BOOK 2 OF THE BELLAMY BLAKE SERIES
"You used to know me." I murmur, staring at my hands as if they show the blood that coats them.
"No," Bellamy shakes his head. "I do know you, Hailey," he grabs my chin.
"I'm a monster," I say, a tear falling dow...
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My veins run cold. "What?" I stutter out.
"You didn't know?" She asks, tilting her head. "I assumed that with your affiliation with Lincoln, Miloch, and," she pauses, disgust clouding her voice. "Orla, that you would have known."
My eyes narrow at her obvious disliking of Orla, but I don't comment. "Just don't call me that." I mutter.
"That's what we know you as," She says, motioning to the other people in the tent.
"If you're ready to go, Heda, then let's go." I say, clenching my teeth.
A smirk glides across her lips, "Very well," she says, turning around. "Indra, Arloe, Nivea, with me." She says and my heart stops.
That name causes a ripple of nostalgia to flow over me. My heart aches as I imagine her creamy brown eyes and flowing brown hair. Her warm and grounding smile.
I see a figure walk inside of the tent but from a different entrance. And there stands Arlo. Or rather Arloe kom Trikru.
"Heda," She says, dipping her head, her hands placed behind her back. And then her gaze flits to me and her eyes widen. "Hailey?" Her voice is small.
Lexa's eyes narrow and she glances in between the two of us. "Arloe is my war general, second to Indra in my chain of command, how do you know her?" She asks, her eyes trained on me, but mine are tracing over my sister.
"How?" I asks, my voice breaking.
Her hair is no longer brown and now is instead a blonde, bleached from the roots down to the tips. Her eyes are plagued by purple circles and are dim. She has a scar that runs from the top of her left brow to the middle of her cheek.
A small smile spreads across her face as she steps towards me and engulfs in a hug. "Dad sent me down in a pod instead of floating me." She utters into my shoulder. "Indra found me and took me in."
I pull away and my eyes flicker across her face. "I can't believe you're alive." A small laugh bubbles out of my throat.
"I can't believe my deal with dad worked, I thought he would have floated you by now." She says, her eyes sorrowful.
"Well I'm alive." I say, before turning to Lexa and am surprised to see a small smile on her face. "Arlo is my sister."
She nods. "When she came down in the pod, she was speaking incoherent sentences about a sister and how she was going to die." She nods to herself. "It took her three months to finally leave the cottage we placed her in."
Indra cuts in. "I'm glad that you found each other, but it doesn't change the matter at hand." She says, her jaw clenched. "Take us to Lincoln, Hailey."
I nod, my face going stoic before I begin to lead the way to the dropship.
—————
The trek is silent apart from our footsteps as I walk beside Lexa.
"You're a remarkable warrior, Hailey. I'm sorry if my comment about your name that we call you caused you some..." She trails off. "Misfortunes."
I shake my head. "It's just..." I sigh. "I try to solve my problems with things other than violence or bloodshed and to find out that I..." I stop myself. "Before my sister was put in the pod, I promised her that I would tread with kindness."
"Kindness and love makes you weak, Hailey." Lexa says after a moment. Her eyes focused forward. "Don't make the same mistake that I did." She sighs, but offers nothing else. "You are strong, I can already tell, and love will just drag you down." She pauses and glances at me. "I take it you lost someone?"
My lips part before I focus my gaze forward again. "How did you know?"
"The broken have a certain aura to them." She says, letting her voice drop off towards the end.
I stare at her for a moment and try to respond, but no words come to mind. Instead, I continue walking.
Soon, the dropship comes into view and I hear Arlo gasp from behind me.
"I knew it was bad, but..." She trails off, shaking her head. "Hundreds were burned alive." She says causing me to look at her, but her eyes are trained on the back charred ground.
I don't say anything as I watch her and instead lead Lexa inside the dropship. I go up the ladder first and my heart stops.
Abby is bent over Lincoln, doing chest compressions while Octavia is in the corner of the room weeping.
I step to the side, allowing Lexa up, but I subtly draw my sword, readying myself for a fight.
Lexa glances at me, then at my sword, then at Lincoln. She sighs as Arlo climbs up after Indra. "Kill them." She says.
I step in from of Clarke, my sword held in front of me. Arlo hesitates, before Indra sends her a look.
"Sorry, Lee." She mutters before drawing her sword and slamming it against mine, pushing me back. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Indra's blade pressed to Octavia's neck.
My eyes narrow before kicking her knee, making her fall to the ground. Before she has a chance to react, my sword is pressed to her throat.
"Really, Riv?" I ask, no longer paying attention to Lexa and Clarke, who are arguing. "You don't see me for years, and this is how you treat me?"
She sighs, but doesn't answer. I clench my jaw and turn my gaze to Abby, who's eyeing a shock baton.
My eyes widen before running towards it, leaving Riv momentarily. I grab it and toss it to Abby.
She catches it and slams it into Lincoln's chest, shocking him. No response.
"Hit him again." Clarke says, her eyes laser-focused on Lincoln.
Octavia cries as Lincoln chest jolts upwards before falling down and then he gasps for breath. She races forward and places his head in her lap.
"Lincoln?" She asks, a tear falling down her cheek.
His hand glides up to her cheek as a smile spreads across his face. "Octavia."
Lexa puts away her sword, drawing my attention. She turns to me. "You may have your alliance, Haelee com Skaikru."
