Atlantis

Chapter 118

"Faye." Gabriel found Faye wandering the halls. "Nylah found—" He stopped, dropping the bottle as a sword pushed through his chest.

Faye ran back towards the piano room, hoping Jordan and Hope were still in there. Things flew off the piano and the lamp was knocked over.

Faye ran for a bottle, hoping to break it and make a weapon, but someone tripped her

"Ahh! Help! Get away from me!"

Faye stood and looked around. No one was there.

She tried running for the door but something pulled her by her hair and threw her into the glass bottles on the counter.

She turned and found Sheidheda removing his helmet. "Hello, Faye." He smiled down at her. "It seems you're the key to the transcendence of the human race. They sent me to bring you back, but, you see, I don't want to transcend. I want to reign. They gave me a choice—Use these to bring you back peacefully or this...If you wouldn't go willingly."

He held up a knife, but like the pills, he put it down.

"But I prefer option 3–" He sword came from the arm of his suit. "To gut you like a pig."

Madi pushed Sheidheda away and ran to Faye.

"Madi!"

Fay's pushed Madi away when Sheidheda charged at them. Faye grabbed his arm, attempting to push the sword towards him, but he fought back.

He pushed her back against the counter and she grabbed the knife Cadogan offered him.

"Madi! Go!" Faye yelled at her before Sheidheda threw his sword at her, striking her just on the forehead, leaving a long cut on her skin.

Faye began fending him off as long as she could, waiting for Madi to get help.

Faye kicked his arm away and he grabbed her neck with his free hand. He began choking the life out of her until Faye grabbed his thumb, pulling it back until she heard it crack.

His hand retreated and she scurried across the room.

She jumped in his back and he flipped her. Faye landed on her feet but Sheidheda twisted her around.

Faye pushed back and ran them into a wall, knocking away his breath.

Clarke and the others came running into the room just as a sharp pain came to her stomach.

"No!" Clarke screamed as Faye disappeared in a cloud of green light.

Indra aimed a spear at Sheidheda but he used the knife on himself, following Faye back to Bardo before the spear landed against the wall.

Faye found herself lying on the white floors of Bardo's stone room.

Sheidheda charged at her with his knife but was held back by guards.

Cardigan's men were quick to tend to Faye's wounds before he brought her through the halls in restraints.

The man Octavia had befriended stood in a white room waiting for them. "Sir." He nodded to Cadogan.

A guard pushed Faye into the room.

"And you must be Faye. My name is Levitt. So glad you've chosen to join us." He introduced himself.

"We've met." Faye reminded him with distaste.

"Of course." He nodded. She circled him standing by the chair. "It's okay. Just have a seat right here. I know it looks scary, but don't worry. It won't hurt. Pain interferes with the readings." He explained.

Faye nodded skeptically. "I've seen what your machine can do."

"Have a seat, Faye." Cadogan demanded without the same hospitality Levitt was offering.

Two guards were sent forward and grabbed her by the arms. Faye shook them away and glared at Cadogan.

Faye stepped up and walked towards the chair.

"Good. Just lay your head back and get comfortable."

Faye's foot moved when she felt restraints being tightened against her ankles. "Hard to be comfortable when I'm a prisoner."

Levitt looked back at Cadogan, who was not amused and waited for him to proceed.

The needles lowered into a crown around Faye's head, leveling with her temples. The restraints moved and held Faye's wrists in place.

"We're gonna start by going through a baseline scenario. Imagine you're in an endless desert with a vast, purple sky. A hand reaches out for your own. Whose is it?"

Faye's mind went blank. She wouldn't give them anything they wanted.

"Faye, please don't fight." Levitt requested.

These people took everything from her. They were the reason Bellamy was gone, she wasn't giving them anything.

Levitt reached out for something.

No! She did it, she thought of him.

"Hologram mode." An image of Bellamy appeared in the room. Faye looked away. "Neural link engaged."

"Well done, Faye. I know you're afraid, but if your mind contains the Final Code, it'll all be worth it." Cadogan said hopefully.

"You're wrong." Faye said.

"What do you mean?"

"Gabriel said Jordan studied the texts. You think it's a war because you want a war... But it's actually a test someone has to take." Faye explained to him.

"I'm sorry, but I find it unlikely that a boy who studied the text once knows better than those of us who have spent generations with them. That said, translation is as much an art as science. After all, what is war but a test of might and will? So if Jordan is right and it is a test of a single individual, then...that's a good thing."

This is how he twisted things, speaking so much, anything he wants can become true by connecting things that do not correspond.

"Faye, I don't want a war. I don't want to send my children to die. If I could spare us all the pain of fighting, then I welcome that test.