The 100 by Kass Morgan

8/9/2019 The 100 by Kass Morgan

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CHAPTER 1

Clarke

The door slid open, and Clarke knew it was time to die.

Her eyes locked on the guard’s oots, and she raced !or the rush o! !ear, the !lood o!

desperate panic. "ut as she rose up onto her elow, peeling her shirt !rom the sweat#

soaked cot, all she !elt was relie!.

$he’d een trans!erred to a single a!ter attacking a guard, ut !or Clarke, there was nosuch thing as solitary. $he heard %oices e%erywhere. They called to her !rom the corners

o! her dark cell. They !illed the silence etween her hearteats. They screamed !rom the

deepest recesses o! her mind. &t wasn’t death she cra%ed, ut i! that was the only way to

silence the %oices, then she was prepared to die.

$he’d een Con!ined !or treason, ut the truth was !ar worse than anyone could’%e

imagined. E%en i! y some miracle she was pardoned at her retrial, there’d e no real

reprie%e. Her memories were more oppressi%e than any cell walls.

The guard cleared his throat as he shi!ted his weight !rom side to side. 'Prisoner numer

(1), please stand.* He was younger than she’d e+pected, and his uni!orm hung loosely

!rom his lanky !rame, etraying his status as a recent recruit. A !ew months o! military

rations weren’t enough to anish the specter o! malnutrition that haunted the Colony’s

poor outer ships, alden and Arcadia.

Clarke took a deep reath and rose to her !eet.



'Hold out your hands,* he said, pulling a pair o! metal restraints !rom the pocket o! his

lue uni!orm. Clarke shuddered as his skin rushed against hers. $he hadn’t seen another

person since they’d rought her to the new cell, let alone touched one.

'Are they too tight-* he asked, his rusue tone !rayed y a note o! sympathy that made

Clarke’s chest ache. &t’d een so long since anyone ut Thalia/her !ormer cell mate and

her only !riend in the Ar0world/had shown her compassion.

$he shook her head.

'ust sit on the ed. The doctor’s on his way.*

'They’re doing it here-* Clarke asked hoarsely, the words scraping against her throat. &! a

doctor was coming, that meant they were !orgoing her retrial. &t shouldn’t ha%e come as asurprise. According to Colony law, adults were e+ecuted immediately upon con%iction,

and minors were Con!ined until they turned eighteen and then gi%en one !inal chance to

make their case. "ut lately, people were eing e+ecuted within hours o! their retrial !or

crimes that, a !ew years ago, would ha%e een pardoned.

$till, it was hard to elie%e they’d actually do it in her cell. &n a twisted way, she’d een

looking !orward to one !inal walk to the hospital where she’d spent so much time during

her medical apprenticeship/one last chance to e+perience something !amiliar, i! only the

smell o! disin!ectant and the hum o! the %entilation system/e!ore she lost the aility to

!eel !ore%er.

The guard spoke without meeting her eyes. '& need you to sit down.*

Clarke took a !ew short steps and perched sti!!ly on the edge o! her narrow ed. Although

she knew that solitary warped your perception o! time, it was hard to elie%e she had

een here/alone/!or almost si+ months. The year she’d spent with Thalia and their

third cell mate, 2ise, a hard#!aced girl who smiled !or the !irst time when they took

Clarke away, had !elt like an eternity. "ut there was no other e+planation. Today had to

e her eighteenth irthday, and the only present waiting !or Clarke was a syringe that

would paraly3e her muscles until her heart stopped eating. A!terward, her li!eless ody

would e released into space, as was the custom on the Colony, le!t to dri!t endlessly

through the gala+y.

A !igure appeared in the door and a tall, slender man stepped into the cell. Although his

shoulder#length gray hair partially oscured the pin on the collar o! his la coat, Clarke

didn’t need the insignia to recogni3e him as the Council’s chie! medical ad%isor. $he’d



spent the etter part o! the year e!ore her Con!inement shadowing 4r. 2ahiri and

couldn’t count the numer o! hours she’d stood ne+t to him during surgery. The other

apprentices had en%ied Clarke’s assignment, and had complained o! nepotism when they

disco%ered that 4r. 2ahiri was one o! her !ather’s closest !riends. At least, he had een

e!ore her parents were e+ecuted.

'Hello, Clarke,* he said pleasantly, as i! he were greeting her in the hospital dining room

instead o! a detention cell. 'How are you-*

'"etter than &’ll e in a !ew minutes, & imagine.*

4r. 2ahiri used to smile at Clarke’s dark humor, ut this time he winced and turned to the

guard. 'Could you undo the cu!!s and gi%e us a moment, please-*

The guard shi!ted uncom!ortaly. '&’m not supposed to lea%e her unattended.*

'5ou can wait right outside the door,* 4r. 2ahiri said with e+aggerated patience. '$he’s

an unarmed se%enteen#year#old. & think &’ll e ale to keep things under control.*

The guard a%oided Clarke’s eyes as he remo%ed the handcu!!s. He ga%e 4r. 2ahiri a curt

nod as he stepped outside.

'5ou mean &’m an unarmed eighteen#year#old,* Clarke said, !orcing what she thought

was a smile. '6r are you turning into one o! those mad scientists who ne%er knows what

year it is-* Her !ather had een like that. He’d !orget to program the circadian lights intheir !lat and end up goie ud end ung to work at 7877, too asored in his research to

notice that the ship’s corridors were deserted.

'5ou’re still se%enteen, Clarke,* 4r. 2ahiri said in the calm, slow manner he usually

reser%ed !or patients waking up !rom surgery. '5ou’%e een in solitary !or three months.*

'Then what are you doing here-* she asked, unale to uell the panic creeping into her

%oice. 'The law says you ha%e to wait until &’m eighteen.*

'There’s een a change o! plans. That’s all &’m authori3ed to say.*

'$o you’re authori3ed to e+ecute me ut not to talk to me-* $he rememered watching

4r. 2ahiri during her parents’ trial. At the time, she’d read his grim !ace as an e+pression

o! his disappro%al with the proceedings, ut now she wasn’t sure. He hadn’t spoken up in

their de!ense. 9o one had. He’d simply sat there mutely as the Council !ound her parents

/two o! Phoeni+’s most rilliant scientists/to e in %iolation o! the :aia 4octrine, the



rules estalished a!ter the Cataclysm to ensure the sur%i%al o! the human race. 'hat

aout my parents- 4id you kill them, too-*

4r. 2ahiri closed his eyes, as i! Clarke’s words had trans!ormed !rom sounds into

something %isile. $omething grotesue. '&’m not here to kill you,* he said uietly. He

opened his eyes and then gestured to the stool at the !oot o! Clarke’s ed. ';ay &-*

hen Clarke didn’t reply, 4r. 2ahiri walked !orward and sat down so he was !acing her.

'Can & see your arm, please-* Clarke !elt her chest tighten, and she !orced hersel! to

reathe. He was lying. &t was cruel and twisted, ut it’d all e o%er in a minute.

$he e+tended her hand toward him. 4r. 2ahiri reached into his coat pocket and produced

a cloth that smelled o! antiseptic. Clarke shi%ered as he swept it along the inside o! her

arm. '4on’t worry. This isn’t going to hurt.*

Clarke closed her eyes.

$he rememered the anguished look ells had gi%en her as the guards were escorting her

out o! the Council chamers. hile the anger that had threatened to consume her during

the trial had long since urned out, thinking aout ells sent a new wa%e o! heat pulsing

through her ody, like a dying star emitting one !inal !lash o! light e!ore it !aded into

nothingness.

Her parents were dead, and it was all his !ault.

4r. 2ahiri grasped her arm, his !ingers searching !or her %ein.

$ee you soon, ;om and 4ad.

His grip tightened. This was it.

Clarke took a deep reath as she !elt a prick on the inside o! her wrist.

'There. 5ou’re all set.*

Clarke’s eyes snapped open. $he looked down and saw a metal racelet clasped to her

arm. $he ran her !inger along it, wincing as what !elt like a do3en tiny needles pressed

into her skin.

'hat is this-* she asked !rantically, pulling away !rom the doctor.



'ust rela+,* he said with in!uriating coolness. '&t’s a %ital transponder. &t will track your

reathing and lood composition, and gather all sorts o! use!ul in!ormation.*

'<se!ul in!ormation !or who-* Clarke asked, although she could already !eel the shape o!

his answer in the growing mass o! dread in her stomach.

'There’%e een some e+citing de%elopments,* 4r. 2ahiri said, sounding like a hollow

speeches. '5ou should e %ery proud. &t’s all ecause o! your parents.*

';y parents were e+ecuted !or treason.*

4r. 2ahiri ga%e her a disappro%ing look. A year ago, it would’%e made Clarke shrink with

shame, ut now she kept her ga3e steady. '4on’t ruin this, Clarke. 5ou ha%e a chance to

do the right thing, to make up !or your parents’ appalling crime.*

There was a dull crack as Clarke’s !ist made contact with the doctor’s !ace, !ollowed y a

thud as his head slammed against the wall. $econds later, the guard appeared and had

Clarke’s hands twisted ehind her ack. 'Are you all right, sir-* he asked.

4r. 2ahiri sat up slowly, ruing his =aw as he sur%eyed Clarke with a mi+ture o! anger

and amusement. 'At least we know you’ll e ale to hold your own with the other

delinuents when you get there.*

':et where-* Clarke grunted, trying to !ree hersel! !rom the guard’s grip.

'e’re clearing out the detention center today. A hundred lucky criminals are getting the

chance to make history.* The corners o! his mouth twitched into a smirk. '5ou’re going

to Earth.*

CHAPTER >

ells

The Chancellor had aged. Although it’d een less than si+ weeks since ells had seen his

!ather, he looked years older. There were new streaks o! gray y his temples, and the lines

around his eyes had deepened.

'Are you !inally going to tell me why you did it-* the Chancellor asked with a tired sigh.

ells shi!ted in his chair. He could !eel the truth trying to claw its way out. He’d gi%e

almost anything to erase the disappointment on his !ather’s !ace, ut he couldn’t risk it/



not e!ore he learned whether his reckless plan had actually worked.

ells a%oided his !ather’s ga3e y glancing around the room, trying to memori3e the

relics he might e seeing !or the last time? the eagle skeleton perched in a glass case, the

!ew paintings that had sur%i%ed the urning o! the 2ou%re, and the photos o! the eauti!ul

dead cities whose names ne%er ceased to send chills down ells’s spine.

'as it a dare- ere you trying to show o!! !or your !riends-* The Chancellor spoke in

the same low, steady tone he used during Council hearings, then raised an eyerow to

indicate that it was ells’s turn to talk.

'9o, sir.*

'ere you o%ercome y some temporary out o! insanity- ere you on drugs-* There

was a !aint note o! hope!ulness in his %oice that, in another situation, ells might’%e!ound amusing. "ut there was nothing humorous aout the look in his !ather’s eyes, a

comination o! weariness and con!usion that ells hadn’t seen since his mother’s

!uneral.

