Disclaimer: I do not own The 100. Any similarity in storyline or dialogue originated with the show or book.
A/N: this chapter is a mess format-wise but i'm glad i was able to update finally. please leave a review or hit the follow/favorite button if you enjoyed this chapter! also, i finished editing all the previous chapters so they're not as cringe-worthy so feel free to give them another read if you have the time.

Chapter Six

Clarke

It was dark by the time we made it back to camp. I simply wanted to go to my tent and get a good night's sleep, but after receiving the news about an unexpected visitor I knew that my bed would have to wait.

"Where is he?" Bellamy asked as we entered the dropship. Finn and Elia came with us, but like usual, Elia opted to stay towards the back of the group. It wasn't hard to notice that she didn't do too well in group situations.

It was a surprised to find Murphy in the condition he was. Head to toe, he was covered in blood. Peering over at Elia, I saw how intently her green eyes were locked on the boy she had never properly met. Even though she hadn't been with us when Charlotte died, I was sure she had heard the story.

"Everyone but Connor and Derek out," Bellamy demanded. When the delinquents hesitated, he raised his voice, "Now!"

Elia's shoulders relaxed a little once the majority of the people in the room had left us. I turned my attention back to Murphy when Derek spoke up.

"He claims he was with the Grounders."

"We caught him trying to sneak back into camp," Connor added.

"I wasn't sneaking," Murphy murmured. "I was running from the Grounders."

"Anyone see Grounders?" Bellamy asked and Connor shook his head. He started to raise his gun with the barrel pointed at Murphy. "Well, in that case…"

Finn stepped forward and pushed the weapon down. Elia's arm brushed against mine as she shifted her weight toward Bellamy, prepared to step in. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"We were clear what would happen if he came back!" Bellamy lifted his gun again.

"No!" Finn blocked Bellamy's view of Murphy. "If he was with the Grounders, then he knows things that could help us."

Elia sighed quietly, but Bellamy was the one to respond. "Help us? We hanged him, we banished him, and now we're going to kill him. Get the hell out of my way!"

"No. Finn's right," I said as I stepped towards the bloodied delinquent.

"Like hell he is!" Bellamy retorted. "Clarke, think about Charlotte!"

"I am thinking about her, but what happened to Charlotte was as much our fault as his." I looked back at Murphy, grabbing onto his hand to inspect his fingernails. Immediately, I recognized the trauma that was associated with torture. "He's not lying. His fingernails were torn off. They tortured him."

"You and the Grounder should compare notes," Finn mumbled in Bellamy's direction.

Elia moved toward the older boy, anger etched into her expression. I knew that she had started to dislike Finn after what happened the night of the bridge incident, but I was hoping they'd be able to make up eventually. I saw no sign of that happening anytime soon, though. "We did what we had to do to save your life. Not that I ever expected you to thank us for that. God forbid you actually admit that you didn't just magically cure yourself."

"Look," Bellamy started as he stepped between Elia and Finn, deescalating the situation before it could reach a boiling point. He had become rather defensive of the Lanoue girl recently. Not that she actually needed it.

"The Grounders know we're at war." Bellamy stared down at Murphy. "What did you tell them about us?"

He swallowed hard. "Everything."

Standing up, I approached Bellamy and lowered my voice. "Once he's better, we find out what he knows and then he's out of here, okay?"

Elia met my gaze and she nodded, understanding what I had meant. Since Lincoln's interrogation, she had been a little more willing to use her powers, but only if it was to help protect the camp. Once I saw her consent I slipped between her and Bellamy and started out of the dropship.

"What if he refuses to leave?" Bellamy asked.

I looked over my shoulder, my eyes moving from Murphy to Bellamy. "Then we kill him."

I was willing to share the blame for what happened to Charlotte, but it didn't change the things Murphy had done that led to her tragic death. I still wanted to talk to Elia and make sure she was sincerely onboard with doing his interrogation though. The last thing I wanted was to make her feel like she had lost her free will once again. All of us had gotten a fresh start when we got to the ground and, even if she didn't agree, Elia deserved to start over, too.

Elia

Paranoia had spread through the entire camp come daylight. Because of Murphy's story, everyone was suddenly convinced that the Grounders were lurking just outside our walls, ready to attack at a moment's notice. I knew they weren't anywhere close though.

