Coming Back Down

From the Ashes

  "Any word from Octavia and Bellamy?"

  "Not yet. They're still negotiating with the Children of Gabriel, it seems."

  "Well, they have Gabriel with them. It shouldn't be that hard." I sighed while scratching the side of my head.

  "Gabriel did keep his identity hidden for years from them. They feel betrayed, Heda."

  "....I guess I can understand that. And Madi?"

  "She's been given a check-up and nothing looks to be wrong." Echo tilted her head. "However, it may be too soon to tell if there are any long-term effects of losing the Flame."

  "Has she said anything about wanting to be Heda again?"

  "....Actually...."

  "What is it?" I stopped to look at Echo and she had a serious expression.

  "Madi hasn't said anything herself, but from what I have observed....I don't think she wants to be Heda at all. Not anymore, at least. It's also likely that even if she doesn't want to be Heda, she won't say it in front of our people out of fear." Echo explained, and I wanted to groan. I preferred not being in charge of everyone but it's not as if I was going to force the role back onto Madi when she didn't want it.

  Hearing barking outside, I glanced out the window and saw Madi, Gaia, and Clarke walking up the hill with a golden retriever.

  "Good thing I was just leaving." I said lowly, and Echo chuckled.

  "Not yet, Heda. Indra still wants to talk to you." Walking down the hallway to the kitchen, I could smell food being made and hear people talking. Most of the compound still hadn't even been started yet, but there were tents set up and at least one house from Russell building it years ago for Simone away from Sanctum to be a replica of the farmhouse she lived in on Earth. We were using the house as a sort of base of operations to work out of and coordinate plans and schedules.

  "Oh, that smells good." I eyed the giant pot, and Raven grinned while filling up a bowl. She handed it to me, the warmth from the bowl spreading to my hands as a feeling of comfort washed over me. I could get used to a warm meal in an actual home instead of a spare room over a garage.

  "Heda, if you don't mind. You're needed elsewhere." Indra said as soon as she saw me grab a biscuit.

  "Where?"

  "Sanctum. More of Wonkru has come down....including the convicts."

  "I'll head that way once I've eaten, then. As improper as it may seem, I'm currently trying to avoid Clarke, and she's right outside."

  "You can't avoid her forever, Heda."

  "No, but I can right now so I can eat my lunch in peace."

  "Viper, I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

  "What?" My gaze turned from Indra to Raven as I dipped the biscuit into my bowl.

  "Sheidheda's code. I still don't know where it went. Once I had it quarantined it just....uploaded to somewhere else."

  "On your next supply run to Sanctum, you can check the computer again. Take as much time as you need to find it. There aren't many places that code can go down here."

~

  "Many of the people in Sanctum are worried by the rising numbers of Wonkru. We may need to change the drop location-"

  "No." I waved my hand. "We change the drop location, and that'll only raise fear and suspicion among their people. They'll think we're hiding our numbers. Sanctum also allows a better environment to adapt to, to see what our own compound can become."