by Kass Morgan
“Good,” said the Protector, his eyes drifting past them. “Now finish up and let’s get going.”
Wells glanced behind him, surprised, then blinked hard and hurried back to the cellar as ordered. They acted so nonchalant, like this happened all the time. Maybe it did. Maybe they’d known one of them would crack.
Wells gritted his teeth so hard his jaw ached as he loaded the vehicle with food. When it was done, he and the others ducked back into the wagon, where the Protectors had left them room on the bench.
Graham was sprawled unconscious on the floor beneath them. One of the Protectors casually used his lifeless shoulder as a footrest the entire way back to the Stone.
When they stopped in the courtyard, the blue-eyed Protector put his hand up, stopping Wells. “Drag your friend to the kennels.”
“He’s not my friend,” Wells said. “And I’d be happy to.”
The words tasted like poison in his mouth, but the Protector smiled, appeased. Wells drew a breath and reached into the wagon to hoist Graham into his arms.
“Did I tell you to carry him?” the Protector asked coolly. “Huh. I could have sworn I said to drag him.” He walked slowly behind Wells, raised his gun, and dug its barrel between Wells’s shoulder blades.
Wells felt wrath pulse through his veins, a volcano due to explode at any moment, but his fear was even stronger. One squeeze of that trigger and he wouldn’t be able to help Graham or Octavia or Glass or anyone ever again.
“Yes, sir,” he said. Carefully, he laid Graham onto the ground and started to pull, while the Protector’s gun dug into his back, prodding him step by step, straight into the belly of the Stone.
Soon, he thought. There was no more waiting for the perfect time, for the ideal intel, to bring these people to their knees. They were going to have to get out of there. The next chance we get.
If there was a next chance.
Wells dared one last longing glance back at the open sky, tugging Graham behind him, before the mammoth walls swallowed them both up again.
CHAPTER 21
Clarke
There wasn’t much she could do to prepare. She wasn’t bringing any weapons, of course. And she wasn’t bringing anything to trade. Unless there was some kind of gift she could offer as a sign of goodwill? Images of white-clad men flashed through her mind—their blank, expressionless faces as they methodically scoured the camp, ignoring the cries and screams of those who’d been injured in the explosion.
No, these weren’t the type of people who could be swayed with gifts. They would respond to strength. And bravery.
As Clarke paced back and forth, nervously running her hands along the rough bark of the trees, she tried to picture herself approaching the giant concrete wall, her head held high. She had to look like an equal, not a victim. She’d imagine Wells was watching her from inside, and that she had to make him proud.
And maybe, just maybe, they’d listen to her and release the prisoners. She could already see the look on Bellamy’s face when he saw Clarke with Octavia. His stony expression would collapse, replaced by joy and relief. And after hugging his sister, he’d turn to Clarke with gratitude in his eyes.
A branch snapped, and Clarke whirled around to see Paul coming toward her. “I’m ready,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “I think I should head out now.”
“There’s been a change of plans,” he said cheerfully, as if they were discussing a trip to swim in the creek instead of a potentially fatal rescue mission. “Cooper is going to go instead, and Vale is going to go watch to make sure it goes okay. She’ll return when he’s safely inside. It makes more sense for an Earthborn to act as the negotiator. Cooper will have more in common with them, and then we don’t have to worry about all the hostility toward the people who dropped out of the sky.”
“What? A change of plans? When did you discuss this?” Clarke craned her head, looking for signs that a meeting had just broken up.
“It was my decision,” Paul said. He placed his hand on Clarke’s shoulder and looked her straight in the eye. “I don’t want you to think I don’t have faith in you, because I do. I hope you know how much we all appreciate you.”
Her confusion sizzling into anger, Clarke shoved his hand off and stepped to the side. “Your decision? Paul, no one put you in charge.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Leadership isn’t something that’s assigned, Clarke. It’s earned. Given as a gift by those who willingly follow you. I think it’s pretty clear who everyone trusts here. Cooper, Vale, Felix, Jessa—they’re all counting on me to make this operation a success, so I’ve made some changes. Besides, we need you back here in case anyone gets hurt.”
