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 days stretched on as Zara, Winter, and Leo continued their journey along the highway. The rainwater had drained out the sides and into the greenery below, leaving the asphalt easier for them to travel through. Now the problem was the sun, which seemed hell-bent on melting them.

"We've passed the last two landmarks," Winter noted, his eyes scanning the horizon as he held the map up for Zara to see.

She leaned in closer to peer at the map, her shoulder brushing against his. "Not much farther, then," she murmured, her gaze shifting to the distant skyline. "City H should be just over that ridge."

Winter nodded, folding the map back. "We'll be there before we know it."

Leo stirred, his small voice piping up. "mommy, is City H a big place?"

Zara smiled down at him, smoothing a hand over his soft curls. "It's supposed to be a safe place, sweetie. A big city where we can rest and be safe."

75: The World Was Like A Raging River