Her Loyalties

Chapter Twenty-Five

Clarkes POV

"We need to turn me in." I stared at Lexa like she'd offered herself as a human sacrifice. That probably wasn't far off the truth.

"Okay." Raven said. I turned and glared at her with all the anger I had. "What?" She complained. "It's a good idea." I shook my head.

"Absolutely not. No way. I'm not letting you go back in there." I told Lexa. Lexa shook her head.

"I'll be fine Clarke." She said. I sighed and then turned to Raven.

"Can you give us a minute?" I asked, and Raven nodded. She got up and slipped out of the room. I closed the door behind her and then turned to Lexa.

We didn't say anything for a long minute.

"Clarke I..."

"Lexa." I interrupted. "You don't understand. They wanted to kill you, they would have done it if I didn't show up in time. I couldn't take that risk again."

"Clarke..." Lexa tried again.

"No! I couldn't bear it if you died, or even if you got hurt. What if it was me, would you let me go?"

I had her there, and Lexa knew it too. She sighed.

"You're right, I wouldn't let you go. But I can handle it."

"Yeah, you were handling it just great when you were being drained of blood!" I snapped suddenly. Almost instantly, I clapped a hand over my mouth, I had not meant to say that."Lexa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean too..."

She held up a hand, silencing me.

"I know." She said. "I know. But you have to trust me Clarke. I will be fine."

"No. I refuse to let you back into that mountain. I can't lose you, not again." My voice broke. Lexa looked at me sadly.

"And you won't." She said quietly. "I swear to you, that I will be fine."

I slumped back onto the bed with Lexa next to me. Even though I knew she could handle herself, the image of her being drained for her blood was at the forefront of my mind. 

"Lexa I..." I took a deep, shaky breath and looked her full in the eyes. "I...I love you Lexa."

Lexas eyes widened and her emerald eyes filled with tears.

"I love you too Clarke." She murmured. "Ai nou na tiek yu bants nowe. (I'm never going to let you go)"

"What does that mean?" I wasn't that practiced in her language to know what she just said.

"I said, I'm never going to let you go."

"Me neither." I said.

Lexa leaned foward and gently touched her forehead with mine. Our faces were so close that our breaths mingled together in the restricted space.

Her lips met mine, and my eyes slid closed. The kiss was tinged with sadness, a feeling that made me shiver. I could feel something wet on my cheeks, and I opened my eyes to see Lexas tears slowly dripping down her face and onto mine. I lifted my hand and carefully used my sleeve to dry her eyes.

"I love you." She whispered again.

"I love you too." I murmured back, and my heart felt ready to burst right out of my chest. "So much."

A sudden frantic rapping on the door broke up apart.

"What?" I called.

"Clarke!" Raven called back, her voice sounding like she was trying not to laugh. "I hate to break you guys away from each other, but your mum is heading to find you. You guys might want to wrap things up before she walks in on whatever you're doing."

I sighed in relief at her warning.

"Thanks Raven." I heard her footsteps leaving and then turned to Lexa, who was wiping frantically at her eyes. She must hate showing weakness in front of other people. 

I grabbed my sword at chucked it at Lexa, who caught it in surprise.

"Pretend to be teaching me how to fight." I murmured. If mum came in and we weren't doing anything, she would be suspicious. Lexa - who saw where I was going - nodded and then stood.

Mum came in a minute later, just as she was pretending to show me how to stand properly. She blinked at the sword but luckily didn't look suspicious.

"I thought we confiscated all your weapons?" She asked, unsure.

"You did." I said. "This one is mine."

Mum frowned and held her hand out to Lexa. Grudgingly, Lexa handed over the sword.

"Clarke." Mum sighed. "Do you have any other weapons?"

I fidgeted under her gaze, and then relented. Pulling my hip sheath off, I handed it to her. Just as Lexa said, I felt uncomfortable at the knowledge that I couldn't defend myself.

"We need to get the others out of Mount Weather!" I blurted out, unable to keep my panic to myself. "Mum, they're in danger. They could die."

Her eyes widened at the declaration but she also shook her head.

"Clarke I think they'll be fi..."

"No." I cut her off. "Were  you trapped inside of that mountain?"

"You were?" Mum asked, sounding beildered.

"Yes. And I know that it's only a matter of time. They were hanging people upside down and draining them of their blood mum. They wouldn't go to all this trouble to save us unless they wanted something in return."

"But they're just kids. They wouldn't..." She trailed off as she read the expression on my face, and then her eyes flicked to Lexa. I turned my head to see a murderous look on her face.

"Those monsters are killing my people." Lexa almost growled. "My army will be more than happy to assist in releasing all of the prioners. Jus drein jus daun. (blood must have blood)"

I knew what that meant. That was the first full phrase Anya had ever taught me. I was surprised she actually managed to cram into my head in just one day. Mum looked confused but I gave her a look that said I'd tell her later. We should teach the Ark citizens their language if Lexa kept speaking in it all the time.

"Okay." Mum agreed. "We'll get our people out, and yours too."