Nightblood Under the Bed

Chapter 3

 Anya is absolutely not having it, "Heda, all the creatures in the coalition NEED you to survive. They depend on you to defend them! You can't just go risk everything to save a child!"

Lexa's jaw clenches at the defiance Anya shows, because the voice that has been inside her head practically parrots Anya's. "You promised me the use of your body." Becca's voice invades Lexa's brain, it's like getting your own thoughts shoved aside roughly for the thoughts of another. In one word, it's invasive.

She's given her all to these people, and given over to Becca's whims for years now. Lexa has shouldered this responsibility of protecting these people because they deserve a life too. But where's her life? She had abandoned it to save the lives of all of these people. Now it was her own daughter that was in danger, it was the trust that Clarke had in her that she was going to risk, and she wasn't even allowed to save that.

Salvation from her conflict comes from Clarke. Clarke who's bright azure eyes sparkle in the dimly lit tunnel with a fierceness that is uniquely hers as she says, "Then maybe life should be about more than just surviving."

Suddenly, Lexa considers that she is her own person. Perhaps her life doesn't need to be dictated by responsibilities shoved onto her, and she could live a little as well. Becca's voice gets louder and louder, but to Lexa it gets farther and farther away because as the seconds tick by and she stares at Clarke, she becomes sure that she's okay with taking that leap of faith. So she whips her head up and glares straight into Anya's eyes.

"I will go rescue my daughter. You are either with me, or you are my enemy."

-0-

A thorough check from Clarke is insisted upon before Anya grudgingly relents to the plan. They proceed down the dark tunnels at a punishingly fast pace and eventually meet up with an ichthyocentaur (a centaur with a fishtail instead of hind legs) and a...human? She's blond with alabaster skin, a sharp jaw and beautiful cheekbones. Even Clarke, whose mind is a whirlwind trying to keep up with the events of the last twenty for hours cannot help but admit that.

It isn't until she sidles up next to Clarke and introduces herself. "Hey, I'm Niylah." She does a double take when she turns to meet the gaze of this nice individual. The eyes Clarke looks into are blood red, and the smile that graces Niylah's face reveals two wickedly sharp incisors. Okay, so maybe not a human either.

If this one was Niylah, that meant the ichthyocentaur was Luna.

"Sorry, I'm a little on edge today. I'm Clarke... uhh Clarke Griffin." Clarke shakes Niylah's stunning cold hand. She isn't quite sure how to introduce herself anymore, because her relationship with Lexa is so unclear, even more so after the kiss earlier.

Niylah is unfazed and continues smiling her dazzling smile. "It happens. Do you want to go out for a bite after this? I know a good underground cafe." Clarke can't tell if Niylah is flirting with her or not. In any case, Clarke ventures to assume that by underground cafe, Niylah means literally underground and not something avant-garde.

"Well, assuming we succeed, I'll have my hands full making sure my daughter is okay."

"Next time then", Niylah nods understandingly, and falls back into place next to Luna.

Meanwhile, Lexa watches this entire exchange from the other side of Clarke with her jaw clenched. Niylah was an amazing soldier, but right now she wanted to punch her too-attractive face inside out. It takes all her self restraint not to order Niylah to get away from Clarke.

The fact that Clarke has reverted to using her maiden surname shouldn't surprise Lexa, but it does, and it hurts. It's like a slap in the face that the kiss probably didn't mean what Lexa had hoped it did.