'9o, sir.*

ells !elt a !leeting urge to touch his !ather’s arm, ut something other than the handcu!!s

shackling his wrists kept him !rom reaching across the desk. E%en as they had gathered

around the release portal, saying their !inal, silent good#yes to ells’s mother, they’d

ne%er ridged the si+ inches o! space etween their shoulders. &t was as i! ells and his!ather were two magnets, the charge o! their grie! repelling them apart. wi

'as it some kind o! political statement-* His !ather winced slightly, as though the

thought hit him like a physical low. '4id someone !rom alden or Arcadia put you up

to it-*

'9o, sir,* ells said, iting ack his indignation. His !ather had apparently spent the past

si+ weeks trying to recast ells as some kind o! reel, reprogramming his memories to

help him understand why his son, !ormerly a star student and now the highest#ranked

cadet, had committed the most pulic in!raction in history. "ut e%en the truth would do

little to mitigate his !ather’s con!usion. @or the Chancellor, nothing could =usti!y setting

!ire to the Eden Tree, the sapling that had een carried onto Phoeni+ right e!ore the

E+odus. 5et !or ells, it hadn’t een a choice. 6nce he’d disco%ered that Clarke was one

o! the hundred eing sent to Earth, he’d had to do something to =oin them. And as the

Chancellor’s son, only the most pulic o! in!ractions would land him in Con!inement.



ells rememered mo%ing through the crowd at the Rememrance Ceremony, !eeling the

weight o! hundreds o! eyes on him, his hand shaking as he remo%ed the lighter !rom his

pocket and produced a spark that glowed rightly in the gloom. @or a moment, e%eryone

had stared in silence as the !lames wrapped around the tree. And e%en as the guards

rushed !orward in sudden chaos, no one had een ale to miss whom they were dragging

away.

'hat the hell were you thinking-* the Chancellor asked, staring at him in diselie!.

'5ou could’%e urned down the whole hall and killed e%eryone in it.*

&t would e etter to lie. His !ather would ha%e an easier time elie%ing that ells had

een carrying out a dare. 6r perhaps he could try to pretend he had een on drugs. Either

o! those scenarios would e more palatale to the Chancellor than the truth/that he’d

risked e%erything !or a girl.

The hospital door closed ehind him ut ells’s smile stayed !ro3en in place, as i! the

!orce it had taken to li!t the corners o! his mouth had permanently damaged the muscles

in his !ace. Through the ha3e o! drugs, his mother had proaly thought his grin looked

real, which was all that mattered. $he’d held ells’s hand as the lies poured out o! him,

itter ut harmless. 5es, 4ad and & are doing !ine. $he didn’t need to know that they’d

arely e+changed more than a !ew words in weeks. hen you’re etter, we’ll !inish

4ecline and @all o! the Roman Empire. They oth knew that she’d ne%er make it to the

!inal %olume.

ells slipped out o! the hospital and started walking across " deck, which was merci!ullyempty. At this hour, most people were either at tutorials, work, or at the E+change. He

was supposed to e at a history lecture, normally his !a%orite su=ect. He’d always lo%ed

stories aout ancient cities like Rome and 9ew 5ork, whose da33ling triumphs were

matched only y the magnitude o! their down!alls. "ut he couldn’t spend two hours

surrounded y the same tutorial mates who had !illed his message ueue with %ague,

uncom!ortale condolences. The only person he could talk to aout his mother was :lass,

ut she’d een strangely distant lately.

ells wasn’t sure how long he’d een standing outside the door e!ore he reali3ed he’d

arri%ed at the lirary. He allowed the scanner to pass o%er his eyes, waited !or the prompt,

and then pressed his thum against the pad. The door slid open =ust long enough !or ells

to slip inside and then closed ehind him with a hu!!y thud, as i! it had done ells a great

!a%or y admitting him in the !irst place.

ells e+haled as the stillness and shadows washed o%er him. The ooks that een

e%acuated onto Phoeni+ e!ore the Cataclysm were kept in tall, o+ygen#!ree cases that



signi!icantly slowed the deterioration process, which is why they had to e read in the

lirary, and only then !or a !ew hours at a time. The enormous room was hidden away

!rom the circadian lights, in a state o! perpetual twilight.

@or as long as he could rememer, ells and his mother had spent $unday e%enings here,

his mother reading aloud to him when he was little, then reading side y side as he got

older. "ut as her illness progressed and her headaches grew worse, ells had started

reading to her. They’d =ust started %olume two o! 4ecline and @all o! the Roman Empire

the e%ening e!ore she was admitted to the hospital.

He wo%e through the narrow aisles toward the English 2anguage section and then o%er to

History, which was tucked into a dark ack corner. The collection was smaller than it

should’%e een. The !irst colonial go%ernment had arranged !or digital te+t to e loaded

onto Phoeni+, ut !ewer than a hundred years later, a %irus wiped out most o! the digital

archi%es, and the only ooks le!t were those in pri%ate collections/heirlooms handeddown !rom the original colonists to their descendants. 6%er the past century, most o! the

relics had een donated to the lirary.

ells crouched down until he was eye le%el with the :s. He pressed his thum against

the lock and the glass slid open with a hiss, reaking the %acuum seal. He reached inside

to gra 4ecline and @all ut then paused. He wanted to read on so he’d e ale to tell his

mother aout it, ut that would e tantamount to arri%ing in her hospital room with her

memorial plaue and asking !or her input on the wording.

'5ou’re not supposed to lea%e the case open,* a %oice said !rom ehind him.

'5es, thank you,* ells said, more sharply than he’d meant. He rose to his !eet and

turned to see a !amiliar#looking girl staring at him. &t was the apprentice medic !rom the

hospital. ells !elt a !lash o! anger at this lending o! worlds. The lirary was where he

went to !orget aout the sickening smell o! antiseptic, the eep o! the heart monitor that,

!ar !rom a sign o! li!e, seemed like a countdown to death.

The girl took a step ack and cocked her head, her light hair !alling to one side. '6h. &t’s

you.* ells raced !or the !irst swoon o! recognition, and the rapid eye mo%ements that

meant she was already messaging her !riends on her cornea slip. "ut this girl’s eyes

!ocused directly on him, as i! she were looking straight into his rain, peeling ack the

layers to re%eal all the thoughts ells had purpose!ully hidden.

'4idn’t you want that ook-* $he nodded toward the shel! where 4ecline and @all was

stored.



ells shook his head. '&’ll read it another time.*

$he was silent !or a moment. '& think you should take it now.* ells’s =aw tightened, ut

when he said nothing, she continued. '& used to see you here with your mother. 5ou

should ring it to her.*

'ust ecause my !ather’s in charge o!d, in char the Council doesn’t mean & get to reak a

three#hundred#year rule,* he said, allowing =ust a shade o! condescension to darken his

tone.

'The ook will e !ine !or a !ew hours. They e+aggerate the e!!ects o! the air.*

ells raised an eyerow. 'And do they e+aggerate the power o! the e+it scanner-* There

were scanners o%er most pulic doors on Phoeni+ that could e programmed to any

speci!ications. &n the lirary, it monitored the molecular composition o! e%ery person whoe+ited, to make sure no one le!t with a ook in their hands or hidden under their clothes.

A smile !lickered across her !ace. '& !igured that out a long time ago.* $he glanced o%er

her shoulder down the shadowy aisle etween the ookcases, reached into her pocket,

and e+tracted a piece o! gray cloth. '&t keeps the scanner !rom recogni3ing the cellulose

in the paper.* $he held it out to him. 'Here. Take it.*

ells took a step ack. The chances o! this girl trying to emarrass him were !ar greater

than the odds o! her ha%ing a piece o! magical !aric hidden in her pocket. 'hy do you

ha%e this-*

$he shrugged. '& like reading other places.* hen he didn’t say anything, she smiled and

e+tended her other hand. 'ust gi%e me the ook. &’ll sneak it out !or you and ring it to

the hospital.*

ells surprised himsel! y handing her the ook. 'hat’s your name-* he asked.

'$o you know to whom you’ll e eternally indeted-*

'$o & know who to lame when &’m arrested.*

The girl tucked the ook under her arm and then e+tended her hand. 'Clarke.*

'ells,* he said, reaching !orward to shake it. He smiled, and this time it didn’t hurt.

'They arely managed to sa%e the tree.* The Chancellor stared at ells, as i! looking !or



a sign o! remorse or glee/anything to help him understand why his son had tried to set

!ire to the only tree e%acuated !rom their ra%aged planet. '$ome o! the council memers

wanted to e+ecute you on the spot, =u%enile or not, you know. & was only ale to spare

your li!e y getting them to agree to send you to Earth.*

ells e+haled with relie!. There were !ewer than 17 kids in Con!inement, so he had

assumed they’d take all the older teens, ut until this moment he hadn’t een sure he

would e sent on the mission.

His !ather’s eyes widened with surprise and understanding as he stared at ells. 'That’s

what you wanted, isn’t it-*

ells nodded.

The Chancellor grimaced. 'Had & known you were this desperate to see Earth, & couldha%e easily arranged !or you to =oin the second e+pedition. 6nce we determined it was

sa!e.*

'& didn’t want to wait. & want to go with the !irst hundred.*

The Chancellor narrowed his eyes slightly as he assessed ells’s impassi%e !ace. 'hy-

5ou o! all people know the risks.*

'ith all due respect, you’re the one who con%inced tto con%inhe Council that nuclear

winter was o%er. 5ou said it was sa!e.*

'5es. $a!e enough !or the hundred con%icted criminals who were going to die anyway,*

the Chancellor said, his %oice a mi+ o! condescension and diselie!. '& didn’t mean sa!e

!or my son.*

The anger ells had een trying to smother !lared up, reducing his guilt to ashes. He

shook his hands so the cu!!s rattled against the chair. '& guess &’m one o! them now.*

'5our mother wouldn’t want you to do this, ells. ust ecause she en=oyed dreaming

aout Earth doesn’t mean she’d want you to put yoursel! in harm’s way.*

ells leaned !orward, ignoring the ite o! the metal digging into his !lesh. '$he’s not who

&’m doing this !or,* he said, looking his !ather straight in the eye !or the !irst time since

he’d sat down. 'Though & do think she’d e proud o! me.* &t was partially true. $he’d had

a romantic streak and would ha%e commended her son’s desire to protect the girl he

lo%ed. "ut his stomach writhed at the thought o! his mom knowing what he’d really done



to sa%e Clarke. The truth would make setting the Eden Tree on !ire seem like a harmless

prank.

His !ather stared at him. 'Are you telling me this whole deacle is ecause o! that girl-*

ells nodded slowly. '&t’s my !ault she’s eing sent down there like some la rat. &’m

going to make sure she has the est chance o! making it out ali%e.*

The Chancellor was silent !or a moment. "ut when he spoke again, his %oice was calm.

'That won’t e necessary.* The Chancellor remo%ed something !rom his desk drawer and

placed it in !ront o! ells. &t was a metal ring a!!i+ed with a chip aout the si3e o! ells’s

thum. 'E%ery memer o! the e+pedition is currently eing !itted with one o! these

racelets,* his !ather e+plained. 'They’ll send data ack up to the ship so we can track

your location and monitor your %itals. As soon as we ha%e proo! that the en%ironment is

hospitale, we’ll egin recoloni3ation.* He !orced a grim smile. '&! e%erything goesaccording to plan, it won’t e long e!ore the rest o! us come down to =oin you, and all

this*/he gestured toward ells’s ound hands/'will e !orgotten.*

The door opened and a guard stepped o%er the threshold. '&t’s time, sir.*

The Chancellor nodded, and the guard strode across the room to pull ells to his !eet.

':ood luck, son,* ells’s !ather said, assuming his trademark rusueness.

'&! anyone can make this mission a success, it’s you.*

He e+tended his arm to shake ells’s hand, ut then let it !all to his side when he reali3ed

his mistake. His only child’s arms were still shackled ehind him.

