When Songbirds Fly | Bellamy Blake

Chapter Ninety-One: The Valley of Death

TW// Lots of blood

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Anxiously readjusting the hold on my gun, I hurry to keep up with Bellamy and the others. Octavia directs a sharp glare in my general direction as I brush past her to stand beside him but says nothing.

We both squint through our scopes at the encampment just above the rocky cliff faces that box us in. A few prisoners can be seen, along with two large, metal structures. 'Two pillboxes,' Bellamy tells the others, 'just like Echo said.'

A soft pattering sounds from over the ridge that lies not far ahead, metres away from the encampment. 'That's our signal.'

The gunfire continues and the prisoners start to run, their urgent shouts indistinct from this distance. 'It's working,' he says. 'They're moving out.'

His sister eyes him warily. Unsheathing her sword, she raises it towards the grey sky and nods to her people. This is it.

We begin to march. Every step feels like yet another death sentence. Every rattling breath I draw in starts to feel like it might just be my last.

'You did your best to stop this.' Looking to Indra, I nod silently. I still feel guilty about the brutality in that arena. Eye contact is far too daunting of a prospect for me right now. 'In the end, if we have to fight' she continues, 'it's better to win.

A flicker of movement from the top of one of the cliffs catches my eye. 'Wait, wha—'

The young boy walking alongside Octavia falls. Within seconds all we can hear is the thundering of gunshots. The ground in front of us erupts with bursts of disturbed sand.

I open fire, my aim wavering as I turn my weapon towards the cliffs. I don't expect to do much damage anyway, as guns have never been my style of weapon. A hand closes around my arm, yanking me away. 'Come on!' I hear Bellamy yell over the chaos.

Octavia follows. She snatches a gun from a fallen warrior, her boots splashing through puddles of blood as she sprints ahead. 'Stay low!' she orders. 'Stand your ground.'

One of my bullets hits its mark. A prisoner falls, scarlet blooming from the side of their head. I mutter a quiet prayer to anyone listening, standing my ground as I take down a few more. Bellamy remains by my side, his body darkening my peripheral vision.

My finger pulls the trigger again. The gun clicks. I struggle to reload it, aware of the cries of "Retreat" from all around us as people run for cover.

'No!' I can hear Octavia shout. 'No, it's the only way! It's the only way!' She is crouched behind some rubble, right in the middle of the warzone.

'Help!' Indra's frantic shout catches our attention. The warrior rushes towards us, her daughter clinging weakly onto her, blood dripping onto her boots in a steady trickle.

I don't hesitate to pull one of Gaia's arms around my shoulders. 'Get Octavia,' I tell Bellamy. 'We'll be okay.'

The three of us head straight for the nearest cliffside, still dodging bullets on the way. A few cross our path and Indra yelps. Falling, she yanks Gaia and I down with her. 'Don't move,' I hear her hiss as she pushes my head against the blood soaked ground.

Still, I can't bear to be clueless. My eyes scan the horizon of corpses for those that remain standing. I look just in time to see a bright blast of energy strike the ground where Bellamy and Octavia stand. Their bodies are thrown by the force, as limp and helpless as ragdolls.

I swear my heart stops.

Panicked, my gaze searches the scattered bodies, desperate to find my living boyfriend among them. Even though the gunfire has ceased, I know better than to assume that this is over, so I do my best to remain still.