DISCORDIA

[ 46 ] blood let

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       BLOOD LET

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       RAULF GUIDED THEM HOME on the back of a horse with two other riders accompanying him. He looked majestic sat on top of the ebony beast, like a sovereign prince that walked the lands amongst his people. Jinny supposed that he was something akin to that in the Grounders' eyes. The journey was uncomfortably silent, and relief flooded the Sky People's systems once the gates of Camp Jaha came into view through the dense fog that crept around them.

       "Hold your fire! They're back!" Major Byrne called loudly. Scanlan rushed forwards to open the gate for them. "Commander Shumway, welcome back!"

       The man nodded towards her before barking more orders around. "Power up the gates! Roll out positions and get ready! Nobody takes their eyes off the perimeter!"

       Jinny and Bellamy clutched each other's hands as they strode through the gates alongside the others with anxiety set heavy on their brows. The Commander's daughter paused for a moment before turning around, noting that Raulf and the riders were waiting patiently outside. "Shut the gates," she told Scanlan, who obeyed her command. Octavia quickly brought Lincoln into the station with a couple of guards trailing after them.

       A crowd immediately started to form around the Chancellor and Clarke; Finn moved forwards quickly with concern in his eyes as he looked at the blonde girl. "What happened? Did you do it? They called a truce?" he asked. Clarke's lips twitched as she looked back at him, her eyes swimming with emotions until she finally averted her gaze to the ground. "What's wrong?"

       She finally plucked up the courage to look him in the eyes. "They want you. If we want a truce, we have to give you up to them."

       "What the hell are you talking about?" Raven asked as she came up to stand next to Finn. Her gaze flicked to Jinny with blatant disbelief and dread. "What is she talking about?"

       "I'm sorry," Jinny responded. "Those were their terms, that's their offer."

       "That's not an offer and those are horrible terms!" Raven exclaimed heatedly.

       "It's punishment for what happened in the village," Finn stated, his voice numb. "Blood for blood."

       "Yup," Jinny confirmed candidly.

       "It's insane," Bellamy spoke up beside her.

       "If we refuse..." Abby started. "They'll attack."

       "I say we give him up!" Someone from the crowd around them yelled. Jinny was immediately brought back to the day they had strung Murphy up by accident. This was Charlotte all over again and a sharp pain shot through her heart. She reached up to press a hand against her sternum and let out a shaky breath. Would she fight to keep Finn alive or would she give him up?

       A few years ago, the answer would have been clear cut. Now, she wasn't so sure anymore.

       Their audience quickly turned into a mob, people yelling and calling for Finn's execution. The guards started to shift uncomfortably, holding their rifles up in an attempt to keep people at bay. A man that Jinny recognised from Mecha walked forwards to them angrily and his voice held an accusatory tone. "I'm not dying for him!" he shouted, pointing his finger at Finn. "Spacewalker burned three months of oxygen from the Ark. We should've floated him a long time ago. Throw him out!"

       "Yeah, give him to the Grounders!" another man said, breaking through the line of guards.

       "Back off!" Raven yelled, pushing him away and punching another guy in the face.