All living things had a presence. It was a type of aura I felt whenever people were nearby. On the Ark, it came and went because of how isolated the council kept me. The only person I had consistent interaction with other than the doctors and guards was Ben. He was the one thing I had left that tied me to something outside of the council. Except even my relationship with him was under their control. They would decide when and where and for how long we'd be allowed to interact. It was hell.

Worse than hell, if there was any such thing.

"El." I spun around when a hand landed on my arm, jolting me back to the present. I felt the power in my blood surge and I knew that if I looked down I'd see the red mist slithering around my palm and between my fingers.

When I came face to face with Bellamy, I took a steadying breath and let it out slowly, allowing myself to relax. I raised my eyebrow slightly. "What is it?"

"Nothing… I just—I was just thinking about how you told me that when you touch people for the first time you—you see stuff. Like memories or something like that. I was just wondering…"

"Bellamy, spit it out," I instructed with an encouraging smile.

We had entered into another one of those conversations where Bellamy was worried about saying the wrong thing. He meant nothing by it, I knew. People tended to walk on eggshells around me until they got to know me. How they reacted to the truth was an easy way to learn who someone really was without venturing into their head.

Bellamy's jaw clenched. "What did you see when you first touched me on the dropship?"

"It wasn't when we were on the dropship that I first touched you," I admitted. Confusion seeped into Bellamy's expression so I continued. "It was a couple days after we landed. You were walking through camp with that Atom kid who died in the fog. I was still keeping my head down at that point and we bumped into each other. I must have tripped on a rock because I started to fall, but you caught my arm before I did and you steadied me."

"I don't even remember that."

I shrugged as I folded my arms in front of me, holding them close to my chest. "A lot has happened since then, Bellamy. I knew who you were from the moment we landed and once I saw into your past it was hard to bring myself to look at you. I don't even think you ever saw my face."

"What did you see?" I sighed, having seen the question coming from a hundred miles away.

"You… and Octavia." I made sure to speak quietly. I didn't want anyone else overhearing what I was about to say. It was bad enough that I had violated Bellamy's privacy.

"When?"

"You were just a kid. Octavia had just been born, I think. You were staring at her as you held her. There was this look in your eyes. It was as if you had been living in darkness and then you saw the sunlight for the first time. That's when I knew I didn't have to be afraid of you. If you could look at another person like that, there had to be something good in you. Something I probably should've stayed away from."

A crooked smirk slid onto Bellamy's face as he stared back at me. "Well, it's a little too late for that."

I gave a weak nod. "Yeah, I know."

I turned away from Bellamy when I heard someone come up behind me. It was a delinquent whose name I had forgotten, but it was a safe assumption that he was a member of the defense team of the camp since he had a gun clutched tightly in his hands. Bellamy stepped towards the dark-haired teenager, his typically intimidating expression returning swiftly.

"What is it?"

The boy hesitated to answer for only a moment. "Bellamy, there's something wrong with Clarke."

"What do you mean?" I asked quickly as I moved forward.

"She's sick and she's not the only one."

I exchanged a look with Bellamy and found concern in his eyes and a touch of confusion in his expression, mirroring what I was feeling. The other delinquent was still standing in front of us when I returned my attention to him. "Where is she?"

"Dropship," the kid revealed and I narrowed my eyes.

"Why the hell is she in the dropship?"

"Murphy," Bellamy answered before the younger boy could. He went to the dropship and I followed him without hesitation. "Come on."

"You think he would hurt her?" I questioned as I fell into step beside him. Bellamy turned his head and I could see his answer written in his expression.

"I don't know what he would do."

When we reached the dropship, Bellamy strode inside, his gun in his hands, ready to use. I left my arms hanging at my sides, but allowed my powers to manifest around my right hand. Clarke was on her knees in front of Murphy and I could see the dried blood streaking down both of her cheeks.

"Bellamy, Elia, stay back!" Clarke warned, holding up a hand to stop us from progressing.

"Did he do something to you?" Bellamy asked as he came to a stop a few feet from the two delinquents on the floor. I stayed cemented in my spot behind him with my hands at my sides even after Clarke shook her head. "What the hell is this?"

The blonde glanced back at Murphy before peering up at Bellamy. "Biological warfare. You were waiting for the Grounders to retaliate? This is it. Murphy's the weapon."

