Chapter 6
Chapter six
The Escape
My life plays out in an infinite loop. I wake from my dreams, where I am haunted by a golden beast. Some nights we glide through the sky, her massive wings stretched out to either side, blocking out the sight of the stars when she flaps to take us higher.
Some nights, she is angry with me. She blows fire and stomps her feet until the earth trembles and I fall endlessly into the cavern.
Some nights, she lets me stroke her scales and cuddle into the warmth of her.
Every night the dream is different, but every morning I wake before first shift, drenched in sweat, my clothing clinging to my skin.
I only ever have enough time to sprint to the bathing pools and plunge into the cold pool before hurrying to meet Caius.
Not once am I late, though. My hair always hangs dripping down my back.
And water still clings to my face. On the first day, Caius cocked a brow in question, but I refused to acknowledge him.
Now he pretends not to notice. But I know he does.
He notices everything. Though we have spoken little over the last phase, he still orders lunch for me every day.
And everyday he picks exactly what I wanted, even if I hadn’t realized it myself.
It’s infuriating and unsettling, the way he notices, the way he observes.
I’m afraid of what he knows without saying it.
What he knows from years of living under the same domed prison.
Even if I’ve done my best to ignore him, it’s now glaringly obvious that he’s been watching me.
I bite my lips to stop the thoughts from spiraling out of control, quickly working my fingers through my damp hair as we walk to our inspection site for the day.
We’ve worked from first shift until the moss grows warm, rose gold, every day for a phase and have found nothing beyond a few loose gaskets and some glow moss overgrowth that should have been tended too by the gardeners on their last inspection.
The core structure is pristine; there are no cracks or contaminations; there is nothing.
It worries me not knowing what this is all about.
But there is little to do but endure. One phase down, and at this rate, we have another twelve to go.
I have just settled into my work, Caius taking up his usual stance, observing the corridor around us, when the earth shakes.
Pebbles rain down on my head. I stumble, struggling to keep my footing.
The vibrations continue, and the earth shifts beneath me.
Before I hit the floor, strong arms wrap around me.
We fall to the ground, Caius clutching me tight against him as he takes the brunt of the impact.
As soon as we’ve hit the ground, he rolls, shielding me from the tumbling shower of stones that fall around us.
It feels like the ground shakes and bucks for an eternity, though I know it’s over in an instant.
It takes me a moment to register that the weight on my chest is Caius and not an immovable boulder. Finally, he pushes up onto his elbows and inspects my face. Again, there is that flash of worry, and I hate the way my heart contracts when he looks at me like that.
“You can get off me,” I wheeze out, only able to take half a breath with his bulky frame pinning me down.
Caius’ eyes go wide as if just realizing the position he’s in.
He moves quickly to his feet, extending a hand to pull me up after him.
His palm is warm and rough, the calluses strangely soothing, stirring memories I’d rather not revisit.
He clutches my hand a moment longer than is strictly necessary.
I’m torn between the comfort of the gesture, my heart still racing from the incident, and the knowledge that the person offering this small comfort is Caius.
I pull my hand back. I wish I could say I had done it with more force. But in this moment, I am weak. “What was that?” I ask.
Shouting echoes from the end of the corridor. Horns blare. These are not the emergency horns. These are the horns that call the guard to action.
“Stay here,” Caius says and turns to follow the call.
“Stay here?” I shout after him.
“Stay here and finish your work, Oliviana. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He doesn’t wait for a response as he breaks into a run, and before I can call after him once more, he’s gone.
I push out a long breath and dust my palms against my pants before I collect my tools, which have scattered across the cavern floor.
My gaze drifts down the empty hallway. It feels strange to be alone.
As much as I’ve dreamed of being rid of Caius, I’ve gotten used to his silent presence watching over me as I work.
I chew my bottom lip as I consider how long Caius will be gone.
This was no drill. If this were an attack from the southern horde, he could be gone for the rest of the shift.
Hope blossoms in my chest. This could be my only chance to get topside and check on Dom’s plants.