CHAPTER (

"ellamy

6! course the smug astard was late. "ellamy tapped his !oot impatiently, not caring

aout the echo that rang throughout the storeroom. 9o one came down here anymoreB

anything %aluale had een snatched up years ago. E%ery sur!ace was co%ered with =unk

/spare parts !or machines whose !unctions had een long !orgotten, paper currency,

endless tangles o! cords and wires, cracked screens and monitors.

"ellamy !elt a hand on his shoulder and spun around, raising his !ists to lock his !ace

as he ducked to the side.



'Rela+, man,* Colton’s %oice called out as he switched on his !lasheam, shining it right

in "ellamy’s eyes. He sur%eyed "ellamy with an amused e+pression on his long, narrow

!ace. 'hy’d you want to meet down here-* He smirked. '2ooking !or ca%eman pDDn on

roken computers- 9o =udgments. &! & were stuck with what passes !or a girl down on

alden, &’d proaly de%elop some sick haits mysel!.*

"ellamy ignored the =a. 4espite his !ormer !riend’s new role as a guard, Colton didn’t

stand a chance with a girl no matter what ship he was on. 'ust tell me what’s going on,

okay-* "ellamy said, doing his est to keep his tone light.

Colton leaned ack against the wall and smiled. '4on’t let the uni!orm !ool you, rother.

& ha%en’t !orgotten the !irst rule o! usiness.* He held out his hand. ':i%e it to me.*

'5ou’re the one who’s con!used, Colt. 5ou know & always come through.* He patted the

pocket that held the chip loaded with stolen ration points. '9ow tell me where she is.*

The guard smirked, and "ellamy !elt something in his chest tighten. He’d een riing

Colton !or in!ormation aout 6cta%ia since her arrest, and the idiot always seemed to !ind

twisted pleasure in deli%ering ad news.

'They’re sending them o!! today.* The words landed with a thud in "ellamy’s chest.

'They got one o! the old dropships on : deck working.* He held out his hand again.

'9ow come on. This mission’s top secret and &’m risking my ass !or you. &’m done

messing around.*

"ellamy’s stomach twisted as a series o! images !lashed e!ore his eyes? his little sister

strapped into an ancient metal cage, hurtling through space at a thousand kilometers an

hour. Her !ace turning purple as she struggled to reathe the to+ic air. Her crumpled ody

lying =ust as still as/

"ellamy took a step !orward. '&’m sorry, man.*

Colton narrowed his eyes. '@or what-*

'@or this.* "ellamy drew his arm ack, then punched the guard right in the =aw. There

was a loud crack, ut he !elt nothing ut his racing heart as he watched Colton !all to the

ground.

Thirty minutes later, "ellamy was trying to wrap his mind around the strange scene in

!ront o! him. His ack was against the wall o! a wide hallway that led onto a steep ramp.

Con%icts streamed y in gray =ackets, led down the incline y a hand!ul o! guards. At the



ottom was the dropship, a circular contraption out!itted with rows o! harnessed seats that

would take the poor, clueless kids to Earth.

The whole thing was completely sick, ut he supposed it was etter than the alternati%e.

hile you were supposed to get a retrial at your eighteenth irthday, in the last year or

so, pretty much e%ery =u%enile de!endant had een !ound guilty. ithout this mission,

they’d e counting down the days until their e+ecutions.

"ellamy’s stomach clenched as his eyes settled on a second ramp, and !or a moment, he

worried that he’d missed 6cta%ia. "ut it didn’t matter whether he saw her oard. They’d

e reunited soon enough.

"ellamy tugged on the slee%es o! Colton’s uni!orm. &t arely !it, ut so !ar none o! the

other guards seemed to notice. They were !ocused on the ottom o! the ramp, where

Chancellor aha was speaking to the passengers.

'5ou ha%e t

"ellamy arely suppressed a snort. The Chancellor had some ner%e to stand there,

spewing whate%er ullshit helped him sleep at night.

'e’ll e monitoring your progress %ery closely, in order to keep you sa!e,* the

Chancellor continued as the ne+t ten prisoners !iled down the ramp, accompanied y a

guard who ga%e the Chancellor a crisp salute e!ore depositing his charges in the

dropship and retreating ack up to stand in the hallway. "ellamy searched the crowd !or2uke, the only aldenite he knew who hadn’t turned into a total prick a!ter ecoming a

guard. "ut there were !ewer than a do3en guards on the launch deckB the Council had

clearly decided that secrecy was more important than security.

He tried not to tap his !eet with impatience as the line o! prisoners proceeded down the

ramp. &! he was caught posing as a guard, the list o! in!ractions would e endless? riery,

lackmail, identity the!t, conspiracy, and whate%er else the Council !elt like adding to the

mi+. And since he was twenty, there’d e no Con!inement !or himB within twenty#!our

hours o! his sentencing, he’d e dead.

"ellamy’s chest tightened as a !amiliar red hair rion appeared at the end o! the hallway,

peeking out !rom a curtain o! glossy lack hair. 6cta%ia.

@or the past ten months, he’d een consumed with agoni3ing worries aout what was

happening to her in Con!inement. as she getting enough to eat- as she !inding ways

to stay occupied- $tay sane- hile Con!inement would e rutal !or anyone, "ellamy



knew that it’d e in!initely worse !or 6.

"ellamy had pretty much raised his younger sister. 6r at least he’d tried. A!ter their

mother’s accident, he and 6cta%ia had een placed under Council care. There was no

precedent !or what to do with silings/with the strict population laws, a couple was

ne%er allowed to ha%e more than one child, and sometimes, they weren’t permitted to

ha%e any at all/and so no one in the Colony understood what it meant to ha%e a rother

or sister. "ellamy and 6cta%ia li%ed in di!!erent group homes !or a numer o! years, ut

"ellamy had always looked out !or her, sneaking her e+tra rations whene%er he

'wandered* into one o! the restricted storage !acilities, con!ronting the tough#talking

older girls who thought it’d e !un to pick on the chuy#cheeked orphan with the ig

lue eyes. "ellamy worried aout her constantly. The kid was special, and he’d do

anything to gi%e her a chance at a di!!erent li!e. Anything to make up !or what she’d had

to endure.

As 6cta%ia’s guard led her onto the ramp, "ellamy suppressed a smile. hile the other

kids shu!!led passi%ely along as their escorts led them toward the dropship, it was clear

6cta%ia was the one setting the pace. $he mo%ed delierately, !orcing her guard to

shorten his stride as she sauntered down the ramp. $he actually looked etter than the last

time he’d seen her. He supposed it made sense. $he’d een sentenced to !our years in

Con!inement, until a retrial on her eighteenth irthday that would %ery well lead to her

e+ecution. 9ow she was eing gi%en a second chance at a li!e. And "ellamy was going to

make damn sure she got it.

He didn’t care what he had to do. He was going to Earth with her.

The Chancellor’s %oice oomed o%er the clamor o! !ootsteps and ner%ous whispers. He

still held himsel! like a soldier, ut his years on the Council had gi%e whcil hadn him a

politician’s gloss. '9o one in the Colony knows what you are aout to do, ut i! you

succeed, we will all owe you our li%es. & know that you’ll do your %ery est on ehal! o!

yoursel%es, your !amilies, e%eryone aoard this ship? the entire human race.*

hen 6cta%ia’s ga3e settled on "ellamy, her mouth !ell open in surprise. He could see

her mind race to make sense o! the situation. They oth knew he’d ne%er e selected as a

guard, which meant that he had to e there as an impostor. "ut =ust as she egan to mouth

a warning, the Chancellor turned to address the prisoners who were still coming down the

ramp. 6cta%ia reluctantly turned her head, ut "ellamy could see the tension in her

shoulders.

His heart sped up as the Chancellor !inished his remarks and motioned !or the guards to

!inish loading the passengers. He had to wait !or =ust the right moment. &! he acted too



soon, there’d e time to haul him out. &! he waited too long, 6cta%ia would e arreling

through space toward a to+ic planet, while he remained to !ace the conseuences o!

disrupting the launch.

@inally, it was 6cta%ia’s turn. $he turned o%er her shoulder and caught his eye, shaking

her head slightly, a clear warning not to do anything stupid.

"ut "ellamy had een doing stupid things his whole li!e, and he had no intention o!

stopping now.

The Chancellor nodded at a woman in a lack uni!orm. $he turned to the control panel

ne+t to the dropship and started pressing a series o! uttons. 2arge numers egan

!lashing on the screen.

The countdown had egun.

He had three minutes to get past the door, down the ramp, and onto the dropship, or else

lose his sister !ore%er.

As the !inal passengers loaded, the mood in the room shi!ted. The guards ne+t to "ellamy

rela+ed and egan talking uietly among themsel%es. Across the deck on the other ramp,

someone let out an ono+ious snort.

>?8F >?8GF >?8F

"ellamy !elt a tide o! anger rise within him, momentarily o%erpowering his ner%es. How

could these assholes laugh when his sister and ninety#nine other kids were eing sent on

what might e a suicide mission-

>?(>F >?(1F >?(7F

The woman y the control panel smiled and whispered something to the Chancellor, ut

he scowled and turned away.

The real guards had egun trudging ack up and were !iling into the hallway. Either they

thought they had etter things to do than witness humanity’s !irst attempt to return to

Earth, or they thought the ancient dropship was going to e+plode and were headed to

sa!ety.

>?18F >?1(F >?1>F



"ellamy took a deep reath. &t was time.

He sho%ed his way through the crowd and slipped ehind a stocky guard whose holster

was strapped carelessly to his elt, lea%ing the handle o! the gun e+posed. "ellamy

snatched the weapon and charged down the loading ramp.

"e!ore anyone knew what was happening, "ellamy =aed his elow into the

Chancellor’s stomach and threw an arm around his neck, securing him in a headlock. The

launch deck e+ploded with shouts and stamping !eet, ut e!ore anyone had time to reach

him, "ellamy placed the arrel o! the gun against the Chancellor’s temple. There was no

way he’d actually shoot the astard, ut the guards needed to think he meant usiness.

1?1>F 1?11F 1?17F

'E%eryone ack up,* "ellamy shouted, tightening his hold. The Chancellor groaned.There was a loud eep, and the !lashing numers changed !rom green to red. 2ess than a

minute le!t. All he had to do was wait until the door to the dropship started to close, then

push the Chancellor out o! the way and duck inside. There wouldn’t e any time to stop

him. '2et me onto the dropship, or &’ll shoot.*

The room !ell silent, sa%e !or the sound o! a do3en guns eing cocked.

&n thirty seconds, he’d either e heading to Earth with 6cta%ia, or ack to alden in a

ody ag.

CHAPTER 8

:lass

:lass had =ust hooked her harness when a !lurry o! shouts rose up. The guards were

closing in around two !igures near the entrance to the dropship. &t was di!!icult to see

through the shi!ting mass o! uni!orms, ut :lass caught a !lash o! suit slee%e, a glimpse

o! gray hair, and the glint o! metal. Then hal! the guards knelt down and raised their guns

to their shoulders, gi%ing :lass an unostructed %iew? The Chancellor was eing held

hostage.

'E%eryone ack up,* the captor yelled, his %oice shaking. He wore a uni!orm, ut he

clearly wasn’t a guard. His hair was !ar longer than regulation length, his =acket !it adly,

and his awkward grip on the gun showed that he’d ne%er een trained to use one.

9o one mo%ed. '& said ack up.*



The numness that had set in during the long walk !rom her cell to the launch deck

melted away like an icy comet passing the sun, lea%ing a !aint trail o! hope in its wake.

$he didn’t elong here. $he couldn’t pretend they were aout to head o!! on some historic

ad%enture. The moment the dropship detached !rom the ship, :lass’s heart would start to

reak. This is my chance, she thought suddenly, e+citement and terror shooting through

her.

