The Commander and The Girl

Chapter 42

CLARKE POV

I take a step back and watch wearily as Lexa calms her tense frame. She sinks further into the mattress and Titus begins whispering words of their language that I can barely keep up. My breathe is shaky as I watch Titus place a single finger to her temple. Gaia stands parallel to me, seeming embarrassed she failed to rid of the demon. Her face is hung as she stares at the ground at our feet.
My body tenses when Titus stands, crossing the room. I lurch back, reminded of the past events, as he reaches for a dagger off of Lexa's drawer. Out of spite I reach my hand to his forearm, blocking his reach.

"What the hell are you going to do with that?" I growl lowly. My eyes flicker as Lexa twitches on the bed.

Titus doesn't respond as I drop my hand, jumping to Lexa's side. She's mumbling words, overlapping one another. Titus pushes me out of the way and reaches for her hand.
"Take strength, Heda." He bellows, slicing a thin cut into her hand.
Black ink oozes from the wound as he dips two fingers into it. Tracing a symbol, much like the flame, across her hand he places it onto her chest.
He chants words in Trigedaslang and Gaia's head immediately shoots up. I pace to her side as her eyes configure an invisible problem.

"I read those words in his book, but it never mentioned it was to rid of the past commanders." She whispers hastily.
I look at her trying to process what she said.
"He wrote down this chant as a part of old rituals, ancient. Not anything to do with the flame." She eyes Titus' head and turns to me.

"The scum wanted to keep the secret to himself." I scoff.
She nods at my conclusion.

"If he's the only one who knows, we can't kill him." My eyes bore into the back of his head, urging him to face me.

I huff and bite my lip as I stare at the void of the wall. I don't know how long I've been standing here, watching, but I know it's been longer than needed.
Lexa jolts her body and sits up straight, staring at me.
My breathe hitches as Titus' chants deepen.

"Weakness." Lexa hisses. She jolts forward but is confined to the bed.
"Let me go!" She demands, eyes blazing.
"I am the Commander! I will have your heads!"
She growls.
Titus places a firm hand against her chest, but is pushed off of her. She deftly grabs the dagger with her tied hand, and flips it in the air perfectly, cutting away at her ties.
My heart pounds as I stand motionless.
Time seems to slow as Titus holds her shoulders down.
She stabs him in the back with her spare hand. He falls back and curses, trying to stand. Gaia's the only other person in the room so when she attacks the Commander, she already sees her coming. Lexa brings her arm straight forward, leaving Gaia sprawling on the ground. She kicks her in the back and uppercuts her jaw, forcing her to pass out.
I don't move as Lexa wipes the blood off her blade. I don't move as Titus lies, bleeding on the ground. I don't move as she snickers aiming the blade to my heart.

"How pathetic." She snarls. Her left eye twitches limply, as if she can no longer see out of it.

"To think you are the one thing holding me back from control. A little princess in her little kingdom." She lowers her blade and stares at me.
I still don't move.

"So how can someone as weak as you, bring down 'the most potential worthy Commander?'"She bellows.

Her body language is that of a killer, murderer, someone with no remorse. It reminds me of what once was my own.
Kill me.
Her last words echo through my mind. I unsheathe my own dagger as Lexa laughs in front of me. Titus has fallen unconscious already, his labored breathing steadying. Gaia on the other hand looks peaceful as she lies asleep.
I grip the dagger and point it at her before raising it to my own throat.

"Now this is interesting." She stretches out the words, as if telling a toddler a story.

"If it's true, Sheidheda, and you've taken over. I'm already as good as dead." She scowls at my response.