The Black Tide (Outcast 3)

“Order an immediate evacuation to the north side of the city,” Julius continued. “And that includes all units manning the southern end’s wall and the gates. Push them back to the lit areas and set up a new defense line.”

“Chief, you can’t simply abandon—”

“Ninety-five percent of the population has little to no night vision, Galloway,” Julius snapped back. “We have night vision glasses, but they’re useless against vampires in shadow form. I’d rather protect who and what we can and get the grid back online ASAP than waste lives fighting what will amount to a black tide we can’t even see. If the attack in Chaos taught us one thing, it’s that humanity has little hope against the vampires when they act to one purpose. And if the wraiths come with them—”

Rhea help us all.

He didn’t say those words, but it was what we were all thinking.

“I don’t think the wraiths will be a problem,” I said, even as I crossed mental fingers. “I don’t think they’re quite ready to attack just yet.”

“I hope you’re right,” Julius said. “Because the last thing we need are those bastards causing even greater chaos.”

Because the wraiths would attack both structure and people, whereas the vampires at least only went after life.

“The Others will not be our problem.” Nuri stopped on the edge of the dais and stared down at us. “But the only true hope this city has is to get the grid back online. It’s not just the local nest Dream called into action—it was all of them.”

Jonas stared at Nuri, his gaze narrowed and tension emanating from him. “You have a plan.”

“I do.”

Her voice was as flat as her expression. Even the halo of her power was tamped down. It almost seemed as if she didn’t want to waste the tiniest fraction of energy on any sort of emotional or metaphysical display.

“And I’m gathering it does not involve me.”

“It does not.”

“I won’t—”

“Be of any use up on that wall—”

“I’m a soldier,” he bit back. “And I have full night vision. I belong on that wall, fighting to protect this city.”

“You will die on that wall,” she snapped. “You might be able to see at night, but you cannot see or sense vampires in shadow. You would be dead in a matter of minutes—”

“As we all will if we keep standing here arguing about it—”

“Not us all, Jonas. Not if we’re sensible.” She paused. “And is death what you really want, after possibly finding the one thing you have long searched for?”

His fists clenched and anger practically leached from every pore in his body. For one instant, he didn’t say anything and he didn’t move.

Then he looked at me.

And I knew in that instant I was his “possibly.”

I didn’t know what to say—there were so many emotions tumbling through me, many of them so very new and so very precious. And yet I didn't have the time to think about them, let alone savor them. Night was but minutes away. We had to move.

“I will not leave you to fight alone—”

“But I won’t be alone,” I said. “I’ll rally the ghosts again.”

“No. It’s too great a—”

“It’s the city’s only hope,” I cut in, “and you know it.”

“What I know,” he growled, “is that I will not leave you and a goddamn bunch of ghosts up there alone to fight for this city.”

“Ghosts?” Julius said. “What nonsense is this?”