:lass unhooked her harness and sprang to her !eet. A !ew other prisoners noticed, ut

most were caught up watching the drama un!olding atop the ramp. $he dashed to the !ar

side o! the dropship, where another ramp led ack up to the loading deck.

'&’m going with them,* the oy shouted as he took a step ackward toward the door,

dragging the Chancellor with him. '&’m going with my sister.*

A stunned silence !ell o%er the launch deck. $ister. The word echoed in :lass’s head ut e!ore she had time to process its signi!icance, a !amiliar %oice pulled her !rom her

thoughts.

'2et him go.*

:lass glanced at the ack o! the dropship and !ro3e, momentarily stunned y the sight o!

her est !riend’s !ace. 6! course, she’d heard the ridiculous rumors that ells had een

Con!ined, ut hadn’t gi%en them a second thought. hat was he doing here- As she

stared at ells’s gray eyes, which were trained intently on his !ather, the answer came to

her? He must ha%e tried to !ollow Clarke. ells would do anything to protect the peoplehe cared aout, most o! all Clarke.

And then there was a dea!ening crack/a gunshot-/and something inside o! her

snapped. ithout stopping to think, to reathe, she dashed through the door and egan

sprinting up the ramp. @ighting the urge to look ack o%er her shoulder, :lass kept her

head down and ran as !ast as she’d e%er run in her $hetli!e.

$he’d chosen =ust the right moment. @or a !ew seconds, the guards stood still, as i! the

re%ereration !rom the gunshot had locked their =oints in place.

Then they caught sight o! her.

'Prisoner on the runI* one o! them shouted, and the others uickly turned in her

direction. The !lash o! mo%ement acti%ated the instincts drilled into their rains during

training. &t didn’t matter that she was a se%enteen#year#old girl. They’d een programmed

to look past the !lowing lond hair and wide lue eyes that had always made people want



to protect :lass. All they saw was an escaped con%ict.

:lass threw hersel! through the door, ignoring the angry shouts that rose up in her wake.

$he hurtled down the passageway that led ack to Phoeni+, her chest hea%ing, her reath

coming in ragged gasps. '5ouI $top right thereI* a guard shouted, his !ootsteps echoing

ehind her, ut she didn’t pause. &! she ran !ast enough, and i! the luck that had een

eluding her all her li!e made a !inal, last#minute appearance, maye she could see 2uke

one last time. And maye, =ust maye, she could get him to !orgi%e her.

:asping, :lass staggered down a passageway ordered y unmarked doors. Her right

knee uckled, and she graed on to the wall to catch hersel!. The corridor was eginning

to grow lurry. $he turned her head and could =ust make out the shape o! an air %ent.

:lass hooked her !ingers under one o! the slats and pulled. 9othing happened. ith a

groan, she pulled again and !elt the metal grate gi%e. $he yanked it open, re%ealing a

dark, narrow tunnel !ull o! ancient#looking pipes.

:lass pulled hersel! onto the small ledge, then scooted along on her stomach until there

was room to ring her knees up to her chest. The metal !elt cool against her urning skin.

ith her last milligram o! strength, she crept deeper into the tunnel and closed the %ent

ehind her. $he strained her ears !or signs o! pursuit, ut there was no more shouting, no

more !ootsteps, only the desperate thud o! her heart.

:lass linked in the near darkness, taking stock o! where she was. The cramped space

e+tended straight in oth directions, thick with dust. &t had to e one o! the original air

sha!ts, !rom e!ore the Colony uilt their new air circulation and !iltration systems. :lasshad no idea where it would lead, ut she was out o! options. $he started to crawl !orward.

A!ter what !elt like hours, her knees num and her hands urning, she reached a !ork in

the tunnel. &! her sense o! direction was right, then the tunnel on the le!t would lead to

Phoeni+, and the other would run parallel to the skyridge/onto alden, and toward

2uke.

2uke, the oy she lo%ed, who she’d een !orced to aandon all those months ago. ho

she’d spent e%ery night in Con!inement thinking aout, so desperate !or his touch that

she’d almost !elt the pressure o! his arms around her.

$he took a deep reath and turned to the right, not knowing i! she was headed toward

!reedom or certain death.

Ten minutes later, :lass slid uietly out o! the %ent and lowered hersel! to the !loor. $he

took a step !orward and coughed as a plume o! dust swirled around her !ace, sticking to



her sweaty skin. $he was in some kind o! storage space.

As her eyes ad=usted to the darkness, shapes egan to materiali3e on the wall/writing,

:lass reali3ed. $he took another !ew steps !orward, and her eyes widened. There were

messages car%ed into the walls.

Rest in peace

&n memoriam

@rom the stars to the hea%ens

$he was on the uarantine deck, the oldest section o! alden. As nuclear and iological

war threatened to destroy Earth, space had een the only option !or those lucky enough to

sur%i%e the !irst stages o! the Cataclysm. "ut some in!ected sur%i%ors !ought their wayonto the transport pods/only to !ind themsel%es arred !rom Phoeni+, le!t to die on

alden. 9ow, whene%er there was the slightest threat o! illness, anyone in!ected was

uarantined, kept !ar !rom the rest o! the Colony’s %ulnerale population/the last o! the

human race.

:lass shi%ered as she mo%ed uickly toward the door, praying that it hadn’t rusted shut.

To her relie!, she was ale to wrench it open and egan dashing down the corridor. $he

peeled o!! her sweat#soaked =acketB in her white T#shirt and prison#issue pants, she could

pass !or a worker, someone on sanitation duty, perhaps. $he glanced down ner%ously at

the racelet on her wrist. $he wasn’t sure whether it would work on the ship, or i! it wasonly meant to transmit data !rom Earth. Either way, she needed to !igure out a way to get

it o!! as soon as possile. E%en i! she a%oided the passages with retina scanners, e%ery

guard in the Colony would e on the lookout !or her.

Her only hope was that they’d e e+pecting her to run ack to Phoeni+. They’d ne%er

guess that she would come here. $he climed up the main alden stairwell until she

reached the entrance to 2uke’s residential unit. $he turned into his hallway and slowed

down, wiping her sweaty hands on her pants, suddenly more ner%ous than she’d een on

the dropship.

$he couldn’t imagine what he’d say, the look he’d gi%e her when he saw her on his

doorstep a!ter her disappearance more than nine months earlier.

"ut maye he wouldn’t ha%e to say anything. Perhaps, as soon as he saw her, as soon as

the words egan to pour out o! her mouth, he would silence her with a kiss, relying on his

lips to tell her that e%erything was okay. That she was !orgi%en.



:lass glanced o%er her shoulder and then slipped out the door. $he didn’t think anyone

had seen her, ut she had to e care!ul. &t was incredily rude to lea%e a Partnering

Ceremony e!ore the !inal lessing, ut :lass didn’t think she’d e ale to spend another

minute sitting ne+t to Cassius, with his dirty mind and e%en !ouler reath. His wandering

hands reminded :lass o! Carter, 2uke’s two#!aced roommate whose creepiness only

slithered out o! the darkness when 2uke was out on guard duty.

:lass climed the stairs toward the oser%ation deck, taking care to li!t the hem o! her

gown with each step. &t’d een !oolish to waste so many ration points collecting the

materials !or the dress, a piece o! tarp that she’d painstakingly sewn into a sil%er slip. &t

!elt utterly worthless without 2uke there to see her in it.

$he hated spending the e%ening with other oys, ut her mother re!used to let :lass e

seen at a social e%ent without a date, and as !ar as she knew, her daughter was single. $hecouldn’t understand why :lass hadn’t 'snatched up* ells. 9o matter how many times

:lass e+plained that she didn’t ha%e those types o! !eelings !or him, her mother sighed

and muttered aout not letting some adly dressed scientist girl steal him away. "ut :lass

was happy that ells had !allen !or the eauti!ul i! slightly o%erserious Clarke :ri!!in.

$he only wished she could p hd she ctell her mother the truth? that she was in lo%e with a

handsome, rilliant oy who could ne%er escort her to a concert or a Partnering

Ceremony.

';ay & ha%e this dance-*

:lass gasped and spun around. As her eyes locked with a !amiliar pair o! rown ones, her

!ace roke into a wide smile. 'hat are you doing here-* she whispered, looking around

to make sure they were alone.

'& couldn’t let those Phoeni+ oys ha%e you all to themsel%es,* 2uke said, taking a step

ack to admire her dress. '9ot when you look like this.*

'4o you know how much troule you’ll get in i! they catch you-*

'2et them try to keep up.* He wrapped his arms around :lass’s waist, and as the music

!rom downstairs swelled, he spun her through the air.

'Put me downI* :lass hal! whispered, hal! laughed as she play!ully hit his shoulder.

'&s that how young ladies are taught to address gentlemen admirers-* he asked, using a

terrile, !ake Phoeni+ accent.



'Come on,* she said, giggling as she graed his hand. '5ou really shouldn’t e here.*

2uke stopped and pulled her to him. 'here%er you are is where &’m supposed to e.*

'&t’s too risky,* she said so!tly, ringing her !ace up to his.

He grinned. 'Then we etter make sure it’s worth our while.* He placed his hand ehind

her head and rought his lips to hers.

:lass raised her hand to knock a second time when the door opened. Her heart skipped a

eat.

There he was, his sandy hair and deep#rown eyes e+actly as she rememered them,

e+actly as they’d appeared in her dreams e%ery night in Con!inement. His eyes widenedin surprise.

'2uke,* she reathed, all the emotion o! the past nine months threatening to reak

through. $he was desperate to tell him what had happened, why she’d roken up with

him and then disappeared. That she’d spent e%ery minute o! the nightmarish last si+

months thinking o! him. That she ne%er stopped lo%ing him. '2uke,* she said again, a tear

sliding down her cheek. A!ter the countless times she’d roken down in her cell,

whispering his name in etween sos, it !elt surreal to say it to him.

"ut e!ore she had a chance to gra hold o! any o! the words !litting through her mind,another !igure appeared in the door, a girl with wa%y red hair.

':lass-*

:lass tried to smile at Camille, 2uke’s childhood !riend, a girl who’d een as close to him

as :lass was to ells. And now she was hereF in 2uke’s !lat. 6! course, :lass thought

with a strained kind o! itterness. $he’d always wondered i! there was more to their

relationship than 2uke had admitted.

'ould you like to come in-* Camille asked with e+aggerated politeness. $he wrapped

her hand around 2uke’s, ut :lass !elt as i! Camille’s !ingers had plunged into her heart

instead. hile :lass had spent moneatad spenths in Con!inement pining !or 2uke until

his asence !elt like a physical ache, he’d mo%ed on to someone else.

'9oF no, that’s okay,* :lass said, her %oice hoarse. E%en i! she managed to !ind the

words, it would e impossile to tell 2uke the truth now. $eeing them together made it all



the more ridiculous that she’d come so !ar/risked so much/to see a oy who had

already mo%ed on.

'& =ust came to say hello.*

'5ou came to say hello-* 2uke repeated. 'A!ter almost a year o! ignoring my messages,

you thought you’d =ust drop y-* He wasn’t e%en trying to hide his anger, and Camille

dropped his hand. Her smile hardened into a grimace.

'& know. &’m/&’m sorry. &’ll lea%e you two alone.*

'hat’s really going on-* 2uke asked, e+changing a look with Camille that made :lass

!eel oth desperately !oolish and terrily alone.

'9othing,* :lass said uickly, trying and !ailing to keep her %oice !rom tremling. '&’lltalk to youF &’ll see youF* $he cut hersel! o!! with a weak smile and took a deep

reath, ignoring her ody’s !urious plea to stay close to him.

