“I’m afraid this isn’t a social visit.”
“I figured as much. It’s about the unrest, right?”
Arlo entered the office, drawing the door shut behind them and rounding the desk. They had a tablet tucked under their arm that Nikhail hadn’t noticed before.
“Take a look at this, Nik.” Arlo held out the unlocked tablet, which was open to a Thoughts page.
Thoughts had emerged a year and a half ago. It was a text-heavy social media platform that boasted limited characters. As a result, the posts were quick and snappy. While Thoughts had originally been popular among the republic’s youth, it had quickly grown in popularity, and now it was a widespread, common form of communication.
Nikhail didn’t have a Thoughts account, but his sisters did, and they often sent him posts. Even when they didn’t, he saw Thoughts pop up on his other platforms—usually small snippets of text that went viral for all the wrong reasons.
Nikhail took the tablet and scrolled down the page. The feed updated constantly, a living, breathing being.
The more Nikhail read, the more his stomach sank. Sprinkled between casual posts of recipes and comments on the latest sports win were a slew of Thoughts about the Black Night’s recent attacks.
The posts started out innocuous enough, as people speculated on what had caused the bombings, but the more he scrolled, the more concerned he became.
She should have died. It would’ve been better. —anon087
I’ve lived in the Central Region for centuries, but until two weeks ago, I never feared for my life. I can’t say that anymore. —darlinggirl4057
No one should be celebrating death or wishing for it. Shame on all of you, and RIP to the Representatives who lost their lives in the attacks. —fancyelf
Nikhail scanned a lively discussion between firebreather78 and wolfman332 discussing whether the Republic had been in decline for years or whether it was a more recent development. Both raised good points, in Nikhail’s opinion.
The posts continued.
I was a block away from the explosion in the Western Region. Now, I’m scared to take my kids to the grocery store. WTF is happening to our country? —motherofsix
Isn’t this why we have motherfucking laws? Find the people responsible and make them pay. —isvanasfavorite
At the bottom of the page, Nikhail saw a Thought that had his blood chilling. His grip tightened around the tablet.
The Black Night will not rest until the Representative scourge is washed off the face of this planet. This is just the beginning. —darknessiscomingagain
Nikhail took a screenshot, showing it to Arlo. “Did you see this?”
The water fae frowned. “Yes. It’s not the first, or even the tenth, message we’ve seen like that.”
“Fuck,” Nikhail breathed.
An answering curse came from his friend.
It wasn’t the boldness of the Thought that had the hairs on the back of Nikhail’s neck prickling, nor the fact that there were so many of them. It wasn’t even the inherent threat they posed, although that concerned him, as well.
It was the fact that the Black Night was making it clear they wouldn’t hide any longer. They were making themselves known,demanding a place in the spotlight. They wanted everyone to know that they were there and wouldn’t be silenced.
Which meant the Representatives were in danger. And more importantly,Riverwas in danger.
Nikhail would have to table his plans to swing over to the farmhouse after work. There was too much to do.
Swallowing his disappointment, he met Arlo’s gaze. “What do you need from me?”
CHAPTER 7
Bleakness and Dark Clouds
River woke slowly, her mind drifting back to her in bits and pieces. Her limbs were cumbersome, but that wasn’t surprising, since all of her was that way. Getting out of bed felt like the most strenuous of tasks, but the pressure on her bladder made it clear she couldn’t stay here much longer.