Page 56 of The Surviving Sky
He skimmed his wheelchair forward carefully, the rocks under him flattening because of his desire.
Heart thundering, Iravan waited for Ahilya to emerge.
18
AHILYA
It was the hardest thing Ahilya had done.
Her mind slid from the task, unable to hold her desire steady. Hair-thin roots swept across her face, terrifying her. Once or twice, the whorls curled around her neck, almost lovingly, before moving on as though condescending to her broken will. Her helpless fear darted in her mind, trapped. Sweat dripped down her back.
Water rose to their knees, then their chests.
Ahilya opened her eyes, saw the panicked faces around her, heard their shallow breaths. Reniya swayed, as though about to slip below. Someone gulped, and the sound echoed around them. Vihanan began to cry softly.I’m sorry, Ahilya thought.I couldn’t save you after all. Her heart weighed her down, obliterating her desire. In her mind, she saw Oam fall from the sky, heard his panicked voice asking what Iravan was doing.
Time slowed down. Ahilya lifted her trembling hand to her mouth, noticing the drip-drip in the cavern, the sweat that drenched her hair, the water level that kept rising. Eyes blurring, she reached for her sister, moving sluggishly through the cave.
The ground shook, ripples of water cascading.
Tariya cried out. Ahilyalurched—
Then the ground rose.
Ahilya staggered as the floor moved upward. The water level lowered, to her waist, her hips, her knees. Above them, roots parted and earth broke open, thin showers of debris raining down. She heard someone weep in relief; Ahilya nearly wept too. Her hand clutched her sister’s tightly. Tariya trembled, and Ahilya drew her close, murmuring soothing sounds. More of the roof cleared, andthen—
Blessed sunlight.
Steps formed along the edge. The others rushed for them at once. Ahilya waited, her eyes checking and rechecking every crevice. Was she leaving anyone behind? Did everyone survive? She counted them as they went past her, one, then three, then seven.
Tariya pulled her through at last, and the two emerged into the sunlight and collapsed on the grass next to each other, gasping. Ahilya covered her face with a trembling hand. Her other hand still clutched Tariya. She knew she should calm her sister down, but her entire body shook uncontrollably. Ahilya had trouble breathing herself.
It took her a long time to realize that both her citizen ring and Iravan’s bracelet on her wrist were chiming insistently.
Ahilya rolled over and sat up. She had emerged at the lip of a bowl; it was all that remained of the clearing that had led into the Architects’ Academy. The waterfall had stopped. On the far bank, Iravan leaned forward in his wheelchair, his posture tense. He waved and tapped at his wrist.
She tapped at her citizen ring, answering it. Iravan’s face hovered over her palm.
“Thank rages,” he rasped. “Are you all right?”
“I’m all right. We’refine—forthe most part.”
His hologram trembled; she didn’t know if it was him or her own palm shaking.
Ahilya glanced around her, wondering if theywereall fine. Tariya had sat up too. Her sister shook, and Ahilya could hear her nephew’s soft voice. Tariya was speaking to Kush on the citizen ring, notBharavi—why?Was the Senior Architect busy? Bharavi had never been too busy for Tariya before, andthis—thisordeal—itwould take a toll on her sister. Tariya was likely to lash out. She would need help.
It was as though Iravan had heard this thought.
“I’m sending architects over to you,” he said. “To take you to the infirmary. To heal and counsel.”
“What happened, how didthis—”
“The trajection,” he said. “It musthave—I’mcoming to you. I’ll explain.”
Ahilya glanced around her. The others were recovering too. Reniya had stood up and was massaging her throat. Vihanan was attending to the person with the injured scalp. Tariya had finished speaking with Kush and was looking over at Ahilya, her face withdrawn. Except for her sister, the rest were all married to mere Maze Architects. How much of what Iravan had told Ahilya was privy to them?
“No,” she said, looking back to him. “Ithink—youshould speak to the council first.”
“Ahilya, no! I’m coming toyou—”
