Something tickled at the edge of her awareness, but without lowering her tightly-wound shields, she couldn't tell what it was. Even so, she knew there was something significant about this area. “There are still valuable artifacts down here?”
“Most likely, yes,” Alec agreed over the headset. “We've had stability supports installed to minimize the chance of any further collapse. There have been quite a few challenges to move all of our equipment down here though. We still have plans to excavate the area further, but it's going much slower than we would like.”
Jason glanced over at her. “How are you feeling?”
“I'm okay so far, but there's something down here,” she replied, peering into the empty and abandoned rooms as they continued downward. She knew spirit channelers could see echoes of the past, but what she was sensing was almost like an echo of emotions from a time before. It had a distinctly different flavor than the normal feelings she usually picked up. The lower they went, the stronger the echoes became. Love, hope, fear, grief—they all resonated around her in a whisper that begged for her to listen.
Jason sent her some additional energy to reinforce her shields and exchanged a worried look with Alec. “I can pick up something through our bond, but I can't tell what it is. Do you know what's wrong, Ari? Do we need to stop?”
She shook her head. “No, I'm all right. It's just this strange pressure. I must be picking up on residual emotions from the former inhabitants. It's very strong though. I've never had this happen before.”
Alec frowned and squeezed her hand. “I sense something through our connection too. We're almost to the bottom. Once we stop, we'll have to travel a short distance through the ruins and into a cavern. That's where the river is located. Do you think you can make it?”
Ariana took a deep breath, steeling her resolve, and nodded. The whispers were pressing down on her, but it was manageable for now. She wished she could remove her helmet to pull the moisture from the air, but it was easy to see why that would be dangerous. Many of the walls and ceilings had partially collapsed. With the vibrating groan of the mechanical lift moving downward, it appeared as though the remainder of the building could go at any time.
A few moments later, the lift stopped abruptly. Ariana stumbled slightly, but Alec wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him.
He gave her an apologetic smile. “Apparently, it's a bit of a rough landing. Sorry about that.”
Jason cleared his throat and gave them a sharp look.
Alec hesitated for a moment before releasing her, and she experienced a small pang of disappointment at no longer being in his arms. He gave her a knowing smile and leaned forward to open the metal door of the lift.
Ariana blushed, mentally chastising herself, and stepped down onto the reinforced floor and into another world. Sweeping her gaze around the room, she couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since other footsteps had traveled these floors. It was easy to understand the allure of scavenging in the ruins. Not only was there an element of exciting danger, but there were hundreds of mysteries just waiting to be solved.
Alec issued the order for the lift to return to the surface. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. Until the next group arrived, they were trapped underground. There was nowhere to go except forward.
Alec motioned for her to follow while Jason trailed close behind them. Although most of the debris had been cleared out or pushed to the sides, Ariana was able to make out remnants of old furniture she'd only seen in videos. The walls were dilapidated, with peeling wallpaper or paint. Some areas had collapsed completely, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble blocking access to other parts of the building or the earthen walls of the chasm. Metal bracers and supports had been installed to secure the walls and flooring.
Ariana was so caught up in looking everywhere at once that she missed a small pile of rubble on the ground. She tripped and fell forward, managing to catch her balance at the last second. Alec spun around and grabbed her arm, but it was too late. The miscalculation on her part had distracted her from maintaining the metaphysical barrier, and the heavy threads of energy began to swirl around her.
Cries of anger and fear were emanating from deeper within the ruins. It wasn't the normal emotional energy she usually picked up, but instead, she could actually hear the voices.
“It's coming down. I can't hold it.”
“There's no time. We've got to get out of here.”
“Run! Get out now!”
An overwhelming sick feeling rose inside her at the panic and terror she was feeling from these voices. Unable to breathe, she started to pull off her helmet, but Alec grabbed her wrists. He sent a strong wave of energy through their bond, encouraging her to reinforce her shields.
“Ari, you have to fight it. We're almost there. Please. You have to block it out.”
She trembled, using Alec and Jason's offered energy to weave into her barrier. Through their shared connection, the two men were suffering too. The steady roar of voices continued to pound against her fractured mental barrier, demanding to be heard. There was so much fear and hurt. Even over the span of years since they had suffered, their echo of pain was still vibrant and real.
Alec said something to Jason, but she wasn't paying attention anymore. Ariana shifted her energy slightly and sent a healing wave outward, with the promise she would hear their pleas. The ghostly energy wasn't sentient, and her attempts to pacify it were pointless. She couldn't focus over their cries. How could the echoes be so potent?
Another strong wave of Alec's energy surrounded her, drawing her attention back to him. He winced against the onslaught of echoing voices. “Jason, need to get her to the river or back to the lift! It's too strong.”
Ariana couldn't go back. If she managed to get to the river, it would be enough to reinforce her mental barrier. Focusing on her feet, she tried to block out the emotional voices and took a step forward. Her vision blurred, and for a moment she could see the faces. Ariana gasped. She knew those faces. That's why the energy was so strong and called to her. The three of them were close to where the people had been buried under so much rubble.
