Cloaked Heart (Silent Moments Series: Book 3)

Chapter 31

Bellamy's voice cut through the tense atmosphere, bringing a semblance of focus amidst our swirling thoughts. "Rover's almost charged. We need to pack up. We'll be home soon," he announced, his tone a mix of determination and a subtle urgency.

I turned to him, feeling a swirl of conflicting emotions. "Then what? Run away?" I asked, the frustration and desperation evident in my voice.

"We're not running away, Kegan. We need to regroup with the others and find another way to defeat-" Bellamy began, his words trailing off as he sought to articulate a plan, his expression a canvas of resolve and concern.

"There is no other way," I interrupted, the conviction in my voice underlined by a deep sense of urgency. "We need to find a Nightblood. We need to unlock the Flame. It's the only way to stop A.L.I.E." I could feel the weight of our situation pressing down on me, the necessity of our next steps a heavy burden.

Bellamy's response was laced with skepticism and a touch of sarcasm. "What do you expect us to do, Kegan? Walk into random villages asking for their Nightbloods?" he retorted, his frustration mirroring my own.

"If that's what it takes," I replied firmly, my gaze locked with his, trying to convey the gravity of our predicament.

"No, Kegan. If A.L.I.E. can find us on Luna's rig, she'll be able to find us anywhere. I won't help you destroy another innocent Grounder village," Bellamy argued, his voice rising in intensity, a reflection of his inner turmoil and moral compass.

I countered, my own emotions boiling to the surface. "If we don't find a Nightblood, there won't be any Grounder villages or a home for us to go back to," I argued, the direness of our situation making my words sharp and urgent.

Bellamy, unmoved, pushed back with equal force. "That's all the more reason we go there and make sure our friends are ok," he insisted, his voice firm, his stance unwavering.

At an impasse, I felt a surge of frustration and helplessness. With no words left to persuade him, I turned and walked off, the distance between our viewpoints as vast as the chasm that seemed to be opening up in our group. The heavy realization that our paths might be diverging weighed heavily on me as I stepped away, each step echoing the gravity of the decisions that lay ahead.

I was pacing back and forth, the frustration and urgency of our situation fuelling my restless movements. Why couldn't Bellamy see the impending danger? A.L.I.E. would undoubtedly find us wherever we hid. Being proactive, searching for a Nightblood, seemed like the only viable solution, our only hope. Lost in thought, I barely registered the faint sound of a twig snapping underfoot. I spun around, initially thinking I had imagined it, only to be violently tackled to the ground. The suddenness of the attack knocked the breath from my lungs. A large Grounder man loomed over me, his eyes filled with hostile intent. But in a shocking turn of events, he was abruptly dead the next moment, an arrow protruding gruesomely from his neck. As I lay there, disoriented and gasping for air, I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up, my eyes widening in surprise at the figure standing before me.

"Roan?" I exclaimed, disbelief coloring my tone.

He stood there with his usual air of confidence, a hint of a snark in his voice. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's been following your tracks," he said, bending down to pick up the Flame from where it had fallen.

Instinctively, I reached out. "Give that back," I demanded, my voice tinged with a mixture of relief and urgency.

Roan, holding the Flame, gave me a measured look. "Good-bye, Wanheda," he stated, his tone final as he turned to walk away.

Desperation surged within me. "Wait!" I called out, my hand instinctively going for my gun. Drawing it, I aimed at his retreating figure, the weight of our entire predicament resting heavily on my next move.