Page 41 of Ashes of Honor

“She’s not my general,” I replied flatly.

Yasmin chuckled sarcastically. “Whether you’re up for the task or not, her power reaches far beyond that title. And as hersister, I’m hoping your support can be offered as a willing favor.”

“Favors have expected payments.”

Attention from Lola sent a chill down my spine that could not come from anything other than the threat of unfriendly fire. “And yet, a favor is already owed. Allow me to call it in.” She gritted through her teeth.

“Mind if I keep a record of that?” I muttered.

Yasmin’s mouth twisted slightly. “That’s not … that’s not how this works, Tomoe. Be that as it may, Lilia here has seen a glimpse of something in the present that future-her deemed should have been shared with you. Did I get that right?” she asked, glancing over at Lilia, who only shrugged with uncertainty. Yasmin nodded as if that was answer enough. “Anyway, here we are. Well, here she is. You won’t be able to see this information any other way. Not with the security Ronan has in place. We’re here for moral support.”

I sighed, running a hand over my face. “Fine. Take a seat, Lilia.” I glanced over at the others, crossing my arms. “The two of you—there’s only enough room in here for one to stay. I vote Yasmin, since I don’t appreciate your attitude,” I said, staring pointedly at Lola. “You, out.”

Lola’s gaze turned to ice as did the room around us. Her stare locked onto mine in a silent but potent challenge. Energy crackled between us—lightning before a storm. We weren’t a coven, and we had no expectation of getting along. Sure, she had helped Alexi and Amaia, thus, me by proxy. I couldn’t give less than a shit or two. I worked best alone. Her expression was unreadable. Without a word, she silently turned on her heel and left, the door snapping shut behind her.

Turning my attention back to Lilia, I softened my voice. “My colleagues will be here soon. If you don’t want an audience, we need to do this now. Give me your hand. We aren’t bonded, so this won’t work the same, but we can channel each other enough to get the gist.”

Lilia hesitated, glancing nervously at Yasmin, who gave her a small nod of encouragement. Tentatively, she reached out, placing her small hand in mine. Her touch was cold, charged with a latent power coiled tight and barely contained.

The vision came in fragments, fuzzy and unclear—a dark corridor, rows of huddled figures, the pervasive feeling of dread.I caught a flash of a small figure moving through what appeared to be rows of cages. I struggled to hold on to the image, but it slipped away, leaving only the faintest echoes of despair and something hopelessly insidious.

Lilia pulled her hand back, visibly shaken, and I steadied her with a strong gaze.

“You’re sure?” I asked, my voice serious.

Lilia nodded slowly, and for the first time, her voice was barely a whisper. “Yes.”

“What’s wrong?” Yasmin asked, and eyed me with concern.

“I need the others,” I muttered, already moving to make room, my hands quickly gathering various ritual items from nearby shelves and spreading them out on the table.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Yasmin demanded, sounding a little frantic.

“We need a tie,” I replied, laying out the items with practiced efficiency. I’d only had to do this a million times since Duluth.

Her face twisted with alarm. “Wait, like … like that bonding ritual Lola sent those witches down here to do? No, not without her parents’ permission.”

I ignored the fact that the wordwitchleft her mouth more bitter than a curse word. “I don’t give a shit about permission?—”

“I do.” Yasmin’s jaw set in defiance. “I’m her teacher. There’s trust here. Trust that I already broke by involving Amaia in the first place. This is too fast for her?—”

“Yeah, I don’t have time for that,” I snapped. “I’m sure her parents will get over it when they realize people stuffed in cages aren’t just being worked to death. They’re being experimented on, tortured, and turned into Pansies. I need a clear vision of this, and I need it now.”

Yasmin’s mouth fell open, her brown eyes wide with shock. She swallowed. “I’ll, um … I’ll go get her parents.”

My gaze had already drifted back to Lilia. “Yeah. You do that.”

I sighed at the nearly vacant room, eyeing Lilia’s small, trembling form. “Listen, kid,” I began, not sugarcoating shit. “This ritual we’re doing—it’s a tether. It links us, bonds us, allows us to share visions, sometimes a lifeline, whatever might help in the end. Normally, it’s stronger between people with a deeper bond or blood connection. It should help make this vision a bit clearer.”

Lilia’s ghostly fingers twisted nervously in her lap, eyes darting to the Tourmaline in my hand.

“Our bond won’t be that strong,” I continued, placing the stone gently in her palm. “I don’t know you and you don’t know me. That said, I promise we can trust each other. Theconnection might be a bit loose, but it’ll do for what we need here.” I watched her fingers tighten around the gemstone, her grip surprisingly firm.

“Stay calm, and if anything feels off, let me know. After we’re … connected, you’ll be a bit tired, kind of weak. That’s normal. No worries, I’ll lend some of my magic once my colleagues show up. When we trigger this vision again, it will be intense. You’ll feel like you’re there in the flesh. It’s important to remember that you arenot. Whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand.”

Guy shuffled in, and I gave him the bare minimum rundown on what had just happened with Lilia—no frills, all facts. Aileen appeared right on his heels, catching enough to fall in line without questions. We joined hands, forming a circle as the room’s energy shifted, our focus tightening. Channeling like this wasn’t new, but if Lilia’s vision had any use, I wanted every detail sharp. Unmistakable.

Our hands connected, and despite being only about ten, Lilia took control. She was powerful—more powerful than I’d ever had the grace of connecting with. I wasn’t sure how we missed this during intake. The idea of hidden magic existing within The Compound was terrifying. For a long time, we’d assumed the technology we possessed to be infallible. Impervious. The consequences of such a possibility escaped me as the vision encapsulated us.

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