Following the Stars

Chapter Ten

Echo didn't come back after a few hours. At dawn, she still wasn't back. I had practiced moving my arms. It hurt badly, but no where near as much as getting shot three times in the stomach, so I could handle it.

Ryker burst into the room around lunch time.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You need to hide. Now," Ryker commanded.

I frowned, "I can't move."

"Just play along," he said as a bunch of guards came in, "I found the other one as well. She's here."

"She should be tied up," a guard protested.

Ryker shook his head, "The others were hiding her after I broke her spine. She can't move."

Then, Echo was moved in, tied up. They tied her to a chair. She woke up when the guards left.

"What is wrong with you?" Echo shouted.

"Is there something wrong with not wanting to kill my friend?" He asked.

Echo growled, "No. There's a problem when you say you're going to help me free my friends, and then you burn them alive."

"They're gone?" I asked in disbelief.

"They're in prison," Ryker said, "They would be dead if Abby couldn't use Madi to make hosts."

No. No, she couldn't make nightblood for these monsters.

"Jade is on her way back with Josephine and Bellamy," Ryker continued, "Clarke's dead."

My eyes widened, "No," I whispered.

"I'm sorry, Sky," He said.

I growled, "You don't get to be sorry. If it weren't for you, they wouldn't be drilling into Madi's bones, killing her to make nightblood."

"What?" Ryker asked.

"Don't you know how they make nightblood?" I asked, "They drill into your bone marrow. It isn't comfortable, especially without a sedative."

Ryker laughed a little, "How would you know?"

I lifted one arm, pointing to the round scars beneath my tattoos, "President Cage Wallace. Maunon." The trig word for the mountain men.

Then, I pushed myself upright, pulling my legs down onto the ground, and lifted up the bottom of my shirt, pointing to the bullet scars, "Carl Emerson. Maunon."

I moved the sleeve of my vest to show another one in my shoulder, "John Murphy. Skaikru."

"Impressive?" Ryker frowned.

"I'm a survivor," I smirked, "I'll handle a broken spine just fine."

Ryker nodded, "Good," He jabbed a needle into Echo, "That's good."

"What was that?" Echo asked.

"What you call nightblood," Ryker smiles, "I'll leave you to say your goodbyes."

He left.

"They're going to put a Prime in me," Echo realized, pulling on the rope that tied her to the chair. All she did was make herself bleed.

Red. For now.

"So," I sighed, "I guess we're both gonna die."

She nodded, "Clarke's dead. For real this time."

"I don't want to talk about that," I said, "So. What about you will the world be missing?"

"Not much," she smirked. I just had to keep her talking while I scanned the room for something to use as crutches.

I motioned for her to continue.

"When I was a kid in Azgeda, my name was Ash," Echo began, "My best friend, Echo, was overseeing my training. Queen Nia showed up, bringing a prisoner for Echo to kill to prove herself worthy for her next mission."

Echo was Echo. Not Ash. Right?

"Echo didn't kill that man, so Queen Nia did," Echo continued, "Them, to make Echo redeem herself, she told her to kill me. Echo tried to get me to fight back, but she was going to kill me because she was scared. So I grabbed an arrow and killed her first."

"What happened?" I asked.

Echo sighed, "I see her face when I close my eyes. Sangedakru was expecting a girl called Echo, so they sent me. I've been Echo ever since."

"So should I call you-"

"Echo," she interrupted, "Ash- I'm not that scared girl anymore. What about you?"

I shrugged, "You know about me. My whole clan is dead because I was a coward. My best friend survived, only to bleed out in my arms the next time I saw him twelve years later. Everyone close to me dies."

"I guess we both had it coming," Echo smiled slightly, "We're both monsters."

I thought about that for a moment.

Then, I grabbed a tall metal rod and leaned my entire weight between it and the wall. I moved over to Echo and used the dagger to cut her loose.

"Go," I said, "Save Bellamy."

Echo nodded, knowing I couldn't follow, but then turned back, "Why help me?"

"I guess us monsters have got to look out for one another," I smiled as she slipped through the door.

My arms were killing me. After all, I was supporting my whole weight on them.

They gave out under me, and I collapsed on the floor next to the chair.

"What have you done," Ryker growled as he entered, "How could you?"

"They'll be safe," I said.

Ryker frowned, "I don't understand. Why do you risk your life so much to save your friends? Those bullets were meant to hit them. Your bone marrow was extracted because you volunteered until their place. You let me break your spine to buy them time. Why?"

"They're my family," I smiled as I whispered softly, "For them, I'd do it all again."

"Now you've taken Echo's place as the next host," he informed me.

I nodded, "She deserves a second chance."

"I won't be able to do this to you," Ryker said, then shouted outside, "I need some help with this one!"

The needle came closer and closer to my arm while he looked at the door, until it pierced my skin.

As he turned back, he accidentally injected the fluid.

The fluid that would kill me.

It was getting hard to breathe. My mind was swimming through honey as the world started spinning.

My heart was racing, until it suddenly stopped.

I saw Gaia and Miller rushing into the room. Miller grabbed Ryker and apprehended him, while Gaia rushed to my side.

She led my hand.

"Mebi oso nah it choda op nodotaim," I whispered into her ear before the darkness engulfed me.

Stay safe, my dear friends, my family.

May we meet again.