By the time I left the dropship, the fever had taken it's first victim, a kid named Derek. From what Clarke could determine, the Grounders had delivered death to their camp on a silver platter and it was only a matter of time before another delinquent was killed because of it. I had been tasked with helping round up the people who had made contact with Murphy since he arrived. The hope was that we could stop the virus from spreading any further than it already had, but I could tell that even Clarke was skeptical.

"I have to get Octavia to the dropship." Bellamy fell into step beside me, matching my pace as I strode through camp. I nodded in response, but kept my attention on the people around me. Clarke had given me a few names for me to find so I was trying to focus solely on my task. If we were lucky, we could prevent anyone else from dying.

It was only when Bellamy called out my name that I faced him. "What?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you helped the Grounder escape?" Bellamy stared down at me, eyebrows furrowed together.

I pursed my lips, letting out a quiet sigh. "Because I knew what you'd say and I didn't want to hear it."

"I don't think you thought it through," Bellamy said and I almost scoffed.

"And what do you know? I was right."

Bellamy gave me a pointed look. "You could have put this entire camp in danger."

"But I didn't, did I? Lincoln ended up helping us set up that meeting on the bridge."

"Yeah, and what good did that do?"

"It showed us what we were up against," I retorted. "We know now that they have horses and weapons and a leader, which is a lot more information than we had before the meeting."

Bellamy sighed heavily, the frustration in his eyes evident, but he didn't walk away like I expected. Instead he held his ground. "I know that you think you know him and that you can trust him, but you can't. He's a Grounder and he will always put his people first just like we should put ours first."

"I got shot with two arrows yesterday while trying to put our people first," I reminded him calmly and I could see his expression falter. "I'm not going to lie to you, Bellamy. I liked Lincoln, but whatever we had is over. I haven't lost sight of our goal and I'll keep fighting for it until the rest of the people on the Ark come down to help win this war."

Whatever anger remained in Bellamy's eyes disappeared by the time he responded. "I believe you, Elia."

I managed a nod before turning on my heels and continuing through camp. It didn't take too long to find the four people on my list and convince them to join Clarke in the dropship. I was on my way to my tent when Octavia approached me, quickly cutting off my path to my bed.

"Clarke asked me to ask you to come with me to find Lincoln," Octavia said, not bothering to exchange pleasantries.

My jaw fell open as I tried to process the second-hand request. "Uh… why?"

"Because we need to figure out if there's a cure for this thing and Clarke thinks Lincoln would know the answer," Octavia explained with a soft shrug. She rocked back and forth on her heels and shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. I could see that she was expecting me to immediately give in to her request and while I wasn't really in the mood to go searching for Lincoln with Octavia by my side, I eventually nodded.

"Fine." I ran a hand through my hair and gestured towards my tent. "Just let me grab a few things."

"Okay," Octavia chirped. She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. "I'll be waiting outside the wall by the flower Lincoln left last night."

Her statement made me hesitate to leave. "How did you know about—" I shook my head quickly "—you know what? I don't care."

I turned and started towards my tent, but Octavia was quick to follow me. "He told me about it before I left him on the bridge. He said it's how he's been communicating with you."

"That's just great," I murmured quiet enough that Octavia couldn't hear. She continued without missing a beat.

"Lincoln told me to tell you that he'd leave a flower to show you when it was safe for you to come see him, but I kind of forgot to tell you with everything else going on."

I inhaled slowly, relying on whatever control I had left to refrain myself from saying something I'd regret.

"I thought about what you said the other day, about not wanting Lincoln to get hurt because of you. I get that, I do, but I don't think he's going to agree with you on that." I looked at Octavia out of the corner of my eye as she continued. "I admit that I like him, but I don't think he likes me the way he likes you."

"How do you know?" I asked, turning on the heels of my boots to face her.

She shrugged. "I've seen the way he looks at you. I just didn't want to tell you about it because I might have been a little jealous."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I honestly never thought I'd ever hear another person tell me that."

Octavia smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry I acted so childish."

"You don't have to apologize, Octavia." I put a hand on her shoulder. "We're just kids, still learning how to be normal, functioning people outside of the metal prisons we were raised in."

"Amen, sister," Octavia said, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

I gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Let's just find Lincoln and figure out how to get rid of this virus."

Octavia smiled wider. "Sounds like a plan."

