease into her gifts. Ourexpectations are that you will provide the guidance that only aSeercan offer.”

“Yeah, I don’t fulfill many expectations, much less on demand.” I waved a dismissive hand. “This isn’t a school. I have business to tend to.”

Lola’s expression hardened, her voice slipped into a tone more solid than steel. “Amaia extended help on your behalf. You will do as told by your general.”

---