{An Ashfall Trilogy Release} Beneath the Burning Sky by Ruby Valladares

Beneath the Burning Sky by Ruby Valladares
Series: The Ashfall Trilogy #1
on October 6th, 2026
Genres: Dystopian, Fiction, Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
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He never wanted a wife. But marrying her is the only way to keep his little sister alive.

Five years after the world ended, David has one job: keep Grace alive.

Food is rationed. The water is contaminated. Marauders roam beyond the fences. And the Drange is turning ordinary people into violent, purple-veined monsters.

When a deadly infection breaches their refugee camp, the rumored Sanctuary may be her only chance of survival.

There’s just one problem: Passage is reserved for families.

So David makes an impossible choice: he marries his nemesis.

She doesn’t trust him. He doesn’t trust her. Their marriage is supposed to be nothing more than a means of survival.

But once they leave the fences of Camp Orange, surviving each other becomes the least of their problems.

Because the wasteland is hungry.

Beneath the Burning Sky is a post-apocalyptic dystopian novel blending survival horror, a deadly outbreak, infected humans, forced marriage, reluctant allies, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance.

Exclusive excerpt from Beneath the Burning Sky

David’s fingers trembled as he shoved his father’s hands away and pushed the pant leg up. Blood seeped along the leg, and his stomach churned at the gruesome sight. “Okay,” he said, taking short breaths to stave off the nausea, “we can fix this. It’s okay.” He unwrapped the fabric around his face, tugging at the scarf, but his dad’s fingers stopped him.

“Take mine,” he said, undoing the wrappings shielding his mouth.

David’s whole body shook. He grabbed the cloth and bound it tightly around the bone, fingers becoming slick with blood as he tried to shove it back into the skin. It made a grinding sound as it pushed against bone, and his dad choked back a scream deep in his throat. 

David didn’t look at him. He panted with the effort to keep his focus. He tightened the fabric and tied it off, his fingers slipping twice as he worked the knot. Then he pulled the pant leg down and stood up.

“We have to keep going,” he said, and he didn’t recognize the hard, cold tone of his voice. “You can lean on me.”

“Thank you, son,” his father whispered, the word faint and hollow.

Weak.

That shook him to his core. His dad was their rock. He’d been their pillar through all of this. David needed him to be their strength.

He got his father’s arm over his shoulders and swallowed a grunt as he stumbled under his dad’s weight before straightening. Grace hovered beside them, far too silent. Was she in shock? What were the signs of that?

“One step at a time,” David breathed. “We can rest later.”

A cracking sound rent the air, like ice breaking up in the spring thaw, and David froze. Other people paused in their forward motion, looking around in puzzlement. Before his mind could interpret what the noise meant, a second crack sounded, and suddenly screams of terror rang out around them. People began running over the dusty ground, past his family, shooting up the hills and toward the trees.

“Go up, go up!” someone shouted. “The dam! The dam is breaking!”

The words echoed around him. David’s gaze shot upstream. A thunderous roar filled the air, drowning out all other sound. He could see the dam in the distance, shaking and crumbling under the relentless force of the river.

His dad’s voice screamed in his ear. “Move!”

Move. 

The command put fire in his limbs, and he pushed up the hill, faster. The cracks grew louder and more frequent, like a giant reloading and shooting a rifle. The ground trembled under David’s feet, the vibrations thrumming through his entire body. 

His heart dropped into his stomach. How fast would the water be? How high would it go? The crest of the hill was still too far away. 

If he could run—he was a sprinter. Fastest eight hundred in the state. Not even the shin splints had stopped him. 

“Come on, Dad,” he urged, straining against the weight of their combined bodies. “We have to go faster.”

“I can’t,” his father gasped, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “David.” He grabbed David’s arm. “I’m slowing you down.”

David looked at his injured father, struggling to keep him upright as they moved. The fear on his face mirrored David’s.

They weren’t going to make it. And his father knew it.

“Take Grace,” Dad said. “Run.”

“No,” David said, shaking his head, but his father’s hand clawed into his arm. The screams grew louder.

If they didn’t get uphill soon, they would be swept away by the river or crushed by debris from the collapsing dam.

Grace stood frozen, curls matted with ash, hands covering her ears.

“Go!” his dad screamed. 

It was not a request. It was a command. A father’s final order. 

“Dad,” David choked out. 

There was more he wanted to say. Don’t leave me. I need you. I love you.

The words wouldn’t come.

His father released him and shoved Grace into his arms. “Save her.”

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