Kingdom of Life - The 100 [4]

Chapter 13

Venus's POV

When I woke up, it felt just like any other day at first. That is until I remembered what was happening shortly before I fell 'asleep'.

I quickly sat up and looked around me. I was laying on one of the bunker's bunk beds, the others around me filled with my people. My arms felt light and empty, and my heart dropped as I realized what was missing. I looked around frantically for her until I noticed my father. He had been walking up and down the aisle between the bunks, and he was making his way over to me now as he noticed I had woken up. He carried a bundled up blanket in his arms.

I stood up to meet him, and as he walked closer I took the blanket from him. Inside, I found my little girl. She was asleep again, and peaceful. With my daughter safely back in my arms, I looked around the room. The last thing I remembered was being in the rotunda with people chanting 'fight, fight, fight' all around me.

"What happened?"

My father sat down on the bunk and motioned for me to join him. "What had to happen: we choose." I could see the heavy weight he bore on his shoulders and in his eyes with the decision. It was almost a year ago that I had called him a murderer for choosing who lived and who died in the culling. Now, I realized he had saved us all. The Grounders were giving us 100 spots or nothing. Our people wanted more than 100 spots. If we had fought back...

I shook my head, clearing the thought from it. We were inside the bunker now. That was all that mattered. I looked around the room. I was curious about which 100 of Skaikru had made it. Did they finish selecting names from the bowl, or had they used a different method? There were some people I quickly noticed I didn't see.

"He's here." I looked over at my father. "Apollon's here. Abby too." I smiled as my worries began to melt away. I saw my father's eyes look down at the blanket in my arms. "She's beautiful, Venus."

I looked down at my daughter and smiled even more. She's safe. She's finally safe. "I named her Lena Vera." When I looked back up at my father, I saw him holding back tears of joy.

"They would be so proud of you." He didn't have to tell me who he meant by 'they'.

Suddenly, a realization came to me that made my heart sink low in my chest. "Grandma's tree..."

My father placed his hand on my back and rubbed it gently. "It's too late, I'm sorry. Radiation levels are critical outside already. Besides," he looked down at the bundle in my arms. "We have something better."

I heard footsteps approaching, but I didn't bother to pay any attention to them until I noticed the pair of boots stopped in front of us. My eyes followed the legs and then the body that came up from the boots: up the legs, the torso, the neck, until finally I reached the face.

"Apollon!" I quickly stood up, balancing Lena Vera in one arm while I used my other hand to bring Apollon's face down to mine for a kiss. It felt like ages since I had last seen him, even if it was just a short sleep ago. Although my father had already told me that Apollon had made it inside, it felt good to see this confirmed.

After our lips parted, Apollon took a step back and looked down at the bundle in my arms.

"How's our little Liv?"

"Liv?" I looked at him, slightly confused. Had he not liked the name I picked out and was trying to change it? In truth I didn't love the name he would have chosen for a son (Apollon Junior, or AJ), but I wouldn't have tried to change it.

"Yeah. Her initials, L. V. Liv."

I thought about the nickname for a second. I loved the name Lena Vera, not only did it remind me of my mother and grandmother whom I loved so dearly, but it also sounded nice when said altogether. Lena Vera. But Liv? I looked down at the baby and let my mouth silently form the name a few times. Liv. Liv. Liv.