He asks about them every time I see him, but with Caius ever present I haven’t been able to slip out topside since I planted them well over a phase ago and with the aqua structure assignment projected to take a full rotation this may be my only chance to get the answers Dom is so desperate for.
I fumble with my bag and curse myself for not bringing a rope.
Today’s work was all accessible from the cavern floors; there had been no need.
I drop my bag, eyeing Caius’, left discarded in his haste to attend the call of the blaring klaxon.
I toe his bag casually, looking once more down the tunnel.
It’s as empty as it’s been all day, and so I crouch down and dig through Caius’s pack.
Sure enough, there is a rope coiled at the bottom.
As my fingertips wrap around the sturdy weave, I consider one last time.
What will Caius do if he comes back, and I’m gone?
Have a heart attack perhaps. The thought spreads a smile over my lips, and I yank the rope free from his bag.
With the rope safely tucked away in my bag, I jog the empty tunnels, sticking to the side shoots and quiet corners I know best. A sense of unease settles over me at how quiet the caverns are, but I shake it off, grateful that there is no one to report me to Caius if he comes looking.
The sun is shining in a hazy shaft through the canyon as I attach my anchor.
Not a single cloud blemishes the azure sky overhead, and I sigh.
I wouldn’t usually go up on such a pristine day.
Going topside with the sun shining was asking for trouble.
But this is my one chance. A smile splits my lips as I note my friction anchors just as I left them.
A memory of besting Caius at speed climbing the canyon flashes through my mind.
He had bet me his prized dagger that he could beat me to the top.
Even at fourteen, he had been a cocky shit.
Just the memory of his face as I bested him fills me with warmth.
His eyes blazing, his grip lingering on the hilt of the dagger as he handed it over to me, heat radiating off his skin where our fingertips brushed; the way he balled his fists and shoved his hands into his pockets.
I was sure he had bitten back some choice words for me that day.
Still smiling over the memory, I blaze up the rock face, moving swiftly from hold to hold.
The ache in my shoulders and ribs is now nothing more than a memory.
The familiar movements are freeing after so many days of monotony in The Below.
I consider spending a little extra time climbing before I dismiss the idea.
I need to check on Dom’s plants and get back before Caius notices that I’m missing.
Once I have looped my leg over the cliff side, I lie out on the warm earth and enjoy the feel of the sun on my face. This is where I’m meant to be. It’s not the first time the thought has struck me, and as always, it tastes bittersweet on my tongue, a declaration of what will never be.
I move carefully over to the patch I selected for Dom’s plants. Good light, good drainage, close to water. Those had been Dom’s instructions, and I had followed them as closely as I could. I hoped the plants had survived without care this long.
Relief replaces my apprehension as the verdant green patch comes into view.
Dom’s plants haven’t just survived. They are thriving.
I carefully check the leaves and stems as Dom had directed.
They are all brilliant green, strong, and larger than any of the complement crops that Dom keeps in his cavern as a control of this experiment.
I’m not sure what good growing plants topside would do when there would be no one to tend them. But I’m certain Dom will be pleased.
I dust the dirt from my hands as I stand. The forest has gone silent. The hum of insects and chirps of birds have faded away. Only the sound of rustling pine needles in the breeze remains. An unnatural heat tickles the nape of my neck, and I know what I will see when I turn to meet my fate.
Time stills as my eyes catch on the glowing gold globes of the creature before me.
This one has deep midnight scales, a green so dark they look nearly black.
The dragon stands so close to me that all I must do is lift my palm and place it upon its nose, just as I have done in every dream since I saw the red-scaled beauty.
Its eyes are begging me, pleading with me to reach out and touch it.
I don’t think. My hand meets warm scales, and the heat burns through me.
With it comes pleasure and pain, the same scalding heat that lights my nerves every morning when I wake.
The forest melts away, replaced by chiseled cavern walls that glow with lava flows through every fissure.
Unlike my dreams, this is real, and I can’t pull away.