The third book in the Ascension Series.
After the destruction of Mount Weather and the end of The Shadow Bloods, Commander Lexa mourns the loss of Clarke Griffin.
Unbeknownst to Lexa, Clarke survived the fall of The Mountain and has made the heartbr...
I walked out of The Temple into the dusk light and breathed deeply, holding back my sorrow. I felt lost as though the fabric of what I had come to know had begun to unravel. She was the love of my life and I had shattered her heart until nothing of what we once shared remained. A storm had begun to roll in over The Capital, the skies growled as though they knew of the pain I now felt. Rain began to fall, yet there was something different about it. There was an acrid taste to it and as it fell heavier across the land it stung the flesh, burning the skin of those it covered. People began to scream and run for cover, panic filling the market place of Polis. Those who weren't fast enough on their feet were knocked to the ground, trapped in the chaos as a stampede of people rushed in all directions. I saw Octavia trying to help an elderly woman, her face was full of agony as the rain fell upon her skin. I ran over to her, feeling the sting of what Queen Freya had warned us about. This was the toxic rain that fell upon her lands, a warning of what would soon follow. As quickly as possible we helped the woman out of the rain. I turned to see Luna moving towards us, supporting one of the Sentries that was ordered to arrest her in an attempt to save his life. We guided them all to the safety of Polis Tower and ordered everybody to use the barrels of water there to wash the acid off their bodies. Across the courtyard I saw the many who now struggled to stand to escape the rain. Lexa emerged from The Temple, looking over the carnage that had befallen The Capital. Without a thought to her own safety she rushed towards those in need of help. I looked at what little effect the rain had on my own body and also on Luna's. She was aware of the same. We didn't need words for what needed to happen, both of us rushed towards Lexa to help to save as many of the fallen as possible. It would seem that the dark blood that ran though our bodies had spared us the full effect of the acid rain. The legacy of Becca Pramheda offering protection to those fortunate enough to be the bearers of Nightblood.
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One by one we rushed as many of the fallen to safety but there were those that were now lost to the acid rain that poured from the sky. The prolonged exposure to our skin had started to take an effect, but this did not deter Lexa. Her Sentries held back a man from running out into the rain as he pleaded for the life of his wife and child who were separated from him in the chaos. They were both injured, struggling to make it to the tower as the toxic downpour lashed at their flesh. Without a second thought, Lexa covered her head with the red sash from her shoulder armour and swiftly moved towards them. She shielded both as best as possible from the hell that was descending upon us, struggling to support them as the rain began to burn her skin. I left Luna to attend to the injured, grabbed my cloak and ran towards Lexa, covering their bodies with it. Taking the child in my arms, I moved him quickly to the shelter of Polis Tower and cleared the acid off his skin with fresh water. His cries of pain were utterly heartbreaking. Luna helped Lexa to set his mother down upon the ground and began to pour water over the woman's badly burnt flesh, but it was too late. We could only watch as she died in agony in the arms of her distraught husband. Lexa consoled the man as he took his child and craddled him tightly. He was left a grateful yet broken man in the aftermath. Rising to her feet, Lexa ordered for her people to be taken to the healers inside of Polis Tower. I cleared the toxic liquid from my skin and walked over to Lexa who now stood staring out at the rain and the bodies of the many who we were unable to save. I offered her a bowl of fresh water to help to ease her burns, "Take this, it'll help." "Give it to someone who needs it more," she said, never once breaking her gaze. I stood by her side, looking out at the horrific scene, "This is the beginning of the end for us all. For what its worth I need you to know I never meant to hurt you, Lexa." I bowed my head and turned to walk away before Lexa spoke up, halting me in my tracks. "I'm calling for a meeting of The Ambassadors in the morning. All things considered it would be beneficial if you and Luna attended." She looked at me with those green eyes and all I wanted to do was to break down and cry. Instead I held in my heartache, "As you wish, Heda."
