Page 95 of Ashes of Honor

My little patriot.I sighed, shaking my head. “Well, I don’t know what the plan is from here but I do know a lot of them won’t be happy with me.”

“They don’t need to be happy, they just need to survive.”

“No,” I said softly, peering out through the window that opened toward The Compound. “That’s not how I want to lead. I … I don’t know, okay? It was a stupid thought that’s been bothering me all day. I don’t have the authority to do any of that and I don’t want to take that from anyone. The best I can do is come up with a plan, ask for their support, and hope for the best of humanity to show up when I do.”

He lingered for a moment, his gaze steady and expectant, like he was waiting to see what I’d do next. His eyes warmed as if he could sense the spark of an idea taking hold.Now or never. If I was going to do this, then I wanted to make sure there would be zero regrets I left behind.

“What now?” Alexiares asked.

“Wanna do something kind of crazy?”

“With you, I’m always doing something crazy.”

“Fair point.” I grabbed his hand. “Pack something nice. Let’s go find Riley.”

Amaia

Nerves never suited anyone well. Yet here I was, surrounded by the people I trusted most, and I couldn’t stop pacing the length of the home we’d hunkered down in for the duration of simulations. Royal Oaks hummed with anticipation as battle prep loomed, but I only felt the pressure in my chest growing tighter.

A year. That’s all it had been since Jax died. A year of clawing my way forward, of fighting to keep the others from meeting the same fate. And now we were here, staring down another stretch of war games that weren’t just for show. We had three weeks to get our shit together—three weeks before Ronan could decide tomarch his ass back to Monterey. The Compound might hold him for a week at best before my units would have to return. And Riley, left to defend it again, wasn’t a thought that settled easy.

San Jose had been the first to arrive as a way to show their most sincere apologies for the chaos they’d caused. Others filtered in not too long after and now, most of the town was occupied or in the process of being prepared for what the next few weeks entailed.

“Fresno may take a moment to join us,” Hunter announced from his position in front of the window. The blinds snapped back closed as he turned around. “They’re, uh, workin’ through some things.”

“Well played,” I tipped my head toward him. He was proving himself useful in every way that he’d promised.

Unease settled over me once more. I needed some air. To move my muscles and feel anything other than the anxiety that was eating me alive. We had three weeks to get our shit together, and that wasifRonan didn’t march his ass back to Monterey. Monterey would be able to hold him for a week max before the rest of my units would have to return. Which served as a problem considering I needed them here to lead. Riley would send word if shit hit the fan but the idea of him being left there to defend once more did nothing to ease the tightening of my chest.

I crossed the room, stopping at the round kitchen table where Alexiares sat. He was forced into a travel sized game of mancala with Reina, who looked far too smug for someone losing.

Leaning down, I kissed the side of his head right above his temple. “Try not to find and kill Finley while I’m gone.”

“Gone?” He peered up at me, one eyebrow raised.

“I’m off for a run,” I said, grabbing my sneakers from beside the door.

He stood, his hand catching mine before I could escape. “Careful, Princess. A lot of wolves hiding among the sheep.”

I rolled my eyes, smirking. “Worry about yourself,Bloodhound. I can handle a little jog.”

His thumb brushed my knuckles, warm and grounding before he let go. “I’m not worried,” Alexiares said, opening the door and leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Try not to scare the locals while you’re at it.”

“Only if they deserve it,” I quipped, stepping into the cool night air.

Thestreets were lit with the fire magic of many, creating a dim glow on the cleared town of Royal Oaks. Cracked asphalt crisscrossed with stubborn weeds of the main roads—hard on the ankles but the sidewalks weren’t much better. At least the homes that remained standing were in relatively good condition.

It was weird, running through The Compound or down the coast was one thing, in the remnants of what was once a thriving suburban community was another. I couldn’t imagine myself here in The Before. We’d never lived in the suburbs per se, always on a base or an apartment complex not too far outside. Xavier and I had settled on being city-dwellers for life, kids or not.

Vegetation crept into the edges of everything—the skeletons of cars abandoned in driveways, the side of houses, up the posts of mailboxes stuffed with paper no one would ever come for. Shadows danced on the walls of soldiers posted outside bonfires in the back of their respective houses.Good. If I were lucky, they would wander, mingle a bit.

I picked up my pace as I neared the center of town. Housing became sparser, and thus, any hint of the vibrancy of human life disappeared. The quiet was peaceful … still—too still. My instinct prickled with unease, the hair on the back of my neck damn near giving me whiplash at the speed it raised. The aggressive thud ofmy heartbeat pounded in my ears and I rounded the corner in a full sprint. Whatever was triggering that tingle of fear, I had no interest in facing it.

A figure stepped out of the shadows the second I rounded the corner. There was no time to slow my steps as I ran into it, slamming against their dense body, knocking the air out of me and putting me on my ass. I rolled and sprang to my feet in a defensive position. There was no one else out here, just me and the general of Des Moines. And an ugly fucker he was.

“Out for a late-night jog, General?” He took a step toward me, hands in his pockets. I refused to cower. “Seems like a good time to discuss your games.”

It’d be a fool’s thought to underestimate what general disdain could do to someone who was otherwise rational in thinking. Anderson’s hatred for me went beyond the professional sense—it was personal. I could see it in the way his lip curled, the barely contained fury in his eyes. He had never believed I deserved my rank. Not when Matheson and Lane took me under their wing, not when I climbed the ladder faster than anyone had expected. To him, I was reckless, untested, and unworthy. And tonight, this wasn’t about the simulations. It was about proving me unfit to lead.

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