“Jason!” Her knees buckled, and she pressed her hands against the ground as tears streamed down her face. “It was here. They all died. They knew they were going to die. The ruins collapsed on them, and they were trapped.”
Alec swore and removed both their helmets, tossing them aside. He knelt beside her and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. Jason started to object, but a shake of Alec's head stopped him. Ariana wrapped her arms around Alec, burying her face against his neck. His energy flooded through her, encouraging her to reinforce her barriers.
“Just breathe, Ari,” he murmured, tugging off his gloves and running his fingers through her hair. He threaded more of his energy into the movements, and she quivered from the sensation. It was enough to distract her from the voices and make her focus on Alec. Through their connection, she could feel his agony from the transfer of residual emotions. She had to get a handle on everything.
“Here.” Jason handed her an open hydrating pack.
She accepted it and took a long drink, noting his hands were shaking almost as badly as hers. The water energy from the small drink wasn't strong enough to fully block the voices, but it was enough to lessen the impact. When she finished, Jason took the empty container.
Alec tilted her head back, searching her expression. A deep sadness reflected in his eyes and pulsed along their shared connection. Horror struck her as she realized her brief lapse in maintaining her mental barrier had caused him unnecessary pain. Through her, he'd heard his mother's tormented cries moments before her death.
Refusing to allow him to suffer a moment longer, Ariana yanked off her gloves and took his hands in hers. What she intended could be done without contact, but her energy was far more effective with it. She looked up at him and directed her calming energy to flow into him.
Alec closed his eyes and lowered his fore
head against hers. “Ari,” he whispered on a sigh.
She might not be able to soothe the emotions of the deceased, but the living could still be helped. Drawing upon the surrounding residual emotions, she ignored the echoes of fear and pain. Instead, she focused on strengthening a softer emotion—love. It was the love these people shared for their families that should be honored as their dying declaration. If she couldn't give them the peace they deserved, she would help the ones they'd left behind.
Somewhere nearby was a strong source of water, and she reached outward with her senses to locate it. It was closer than she thought, and she took hold of it, drawing upon its energy to amplify her abilities. Ariana took a deep breath, letting the power fill her as she focused on the love each person had felt for the family they'd left behind. She held it for a long moment and then flung it outward, filling the ruins from its deepest depths up to its highest point with her energy. Alec and Jason gasped, swaying slightly from the unexpected outpouring of energy, and then their shoulders relaxed as the energy in the ruins began to shift. She felt the others in various parts of the ruins experience similar effects. Even the non-sensitives weren't immune to the dramatic change.
“How are you doing this?” Alec looked down at her with a touch of wonder in his voice.
Ariana shook her head, not sure if she had the ability to explain.
“Lars is right,” Alec whispered, shaking his head. “You are a gift, Ariana. I'm not sure any of us deserve you.”
“It's not me,” she admitted. “It's them. Their last thoughts were of love and family. I only strengthened those thoughts and shared them.”
Alec's eyes softened as he gazed at her. “No, Ari. You had the ability to reach beyond their pain and turn it into something beautiful. It was you, with your wonderful and sensitive heart, who could shift the energy and heal this place. You're the most beautiful and courageous woman I've ever known, both inside and out.”
She looked up at him. His words touched something inside her, and a strange feeling began to blossom. Over the years, she'd heard countless warnings that her talents could be dangerous and she needed to keep them hidden. There were many people who would, if given the opportunity, try to use her skills for their own purposes. Manipulating thoughts and feelings could easily shift political agendas or intentions, especially in their world. Their people had always been obsessed with power, and she could be a means to capitalize upon such power. But that wasn't the case here. Through their shared connection, she sensed Alec's sincere gratitude and sense of wonderment.
“I understand your family's fears better than most,” he said to her telepathically. “Our skills, yours for shifting emotions and mine for influencing people, can be dangerous in the wrong hands. That's why I supported your family's decision to keep your talents hidden while my father was still alive. I won't ever take advantage of you, Ari. I promise.”
Ariana looked down at their clasped hands, her heart aching for what he must have experienced. She hadn't realized he'd lived through the very thing her family had always feared would happen to her.
He lifted her hands, pressing a small kiss against them. “It's not the same, beautiful. Our abilities have similarities, but they're also very different. It would have affected you more to use your talents in a way that wasn't natural for you. Influencing people is more of a strong suggestion. I've never had to experience their emotions.” He paused for a moment. “I wasn't aware you felt everything so deeply. I knew you could sense emotions, but I had no idea you lived them.”
Before she could respond, Jason reached over to pick up their discarded helmets. He held them out, forcing them to release each other's hands to accept the offering. “If you're feeling better, we should go. I hear the lift descending again, and I'd like to limit the number of people around you until we get to the river. I don't think any of us can afford to have your focus split right now.”
