Her Loyalties

Chapter Twenty-One

Lexas POV

I watched her walk away with all of the skai (sky) people. Anya put her hand on my shoulder and stood by my side until they were all almost out of sight. Just before Clarke disappeared out of sight, she turned around and looked at me.

She raised her hand and I lifted my own in response. Clarke smiled sadly before turning away and disappearing around the corner.

"Lexa." Anya said softly. "Should we head back?" I shook my head.

"No, I want to stay here for a while. You may go back." Anya nodded.

I knew that everyone else would have insisted on staying with me, but Anya knew me well enough that she knew I needed to be alone.

"I will come back tomorrow." Anya grasped my forearm quickly and walked out of the gate. I stood alone, in a place that was not meant for someone like me. I didn't care, it was as close to Clarke as I would get now.

A bird chirped overheard and I watched as it flew high above my head and disappeared into the trees. Smiling sadly to myself, I turned and walked up the ramp of the dropship. Inside, the people here before me had attempted to make beds out of their own jackets. I smiled at their poor job.

There was a ladder in the middle of the space that I assumed led up to another floor. I scaled the ladder and pushed up the hatch. It was heavy but manageable enough. When I stepped onto the second floor, I smiled how high I was.

I had always liked heights, the thrill of lookng down and knowing that I could break many bones or even die if the fall was high enough. There was a large open window filling up half of one wall, and I curled up on the floor next to it. The glass was missing, it had probably broken or someone had taken it out. 

From my place on the floor, I could see through a gap in the trees to the wide blue sky. Looking up at it, I could imagine Clarke on her spaceship. The big - Ark, that's what they called it. I could imagine Clarke on the Ark. 

I stayed there for hours as the sun made its way slowly across the sky. When the sun was only a handful of rays peeking over the trees, I finally moved. Just in case anyone wandered into the ship, I closed the hatch and used a long pole to ensure that no one could open it from the other side. 

There were many jacket 'beds' up here, so I stripped some of them from where they were tied to and lay them on the ground. I pulled off my armour and stacked it on the ground next to my makeshift bed. I wasn't used to being in normal clothes away from my own room, so I quickly lay down in the jackets and pulled another one over myself like a blanket. 

Closing my eyes, I turned over.

I dreamed of Clarke.

*

In my dream it was very dark.

I squinted in the gloom, trying to see.

"Lexa." Someone said, very softly. I turned and smiled when Clarke stepped out of the darkness and reached out to take my hands. She entwined her fingers through mine and tilted her head to the side.

"Clarke." I breathed quietly. A dazzling smile spread across her face at my voice. "Clarke, I l..."

"Lexa." She spoke harshly, sharply. I blinked at the sudden noise.

"What?" I asked, sad that she ruined the moment.

"Lexa." She said again. "She's coming for me."

"Who?" I asked. "Who's coming for you."

Clarke shook her head and I gripped her hands tighter.

"I will never let anyone hurt you Clarke. I swear it." She shook her head again .

"She'll come for me eventually. To kill me."

"Who?" I demanded, but suddenly I knew. The Ice Queen.

Nia.

Just as soon as I thought her name, she appeared behind Clarke. I yelled and jumped in front of Clarke, pushing her behind me.

"Lexa." The Ice Queen said in a cold voice. "Did you not learn from Costia?"

I snarled out a long curse at her and she smiled and shook her head.

"You will never hurt her." I warned. Nia raised her eyebrows at me and then she disappeared. I straightened out of my protective pose and turned back to Clarke, but she wasn't where I thought she'd be.

Nia stood over her, a bloody knife dripping in one hand. At her feet lay Clarke, bleeding from an obviously fatal wound in her stomach. I cried out in fear and collapsed on my knees next to Clarke. Pulling her towards me, I tried to stop the bloodflow with my hands.

But it was too late. Clarke looked up at me with fearful eyes and my tears dripped onto he face. Her beautiful sapphire eyes stared into mine, and the faintest of smiles crossed her face.

And then her eyes glassed over, and Clarke slipped away from me.

*

I woke screaming for Clarke, my voice penetrating the gentle quiet. Sitting bolt upright, my fingers clutching the jackets around me, I finally realised that it was just a dream. But as soon as I closed my eyes again, I saw Clarkes lifeless body behind my eyelids.

Sighing, I untangled myself from the many jackets that were wrapped around me and reached for my armour. I felt a lot better with it on. The sun had finished rising, and I stood to open the hatch. Anya would be coming back for me soon.

But...I hesitated. I wanted Clarke. I wanted to see her smile, hear her laugh. Feel her lips on mine, to touch her face.

I made a spur of the moment descision, and raced down the ladder after opening the hatch. The leaves crunched under my feet as I made my way towards the gate. Remembering about Anya, I paused for a moment before heading back inside.

Taking out my dagger, I carved the Hedas symbol on the thick metal and wrote the word skai (sky) next to it in big letters. Anya would know where I had gone, and she would also know not to follow me.

Now that my message was complete, I fast walked to the gate, too keyed up to go any slower. The hundreds of footprints that the skai (sky) people were still fresh enough that I would be able to track them to their camp. 

Setting off at a brisk walk, I followed the footprints into the trees.