QuillMistress

You’d think seeing the future would give me a head start on surviving the apocalypse. I had it all planned—until everything I knew shattered when my husband sacrificed himself to save me and our son. Now it’s just me, my three-year-old son Leo, and my cursed gift of foresight that only seems to kick in when it’s nearly too late.

I’m doing my best to keep us safe, to find food, to make some kind of plan—

“Mommy?”

I glance down, trying to ignore the tug on my pant leg as I focus on our supplies. “Not now, Leo. Mommy’s thinking.”

“Mommy!”

I sigh and finally look down. My three-year-old is standing there, clutching… I blink. “Leo, where did you get a knife?”

He shrugs, grinning like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

My heart stutters. “No, really. Where did you find that?”

I try not to laugh. I mean, he’s three. Maybe he just—found it somewhere? But the next day, it’s a water bottle. Then, a tiny flashlight, somehow with batteries still inside. 

I don’t even know what else; he’s pulling things out one by one with the pleased grin of a kid who’s just figured out his favorite game.

Well, we may just survive this mess after all.

Now, if only the universe could have spared me from him. I don’t even know his name, but I know his type: tall, broad, and annoyingly handsome, with an air of calm control that’s out of place in this chaos. Ex-military, if I had to guess, with a voice that’s just as infuriating as his smirk. The man has a habit of showing up at the worst—or best—possible times, with a gun at the ready and secrets buried as deep as those bright green eyes.

I mean, he’s probably useful, but I’m trying to keep my eyes on the prize here: survival. 

For Leo and me. 

Because, foresight or no foresight, nothing is guaranteed in this new world—except the fact that people like him are trouble.

Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son

The highway stretched before them, covered in darkness and broken only by the occasional sliver of moonlight filtering through the thick clouds. Leo's small, burning body was nestled in her arms, his fever escalating with every passing minute. His face was flushed the normally pale skin now a startling red, and his breathing was shallow, ragged.

Every few steps, she glanced down at him, checking for signs that he was still breathing, still with her.

"Hold on, baby, please hold on," Zara whispered through gritted teeth, her voice breaking at the edges. She rocked gently, trying to calm herself, though the panic that had been building in her chest for hours refused to ease.

Winter moved ahead, his figure a shadow against the blackened world.

Zara bit down on the tremor in her voice. "Winter, we need to—" Her words faltered as she looked at Leo again, his small face flushed, his breathing shallow and rapid. "We need to find somewhere now. Please."

70: The World Full of Fears