"ut =ust as she turned, she saw a !lash o! a guard uni!orm out o! the corner o! her %ision.

$he inhaled sharply and turned her !ace as the guard passed.

2uke pressed his lips together as he looked at something =ust eyond :lass’s head. He

was reading a message on his cornea slip, :lass reali3ed. And !rom the way his =aw was

tightening, she got the sickening sense it was aout her.

His eyes widened with understanding, and then horror. ':lass,* he said hoarsely. '5ouwere Con!ined.* &t wasn’t a uestion. :lass nodded.

He shi!ted his ga3e ack to :lass !or a moment, then sighed and reached out to place his

hand on her ack. $he could !eel the pressure o! his !ingers through the !aric o! her thin

T#shirt, and despite her an+iety, her skin thrilled at his touch. 'Come on,* he said, pulling

her toward him. Camille stepped to the side, looking annoyed, as :lass stumled into the

!lat. 2uke uickly shut the door ehind them.

The small li%ing area was dark/2uke and Camille had een inside with the lights o!!.

:lass tried to push the implications o! that !act out o! her head as she watched Camille sit

down in the armchair that 2uke’s great#grandmother had !ound at the E+change. :lass

shi!ted uncom!ortaly, unsure whether to take a seat. "eing 2uke’s e+#girl!riend

somehow !elt odder than eing an escaped con%ict. $he’d had si+ months in Con!inement

to come to terms with her criminal record, ut :lass had ne%er imagined what it would e

like to stand in this !lat !eeling like a stranger.



'How did you escape-* he asked.

:lass paused. $he had spent all her time in Con!inement imagining what she would say

to 2uke i! she e%er got the chance to see him again. And now she had !inally made her

way ack to him, and all the speeches she’d practiced !elt !limsy and sel!ish. He was

doing !ineB she could see that now. hy should she tell him the truth, e+cept to win him

ack and make hersel! !eel less alone- And so, in a shaky %oice, :lass uickly told him

aout the hundred and their secret mission, the hostage situation, and the chase.

'"ut & still don’t understand.* 2uke shot a glance o%er his shoulder at Camille, who had

gi%en up pretending that she wasn’t paying attention. 'hy were you Con!ined in the

!irst place-*

:lass looked away, unale to meet his eyesmleet his as her rain raced !or an

e+planation. $he couldn’t tell him, not now, not when he’d mo%ed on. 9ot when it was soo%ious he didn’t !eel the same way !or her.

'& can’t talk aout it,* she said uietly. '5ou wouldn’t underst/*

'&t’s !ine.* 2uke cut her o!! sharply. '5ou’%e made it clear that there are lots o! things &

can’t understand.*

@or the rie!est o! moments, :lass wished she’d stayed on the dropship with Clarke and

ells. Although she was standing ne+t

to the oy she lo%ed, she couldn’t imagine !eeling any lonelier on the aandoned Earth

than she did right now.

CHAPTER

Clarke

@or the !irst ten minutes, the prisoners were too rattled y the shooting to notice that they

were !loating through space, the only humans to lea%e the Colony in almost three

hundred years. The rogue guard had gotten what he wanted. He’d pushed the

Chancellor’s limp ody !orward =ust as the dropship door was closing, and then stumled

into a seat. "ut !rom the shocked e+pression on his pale !ace, Clarke gathered that gun!ire

had ne%er een part o! the plan.

5et !or Clarke, watching the Chancellor get shot was less alarming than what she’d seen

in the moments e!orehand.



ells was on the dropship.

hen he’d !irst appeared in the door, she’d een sure it was a hallucination. The chance

o! her losing her mind in solitary was in!initely higher than the chance o! the

Chancellor’s son ending up in Con!inement. $he’d een shocked enough when, a month

a!ter her own sentencing, ells’s est !riend, :lass, had appeared in the cell down the

row !rom her. And now ells, too- &t seemed impossile, ut there was no denying it.

$he’d watched him =ump to his !eet during the stando!!, then crumple ack into his seat

as the real guard’s gun went o!! and the imposter urst through the door, co%ered in

lood. @or a moment, an old instinct ga%e her the urge to run o%er and com!ort ells. "ut

something much hea%ier than her harness kept her !eet rooted to the !loor. "ecause o!

him, she’d watched her parents e dragged o!! to the e+ecution chamer. hate%er pain

he was !eeling was no less than he deser%ed.

'Clarke.*

$he glanced to the side and saw Thalia grinning at her !rom a !ew rows ahead. Her old

cell mate twisted in her seat, the only person in the dropship not staring at the guard.

4espite the grim circumstances, Clarke couldn’t help smiling ack. Thalia had that e!!ect.

&n the days a!ter Clarke’s arrest and her parents’ e+ecution, when her grie! !elt so hea%y it

was di!!icult to reathe, Thalia had actually made Clarke laugh with her impression o! the

cocky guard whose shu!!le turned into a strut whene%er he thought the girls were looking

at him.

'&s that him-* Thalia mouthed now, tilting her head toward ells. Thalia was the only

person who knew e%erything/not =ust aout Clarke’s parents, ut the unspeakale thing

that Clarke had done.

Clarke shook her head to signal that now wasn’t the time to talk aout it. Thalia motioned

again. Clarke started to tell her to knock it o!! when the main thrusters roared to li!e,

shaking the words !rom her lips.

&t had really happened. @or the !irst time in centuries, humans had le!t the Colony. $he

glanced at the other passengers and saw asithat they had all gone uiet as well, a

spontaneous moment o! silence !or the world they were lea%ing ehind.

"ut the solemnity didn’t last long. @or the ne+t twenty minutes, the dropship was !illed

with the ner%ous, o%ere+cited chatter o! a hundred people who, until a !ew hours ago, had

ne%er e%en thought aout going to Earth. Thalia tried to shout something to Clarke, ut

her words were lost in the din.



The only con%ersation Clarke could !ollow was that o! the two girls in !ront o! her, who

were arguing o%er the likelihood o! the air on Earth eing reathale. '&’d rather drop

dead right away than spend days eing slowly poisoned,* one said grimly.

Clarke sort o! agreed, ut she kept her mouth shut. There was no point in speculating.

The trip to Earth would e short/in =ust a !ew more minutes, they’d know their !ate.

Clarke looked out the windows, which were now !illing with ha3y gray clouds. The

dropship =erked suddenly, and the u33 o! con%ersation ga%e way to a !lurry o! gasps.

'&t’s okay,* ells shouted, speaking !or the !irst time since the doors closed. 'There’s

supposed to e turulence when we enter Earth’s atmosphere.* "ut his words were

o%erpowered y the shrieks !illing the cain.

The shaking increased, !ollowed y a strange hum. Clarke’s harness dug into her stomach

as her ody lurched !rom side to side, then up and down, then side to side again. $he

gagged as a rancid odor !illed her nose, and she reali3ed that the girl in !ront o! her had

%omited. Clarke suee3ed her eyes shut and tried to stay calm. E%erything was !ine. &t’d

all e o%er in a minute.

The hum ecame a piercing wail, punctuated y a sickening crush. Clarke opened her

eyes and saw that the windows had cracked and were no longer !ull o! gray.

They were !ull o! !lames.

"its o! white#hot metal egan raining down on them. Clarke raised her arms to protect

her head, ut she could still !eel the deris scorching her neck.

The dropship shook e%en harder, and with a roar, part o! the ceiling tore o!!. There was a

dea!ening crash !ollowed y a thud that sent ripples o! pain through e%ery one in her

ody.

As suddenly as it egan, it was all o%er.

The cain was dark and silent. $moke illowed out o! a hole where the control panel had

een, and the air grew thick with the smell o! melting metal, sweat, and lood.

Clarke winced as she wiggled her !ingers and toes. &t hurt, ut nothing seemed to e

roken. $he unhooked her harness and rose shakily to her !eet, holding on to the scorched

seat !or alance.



;ost people were still strapped in, ut a !ew were slumped o%er the sides or sprawled on

the !loor. Clarke suinted as she scanned the rows !or Thalia, her heart speeding up each

time her eyes landed on another empty seat. A terri!ying reali3ation cut through the

con!usion in Clarke’s mind. $ome o! the passengers had een thrown outside during the

crash.

Clarke limped !orward, gritting her teeth at the pain that shot up her leg. $he reached the

door and pulled as hard as she could. $he took a deep reath and slipped through the

opening.

@or a moment, she was aware o! only colors, not shapes. $tripes o! lue, green, and

rown so %irant her rain couldn’t process them. A gust o! wind passed o%er her, making

her skin tingle and !looding her nose with scents Clarke couldn’t egin to identi!y. At

!irst, all she could see were the trees. There were hundreds o! themhitreds o!, as i! e%erytree on the planet had come to welcome them ack to Earth. Their enormous ranches

were li!ted in celeration toward the sky, which was a =oy!ul lue. The ground stretched

out in all directions/ten times !arther than the longest deck on the ship. The amount o!

space was almost inconcei%ale, and Clarke suddenly !elt light#headed, as i! she were

aout to !loat away.

$he ecame %aguely aware o! %oices ehind her and turned to see a !ew o! the others

emerge !rom the dropship. '&t’s eauti!ul,* a dark#skinned girl whispered as she reached

down to run her tremling hand along the shiny green lades o! grass.

A short, stocky oy took a !ew shaky steps !orward. The gra%itational pull on the Colony

was meant to mimic Earth’s, ut !aced with the real thing it was clear they hadn’t gotten

it uite right. 'E%erything’s !ine,* the oy said, his %oice a mi+ture o! relie! and

con!usion. 'e could’%e come ack ages ago.*

'5ou don’t know that,* the girl replied. 'ust ecause we can reathe now, doesn’t mean

the air isn’t to+ic.* $he twisted around to !ace him and held her wrist up, gesturing with

her racelet. 'The Council didn’t gi%e us these as =ewelry. They want to see what happens

to us.*

A smaller girl ho%ering ne+t to the dropship whimpered as she pulled her =acket up o%er

her mouth.

'5ou can reathe normally,* Clarke told her, looking around to see i! Thalia had emerged

yet. $he wished she had something more reassuring to say, ut there was no way to tell

how much radiation was still in the atmosphere. All they could do was wait and hope.



'e’ll e ack soon,* her !ather said as he slipped his long arms into a suit =acket Clarke

had ne%er seen e!ore. He walked o%er to the couch where she was curled up with her

talet and ru!!led her hair. '4on’t stay out too late. They’%e een strict aout cur!ew

lately. $ome troule on alden, & think.*

'&’m not going anywhere,* Clarke said, gesturing toward her are !eet and the surgical

pants she wore to sleep. @or the most !amous scientist in the Colony, her !ather’s

deducti%e reasoning le!t something to e desired. Although he spent so much time

wrapped up in his research, it was unlikely he’d e%en know that scrus weren’t currently

considered high !ashion among si+teen#year#old girls.

'Either way, it’d e est i! you stayed out o! the la,* he said with calculated

carelessness, as i! the thought had only =ust crossed his mind. &n !act, he’d said this aout

!i%e times a day since they’d mo%ed into their new !lat. The Council had appro%ed theirreuest !or a customi3ed pri%ate laoratory, as her parents’ new pro=ect reuired them to

monitor e+periments throughout the night.

'& promise,* Clarke told them with e+aggerated patience.