Clarke stared at him for a moment, trying to glean information from his beaming smile. “Okay…” she said slowly, trying to stay calm as she assessed the situation. “I’ll wait here, then. I’m going to go wish Cooper and Vale good luck before they head off.”
“They’ve already left! Now all we can do is hope for the best.”
The next couple of hours were tense, and they all took turns guarding their makeshift campsite. While Felix was on duty, Clarke came up to bring him some berries she’d found in the woods.
“Thanks,” Felix said with a weak smile, “but there’s no way I can eat right now.”
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Clarke said. “Knowing how close we are to them right now? I wonder if they can sense us coming.”
“I hope so.” Felix turned away, biting his lip. “I can’t stand the thought of him scared, or in pain, or…” He trailed off.
“I’ve never seen Eric scared,” Clarke said firmly. “I’ll bet he’s being strong and brave, just like he always is.”
When Felix turned back, there were tears glistening in his eyes. “I’m sure he is.” He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “I just hope he knows we haven’t given up on them.”
“I’m sure he knows that,” Clarke said, glancing over her shoulder toward their camp, where Bellamy was still shackled to the pile of rusty metal. “That’s not what we do.”
Clarke gave the edge of the camp a wide berth as she walked around it. She would just take a quick peek at Bellamy… long enough to know he was bearing up okay, short enough to avoid the feeling of her heart ripping out of her chest, that stabbing sensation that crept up on her pretty much every time she thought about him.
She’d expected to see him sleeping or staring dead-eyed into the treetops while Jessa guarded him from a distance, like an hour ago, the last time she’d peeked. But this time, Jessa was crouched beside Bellamy, near enough to touch him, their heads leaning close as they spoke in hushed murmurs.
Clarke started, stumbling a little where she stood. It was stupid. It was nothing. And yet, it was such a strangely intimate scene that Clarke felt her stomach churn with a mixture of hurt and betrayal. Not that she had any right to feel betrayed after what she’d done to him.
Jessa glanced over her shoulder and Clarke rearranged her face into something approaching neutral. But if it was for Bellamy’s benefit, she shouldn’t have bothered. He turned away without so much as a blink in her direction as Jessa rose, crossing over to Clarke in four long strides.
“Is Vale back yet?” the Earthborn girl asked brusquely.
Clarke had to swallow to find her voice again, recovering from the feeling of having had it punched out of her throat. “Not yet. Soon, we hope.”
“And if she doesn’t come back? If neither of them do, what then?” Jessa’s voice rose, and Bellamy’s head tilted casually toward them, clearly listening. So this must’ve been what they were talking about. “Do we go with Bellamy’s plan?”
“I… I’m not sure…” Clarke’s skin grew prickly hot as she shifted uneasily.
“Because I for one am getting pretty tired of sitting around here doing nothing.” Jessa pointed east. “My brother is in that building, maybe alive, maybe dead, I don’t know. All I know is, the longer we wait, the worse his odds are.”
> “I realize that,” Clarke said quietly.
“Do you?” Jessa’s dark eyes locked with hers. “Then what’s our plan B? What do we do now, tonight, if negotiations fall apart?”
Bellamy turned and fixed Clarke with a stare—his expression totally empty, as though she was just one of the trees in the forest.
“She’s back!” Paul’s voice rang out way too loud, echoing through the forest, sending birds scattering from their perches, but for once, Clarke didn’t care.
Because Paul sounded happy.
Her pulse raced with hope as she ran toward the campsite, Jessa on her heels. But before they’d taken two steps, Vale and Paul intercepted them, Paul tugging the panting Earthborn behind him by the elbow.
“Tell her!” he said, exultant.
“Cooper… he did it like we… planned,” Vale got out between huffs, managing a faint smile. “He walked up. They came out… with guns…”
Clarke waited for her to catch her breath, trying to be patient.
“But they saw that he was unarmed… so they lowered them,” Vale said.
Clarke exhaled.