Lincoln

A wave of relief washed over me when I heard her voice echo through the cave. Elia came through the entrance a few seconds later, but she wasn't alone like I had expected. On her heels was another person I recognized, Octavia Blake. She was around the same age as Elia, but I learned quickly that the two girls couldn't be more different. While there was an initial attraction between Octavia and I, the bond I had with Elia was different… deeper.

"Elia." I walked up to her and raised a hand towards her face.

Elia took a step back before I could touch her. "You shouldn't."

"There's a virus in our camp and we don't know who's been exposed to it or who's carrying it," Octavia explained when Elia made no effort to.

I gave a nod of acknowledgement and turned my attention back to Elia, who had her arms crossed over her chest. She tried to step back again when I moved towards her, but I was faster. I grabbed her hand lightly and gave it a soft tug to pull her closer. Elia kept her gaze lowered and jaw clenched as I pushed her hair back to get a look at her ears. It only took a moment for me to be convinced that she had been unaffected by the virus.

"You knew." Octavia fell into the spot beside Elia, who finally met my gaze.

"Of course he did. He left the flower to get me out of camp, but I wasn't there to see it."

"You went to the crash site." Octavia shifted her weight anxiously.

Elia's attention was focused on Octavia when I looked down at her. "I thought she would tell you about it."

She put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder and offered her a soft smile. "Can you give us a minute?"

"I'll be outside." Octavia left the cave, giving us a fleeting glance over her shoulder.

I waited to continue the conversation until I was sure that we were alone. "What was that about?"

"Don't worry about it," Elia responded. She pushed her hair behind her ears and turned her back to me. I watched as she approached the wall, running a finger over a few of the drawings.

It was difficult, but I stayed cemented in my spot. Elia wasn't in the mood to comforted, that much I could see. "I should have come and got you."

"It wouldn't have mattered. Murphy was in the camp by the time I got back. The infection had already started to spread." Elia replaced her arms over her chest before facing me. "Clarke wanted me to come get the cure from you."

I shook my head. "There is no cure."

She must have believed me because she didn't bother arguing. "So, what do I do? Just let it kill my people?"

"The sickness passes quickly. A few are immune. We use it to soften the battlefield," I said. "It makes sense why you're one of the strong ones."

She sighed heavily and shut her eyes for a moment. "So, when are your people coming?"

"First light."

"How many?"

"More than you have back at your camp," I said. "And they're all healthy."

Elia walked toward me slowly, concern seeping into her expression. "Is there anything you can do to stop this? To help us?"

"No. My people won't listen to me. They think I've turned on them. They've named me a traitor."

"Because of what you did for us on the bridge." It was more of a statement than a question, but I still nodded.

"Because of what I did for you on the bridge. They know we're… friends and they're not exactly fans of the relationship."

Elia moved close enough to grab my hand, weaving our fingers together. "I'm sorry I put you in that position, Lincoln. I never wanted you to get hurt because of me—"

"I'm not hurt, El," I said before she could continue. I placed a hand on her cheek. "In fact, I feel better than I have in years. I've wanted to leave for so long, but this is the first time it feels like I can actually do it and I want you to come with me. There's a clan that can help us get across the sea. We can start over somewhere else. Somewhere you can be safe."

For a second it looked like she was about to agree. But the moment passed and Elia shook her head. "I can't just leave my people to die, Lincoln."

"Since when are they your people, Elia? Until a few days ago, you were ready to leave them at a moment's notice."

"And then we went to war with your people."

"They're going to kill you if you're still there at dawn."

Elia gave a soft quirk of her head, pursing her lips into a thin line. At the same time her green iris' turned red. "They can try."

"Elia…" I quickly abandoned my train of thought when I saw the determination in her eyes. Sighing quietly, I shook my head. "I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?"

"No." She took a step back. "Not until I know your people aren't going to slaughter mine."

"I don't think there's anything you can do to stop it, Elia."

Elia shrugged. "I have to try."

I grabbed her hand when she turned to walk away. She reluctantly faced me again. "You don't owe these people anything. You don't have to stay."

"I know."

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning, Elia." I closed the distance between us and cupped the sides of her face. "Please, come with me."

Elia shut her eyes and rested her forehead against mine, allowing the cave to fall into silence. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but when she pulled away I could see tears forming in her eyes. She put her hands over mine and lowered them from her face. "Wait for me. I'll meet you here in the morning."

