Bleeding Out

Chapter Fourteen

"Is it done yet?" I yell out the open window, resting my head in my hand with my elbow against the door. Bellamy's face is suddenly in my view. "Almost." I sigh. "You said almost half an hour ago."

Bellamy rolls his eyes before looking past me out the other open window on the passenger side, probably at Clarke who's been pacing back and forth since we stopped an hour ago. Octavia is sitting by the back tire, sharpening her sword, and Jasper is sitting on the hood, staring off into the distance.

"We need to pack up. We'll be home soon." Bellamy says, talking loud enough for our group to hear. "Then what? Run away?" Clarke asks, and I lean my head out the window to glare at her. "We're not running away, Clarke, so get your ass in the Rover."

"We need to regroup with the others and find another way to defeat her." Bellamy says, grabbing my wrist from under my head, causing my head to fall slightly. "There's no other way. We need to find a Nightblood." Clarke says as Octavia makes her way past me to stand next to her brother. "We need to unlock the Flame. It's the only way to stop Alie."

"What do you expect us to do, Clarke? Walk into random villages asking for their Nightbloods?" Jasper asks, lazily turning his head towards the blonde. "If that's what it takes." Clarke says, and I jump out of the Rover and lean against the hood next to Jasper. "That is not how we're doing it." I say, my voice coming out harsher than I intended. "If Alie can find us on Luna's rig, then she can find us anywhere. I won't help you destroy another innocent Grounder village." Octavia says, and Clarke takes a step towards her. "If we don't find a Nightblood, there won't be any Grounder villages, or a home for us to go back to."

I push off Rhodey, glaring fully at my sister. "If we keep going at the rate we were when you were making the decisions, there won't be any Grounder villages anyway, and all the more reason we go home to make sure our friends are okay." I say, and Clarke seems to completely deflate as she glances towards everyone else. She lets out a sigh before walking past all of us and into the forest.

I let out a sigh as Bellamy lays a hand on my shoulder. "Why does she always run into the forest?" I mutter, causing Bellamy let out a small chuckle. "She'll be fine. Just let her cool off." Jasper says, and I pull away from Bellamy, walk to the back of the Rover, grab my bow and arrow, and set off after Clarke.

The last time she walked into a forest away from me, it took three months until I saw her again. We might not agree on what to do next, but she's still my sister.

I follow Clarke from a distance, walking silently through the forest behind her, as she seems to try to keep herself together.

A twig snaps from Clarke's left, and we both turn to look to see a familiar face from Arkadia running towards her with a rifle in his hands. I quickly notch an arrow and get ready to shoot the guy, but somebody else's arrow lodges itself in the guys chest before I can even pull my bow string back.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's been following your tacks." Roan says, walking up to Clarke with his bow in his hands. I take aim at Roan as he grabs onto Clarke's wrist. "Because of you, Ontari never ascended. Now where is the Flame, Wanheda?" Roan asks, spitting out the name.

"She doesn't have it." I say, causing Roan to spin around. "Hands where I can see them, Roan. This doesn't have to be messy." I glance quickly at Clarke. "You alright?" She nods, and I turn back to Roan. "Let's go. You're coming with us."

"The hell he is!"

I roll my eyes as Bellamy is suddenly standing next to me with a gun pointed at Roan's chest. "You couldn't let me handle this?" I whisper, but Bellamy just sends me a 'not now' look. "He isn't coming with us." He whispers back, and I roll my eyes. "Yes he is." I say, louder this time, causing Roan to speak up.