Vale glanced at Paul. “I wasn’t close enough to hear what they said, but they listened to him and they opened the door and walked with him into the building. No cuffs, no violence. So far, so good. Now I guess we wait to see what they say.”
Clarke felt her whole body tingle in a waterfall of relief. She drew a breath to thank Vale, but before she could get the words out, Paul lunged for her and wrapped Clarke up in a hug so tight, it lifted her heels off the ground.
“It’s working,” he said into her ear, then planted a kiss on her cheek. “We’re gonna get them back.”
As Paul turned away to clap a hand on Vale’s back and lead her toward the heart of the campsite, Clarke wiped her cheek dry, fighting a shudder that was partly nerves, partly something new.
He’s just an enthusiastic guy, she told herself. He got caught up in the moment.
She felt eyes on her back and turned to see Bellamy watching her with an inscrutable expression.
There came that stabbing feeling again, a sharp pain that started between her ribs and bloomed into something that would destroy her if she let it.
She wouldn’t let it.
She blinked back at Bellamy, chin high, and walked away.
CHAPTER 22
Bellamy
Bellamy’s body felt as if it was full of glass shards. His arms were aching, his wrists raw meat, his spine wrenched crookedly against the metal beam that held him. But none of that compared to the pain he felt watching Clarke turn her back on him again.
Bellamy had been watching Paul this whole time. He wasn’t the cheerful team player he pretended to be. He was a manipulative snake who had his eyes on Clarke.
I need to warn her, he thought, before remembering that Clarke was no longer his responsibility. She’d made that much clear.
He longed to watch her as she walked away, but Bellamy forced his eyes into the forest instead, holding them open so everything became painfully sharp and bright, his emotions taking a backseat to the stark realities before him.
In the forest, something moved—a person. Bellamy tensed; then he released a breath. Luke stepped out from behind a tree, lifting his hand in greeting.
Bellamy nodded, then glanced over at Jessa. She was meant to be guarding him, but instead the two of them had been trying to figure out a way to enact his plan. Jessa gave the area a quick scan, listening for voices—Paul, Clarke, or Vale—approaching. Satisfied they were alone, she beckoned toward Luke, who tiptoed over and crouched next to Bellamy.
“How you bearing up?” Luke whispered.
“Oh, I’m just great.” Bellamy tried for a shrug, but his arms wouldn’t move that far. “This is how I spend all my Saturdays.”
Luke grinned briefly before his face fell serious again.
Bellamy swallowed. “Did you find it?”
“I did,” Luke said, his eyes flashing bright.
Bellamy sat up a little, wincing from the pain in his back. Luke reached out to help adjust him, but Bellamy shook his head, handling it himself.
“I left just after Cooper and Vale,” Luke went on in a whisper. “Felix relieved me at my post and told Paul I’d gone to rest in the campsite. Cooper and Vale didn’t notice me trailing them. I waited until Cooper caught the raiders’ attention and then I went to where you told me. I found the ammunitions store quickly… maybe too quickly. Bellamy, they’re bound to notice it’s caved open soon.”
“I know,” Bellamy said darkly. “Did you go in?”
“I thought I’d wait for you,” Luke said with a smirk. “I’d hate for you to miss all the fun.”
“Okay,” Bellamy said, the gears in his mind finally starting to whir back to life. “Who’s guarding me tonight?”
“If it’s not Jessa, we’ll make sure it’s Jessa,” Luke said.
At the mention of her name, Jessa glanced casually over her shoulder, flashing a quick blink of acknowledgment. Bellamy smiled grimly back.
“We’d let you go now, man, if we didn’t think it would sabotage the rest of our plans.” Luke sighed.
“I know,” Bellamy said quickly. “I wouldn’t want you to. And anyway, free range of arm motion is hugely overrated.”
“You’ll need to limber up fast once we spring you tonight, though,” Luke said dryly. “We’ll need every set of arms we can get.”
“Who have we got?”
“Me, you, and Felix,” Luke said. “Jessa’s going to stay behind to keep them from stopping us.”