"But—"

She kissed me before I could continue. She pulled back slightly, her lips moving against mine as she spoke. "Wait for me."

"Always."

Bellamy

"Elia!" I called after the younger girl, who was moving through the camp in the opposite direction. She slowed to a stop, facing me slowly. The slight frustration I was feeling disappeared when I saw the distant look on her face. "Are you okay?"

She rolled her eyes and placed her hands in her jacket pockets. "What do you need, Bellamy?"

For whatever reason, she didn't want to talk about what was on her mind. I didn't want to push her to open up about it, but there was no reason that she had to deal with it on her own anymore. That was a conversation for another time, though. Sighing, I decided to steer the conversation to what I had come to talk to her about in the first place.

Elia stayed cemented in her spot when I moved closer to her. I lowered my voice so the other delinquents couldn't overhear our conversation. Ever since Octavia had delivered the news about the Grounders impending attack it seemed like people had only become more paranoid, if that was even possible.

"You took my sister with you to see that Grounder."

"She wanted to come and I didn't have the energy to argue about it," said Elia.

I quirked my head to the side. "I know Clarke's the one who sent you two—"

"Then why are you getting angry with me?"

"Because you still went, even though you knew it wasn't safe."

She scoffed and gave a weak shake of her head, her gaze drifting. I moved towards her again, pushing through the faint wave of dizziness that fell over me. "El, you don't know that Grounder as well as you think you do. He could have hurt you… and Octavia."

Elia's eyes met mine, glowing a deep scarlet. "I would've protected her, Bellamy."

I glanced down at her hands and saw red tendrils of pure energy starting to weave between her fingers. She must have noticed it too because she shook her arms faintly and shoved her hands into her pockets again. Elia's attention was fixed on the ground when I looked up at her.

She stepped back once I reached for her. "We're done here, right?"

I caught her by the elbow as she turned, keeping her from walking away. She stiffened, but didn't break my hold on her. "Elia, just talk to me…"

Her expression softened as she looked at me. "You're wrong about Lincoln. He's not a danger to anyone, especially me."

I sighed. "How can you be sure?"

"Because I've seen the way he looks at me," Elia paused, pressing her lips into a thin line as her eyes started to water, "it's the only time I've ever felt truly safe."

I felt a pang of sympathy when I realized the true meaning of her admission. "You love him."

Elia gave a desperate shrug of her shoulders. "I—I don't know. I think I could… eventually, but I shouldn't."

"Elia…" I said when she dropped her head into her hands. Wrapping an arm around her, I guided her behind a to a secluded spot behind a row of tents. It was only once we were there that I pulled her into a hug. She slid her arms around me and rested her chin on my shoulder.

"I can see it," she murmured. "Every time I look at him, I see it."

I pulled back to look her in the eye. "See what, El?"

"A future… a future where I don't have to hide or be afraid that I'm going to kill a hundred kids if I lose my temper. I look into Lincoln's eyes and I see it all right there, waiting for me," she paused, holding her hands out in front of her, "but I can never just let myself have that."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't deserve that much and Lincoln…" Elia shook her head, "Lincoln deserves so much more."

I lifted my hands to her face, wiping the tear that had spilled onto her cheek. Her lip quivered as she stared back at me and at that moment, I saw her for who she was: a kid who had been so mentally degraded that she truly believed she didn't deserve to be loved.

"Elia—"

"Bellamy!"

Elia turned her head, pulling back until she was out of reach. I clenched my jaw as I looked for who had called my name. Finn came running around the tents a second later, a determined look in his eyes. I stepped in front of Elia on instinct. As far as I knew, the feud between them was still going strong.

"Raven's gone," Finn revealed between heavy breaths. "She took the bomb."

"What? She went by herself?"

Finn nodded and I ran a hand over my face, feeling the thin layer of sweat that clung to my skin. I noticed how my arms felt heavier than usual, but I forced myself to ignore it.

There was an overwhelming about of concern in Finn's expression when I looked at him. "We have to go after her."

"We will," I told him and started to turn to face Elia, but the movement caused my knees to buckle underneath me.

Something caught me before I hit the ground, though. I opened my eyes just wide enough to see Elia's hands pointed in my direction, the familiar mist-like energy weaving around her palms. Slowly, I was lowered to the ground. A moment later I could feel a pair of hands being placed against my forehead.

