Chapter 20 · The Choice

"Nora!"

The thing under Flood Tower hit the foundations again. I slammed into a rusted brace, shoulder first. White pain. The second heart kept beating anyway.

Not mine.

Not only mine.

Samuel caught the back of my coat before I went over the edge. His injured arm shook.

"I'm here." I grabbed his wrist. "Don't let go."

"Wasn't planning to."

Another impact. Bolts jumped from the ceiling. Tarin yelled something, but the noise ate it. Black seawater burst through a crack in the far wall and sprayed across the floor.

My vision split.

The chamber stayed in front of me—red lamps, falling dust. Under it, I saw Veyra. Every buried pipe. Every pressure gate. Every drainage shaft.

The city looked like a body with its veins cut open.

Water pushed up through the lower districts. Old service tunnels. Maintenance rooms. Whole blocks flashed red in my head.

Then the system gave me a choice.

DRAINAGE ROUTES AVAILABLE: 17

RESCUE ROUTES AVAILABLE: 43

AUTHORITY OVERRIDE DETECTED.

ACCESS DENIED.

I stared at the words only I could see.

"What?" Samuel said.

"She's still in the system." I wiped blood from my mouth. "Evelyn. Her command's blocking the gates.