Chapter 21 · Flood Line

"They're drowning down there." Mira's voice cracked through the radio. "Evelyn, answer me!"

Water streamed from Evelyn's coat and pooled around her boots. The core interface hovered inches from her face, bright enough to hurt. Three feet away, Carson stood with one hand on his sword and the other clenched at his side.

"How many?" Evelyn asked.

"Hundreds. Maybe more. The lower gate burst. The water's climbing through the wards, and people are trapped on the roofs."

The interface flashed red.

**FLOOD RESPONSE: MANUAL OVERRIDE** **Requirement: Royal-blood operator** **Effect: Deploy barriers sector by sector** **Operator must remain linked until stabilization** **Warning: Blood loss, cognitive damage, possible system failure**

No sacrifice button. No neat promise of a ninety-four percent survival rate.

Just her.

Carson stepped closer. "What does it say?"

"That I can stop the flood."

"That's not what I asked."

She swiped through the warning. More text appeared beneath it.

**Estimated survivors: 61%**

Carson's face tightened. "No."

"You haven't even heard the rest."

"I heard enough."

"Sixty-one percent is still better than everyone drowning."

"And the other thirty-nine?"

"They die if I don't do anything."

"Then we find another way."

Mira cut in again, her breathing ragged.