Bleeding Out

Chapter Fifteen

Jaha and two others pull me into the tower and straight into the lift, probably taking me to the top floor where Ontari probably is. "Let me go." I yell at Jaha as soon as they drag me out of the lift. I struggle against their grip in the familiar hallway, and Jaha just keeps walking. "You'll be free soon enough."

Two other Grounders open the doors to the throne room, allowing the four of us to come in, and I gasp when I see my mom. "Carter." She whispers and pulls me into the a hug as the other two let me go. "I've missed you."

I close my eyes and allow myself to believe that it really is just my mother giving me a hug. I open my eyes and pull away. "I won't take the chip. Ever." I say, trying to sound harsh and confident, but my voice comes out meak and scared. My mother places her hands on my arms. "Right now, we just need your help with the Flame. What's the passphrase, Carter?"

I take a deep breath and muster my hardest glare, keeping my lips pressed together. "Stubborn, like her mother." Jaha says, and I turn my glare to him. The two Grounders grab my arms again and pull me towards a post in front of the throne. "Hey!" I yell as they push my back up against it. My wrists are buckled behind my back, and a leather strap goes around my neck. They use an extra piece of rope to tie my ankles to it.

"Mom! Please don't let them do this." I beg, a tear falling from my eyes as I look to my completely emotionless mother watching these men tie me up. "I'm not letting them do this, Carter." She says, taking a step back. "I'm doing it."

My eyes widen as she pulls a scalpel out from her medical back. She walks back towards me, and my chin trembles as she stands right in front of me. "What's the passphrase, Carter?" She asks, and I purse my lips together and shake my head as another tear falls.

My mother holds up the scalpel and slowly presses it into my skin just under my collar bone. I let out a shout, feeling the blade slice open my skin as she pushes it in further. She removes it and presses a clean cloth onto the fresh wound. I let out a sob as my mother meets my gaze. "This isn't you. I know you're in there. " I whisper, but she just tilts her head. "What's the passphrase?"

My own mother is torturing me. Alie is making my own mother torture for information. Anger bubbles up inside of me, and I glare at mother, at Alie controlling my mother.

I shake my head again, the tears coming out constantly now. She presses the scalpel under my other collar bone, and I yell out again, this time following it with a sob. Jaha walks up next to my mom with his arms crossed. "It can stop, Carter. Just tell us what we need to know." He says, and I respond by spitting in his face. He recoils, and I glare at my mother. "I will never tell you the passphrase! You hear me Alie! Never!"

My mother steps away and turns towards the doors. "I told you. Her friends are her weakness." I furrow my eyebrows as she talks to no one. She must be able to see Alie. My mother turns back to me with a small smile on her face. "Start with Bellamy Blake."

My eyes widen and all the air in my lungs suddenly disappears. My mother knows how much Bellamy means to me, and if my mother knows, Alie knows. Alie knows that I can't stand to lose Bellamy. Alie knows that it would break me to see Bellamy be tortured and killed. Alie knows that there's a big chance that I will give her anything in order to save Bellamy.

But I can't let Alie win.

As time passes, I try to steel myself for the loss I am getting ready to endure. I'm going to have to watch the person who means the most to me get hurt over and over because I won't give Alie what she wants. I'm gonna have to watch the first person to teach me how to fight back, the first person who taught me how to be free, the first person who taught me to protect myself instead of hide, the first person who I loved wholeheartedly, get beat, sliced, and possible killed.