Ark Kingdom: The Magic Within (Bellarke)

Chapter 23

Bellamy’s POV

Before I can ask what he means or even turn around I am back in the veil. Clarke is sucking in air and fanning her face. The hand that is flying in front of her face catches my attention because it’s covered in blood. Atom’s blood. I look down to my friend and it looks like he’s just sleeping but I know he isn’t. I look at Clarke again and see her frown. I have no words to explain how strong she is. She was able to take a life, one that needed to be taken to keep me from having to end my best friend’s life.

I grab the big blanket that Charlotte had brought with the rags and water. Gently, I lay it over Atom’s cold body. Clarke reaches out and helps. She is very careful to not touch me, just as I am careful to not touch her. We move away from the body and take the bowl of water to our cave. We take turns cleaning our hands and then sit shoulder to shoulder. I’m not sure I will be able to process any of what has happened today.  First, with Atom and then the forest. Some part of my brain though definitely hopes to the spirits that where we were is really our future.

“So.” I’m not sure how to talk to her anymore.

“Yes?” Clarke looks up at me with a shy grin. Her blue eyes are as dark as the stormy sky.

“Are you okay?” I reach forward to hold her hand but pull back before our skin touches.

She is looking at our hands. They are less than an inch apart. “I will be. You?”

“One day I think we’ll both be okay. Hey, it looks like I get the girl so I think everything will be fine.” I wink at her, trying to cheer her up.

“Bell!” She smacks my arm and then I see a glint in her eye. “We don’t know if that’s even real. It was probably just your dreams.”

“My dreams? You’re the one who took us there.” I lightly shove her shoulder.

“Did not.”

“Did to.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I can’t believe you.” Clarke huffs and gets to her feet.

“Believe it, Princess.” I smirk and join her as she walks out of the cave.

The happiness in me falls away when I see Octavia walking towards us. She has her arms crossed and her head down.

“O, I’m so sorry.” I rush to her and wrap my arms around her. She stays completely still.

“You should be! It’s your fault he’s dead!” Octavia breaks out of my hold and starts pounding on my chest. “He was out there because he was looking for you! He had to make sure you were safe!”

“I didn’t know.” I feel even worse than before. I grab Octavia’s wrists to stop her hitting. “I did everything I could, we did everything we could.”

“We? Why is it all about her all of sudden? The girl of privilege? She couldn’t care less about you. Finn told me about the two of them. I saw them kissing. She’s playing you but you’re too stupid to realize it! Do you honestly think someone could care for you? You’re dead on the inside. You stabbed the king just so you could come here. You should have died, not Atom! I hate you!” Octavia rips her arms out of my hold and my arms fall limply to my sides.

She has always had a temper, but she’s never gotten this angry. My mind is reeling from all she has just said. I put a hand to my forehead to try and keep my composure. Finn and Clarke? How could that be? They didn’t even know each other before. And how did Octavia find out about the King?

I look to see how Clarke is taking it all, but she’s long gone. I can just see her outline as she walks away from me. My world has just shattered around me and I’m alone. And what that man said keeps running through my mind: “You’ve changed enough already.” 

A/N Happy Friday! Sorry it's a shorter chapter. I'm thinking that I might start updating it every other day instead of twice a week, what do you think? Have them shorter like this but more often? Thanks for reading, voting, commenting, and adding Ark Kingdom to your reading lists. Expect a chapter from Octavia, another from Raven, and many more Bellarke moments to come.