Reckless ~ Sequel to Shameless {Bellamy Blake}

22~ Death by a Thousand Cuts

As every single one of the Grounders leave, the slamming of the door echoes throughout the room. A silent tensity takes over as all heads turn towards me. I'm still staring at the closed door in shock. Then I look as each person in the room looks at me skeptically, trying to decide, for themselves, whether I actually did it or not. 

"Tatum," Clarke's voice, the only thing breaking the silence, echoes. "I need to know if you did this."

I turn, my eyes hard. "I did not do this." I demand, my voice cold. 

Clarke looks at me, something flashing over her eyes.

"You don't believe me, do you?" I say, my eyes never leaving Clarke. 

Clarke doesn't reply and I take that as my answer. I step forward, "After all we've been through," I begin. "after every time I've put my life in danger for you, for our people! You think I would do this? You think I would risk this? Risk our lives?" I yell, my voice rising with every word. 

Clarke's eyes have glossed over from me yelling at her. I slam my fist on the table next to her and she jumps, staring at my coldly. "I would never do this." I growl, my face inches away from hers.

"Fine." She says, "Then who would want Lexa dead?" 

My eyes fall down and my face slowly turns towards Raven. Clarke watches my eyesight and hers lands on Raven. "Raven?"

Raven's face turns angry. "I didn't do this either."

"Then who was it?" Kane yells. "We need to figure that out before anything."

Clarke looks around at us as I slowly make my way back over to Bellamy. He takes my arm and pulls my into him, as a sort of protection shield. 

"Lexa needs this alliance just as much as we do." Clarke says. 

"She's shown herself to be flexible." Kane says, approaching Clarke. "She listens to you."

I step up, "She thinks we tried to kill her."

"But we know we didn't." Kane fires back. "So let's figure out who did."

"Who would want her dead?" Octavia asks.

Lincoln steps forward, "Forming an alliance with you was a risk, especially after what Finn did to this village."

"So it had to be someone trying to break the alliance." Octavia concludes. 

Suddenly the door bursts open and Lexa and two other of her guards appear. 

"How's Gustus?" Clarke asks. 

Lexa's eyes don't leave me as she answers Clarke. "Gustus will live."

The two guards come forward, one of them being a woman, and both grab my arms. 

"Wait! What're you doing?" I yell, trying to pull against them. 

"Stop!" Bellamy growls running forward and trying to pry the guards hands from me. "She didn't poison anyone!" 

"Bellamy, stop!" I yell as they drag me towards the door. "They'll torture you if you try." I say, tears forming in my eyes. Bellamy stares at me, letting go of the guard and, before he could say anything, I am thrown through the door into darkness. 

***

My eyes burst open as the pain searing in my wrists becomes more visible. As my vision clears I see all the Grounders gathered in a large circle around me. I look up and see what is causing my pain. My wrists are tied around a large pole with rope made out of wood. Blood is slowly dripping from the restraints. 

"Tatum," Lexa's voice comes from behind me, but because of my restraints, I can't see her. Footsteps sound and she is now in front of me. "I take no joy in this." She twists a knife in her hand. "But this time justice must be served."

A whimper comes from my lips as I open my mouth. "But I didn't do anything, Lexa." I beg, slightly pulling against the restraints. "How is that justice?"

Lexa ignores my and instead takes the hem of my shirt. My leather jacket is gone. She takes the hem of my shirt and pulls it up slightly, the cool air gushing against my exposed stomach. 

"Please," I beg one final time before Lexa presses the tip of the extremely sharp knife into my abdomen and slicing over. A scream came from my mouth. One that I had never in my life produced. It was full of pain and mixed with crying. The sound of it probably would have broken glass. I know Bellamy and the rest of them heard it. 

"Death" Lexa begins. "by a thousand cuts." She finishes a smirk spread brightly across her face. "Where next?" She laughs looking over me, her eyes staring harshly into mine. And then the same searing pain flashes over my left arm. The scream came again. It didn't even sound like me. I was convinced it was someone else screaming somewhere else. 

Another cut. Right on my chest. So close to my neck I could feel the cool surface of the blade against it. That's when my eyes begin to close. The loss of blood finally getting to me. But something told me to stay awake. Not something...someone.

"Tatum," The voice sounds far away, but just enough for me to make out. It's Bellamy. "Tatum, stay awake." 

"You should've run." Lexa growls. I open my eyes and see all of the Sky People running behind Bellamy and Clarke towards the circle of Grounders. 

Clarke shoves her way through the circle to face Lexa. "One of your people tried to kill you, Lexa, not one of mine."

"Again," Lexa growls stepping towards Clarke. "you should've run."

"I can prove it." Clarke hurriedly says as she glances between Lexa and my suffering figure. 

"Explain." Lexa says. 

"The poison wasn't in the bottle. It was in the cup." 

Bellamy's anger almost radiated off of him as he jumps towards the Grounder who ran into me. "It was you!" 

Clarke keeps going. "He tested the cup. He ran into Tatum."

"Gustus would never harm me!" Lexa defends.

"You weren't the target." Clarke says, "The alliance was."

Gustus steps forward, under the hateful gaze of Bellamy. "The alliance would cost you your life, Heda. I could not let that happen."

Lexa's whole entire body language changes as she turns, slowly, towards Gustus. "This treachery will cause you yours." She growls. "Grab him." She demands. Two guards grab him and that's when I feel someone untying the ropes on my wrists. 

Bellamy runs forward and grabs me, pulling me down from the pole and pulling me into him, daring anyone to come near us. 

"Tie him up." Lexa demands

Bellamy carries me inside and lays me down on one of the tables. "Thank you." I mumble as I feel sleep about to wash over me. 

"No, no." Bellamy yells, grabbing my face. "Keep your eyes open, beautiful. Focus on my voice." He says as he brings a wash cloth and starts cleaning up my wounds. "Listen to me. Keep those eyes open, baby girl."

And I did. I kept them open, listening to him.