“Why would they care?” Bellamy asked. “We’re not going to interfere with the negotiations. This is just a… backup plan.”
He heard low voices behind them again, over the wall in the campsite. Paul was offering Clarke food, cracking jokes about his foraging skills, and she kept trying to change the subject back to next steps.
Next steps. Diplomacy.
Bellamy swallowed around a pit in his throat.
They weren’t doing nothing, exactly, were they? Plan A was moving forward. Clarke still held out hope for a peaceful resolution. Was she right? Was he being reckless, after all?
Sensing him waver, Luke leaned forward. “We’ve got a good shot here. And a really short window for it.”
Bellamy shook his head, thinking. “Cooper got inside, though, unharmed. Vale said so.”
Luke snorted. “That just means these bastards have one more of us locked inside their compound.”
“But what if it means more than that? What if ”—Bellamy nodded behind him, unable to say her name—“their plan is working?”
“Then we’ll still have taken away all the munitions in the meantime. We’ll have an even greater advantage… a bargaining chip. Win-win, right?”
“Right.” Bellamy frowned. It was strange. The whole journey here, he’d pictured Octavia’s and Wells’s faces as clearly as if they were standing right in front of him, begging him for help. But now that he had a plan, all he could see was Clarke, the hurt in her eyes last night, the expression on her face when he drove her away.
He imagined something even worse now: the look she would have tonight when she realized he was gone. The realization that, in the end, he’d betrayed her for what might be the final time without even bothering to say good-bye.
He closed his eyes, sorrow welling in his chest. He’d been wrong to accuse her of not caring. Even more wrong to think of her as a coward. Clarke would always be one of the fiercest people he’d ever known, and here she was, standing up for what she thought was right.
“Listen, man,” Luke was saying to him, rocking back onto his heels with a heavy sigh. “If you’re getting cold feet, if you don’t think this is the right thing…”
Bellamy opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Luke let out a frustrated huff, his fists balling by his sides.
“No, screw that.” Luke shook his head. “I’m sorry, Bel, I am, but your plan is the best one we’
ve got. And Glass is in there.” His cheeks grew mottled, his red-rimmed eyes welling fast. “She’s in there. I’ve got to get her out.”
Bellamy watched him for a moment, his thoughts swirling and landing and settling at last on something that felt like a final answer. “No cold feet, Luke.”
Luke’s eyes locked on his.
Bellamy nodded back—a promise.
“This happens tonight.”
CHAPTER 23
Glass
Glass held tight to the skirt of her white dress, willing her smile to stay steady as she strolled with Soren along a corridor with cracked walls covered in ivy and roses. The first time Glass had seen the flowers, a few days earlier, she’d marveled at how lovely they looked against the crumbling concrete. Beauty triumphing over ugliness. Nature redeeming the sins of the humans who’d taken her for granted. But now the roses just looked trapped, far from the woods and meadows where they belonged.
“It’s a lovely ceremony,” the High Protector was explaining, the midday light filtering through the ruined ceiling hitting her face in disorienting flashes. “The first ritual will be held outdoors at sunrise tomorrow. The men and women are washed and anointed and blessed by Earth Herself before the actual pairing begins.”
“I’m sorry,” Glass said. “I think I’m still a little confused. What exactly goes on at the Pairing Ceremony?”
“Oh, goodness, yes.” Soren laughed and it sounded like sunshine. “Of course you’re curious. It’s when the new recruits, girls like you that Earth has gifted us, become true members of our community. We pair each new girl with one of the male recruits, and they consummate the union, thereby becoming Protectors. Then, if their pairing pleases Earth, She blesses us with a true-born child.”
Glass stumbled and held on to the wall while she tried to blink her dizziness away. “Consummate?” she whispered.
Surely Soren couldn’t mean what Glass thought she was implying. Was the Pairing Ceremony a mating ritual? Was that why Glass and the other girls had been taken? A memory slithered out from the back of her brain. Luke’s roommate, Carter, placing his hands on her waist, trapping her against the wall. The feel of his warm breath too close to her skin. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back waves of nausea.