Page 51 of The Surviving Sky
Ahilya shrugged. “The way you architects fearit…”
Iravan took a deep breath. “Ecstasy is a state of uncontrollable trajecting power,” he said. “It’s a danger to the ashram and to the architect. That’s why we fear it. There are ways to prevent it, but there are no ways to cure it. Excision is the only solution.”
“Andexcision—it’swhat, exactly?”
Iravan was silent for a long moment. “It’s a punishment. The Ecstatic Architect is cut away from their trajection.”
Ahilya nodded slowly. Everyone in Nakshar knew this, and Iravan did not lie. Still, she couldn’t shake away the feeling that he was hiding something. Would he be excised if he failed the investigation? She had a sudden image of him: all his vitality gone, humbled and weak. Even if it meant justice for Oam, could she lead him to that?It’s the only way, Dhruv said.Or we can wave our professions goodbye. Dhruv would tell her to press her advantage; he would remind her of their position and ask her to learn as much as she could about the council and its secrets. But Iravan had given her trust. He was trying to reconcile. Ahilya was no longer sure what her role in this investigation was.
“I promise you,” he said, reaching out a hand. “I’m not in danger of Ecstasy.”
She wavered, but he didn’t drop his hand, waiting, so she reached out and squeezed it.
Iravan didn’t let go. Very slowly, with enough time for her to withdraw, he brushed his lips against her fingers. A jolt of warmth shot through Ahilya. She tried to still the fluttering in her stomach. “Will you come home tonight?” she found herself whispering.
She had surprised herself with the question, but not as much as Iravan. His eyes grew darker, a heat gathering in them. Ahilya detected fury and passion and regret before he masked his expression. Iravan shook his head. “The sanctum architects. They want me there longer.”
Another bell chimed through the Academy. Iravan and Ahilya released their hands, blinking. Heat climbed high in Ahilya’s cheeks, and she took a step away from him, suddenly brought back into the present.
“We better go,” Iravan said as chatting students poured into the courtyard from adjoining classrooms. “The Academy is adjourning for the day.”
He skimmed forward, and they followed the bustle of architects out of the Academy. Once outside, Iravan paused near the waterfall. Ahilya tensed, the brush of his lips still lingering on her skin. The weight of unsaid things grew heavy between them. She thought of the both of them at home together, what she’d have done if he had said yes; how they would havebeen, with everything that had happened. Neither of them moved to leave, glancing at each other awkwardly, half-oblivious of the crowd of chatting architects.
When she heard a familiar voice, Ahilya finally tore her eyes away from her husband and looked toward the ramp they had taken before. Reniya, Vihanan, and other citizens she didn’t recognize descended the slope together. Among them was Ahilya’s sister, easily the most beautiful, her laugh high and clear. Ahilya’s brows creased. Tariya had no more business at the Academy than Ahilya herself did, but Ahilya had been invited, at the very least.
“They have children in the Academy,” Iravan offered. He’d followed her gaze, understood her unspoken question.
Tariya’s older son, Kush, couldn’t traject, but had her sister accompanied her friends in the hope that Arth one day would? Was that why she was there? Ahilya knew the Academy regularly conducted meetings with citizen-parents, informing them of the likelihood of their child’s trajection abilities. Snatches of conversation came to her, confirming her suspicions.
“—truly serve theashram—”
“—worthy oneday—”
Tension rose in Ahilya’s shoulders. Iravan’s mouth became a hard line. He had heard, he hadrememberedthe fight that had precipitated his absence for seven months: their argument about making children of their own, Ahilya’s misgivings about a non-trajecting child. She made to move, to bid him goodbye, to get away from there before they fought again, but Iravan extended a hand.
“Wait,” he said.“Please—”
She paused, glanced over her shoulder.
But Iravan’s eyes were growing wide in shock, the expression familiar from the jungle before the earthrage. He opened hismouth—
The ground under Ahilya’s feetcrackedin an explosion of noise.
Her heart jumped in her throat.
She had a moment’s horrified glimpse of her husband’s lips forming hername—
Ahilya screamed as she fell.
15
IRAVAN
AHILYA!”Iravan bellowed as the clearing around him erupted into chaos.
The ground cracked, dust swirling, cries and coughs echoing in the air. Iravan’s wheelchair skimmed away from the widening hole without his command. Almost he entered theMoment—fora chilling second, he thought he had, as the silvery Resonance blinked behind his eyes. Then he wrenched himself away from the urge. Iravan coughed, searching frantically for Ahilya through the eddying dust.
A small hole gaped where she had been. Balloons of earth rose and fell. Dust climbed his nose, settled in the back of his throat. Student architects were clambering back from other holes, cries of shock and consternation rising from them. Some of the older ones pulled the younger ones away. The smallest were in tears, and even Junior Architects looked shaken, their translucent robes layered in thick dust.