She nodded and took her helmet from him. Alec stood and helped her to her feet, but he didn't release her. Instead, he tucked her close to his side. Jason's eyes narrowed at the gesture. Her brother huffed and walked ahead of them, making his disapproval obvious.
Ariana sighed but didn't move away from Alec. If this was her only opportunity to be close to him, Jason was just going to have to deal with it.
Ariana gazed around the underground cave in wonder. The moment she'd entered the cavern, she'd taken off her protective gear. Since she wasn't suffering from any ill effects, Alec had allowed more personnel to enter the area. With the water rushing through the rocky cave, she felt more at home surrounded by her elements than she ever had in the towers. There was a sense of rightness at the perfect union between earth and water. They needed each other, and here they'd found a way to co-exist in perfect harmony. But there was something more to it. There was a power within the cavern that called to her, but she wasn't sure if it was more of the echoes of the past. Given what had already happened, she wasn't willing to risk lowering her guard to investigate.
Sergei crossed his arms and eyed the piece of equipment in front of him. “You will need to explain. I thought this equipment could not be operated with energy.”
“It can't,” Alec replied. “Our hope is Ariana and Jason can control the rapids enough to direct the equipment down the river without hitting any of the rocks. Since Ariana specializes in water and earth, we have a better chance of success.”
Ariana nodded at the explanation. The process should be fairly easy. She probably could have accomplished this without Jason, but together, they should be able to send the equipment much farther than either of them could alone. Jason didn't have her skills with earth energy, but their bond would help amplify her ability to channel both.
She studied the layout of the river again. “I should be able to get a sense of the location of the underwater rocks by connecting with the earth energy throughout the cavern. Then, it's simply a matter of guiding the movement of the water to carry the device. Depending on the number of jagged surfaces, I may need to slow down or redirect the current a bit to get the equipment past the rocks.”
Carl leaned over and pulled out a diagram showing the areas they'd been able to map. He pointed to a few specific areas not too far from where they were standing.
“We know for a fact these areas are particularly treacherous. We've lost four cameras here. A few made it beyond that, but not far.”
He tapped on the screen and pulled up an image of the underwater topography. Ariana frowned as she leaned closer. From her studies, she recalled most underwater surfaces were smoother. Over time, the water wore away the sharper areas.
“This river is new,” she mused.
Alec nodded. “That's our belief as well. If it was older, we should have had an indication it existed on some of our pre-war maps. We suspect when the earth energy was manipulated to cause the cave-in, it redirected a much older river to this location.”
Kayla pointed to another area on the diagram a short distance away from where they were standing. “This is where I was scavenging when I originally found the river. Based on the size of the rock formations there, it looked like there used to be a much smaller branch of the river in that location. The cave-in opened it up and made the entire thing larger and, unfortunately for us, much more treacherous.”
Ariana studied the image. They hadn't been able to map much at all. “We don't know where the river originated or where it ends?”
“No,” Alec admitted. “We hope to eventually explore it fully, but for now, we need to focus on finding the best place to drill without compromising the structural integrity of the ruins. If we can map far enough downstream, we should be able to find an area to run the pipes to extract the water.”
Ariana nodded and lifted her head to look around the cavern again. “All right. I need a few minutes to get a better feel for the cavern and the river. Once I'm finished, we should be ready for the equipment to be lowered into the water.” She turned to her brother, who was still studying the di
agram. “Jason, can you help me manipulate the water energy? If you can slow some of the rapids, it'll make it easier to push the device.”
Jason nodded. “Of course.”
“How close do you need to be to the river?” Alec took her hand and led her closer to the water. Sergei moved to stand on the other side of her.
Ariana looked around, considering her options. Ideally, she'd need to touch the river in order to form a complete focus. She could use something as simple as a hydrating pack or the moisture in the air, but it wouldn't have the exact same composition. Even a slight difference might affect her abilities. Since there was so much riding on this endeavor, they needed to maximize their chances for success.
“Is there a relatively safe location where I can touch water and land? I don't need to submerge myself, but I need to engage with both elements for the best possible outcome.”
Sergei pointed out a small outcropping not too far away. “The river slows there. We can use a harness for safety, but you can still touch both. I will remain with you.”
She beamed a smile at him. “Perfect.”
Alec frowned but motioned for one of the men to retrieve a harness. As soon as he returned, Sergei took it from him and proceeded to fasten it around her waist. “Are you feeling better? You have more color.”
She rested her hands on his arms for balance as he adjusted the harness. “Yes, proximity to the water helps. The air is full of moisture here and acts as a buffer from the emotions. I actually feel wonderful.”
“Good,” he replied and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.
Alec's jaw clenched slightly, and he motioned for Sergei to step back. “You can monitor the equipment better from back there. Even if she's feeling better right now, this will require a great deal of energy and concentration. It's best to limit Ariana's exposure to others while we attempt this.”
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