"He's burning up," Elia said. "Why didn't you say you were feeling sick, Bellamy?"

"You sound angry," I mumbled as I tried to open my eyes again. She gave a short laugh and I could picture her rolling her eyes.

"We need to get him to the dropship," Finn said and Elia scoffed.

"No," I said, forcing my eyes to open. My gaze went to Elia when she leaned over me. "You need to get Jasper. He's the only one left who can make the shot, El."

She sighed. "We're so screwed."

"We're not. If he can't do it, you have to—"

I was overtaken by a short fit of coughs that had been building in my throat. When I was done Elia ran her hands over my chin lightly, probably to wipe away the blood.

"You want me to blow up a bridge?"

"Only if Jasper can't do it. I need you to be there just in case he fails."

"We have to go if we want to get there in time," Finn said, earning a glare from Elia.

She managed to swallow her frustration as she pointed over his shoulder. "Go get someone to take Bellamy to the dropship. Then find Jasper."

The older delinquent stood after only a moment of hesitation. His footsteps faded as he walked away, telling me that Elia and I were now alone.

"El." I used whatever strength I had left to reach out a hand. She took it in hers, wrapping her fingers around mine. "Don't let the council control your future anymore. You're free."

If Elia heard me, she didn't have time to acknowledge it before Finn's voice met my ears a moment later. "We have to go, Eliana."

She kissed my forehead and placed her mouth by my ear. "Please don't die."

"Wouldn't dream of it," I whispered. A moment later, she was gone.

Elia

Reaching the bridge took a little longer than I would've liked, but that wasn't even the most pressing problem. Raven was already working on the bomb when we got there and the war drums echoing through the forest told us that the Grounder army was closing in fast. Jasper stopped Finn from going after her, assuring him that she could handle it. The older girl stood up a few moments later, but there was obviously something wrong when she fell to the ground after only a couple steps.

Finn stepped forward. "No."

"Raven, get out of there!" Jasper shouted as we watched her drag herself back towards the bomb.

"Line up the shot," Finn said before taking off in the direction of the bridge. I knew that even if he managed to get to Raven before the Grounders arrived, the likelihood of them getting out of the blast radius in time was slim.

I looked over at Jasper. "I have to go help them."

His eyes widened. "What? I thought you were supposed to stay here in case I… I—I can't do this on my own."

"You're not alone, Jasper," I said. I glanced over my shoulder to see Finn appear on the bridge. "Besides, I need to be closer to the bomb if I end up having to detonate it. But I know I won't need to because you got this, okay? All you have to do is aim and pull the trigger, just like last time. And no matter where I am, you take the shot. Do not hesitate."

I gave him one last reassuring nod before going after Finn and Raven. By the time I broke out of the tree line Finn was practically carrying Raven off the bridge. I met them halfway and pulled her arm over my shoulders to help get her out of danger.

"Here," he said, pointing to an embankment beside the bridge. I wanted to argue that we had to get further away, but I knew it would be an impossible feat and at least the curved ridge offered some protection.

I nodded and helped him lower Raven down behind the dirt barrier. Finn jumped down next and offered me his hand, but I stepped backwards.

His eyebrows pinched together in confusion. "Elia—"

"Stay low," I told him before taking a few more steps toward the middle of the bridge. I glanced over my shoulder as the war drums grew louder. Even though I couldn't spot Jasper through the trees I knew he was there, watching. I nodded once before turning my attention back to the other side of the forest. Gunshots rang out as a line of torches appeared between the trees.

I swallowed whatever reservation I had left when none of the bullets hit the tin cannister, which held the contents of the bomb. Pulling my arms up, I curled my fingers, making the energy gather in front of my palms. When the first of the Grounders stepped onto the bridge, I didn't hesitate to thrust my hands in their direction. They were knocked backwards when the bolts of red mist hit their chests. Another bullet struck the ground less than a foot before the bomb. At least we were on the right track.

"Come on, Jasper," I murmured to myself as I directed another wave of energy at the Grounders that were the quickest to recover from the first hit. Falling back a few steps, I took aim for the cannister. If Jasper couldn't hit the bomb in the next few seconds, I would have to do it myself. We were officially out of time.