'&t’s =ust that it’s dangerous to get near the radioacti%e materials,* her mother called out

!rom where she stood in !ront o! the mirror, !i+ing her hair. 'Especially without the

proper euipment.*

Clarke repeated her promise until they le!t and she was !inally ale to return to her talet,though she couldn’t help wondering idly what :lass and her !riends would say i! they

knew that Clarke was spending @riday night working on an essay. Clarke was normally

indi!!erent toward her Earth 2iteratures tutorial, ut this assignment had piuew ent

haded her interest. &nstead o! another predictale paper on the changing %iew o! nature in

pre#Cataclysmic poetry, their tutor had asked them to compare and contrast the %ampire

cra3es in the nineteenth and twenty#!irst centuries.

5et while the reading was interesting, she must ha%e do3ed o!! at some point, ecause

when she sat up, the circadian lights had dimmed and the li%ing space was a =umle o!

un!amiliar shadows. $he stood up and was aout to head to her edroom when a strange

sound pierced the silence. Clarke !ro3e. &t almost sounded like screaming. $he !orced

hersel! to take a deep reath. $he should ha%e known etter than to read aout %ampires

e!ore ed.

Clarke turned around and started walking down the hallway, ut then another sound rang

out/a shriek that sent shi%ers down her spine.



$top it, Clarke scolded hersel!. $he’d ne%er make it as a doctor i! she let her mind play

tricks on her. $he was =ust unsettled y the un!amiliar darkness in the new !lat. &n the

morning, e%erything would e ack to normal. Clarke wa%ed her palm across the sensor

on her edroom door and was aout to step inside when she heard it again/an anguished

moan.

Her heart thumping, Clarke spun around and walked down the long hallway that led to

the la. &nstead o! a retinal scanner, there was a keypad. Clarke rushed her !ingers o%er

the panel, rie!ly wondering i! she’d e ale to guess the password, then crouched down

and pressed her ear to the door.

The door %irated as another sound u33ed through Clarke’s ear. Her reath caught in her

throat. That’s impossile. "ut when the sound came again, it was e%en clearer.

&t wasn’t =ust a scream o! anguish. &t was a word.

'Please.*

Clarke’s !ingers !lew o%er the keypad as she entered the !irst thing that came to her head?

Pangea. &t was the code her mother used !or her protected !iles. The screen eeped and an

error message appeared. 9e+t she entered Elysium, the name o! the mythical

underground city where, according to edtime stories parents told their children, humans

took re!uge a!ter the Cataclysm. Another error. Clarke tore through her memory,

searching !or words she’d !iled away. Her !ingers ho%ered ao%e the keypad. 2ucy. The

name o! the oldest hominid remains Earthorn archaeologists e%er disco%ered. There wasa series o! low eeps, and the door slid open.

The la was much igger than she’d imagined, larger than their entire !lat, and !illed with

rows o! narrow eds like in the hospital.

Clarke’s eyes widened as they darted !rom one ed to another. Each contained a child.

;ost o! the kids were lying there asleep, hooked up to %arious %ital monitors and &J

stands, though a !ew were propped up y pillows, !iddling with talets in their laps. 6ne

little girl, hardly older than a toddler, sat on the !loor ne+t to her ed, playing with a ratty

stu!!ed ear as clear liuid dripped !rom an &J ag into her arm.

Clarke’s rain raced !or an e+planation. These had to e sick children who reuired

round#the#clock care. ;aye they were su!!ering !rom some rare disease that only her

mothero! y her m knew how to cure, or perhaps her !ather was close to in%enting a new

treatment and needed twenty#!our#hour access. They must’%e known that Clarke would

e curious, ut since the illness was proaly contagious, they’d lied to Clarke to keep



her sa!e.

The same cry that Clarke had heard !rom the !lat came again, this time much louder. $he

!ollowed it to a ed on the other side o! the la.

A girl her own age/one o! the oldest in the room, Clarke reali3ed/was lying on her

ack, dark#lond hair !anned out on the pillow around her heart#shaped !ace. @or a

moment, she =ust stared at Clarke.

'Please,* she said. Her %oice tremled. 'Help me.*

Clarke glanced at the lael on the girl’s %ital monitor. $<"ECT 1>1. 'hat’s your

name-* she asked.

'2illy.*

Clarke stood there awkwardly, ut when 2illy scooted ack on her pillows, Clarke

lowered hersel! to sit on the ed ne+t to her. $he’d =ust started her medical training and

hadn’t interacted with patients yet, ut she knew one o! the most important parts o! eing

a doctor was edside manner. '&’m sure you’ll get to go home soon,* she o!!ered. '6nce

you’re !eeling etter.*

The girl pulled her knees to her chest and uried her head, saying something too mu!!led

!or Clarke to make out.

'hat was that-* she asked. $he glanced o%er her shoulder, wondering why there wasn’t

a nurse or a medical apprentice co%ering !or her parents. &! something happened to one o!

the kids, there’d e no one to help them.

The girl raised her head ut looked away !rom Clarke. $he chewed her lip as the tears in

her eyes receded, lea%ing a haunting emptiness in their wake.

hen she !inally spoke, it was in a whisper. '9o one e%er gets etter.*

Clarke suppressed a shudder. 4iseases were rare on the shipB there hadn’t een any

epidemics since the last outreak they’d uarantined on alden. Clarke looked around

the la !or something to indicate what her parents were treating, and her eyes settled on

an enormous screen on the !ar wall. 4ata !lashed across it, !orming a large graph. $u=ect

(>. Age G. 4ay 1). (.8 :y. Red count. hite count. Respiration. $u=ect ((. Age 11.

4ay >). :y. Red count. hite count. Respiration.



At !irst Clarke thought nothing o! the data. &t made per!ect sense !or her parents to

monitor the %itals o! the sick children in their care. E+cept that :y had nothing to do with

%ital signs. A :ray was a measure o! radiation, a !act she well knew as her parents had

een in%estigating the e!!ects o! radiation e+posure !or years, part o! the ongoing task to

determine when it’d e sa!e !or humans to return to Earth.

Clarke’s ga3e settled on 2illy’s pale !ace as a chilling reali3ation slithered out o! a dark

place in the ack o! Clarke’s mind. $he tried to !orce it ack, ut it coiled around her

denial, su!!ocating all thoughts e+cept a truth so horri!ying, she almost gagged.

Her parents’ research was no longer limited to cell cultures. They’d mo%ed onto human

trials.

Her mother and !ather weren’t curing these children. They were killing them.

They’d landed in some kind o! clearing, an 2#shaped space surrounded y trees.

There weren’t many serious in=uries, ut there were enough to keep Clarke usy. @or

nearly an hour, she used torn =acket slee%es and pant legs as makeshi!t tourniuets, and

ordered the !ew people with roken ones to lie still until she !ound a way to !ashion

splints. Their supplies were scattered across the grass, ut although she’d sent multiple

people to search !or the medicine chest, it hadn’t een reco%ered.

The attered dropship was at the short end o! the clearing, and !or the !irst !i!teen

minutes, the passengers had clustered around the smoldering wreckage, too scared andstunned to mo%e more than a !ew shaky steps. "ut now they’d started milling around.

Clarke hadn’t spotted Thalia, or ells, either, although she wasn’t sure whether that made

her more an+ious or relie%ed. ;aye he was o!! with :lass. Clarke hadn’t seen her on the

dropship, ut she had to e here somewhere.

'How does that !eel-* Clarke asked, returning her attention to wrapping the swollen

ankle o! a pretty, wide#eyed girl with a !rayed red rion in her dark hair.

'"etter,* she said, wiping her nose with her hand, unintentionally smearing lood !rom

the cut on her !ace. Clarke had to !ind real andages and antiseptic. They were all eing

e+posed to germs their odies had ne%er encountered, and the risk o! in!ection was high.

'&’ll e right ack.* Clarke !lashed her a uick smile and rose to her !eet. &! the medicine

chest wasn’t in the clearing, that meant it was proaly still in the dropship. $he hurried

ack to the still#smoking wreck, walking around the perimeter as she searched !or the

sa!est way to get ack inside. Clarke reached the ack o! the ship, which was =ust a !ew



meters !rom the tree line. $he shi%ered. The trees grew so closely together on this side o!

the clearing, their lea%es locked most o! the light, casting intricate shadows on the

ground that scattered when the wind lew.

Her eyes narrowed as they !ocused on something that didn’t mo%e. &t wasn’t a shadow.

A girl was lying on the ground, nestled against the roots o! a tree. $he must ha%e een

thrown out o! the ack o! the dropship during the landing. Clarke lurched !orward, and

!elt a so !orm in her throat as she recogni3ed the girl’s short, curly hair and the

smattering o! !reckles on the ridge o! her nose. Thalia.

Clarke hurried o%er and knelt eside her. "lood was gushing !rom a wound on the side o!

her ris, staining the grass eneath her dark red, as i! the earth itsel! were leeding. Thalia

was reathing, ut her gasps were laored and shallow. '&t’s going to e okay,* Clarke

whispered, graing on to her !riend’s limp hand as the wind rustled ao%e them. '&swear, Thalia, it’s all going to e okay.* &t sounded more like a prayer than a reassurance,

although she wasn’t sure who she was praying to. Humans had aandoned Earth during

its darkest hour. &t wouldn’t care how many died trying to return.

CHAPTER

ells

ells shi%ered in the late a!ternoon chill. &n the !ew hours since they’d landed, the air had

grown colder. He mo%ed closer to the on!ire, ignoring the snide glances o! the Arcadian oys on either side o! him. E%ery night he’d spent in Con!inement, he’d !allen asleep

dreaming aout arri%ing on Earth with Clarke. "ut instead o! holding her hand while they

ga3ed at the planet in wonder, he’d spent the day sorting through urned supplies and

trying to !orget the e+pression that crossed Clarke’s !ace when she spotted him. He hadn’t

e+pected her to throw her arms around him, ut nothing could’%e prepared him !or the

look o! pure loathing in her eyes.

'Think your !ather kicked the ucket already-* a alden oy a !ew years younger than

ells asked as the kids around him snickered. ells’s chest tightened, ut he !orced

himsel! to stay calm. He could take one or two o! the little punks without reaking a

sweat. He’d een the undisputed champion o! the hand#to#hand comat course during

o!!icer training. "ut there was only one o! him and ninety#!i%e o! them/ninety#si+ i! you

counted Clarke, who was argualy less o! a ells !an than anyone on the planet at the

moment.

As they’d loaded onto the dropship, he’d een dismayed not to see :lass there. To the



shock o! e%eryone on Phoeni+, :lass had een Con!ined not long a!ter Clarke, though no

matter how many times he pressed his !ather, ells had ne%er disco%ered what she’d

done. He wished he knew why she hadn’t een selected !or the mission. Although he tried

to con%ince himsel! that she could’%e een pardoned, it was !ar more likely that she was

still in Con!inement, counting down the days until her !ast#approaching eighteenth

irthday. The thought made his stomach twist.

'& wonder i! Chancellor unior thinks he gets !irst dis on all the !ood-* asked an

Arcadian oy whose pockets were ulging with nutrition packs he’d collected during the

mad scramle a!ter the crash. @rom what ells could see, it looked like they’d een sent

down with less than a month’s worth o! !ood, which would disappear uickly i! people

kept pocketing e%erything they !ound. "ut that couldn’t e possile/there had to e

more in a container somewhere. They would come across it once they !inished sorting

through the wreckage.

