Page 71 of Ashes of Honor

“To you, yes,” I concurred.

She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “Hunter suggested that brute force won’t work, but I’m inclined to disagree.” Amaia held a hand up, knowing I was about to question her memory. “I know what I told him. This is what I’m tellingyou. They don’t need to know everything. Guerrilla warfare is brute force by nature. In the same vein, it’sextremely strategic. Every strike, every movement—intentional. Our defensive location isn’t just a shield; it’s a weapon. We can turn this place into seven different levels of hell.”

God, I never had a clue where she was going with that brilliant mind of hers. It was like chasing smoke—impossible to catch, mesmerizing to watch. One thing I did know? If I kept quiet and listened long enough, the work I needed to do would eventually come into focus. She had a way of making it all click down every avenue of chaos.

I exhaled, already resigned to the inevitable. “Let me guess. I’m in charge.”

“This is why we’re a great team,” she teased, leaning over the table to give my shoulder a shove. “I don’t even have to tell you the plan, but yes. With Alexiares still gone, I need you and Abel here on set up.”

At times I hated being lieutenant. It meant that there was inherently less room to argue—not that there ever was with her. Every part of me wanted to be out there with her. It would allow me to support her where it mattered the most. Except at her side wasn’t where it mattered the most for The Compound, only for me.

Staying back in Monterey was best for everyone. It meant Abel would have more time to adjust and avoid unnecessary risks. Yasmin was here. It made sense. Yet, knowing what was right didn’t make me want what I wanted even less. I met her stare with a resigned nod.

Amaia’s movements were quick, decisive, like she’d been replaying this moment in her head all day. She unrolled one of the larger maps and smoothed it across the table on top of the board. “You’re going to judge the shit out of me for this, but I’ve been busy.”

“Oh?”

Amaia being ‘busy’ could mean anything from restructuring evacuation plans to whatever this was about to be.

“Elliot has tested it out per my request up in Duluth on a smaller scale with success. So, um, I may or may not have been collecting Pansies,” she said casually. “They’re, uh, trapped in caves here, here, and here.” Amaia jabbed at points on the map without pause. “Oh, also here and here. Possibly a few right here, too, if the tide didn’t drag ‘em.”

I sat unmoving. Wondering when the hell she’d had time to collect dead people along the coastline, let alone without Alexiares or me tracking her movements.

“Not judging. Not at all.” I never judged anyone. This …thiswould happily be my first time. After hearing of her antics in Duluth, I thought she was done with the risky side quests. Apparently, we were all wrong to have hope.

“Imagine if—” her eyes lit up with that dangerous spark.

I cut her off, “The lead up to every bad idea you’ve ever had has started exactly like that.”

“Yep. You’re gonna hate this. Chain them around the forest.”

I stared at her, unblinking. Over the weeks I’d worked on expanding the maze we’d already constructed before our first battle with Ronan. It completely circled The Compound now. Dense and unashamedly chaotic. That didn’t make her plan any easier to digest. “You’re joking.”

“Then have the archers set them on fire,” she replied, unbothered.

“If I say this plan can’t get any worse,” I muttered, “I have an extensive amount of faith that you can—and will—prove me wrong.”

“Moving on,” Amaia continued, as if I hadn’t spoken at all. “We’re going to need every earth elemental in our troops on the front line. I know it’s a bit of a risk, but if they’re quick,they’ll finish before Ronan’s forces even arrive. I want trenches beginning ten miles out.”

“A defensive perimeter around The Compound,” I nodded, finally seeing where she was going with this.

“The only way to us is through trees or trenches,” she tapped her finger hard against the map. “Neither option is a fun time. Watch towers are for snipers only. No one crosses through our gates again.”

“You’re diabolical,” I broke into a laugh and a smile widened across her face.

“I prefer mastermind, but thank you.”

I shook my head and thought it over. “I’ll brief the night shift and have the earth elementals get moving. We’ll set fire guards to watch over them. Best to conserve ammo for when it’s critical. Our last inventory is in line with standard defense, but I’d feel better saving rounds until we can recoup or produce excess. Tomorrow morning, I’ll prepare the rest of our troops. Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered.”

“I know. I never worry with you.” The warmth in Amaia’s smile softened the edges of her usual intensity. “I suppose Luna should handle the day-to-day. There’s no reason to halt things behind the walls until it’s absolutely necessary. We just got some semblance of stability. You two make whatever call necessary once I’m gone.”

“Consider it done.”

Her breath loosened and her body relaxed. Amaia scooted the game back to the center of the table, discarding the maps onto the floor. I played my turn as she removed the coffee from the fire and poured it into two cups. She crossed the floor and grabbed cubes of sugar, dropping them in, making mine the same as hers. A habit I previously found disgusting. Amaia had found it amusing to add her own twist each time she made me a cup. Eventually, I’d seen the light in her ways. Or so she liked totease. Her gaze settled on me as I took a sip, softening with the familial love that always caught me off guard. For so long in my life, I had yearned for it, yet she gave it to me freely.

“So,” she said, her voice lighter but still carrying the weight of the moment. “The good news, then?”

“Might want to look at the board one more time.”

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