A moment later another gunshot cut through the air and I drew my hands apart just in time to create a shield in front of me. The bomb detonated and while my defense was strong enough to soften the blow, the sheer strength of the explosion threw me into the air. I landed hard several feet from the destroyed bridge, groaning as a shooting pain erupted from my ribs. I pushed myself up onto my knees and wrapped an arm around my injured side.

"Elia!" Finn came into view and crouched down in front of me. There was some concern in his eyes as he looked for other injuries. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I winced when he touched the spot above my eyebrow. He pulled his hand back and I could see a drop of blood on his finger. I offered him a weak shrug. "Semi-okay."

"Let's get you up," he said and gently lifted me to my feet. I turned when I heard footsteps coming up behind us only to see Jasper and Monty Green walking through the trees.

"Jesus Christ," Jasper sighed when his gaze landed on me. He obviously felt guilty for blowing up the bridge with me still on it, but it's what I asked him to do

"I'm fine, Jasper." I stood up a little straighter and forced a smile to try to make it more believable.

"I should have waited," he muttered as he shook his head.

I put a hand on his shoulder. "No, Jasper. You did exactly what you were supposed to do, what I asked you to do. And you saved from having to fight a Grounder army today. You should be proud, okay?"

"But you—"

I shook my head. "I've taken harder hits than this. I'll be fine."

"We should get back to camp," Finn said, walking up beside me with a partially-unconscious Raven in his arms. She was constantly stirring, probably restless because of the sickness. I moved closer and shut my eyes, placing my hand in front of her forehead. Quickly, I worked my way into her mind and quieted her racing thoughts. After that she went still, falling into a peaceful sleep.

Finn gave me a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"She deserves some sleep," I responded and returned his smile. I glanced back at the mushroom cloud still rising through the air and motioned toward the forest. "But we really should get out of here before the smoke clears."

Lincoln was packing when I walked through the entrance of his cave. He looked over his shoulder at me and I knew he had seen what we had done. Blowing up the bridge a crucial tactical move for us, but it could only be considered as a loss for the Grounders.

I shifted my weight, pinching the fabric of my skirt between my fingers. "I wouldn't have done it if I had any other choice."

"That's not why I'm angry, Elia," Lincoln said and the concern in his eyes was plain to see. "The Mountain Men must have seen the explosion. They will come for us and they'll kill us all."

I stepped towards him and quirked an eyebrow. "Who the hell are the Mountain Men?"

He pulled his knapsack over his shoulder, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter since we're leaving, but we need to get moving. We have a long way to go before dark."

"I'm not going with you, Lincoln." I folded my arms over my chest when he stopped in his tracks and turned to face me. Walking into the cave, I knew it was going to be difficult for me to stick with my decision, but it had to be done.

Lincoln walked forward, closing the distance between us. Something in his expression changed as he watched me. It was as if he realized trying to talk me out of it would be useless. He sighed and lifted his arms, resting his hands against my cheeks.

"You'll die."

I nodded. "I know."

His jaw clenched. "Why stay then?"

"Because I owe it my parents to try to find a way to use my powers to save lives." I grabbed his hands and lowered them. He kissed me back when I pressed my lips to his. It was quick and innocent, but I knew I'd remember that moment for the rest of my life, no matter how long it ended up lasting.

It was only when I broke our embrace that I released his hands and stepped away. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. "I'm sorry, Lincoln."

He acknowledged my apology with a weak nod and grabbed the rest of his belongings off the floor, starting towards the mouth of the cave.

"Lincoln," I said, sliding one last look in his direction my head toward him. He turned to meet my gaze. "Don't die."

A faint smile appeared on his lips. "I won't if you won't."

I smiled back at him. "Deal."

Lincoln left without another word. I waited until I heard his footsteps fade in the distance to lower myself to the dirt floor. Exhaling slowly, I raked my fingers through my hair. The idea of leaving was a lot easier to swallow when I had no one to lose. Only now, there was an entire camp of kids, some of whom I had begun to truly care about, who needed the kind of help that only I could offer. I knew there was a chance they could win without me, but I didn't want to take the risk to find out.

This was what my parents had wanted for me after all. Not the war, but the solidarity that came with it. Most of my life I had been alone, living in secret and fear. Now, I had people I could rely on. People who I could fight beside and who would fight for me. There was no way in hell that I was just going to watch that die, even if it meant giving up the only chance at a real future I ever had.