'6r i! he e+pects us to make his ed !or him.* A petite girl with a scar on her !orehead

smirked.

ells ignored them, looking up at the endless stretch o! deep#lue sky. &t really was

astonishing. E%en though he’d seen photographs, he had ne%er imagined the color would

e uite so %i%id. &t was strange to think that a lanket o! lue/made o! nothing more

sustantial than nitrogen crystals and re!racted light/separated him !rom the sea o! stars

and the only world he’d e%er known. He !elt his chest ache !or the three kids who hadn’t

sur%i%ed long enough to see these sights. Their odies lay on the other side o! the

dropship.

'"eds-* a oy said with a snort. '5ou tell me where we’ll !ind a ed in this place.*

'$o where the hell are we supposed to sleep-* the girl with the scar asked, looking

around the clearing as i! she e+pected sleeping uarters to magically appear.

ells cleared his throat. '6ur supplies included tents. e =ust need to !inish sorting

through the containers and collect all the pieces. &n the meantime, we should send a !ew

scouts to look !or water so we know where to set up camp.*

The girl made a show o! glancing !rom side to side. 'This looks good to me,* she said,

prompting more snickers.

ells tried to !or C tring e%erce himsel! to stay calm. 'The thing is, i! we’re near a stream

or a lake, it’ll e easier to/*

'6h, good.* A low %oice cut him o!!. '&’m =ust in time !or the lecture.* ells glanced to



the side and saw a oy named :raham walking toward them. Aside !rom ells and

Clarke, he was the only other person !rom Phoeni+, yet :raham appeared to know most

o! the aldenites and Arcadians y name, and they all treated him with a surprising

amount o! respect. ells didn’t want to imagine what he’d had to do to earn it.

'& wasn’t lecturing anyone. &’m =ust trying to keep us ali%e.*

:raham raised an eyerow. 'That’s interesting, considering that your !ather keeps

sentencing our !riends to death. "ut don’t worry, & know you’re on our side.* He grinned

at ells. '&sn’t that right-*

ells glanced at him warily, then ga%e a curt nod. '6! course.*

'$o,* :raham went on, his !riendly tone at odds with the hostile glint in his eyes, 'what

was your in!raction-*

'That’s not a %ery polite uestion, is it-* ells tried !or what he hoped was a cryptic

smile.

'&’m so sorry.* :raham’s !ace took on an e+pression o! mock horror. '5ou ha%e to

!orgi%e me. 5ou see, when you’%e spent the past 8G days o! your li!e locked in the

ottom o! the ship, you tend to !orget what’s considered polite con%ersation on Phoeni+.*

'8G days-* ells repeated. '& guess we can assume you weren’t Con!ined !or

miscounting the hers you proaly stole !rom the storehouse.*

'9o,* :raham said, taking a step toward ells. '& wasn’t.* The crowd !ell silent, and

ells could see a !ew people shi!ting uncom!ortaly while others leaned in eagerly. '&

was Con!ined !or murder.*

Their eyes locked. ells kept his e+pression care!ully de%oid o! emotion, re!using to gi%e

:raham the satis!action o! seeing the shock on his !ace. '6h-* he said carelessly. 'ho’d

you kill-*

:raham smiled coldly. '&! you’d spent any time with the rest o! us, you’d know that that

isn’t considered a %ery polite uestion.* There was a moment o! tense silence e!ore

:raham switched gears. '"ut & already know what you did anyway. hen the

Chancellor’s son gets locked up, word tra%els !ast. @igures you wouldn’t !ess up. "ut now

that we’re ha%ing a nice little chat, maye you can tell us e+actly what we’re doing down

here. ;aye you can e+plain why so many o! our !riends keep getting e+ecuted a!ter their

retrials.* :raham was still smiling, ut his tone had grown low and dangerous. 'And why



now- hat made your !ather decide to send us down all o! a sudden-*

His !ather. All day, asored in the newness o! eing on Earth, ells had almost een

ale to con%ince himsel! that the scene on the launch deck/the sharp sound o! the

gunshot, the lood looming like a dark !lower on his !ather’s chest/had een a

terri!ying dream.

'6! course he’s not going to tell us,* :raham sco!!ed. 'Are you, soldier-* he added with

a mock salute.

The Arcadians and aldenites who’d een watching :raham turned eagerly to ells, the

intensity o! their ga3es making his skin prickle. 6! course, he knew what was going on.

hy so many kids were eing e+ecuted on their eighteenth irthdays !or crimes that

might ha%e een pardoned in the past. hy the mission had een hastily thrown together

and put in motion e!ore there’d een time to plan properly.

He knew etter than anyone, ecause it was all his !ault.

'hen will we get to go home-* asked a oy who didn’t look much older than twel%e.

ells !elt an une+pected pang o! pity !or the rokenhearted mother who was still

somewhere on the ship. $he had no idea that her son had een hurtled through space onto

a planet the human race had le!t !or dead.

'e are home,* ells said, !orcing as much sincerity as he could into the words.

&! he said it enough times, perhaps he’d start to elie%e it himsel!.

He’d almost skipped the concert that year. &t had always een his !a%orite e%ent, the one

e%ening musical relics were taken out o! their o+ygen#!ree preser%ation chamers.

atching the per!ormers, who spent most o! their time practicing on simulators, coa+

notes and chords out o! the relics was like witnessing a resurrection. Car%ed and welded

y long#dead hands, the only instruments le!t in the uni%erse produced the same soaring

melodies that had once echoed through the concert halls o! ruined ci%ili3ations. 6nce a

year, Eden Hall was !illed with music that had outlasted humanity’s tenure on Earth.

"ut as ells entered the hall, a large, o%al room ordered y a cur%ed panoramic

window, the grie! that had een dri!ting through his ody !or the past week solidi!ied in

his stomach. He normally !ound the %iew incredily eauti!ul, ut that night the glittering

stars that surrounded the cloud#shrouded Earth reminded him o! candles at a %igil. His

mother had lo%ed music.



&t was crowded as usual, with most o! Phoeni+ u33ing around e+citedly. ;any o! the

women were eager to deut new dresses, an e+pensi%e and potentially maddening !eat

depending on what sort o! te+tile scraps you !ound at the E+change. He took a !ew steps

!orward, sending a ripple o! whispers and knowing glances through the crowd.

ells tried to !ocus on the !ront o! the room where the musicians were gathering under

the tree !or which Eden Hall was named. The legend was that the sapling had

miraculously sur%i%ed the urning o! 9orth America and had een carried onto Phoeni+

right e!ore the E+odus. 9ow it reached to the %ery top o! the hall, its slender ranches

stretching out more than ten meters in each direction, creating a canopy o! lea%es that

partially oscured the per!ormers with a %eil o! green#tinged shadows.

'&s that the Chancellor’s son-* a woman ehind him asked. A new wa%e o! heat rose to

his already !lushed cheeks. He’d ne%er grown immune to the comet tail o! doule takes

and curious glances he dragged ehind him, ut tonight it !elt unearale.

He turned and started walking toward the door, ut !ro3e as a hand graed his arm. He

spun around and saw Clarke gi%ing him a ui33ical look. 'here are you running o!!

to-*

ells smiled grimly. 'Turns out &’m not in the mood !or music.*

Clarke looked at him !or a moment, then slipped her hand into his. '$tay. As a !a%or to

me.* $he led him toward two empty seats in the ack row. '& need you to tell me what

we’re listening to.*

ells sighed as he settled down ne+t to Clarke. '& already told you they were per!orming

"ach,* he said, shooting a longing glance at th C gl the e door.

'5ou know what &’m talking aout.* Clarke interlocked her !ingers with his. 'This

mo%ement, that mo%ement.* $he grinned. '"esides, & always clap at the wrong time.*

ells ga%e her hand a suee3e.

There was no need !or any sort o! introduction or announcement. @rom the moment the

!irst notes urst !orward, the crowd !ell silent, the %iolinist’s ow slicing through their

chatter as it swept across the strings. Then the cello =oined in, !ollowed y the clarinet.

There were no drums tonight, ut it didn’t matter. ells could practically hear the thud o!

two hundred hearts eating in time to the music.

'This is what & always imagined a sunset would sound like,* ells whispered. The words



slipped out o! his mouth e!ore he had time to think, and he raced !or an eye roll, or at

least a look o! con!usion.

"ut the music had also cast its spell on Clarke. '&’d lo%e to see a sunset,* she murmured,

resting her head on his shoulder.

ells asently ran his hand through her silky hair. '&’d lo%e to see a sunset with you.* He

ent down and kissed her !orehead. 'hat are you doing in aout se%enty#!i%e years-* he

whispered.

'Cleaning my dentures,* Clarke said with a smile. 'hy-*

'"ecause & ha%e an idea !or our !irst date on Earth.*

The light was !ading, the on!ire !lickering across the !aces standing around ells.

'& know this all seems strange and intimidating and, yes, un!air, ut we’re here !or a

reason,* he told the crowd. '&! we sur%i%e, e%eryone sur%i%es.*

9early a hundred heads turned to him, and !or a moment, he thought perhaps his words

had chipped away at the layers o! calci!ied de!iance and ignorance. "ut then a new %oice

crashed into the silence.

'Care!ul there, aha.*

ells twisted around and saw a tall kid in a loodstained guard uni!orm. The oy who’d

!orced his way onto the dropship/who’d held ells’s !ather hostage. 'Earth is still in

reco%ery mode. e don’t know how much ullshit it can handle.*

Another wa%e o! snickers and snorts rippled around the !ire, and ells !elt a rush o!

sudden, sharp anger. "ecause o! this kid, his !ather/the person responsile !or protecting

the entire human race/had een shot, and he had the ner%e to stand there and accuse

ells o! ullshit-

'E+cuse me-* ells said, li!ting his chin to gi%e the oy his est o!!icer’s stare.

'Cut the crap, okay- ust say what you really mean. &! we do e+actly what you say, then

you won’t report us to your !ather.*

ells narrowed his eyes. 'Thanks to you, my !ather is proaly in the hospital.* "eing

gi%en the est possile care, and on his way to a swi!t reco%ery, ells added silently. He



hoped it was true.

'&! he’s e%en ali%e,* :raham inter=ected, and laughed. @or a second, ells thought he saw

the other oy wince.

ells took a step !orward, ut then another %oice yelled C %oells out !rom the crowd,

stopping him. '$o you’re not a spy-*

'A spy-* ells almost laughed at the accusation.

'5eah,* the impostor guard agreed. '$pying on us =ust like these racelets, right-*

ells looked at the kid in the ill#!itting guard uni!orm more closely. Had he een told

aout the purpose o! the racelets, or had he !igured it out on his own- '&! the Council

wanted to spy on you,* he said, ignoring the comment aout the transponders, 'don’t youthink they’d choose someone a it less o%ious-*

The oy in the loody uni!orm smirked. 'e can discuss the pros and cons o! your

!ather’s administration some other time. "ut !or now, =ust tell us? &! you’re not a spy, what

the hell are you doing here- There’s no way anyone will elie%e you were actually

Con!ined.*

'&’m sorry,* ells said in a tone that con%eyed anything ut regret. '5ou appeared in a

stolen guard’s uni!orm and held my !ather hostage in order to reak onto this ship. & think

you’re the one who owes us an e+planation.*

The oy’s eyes narrowed. '& did what & had to do to protect my sister.*

'5our sister-* ells repeated. People roke the population laws more o!ten on alden

than on Phoeni+. "ut ells had ne%er heard o! anyone ha%ing a siling, not since the

Cataclysm.

'That’s right.* The oy crossed his arms and met ells’s eyes with a challenging stare.

