The Cross Over (Silent Moments Series: Book 7)

Chapter 16

 We found ourselves swiftly removed from the site of Diyoza's last stand and ushered into a room that, while comfortably furnished, was unmistakably a gilded cage. The door locked behind us, underscoring our lack of freedom despite the apparent luxury.

Octavia's frustration was palpable. "How can you be eating right now?" she snapped at one of us who had found solace in food.

Echo, ever pragmatic, responded dryly, "He can always eat."

I exhaled a weary sigh, leaning against the wall. "Gabriel's right. If they didn't think I had the Flame, we'd be in actual cells."

Octavia's voice rose in alarm as I moved towards another door within the room. "Where are you going?"

"I'm waking the others. It's time to go back to Sanctum," I announced, determined.

Gabriel's cautionary tone followed me. "Kegan, we're under house arrest."

"I know," I replied without pausing, "but our leverage vanishes the moment Cadogan gets me in front of that stone."

Echo's question was direct. "So what's your plan?"

I stopped and turned to face them. "I'll offer to do it as soon as the rest of you are safely back on Sanctum."

Octavia's concern was evident as she approached me. "Kegan, they'll kill you."

Echo's voice was flat, unyielding. "You are not sacrificing yourself for us."

Our conversation was abruptly cut short as the door burst open, and Bill Cadogan strode in, his presence dominating the room.

Seizing the moment, I stepped forward. "We need to talk. I'm ready to help you, but only after my friends are..."

My words trailed off as my eyes locked onto the figure behind Cadogan. Time seemed to stand still. He looked different, almost unrecognizable with a wild, unkempt appearance, but it was unmistakably him.

"Bellamy?" I whispered, my voice barely above a breath.

My heart thundered in my chest, a mix of shock, disbelief, and a glimmer of hope. The room fell into a stunned silence, each of us grappling with the reality that Bellamy, whom we had mourned and grieved, was standing right before us. The emotional weight of the moment was overwhelming. Relief, confusion, and a thousand unspoken questions hung in the air. Bellamy's presence changed everything, opening a door to possibilities we had thought closed forever. As Bellamy's figure became clear, a wave of emotions surged through Echo, Octavia, and me. We instinctively moved forward, only to be halted by the Disciples' lasers trained directly at us.

"How?" Echo managed to choke out, her voice a mixture of disbelief and grief. "We saw you die."

Octavia's attempt at levity was strained, her voice breaking with emotion. "It's hard to keep the Blakes down," she said, a tearful smile barely masking her turmoil.

Despite the palpable threat from the Disciples' weapons, I couldn't hold back. Moving closer to Bellamy, I risked the lasers and pulled him into a hug, the need to confirm his realness overpowering my sense of danger.

Bill's command to his men was curt. "Hold. He has the key." His eyes were fixed on me, calculating and cold.

I whispered urgently to Bellamy during our embrace, "The key is the Flame. They think it's still in my head. Say nothing."

Reluctantly, I stepped back, releasing Bellamy. Bill's gaze was now on me. "I hope you're ready to assist us, Kegan. Too much blood has been spilled. Each death is a loss for Earth's transcendence. I'll give you time to reunite while we make preparations."