Warrior ‣ Bellamy Blake

Sixty-Six

"Take her out?" Aella asked. "We do realize we are talking about Octavia, right? I may want to strangle her sometimes, but the Octavia we know and love is in there somewhere."

"I'm not taking chances," Clarke said, radio in hand. "We have our kids to worry about. This isn't just us anymore."

"Yeah, and I am thinking about them too," she said, glancing at Archer. "I'm always thinking of them."

"Then you know sharing the valley is the best option," she said.

"Of course I know. Thing is, we can't trust anything Diyoza says. She would only take this negotiation because she knows she would look like the good guy and the only way Octavia would surrender is if she was dead. Diyoza wins and we all know that's what she wants."

"I know. If we can set aside the pride of winning and losing, maybe there's a chance."

"I'm not willing to bet the kids on a maybe."

"But they'll be in Octavia's army if we don't do anything now."

Aella clenched her jaw, knowing Clarke was right.

"And they'll have no chance."

"I don't trust Diyoza for a second," Aella said. "She rules in fear and attacks in fear. When there were only three of us, she took me and almost shocked me to death."

"That was McCreary."

"Fine," she said. "Let's say Diyoza was not entirely at fault. Let's even put in the hypothetical that Diyoza genuinely means well for her people and even ours. It's not far-fetched. She at least cared about her people, so she's got some empathy. But none of that matters if McCreary holds even a fraction of the power Diyoza does because we're screwed. He's too hotheaded and fucked to care about anything but murder and winning whatever screwed up game he's playing. If she sits idly by and lets him have any power, we're all dead."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Diyoza gave him the order to shock me. She probably has enough of a conscience not to do it herself, but she needed it done and knew who was best. I mean, she stood by idly so not that big of a conscience, but still something. As soon as he had control over me and the collar, he shocked me with enough voltage that I passed out. Then he did it again and again. Not as a torture tactic, but because he enjoyed it. I swear to God he gets off on that shit. Who knows what else he's done. But I know that man has no empathy and that's what's terrifying."

"I don't care how you make it happen, Clarke," Diyoza radioed after some silence. "Kill Octavia if you have to. Bring her to me in chains and I'll do it for you or she can surrender herself, but your red queen doesn't seem like the type."

"Let us worry about that," Clarke responded.

"We have an understanding, then?" she asked.

"We do," she replied.

"Good. Call me back when it's done and we can work out the details of your crossing. Over and out."

"No way," Bellamy said.

"Bellamy-" Clarke began.

"No," he said. "A is right. She's down there somewhere. We are not killing my sister, Clarke, no matter how crazy she is."

He handed Monty the radio.

"Run the loop. The rover's charged. We're getting our friends."

Monty plugged it into the computer.

"That was reckless," he told Clarke. "We had a plan. You agreed."

"That was before Octavia made Madi her second," she said, stunning the people in the room. "That army marches to war as soon as they find out the Eye is down. I can't let that happen."