Chapter 4

In which they flee Cerul.

It was a long walk to the dead spot on the wall, and they’d arrived just as the sun was breaking across an unseen horizon. 

The wall rose up above them, obscuring everything else. She’d grown so accustomed to it that it was practically invisible to her. This was the first time she’d really saw at it. It was imposing, taller than nearly every building in Cerul, and made of a white metal that supposedly could withstand any force the world could throw at it. Hurricanes, tsunamis, a nuclear blast. But they’d never been tested.

“Now what?” Aviva asked, placing a hand against its cool metal surface, her head craned back to look at its top. There was no climbing it, not without serious help. To her left, Evelyn was tracing her own hand over the wall, her fingertips lightly dragging against the surface. She walked three meters, then three more, and finally stilled.

“Ah, here.” Evelyn pronounced as she traced a spot with her hand and then pressed inward. With a click the spot she pressed slid inwards, creating a hold. She pushed it to the side and it glided open, revealing a door. It was narrow, barely large enough for an adult man to step into, and on either side were a mess of pipes and wires.

“Just like she said, still unlocked. It’s the maintenance hall. You should be able to pass right through.” 

Aviva stepped towards it, peering in. She couldn’t see how far it went, but the air was stale and musty. No one had done repairs for who knew how many years. 

“And then what…?” She asked. If there was nothing but radioactive wasteland she had a feeling that they probably wouldn’t survive for very long. But Evelyn seemed wholly unconcerned. 

“My aunt will find you. I’ll send her a message. And… after that. I’ll try to fix things here. I’ll find out where they’re keeping your parents.”

They both knew she meant every word. Evelyn was, after all, a rising heiress in the House of Obulima. A house of information and subterfuge. If anyone had a chance of finding them, it would have to be her. 

Aviva nodded and solemnly turned to Evelyn, her heart beating hard. This was really happening. She was really fleeing Cerul, and there was no way to know what the future held. “Eevee, please. Find my parents.” She tried to keep the desperation out of her voice and failed utterly. Her voice broke, and she swallowed, keeping back the edge of tears. 

Evelyn took her hands, her eyes filled with determination and stubbornness that had always been the trademark of the women in their family. “I promise you.” 

Aviva nodded, the words enough to reassure her. She knew that she’d do everything in her power to find them. She’d try her best to save both her and Magdalen’s parents. 

“Thank you.” The words were heartfelt, and quietly they all exchanged hugs, whispered farewells and good lucks, and then Aviva and Magdalen were quietly inching their way into the darkness of the narrow corridor. Aviva lit the hall with a flashlight, an archaic handheld thing she found at the entrance, and tried not to think of how much the dusty hall reminded her of a tomb. 

And then Evelyn shut the door behind them. At the sound and the sudden darkness Magdalen cried out and lunged forward to grab the back of Aviva’s traveling cloak. Aviva chuckled and reached back to offer her hand, which Magdalen grasped. Having someone to protect somehow made her feel brave, and she was able to push through the long corridor with a bit more confidence in her stride. Then, finally, they reached the end. There was the outline of a door, barely discernible, with a manual lever beside it. Aviva pulled it and the door slid open, sweeping them with the scent of fresh air that carried the scent of morning rain. She stepped out, tentatively, her eyes blinking as they adjusted themselves to the light. They’d left Cerul. They were on the run.