Atlantis

Chapter Ninety-Seven

"Heed your Commander or die!" Faye yelled as Gaia watched her, both sitting on the bed.

Josephine went to wake Faye but Gaia was quick to stop her. "No, no, no. You don't interrupt her when she's communing with the Commanders, not even Sheidheda, the Dark Commander."

"Tears will not save you!"

Gaia was confused when she saw Clarke furrow her brows. Did she not remember all the nightmares Faye was having.

"Tonight I drink your blood!"

"He's getting too strong." Gaia said. "That's why we have to finish the Separation Ritual now."

"I'm not letting her suffer. Faye, wake up." Clarke grabbed her shoulders and pulled her from her dreams. "Hey, wake up."

"Clarke?"

"Yep. That's right. I'm here." Clarke said when Faye took her hand just like she had done for 6 years in Shallow Valley. "It was just a nightmare, okay?"

"No. It was a memory." Faye corrected.

"It wasn't real." Clarke said.

"You know that's not true." Gaia said. "It is real for her, and ripping her out can permanently damage her."

"But it didn't, did it, Faye?" Clarke turned to Faye.

"You don't know what that just did to her mind or the Flame." Gaia said.

"Clarke, Gaia's right. Next time, listen to the person who studied the Flame her whole life. For now, both of you get out." Faye ordered and they both left.

Faye used to see him in mirrors, but now she saw him everywhere. She could not sleep and she could not bare to sit and watch him anymore.

When morning came, Faye waited in the tavern for Bellamy to come back. Clarke said he had gone with a foraging party.

She stayed in her room, but that did not stop Sheidheda.

"Aah! Leave me alone!" She threw her lamp at the mirror.

Gaia rushed in and found Faye clinging to her pillow.

"He's not in the mirrors anymore. He's everywhere." Faye cried. 

"That's why we need to do the separation ritual now." Gaia said.

"Where's Bellamy?" Faye asked.

"I don't think we have time to wait anymore, Heda. Now, Ive never done this before, but, luckily, Raven kept Titus' book." Gaia flipped through the pages. "It contains the wisdom of Bekka Pramheda. The ritual is simple, but you'll need to focus like never before. You won't be alone. According to this, there's a dream space in the Flame where you can summon the other Commanders to confront Sheidheda, but if anything goes wrong, you need to hold on to a good memory, let it be like a shelter that keeps you safe in a storm."

Faye was no stranger to the dream space.

"Do you have that memory?" Gaia asked.

"When I said goodbye to Bellamy, before we went into cryo." Faye said it out loud to make it seem more real.

"Perfect. Now lean back. Close your eyes. Concentrate and repeat after me. The Flame is my guide...And I am the Flame."

"The Flame is my guide...And I am the Flame." Faye repeated. She kept repeating until she was in the dream space. "Where are the other Commanders?" Faye asked.

Sheidheda no longer sat on the other end of the table, he now took the seat next to Faye. "It's just you...and me now." Sheidheda leaned forward.

Even if he was threatening, Faye did not show weakness. She would not back down to him.

"Your teacher...knows nothing. Neither did mine. He tried to hold me back. She fears your power. She wants to control you. My first teacher tried to control me. So desperate for me to confirm, that he kept me in chains. So I killed him."

Faye had heard all the stories about Sheidheda. He killed three of his Flamekeepers, before the fourth one finally killed him. Faye would not be so weak to listen.

"You must kill her before she kills you, because she will."

"No. You're a liar." Faye shook her head. "The Flame is my guide! And I am the Flame! The Flame is my guide! And I am the Flame!"

Faye realized Lexa had been killed by her Flamekeeper, even if unintentionally. She could t imagine Gaia killing her, or killing anyone for her.

Faye woke and looked at Gaia. "Heda?" She asked.

Faye shot up and was pulled back by the wrist. "Uh! What is this?" Faye looked at Gaia. "Let me go."

"We're not through. The ritual takes repetition, as you have failed to do. The restraint is to protect you in case he breaks through. Let's start again."

Faye wondered if it was the Flame that made Gaia's words seem so hostile.

"Does Clarke know about this?" Faye asked.

"Clarke's not here. Now sit down."

- - -

Bellamy watched the ship take off and heard the door opening.

"I don't want to fight, okay?" Josephine said.

"Why are you here?"

"Because we're both struggling to live with this, and I was hoping maybe we could help each other through it."

They heard more footsteps approaching.

"You went to my father?" Josephine looked at Murphy.

"I take big swings." Murphy shrugged.

"What are you doing?" Russell asked his daughter.

"Saving us. He knows you killed Clarke, and, unlike the snake behind you, he will cry over spilled milk."

"Enough." Russell said. "What the hell's the matter with you?" He walked over to her. "Have you become so callous to the feelings of others that you don't remember what it's like to lose someone you love?"

Josephine stayed silent.

"I know you're in pain." He looked at Bellamy. "I know you want revenge. I would, too. We had a chance to bring back our daughter, and we took it. We didn't consider the consequences."

"For God's sake—" Josephine scoffed.

"Be quiet."

"Maybe you should just let the man speak." Murphy said.

"Shut up, Murphy." Josephine and Bellamy both said.

"I think you should hear him out." Murphy said to Bellamy. "I think we can trust him."

"Do you now?"

"You can. Look. I can't bring your friend back, but I can guarantee safety for the rest of your people. We'll share everything we've learned about surviving on this moon." Russell offered.

"Why did our ship just take off?" Bellamy asked Murphy.

"Abby's showing the em how to make Nightblood." Murphy told him.

"I take it she doesn't know that her daughter is dead. And did you tell Faye?" Bellamy asked. "'Cause you're gonna have to kill her, too. You think my need for revenge is strong? There's only one way this ends."

"Bellamy, stop, all right? You don't want them to kill all of us.  Just think."

Josephine charged Bellamy. "Josephine!" Russell yelled as his daughter cut the ropes keeping Bellamy in place.

Bellamy struck Russell.

"Bellamy, come on. Don't do this." Bellamy used the rope to choke Russell.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. Violence is all they know." Josephine said, standing next to Murphy. "If killing him is what you need, then do it, but let the violence end here...An eye for an eye."

Bellamy let Russell go.

"Big swings." Josephine handed something to Murphy.