Page 54 of The Surviving Sky
“I think we’re alone,” Ahilya said at last.
In the abrupt silence, the creaky writhing of thick black roots over the debris walls sounded unnaturally loud. The others began murmuring. Some tapped their citizen rings, their faces anxious.
“The architects will save us,” Reniya said, hugging herself tightly.
Ahilya’s eyes remained on the roots. Dread formed a leaden weight in her stomach. The way the roots moved, curling and writhing, reminded her of the jungle. In her mind’s eye she saw again the way the bracken wall had disobeyed her. The delayed permission for her expedition, the protocol Iravan had followed in leaving Oam behind, and nowthis—
She and the others were safe, but how long would that last? Her stomach churned in growing terror.
Then something chilling seeped through her bamboo boots.
“We just have to wait,” Reniya said, nodding to the others. “They are probably attempting rescue already.”
Water.
“We can’t wait,” Ahilya cut in sharply. “We have to get ourselves out.”
“Not now, Ahilya,” Tariya began, frowning.
“We can’t wait,” Ahilya said louder. “Listen tome—”
“She’s right,” Vihanan said suddenly, sounding alarmed. He stepped back and stared down. “Water. It’s the waterfall. It’ll fill this hole right up.”
“It already is,” the person with the scalp injury said in terror.
“We can’ttraject—”Reniya began, her eyes wide.
Her voice cut off. She started to choke.
For one bizarre moment, Ahilya thought she saw fingers curled around Reniya’s throat.
Then sherealized—notfingers.Roots.
The others froze, stunned.
Ahilya reacted first. “NO!”she screamed, and jumped forward.
She scrabbled at the roots even as Reniya choked, turning blue.No, Ahilya thought.Not again. Not again. Tears filled her eyes as Reniya gasped. Ahilya’s fingers became bloodied. Oam flashed in her head, grinning wickedly.Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe. I’ll keep you safe.
The others began pulling at the root. Vihanan climbed a rocky ledge for better reach. Reniya’s eyes fluttered and closed.
“NO,” Ahilya screamed again. “Retract, damn you! Retract!”
To her shock, the root obeyed.
Instantly, it retracted, letting go of Reniya. The woman collapsed in Ahilya’s arms, wheezing. The others stared.
Then Tariya scurried forward and pulled Reniya to her, making soothing sounds, cupping her hand to the rock where water flowed.
“How could this be happening?” Vihanan said, sounding shaken. “The ashram is designed not to hurt us.”
Not us, Ahilya thought.The architects.
Iravan had admitted as much when he’d told her how Nakshar’s original architects had coded the rudra tree. All those other times the city had protectedcitizens—theMazeArchitects had done that. No architects had fallen in with themnow—itmeant the rudra tree had reverted to its original permissions. Ahilya didn’t know as much about the core tree as Iravan did, but her husband had talked of it often: the rudra only reverted to its base state in case of failed trajection.Trajection isn’t as easy as it’s always been, Iravan said in her head.There’s an interference in the Moment.
His bracelet weighed her wrist down. Ahilya took in the nervousness around her. She couldn’t tell them what she knew. The city functioned on the desires of itspeople—totell them trajection was failing would only result in panic; it would worsen their situation.
Another root reached across the citizens. They screamed and ducked as the root knit itself to the other side.