'9ow &’m going to ask you one more time, what are you really doing here-*

ells took a step !orward. He didn’t owe anyone an e+planation, let alone this criminal,

who was proaly lying aout ha%ing a sister and who knew what else. "ut then a !lash

o! mo%ement caught his eye. Clarke was heading toward the !ire !rom the other side o!

the clearing, where she’d een tending to the in=ured passengers.

ells turned ack to the tall oy and sighed, his anger draining away. '&’m here !or the



same reason you are.* His eyes darted toward Clarke, who was still out o! earshot. '& got

mysel! Con!ined to protect someone & care aout.*

The crowd !ell silent. ells turned his ack on them and started walking, not caring i!

their eyes !ollowed him as he made his way toward Clarke.

@or a moment, the sight o! her o%erwhelmed his rain. The light in the clearing had

changed as the sky grew darker, making the !lecks o! gold in her green eyes appear to

glow. $he was more eauti!ul on Earth than he’d e%er seen her.

Their eyes locked, and a chill tra%eled down his spine. 2ess than a year ago, he’d een

ale to tell what she was thinking =ust y looking at her. "ut now her e+pression was

inscrutale.

'hat are you doing here, ells-* she asked, her %oice strained and weary.

$he’s in shock, ells told himsel!, !orcing his mind to wrap around the ill#!itting

e+planation. '& came !or you,* he said so!tly.

Her !ace assumed an e+pression that roke through the arriers, a mi+ture o! sorrow,

!rustration, and pity that seemed to tra%el !rom Clarke’s eyes straight into his chest.

'& wish you hadn’t.* $he sighed and pushed past him, striding o!! without another glance.

Her words knocked the air out o! him, and !or a moment, all ells could think aout was

rememering how to reathe. Then he heard a chorus o! murmurs !rom the on!ire ehind him, an Cehiw. d turned, curious despite himsel!. E%eryone was pointing upward

at the sky, which was turning into a symphony o! color.

@irst, orange streaks appeared in the lue, like an ooe =oining a !lute, turning a solo into

a duet. That harmony uilt into a crescendo o! colors as yellow and then pink added their

%oices to the chorus. The sky darkened, throwing the array o! colors into e%en sharper

relie!. The word sunset couldn’t possily contain the meaning o! the eauty ao%e them,

and !or the millionth time since they’d landed, ells !ound that the words they’d een

taught to descrie Earth paled in comparison to the real thing.

E%en Clarke, who hadn’t stopped mo%ing since the crash, !ro3e in her tracks, her head

tilted up to etter appreciate the miracle taking place o%erhead. ells didn’t ha%e to see

her !ace to know that her eyes would e widened in awe, her mouth slightly parted with a

gasp as she watched something she had only e%er dreamed aout. $omething they had

only e%er dreamed aout, ells corrected himse



l!. He turned away, unale to look at the sky any longer, pain hardening into something

dense and sharp in his chest. &t was the !irst sunset humans had witnessed in three

centuries, and he was watching it alone.

CHAPTER G

"ellamy

"ellamy suinted up at the sunrise. He’d always assumed those ancient poets had een

!ull o! shit, or at least had much etter drugs than he’d e%er tried. "ut they were right. &t

was cra3y to watch the sky go !rom lack to gray and then e+plode into streaks o! color.

&t didn’t make him want to reak out into song or anything, ut then again, "ellamy had

ne%er een the artistic type.

He leaned o%er and pulled 6cta%ia’s lanket up o%er her shoulder. He’d spotted itsticking out o! one o! the supply containers the night e!ore and had practically knocked

out some kid’s tooth in the ensuing tussle. "ellamy e+haled, watching as his reath

crystalli3ed in !ront o! him, lingering !ar longer than it would on the ship, where the

%entilation system practically sucked the air out o! your lungs e!ore it had a chance to

lea%e your mouth.

He looked around the clearing. A!ter that Clarke girl had !inished e%aluating 6cta%ia and

determined she only had a sprained ankle, "ellamy had carried her o%er toward the trees

where they’d spent the night. They were going to keep their distance until he !igured out

how many o! these kids were real criminals and how many had =ust een in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"ellamy suee3ed his sister’s hand. &t was his !ault she’d een Con!ined. &t was his !ault

she was here. He should’%e known she’d een planning somethingB she’d een talking !or

weeks aout how hungry some o! the children in her unit had een. &t had een only a

matter o! time e!ore she did something to !eed them/e%en i! it meant stealing. His

sel!less little sister was sentenced to die !or ha%ing too ig o! a heart.

&t was his =o to protect her. And !or the !irst time in her li!e, he’d !ailed.

"ellamy threw his shoulders ack and raised his chin. He was tall !or a si+#year#old, ut

that didn’t stop people !rom staring as he made his way through the crowd at the

distriution center. &t wasn’t against the rules !or children to come on their own, ut it

was rare. He went o%er the list his mother had made him repeat ack to her three times

e!ore she’d let him lea%e their !lat @ trieClarke . @ier meal/two credits. :lucose

packets/one credit. 4ehydrated grain/two credits. Tuer !lakes/one credit. Protein



loa!/three credits.

He darted around two women who’d stopped to grumle in !ront o! some white things

that looked like rains. "ellamy rolled his eyes and kept mo%ing. ho cared that Phoeni+

got all the good stu!! !rom the solar !ields- Anyone who wanted to eat %egetales

proaly had little, mushy white rains themsel%es.

"ellamy cupped his hands under the !ier dispenser, caught the packet that slid out, and

tucked it under his arm. He started to make his way o%er to the tuer section when

something right and shiny caught his eye. "ellamy turned and saw a pile o! red, round

!ruit inside a display case. 9ormally, he didn’t care aout the e+pensi%e things they

locked away/twisted carrots that reminded "ellamy o! orange witch !ingers, and ugly

mushrooms that looked more like rain#sucking lack#hole 3omies than !ood. "ut these

were di!!erent. The !ruit was a rosy pink, the same color that his neighor Rilla turned

when they played alien in%asion in the corridor. 6r used to play e!ore Rilla’s !ather wastaken away y the guards and Rilla was sent to li%e in the care center.

"ellamy stood on his tiptoes to read the numer on the data panel. Ele%en credits. That

sounded like a lot, ut he wanted to do something nice !or his mother. $he hadn’t gotten

out o! ed !or three days. "ellamy couldn’t imagine eing that tired.

'4o you want one-* an irritated %oice asked. He looked up and saw a woman in a green

uni!orm glaring at him. '6rder it or step aside.*

Heat rose to "ellamy’s cheeks, and !or a moment, he considered running away. "ut then asurge o! indignation washed o%er his emarrassment. He wasn’t going to let some sour#

!aced distriution worker stop him !rom getting his mother the treat she deser%ed. '&’ll

take two,* he said in the haughty %oice that always made his mother roll her eyes and ask,

& wonder who you got that !rom- 'And don’t ru your !ingers all o%er them,* he added

pointedly.

The woman raised her eyerow e!ore glancing at the guards ehind the transaction tale.

9o one on alden liked the guards, ut his mother seemed particularly a!raid o! them.

2ately, she’d gra "ellamy’s hand and turn in the other direction whene%er she saw a

patrol team approaching. Could she ha%e done something wrong- ere the guards going

to come take her away like they’d taken Rilla’s !ather- 9o, he told himsel!. & won’t let

them.

He took his apples and marched o%er to the transaction tale. Another distriution worker

scanned his card, staring !or a moment at the in!ormation on the panel e!ore shrugging

her shoulders and wa%ing him !orward. 6ne o! the guards shot him a curious look, ut



"ellamy kept his eyes straight ahead. He !orced himsel! to walk until he’d le!t the

distriution center and then roke into a run, clutching his packets to his chest as he tore

down the walkway leading to his residential unit.

He palmed into their !lat and shut the door care!ully ehind him. He couldn’t wait to

show his mother what he’d rought her. He stepped into the li%ing space, ut the lights

didn’t turn on. as the sensor roken again- His stomach tightened slightly. His mother

hated entering maintenance reuests. $he didn’t like ha%ing strang Kha% ask, ers in their

home. "ut how long could they spend in the dark-

';omI* "ellamy called, dashing into her room. '&’m ackI & did itI* The lights were

working here, and they u33ed to li!e as "ellamy ran through the door. "ut the ed was

empty.

"ellamy !ro3e as a wa%e o! terror washed o%er him. $he was gone. They’d taken her. Hewas all alone. "ut then a mu!!led stomp !rom the kitchen reached his ears. He sighed as

his panic was uickly replaced y relie!, then e+citement. $he was out o! edI

He ran into the kitchen. His mother was !acing the small, round window that looked out

into the dark staircase. 6ne hand was placed on her lower ack, as i! it was hurting her.

';omI* he called. '2ook what & got you.*

His mother inhaled sharply ut didn’t turn around. '"ellamy,* she said, as though he

were a neighor dropping y !or an une+pected %isit. '5ou’re ack. 2ea%e the !ood on the

tale and go to your room. &’ll e right there.*

4isappointment pressed down on him, weighing his !eet to the !loor. He wanted to see

the look on his mother’s !ace when she saw the !ruit. '2ookI* he urged, stretching his

arms !orward, unsure what she could see in the re!lection o! the dark, dusty window.

$he twisted her head to look at him o%er her shoulder. 'hat are those-* $he narrowed

her eyes. 'Apples-* $he pressed her lips together and rued the side o! her head like she

used to do when she came home !rom work. "e!ore she got sick. 'How much did they/

ne%er mind. ust go to your room, okay-*

"ellamy’s palms had egun to sweat as he placed the packets on the tale near the door.

Had he done something wrong- The lights !lickered and then went out. '4amn it,* his

mother muttered as she looked up at the ceiling. '"ellamy, now,* she commanded. 6r at

least, he thought it was his mother. $he was !acing away !rom him again, and her %oice

swirled through the darkness until it didn’t sound like her anymore.



As he slunk away, "ellamy shot a uick glance o%er his shoulder. His mother didn’t e%en

look like hersel!. $he’d turned to the side, and her stomach appeared huge and round, like

she was hiding something under her shirt. He linked and scampered o!!, con%inced that

his eyes had een playing tricks on him, ignoring the chill tra%eling down his spine.

'How’s she doing-* "ellamy glanced up to see Clarke standing ao%e him, looking

uneasily !rom him to his sleeping sister. He nodded. '& think she’s okay.*

':ood.* $he raised a slightly singed eyerow. '"ecause it’d e a shame i! you !ollowed

through on your threat !rom last night.*

'hat did & say-*

'5ou told me that i! & didn’t sa%e your sister, you’d low up the goddamn planet and

e%eryone on it.*

"ellamy smiled. ':ood thing it’s only a sprained ankle.* He cocked his head to the side

and sur%eyed Clarke ui33ically. The skin under her eyes was ruised with e+haustion,

ut the purple shadows =ust made them look greener. He !elt a twinge o! guilt !or eing

such a =erk to her the night e!ore. He’d pegged her as another sel!#asored Kel! thought

iPhoeni+ girl who was training as a doctor ecause it ga%e her something to rag aout at

parties. "ut the strain in her delicate !ace and the lood matted in her reddish#gold hair

made it clear she hadn’t stopped to rest since they’d landed.

'$o,* "ellamy continued, rememering ells’s declaration at the on!ire yesterday, andthe way Clarke had stomped away !rom him, 'why were you so mean to little Chancellor

unior-*

Clarke looked at him with a mi+ture o! shock and indignation. @or a moment, he thought

she might actually hit him, ut then she =ust shook her head. 'That’s none o! your

usiness.*

'&s he your oy!riend-* "ellamy pressed.

'9o,* Clarke said !latly. "ut then her mouth twitched into a uestioning smile. 'hy do

you care-*

'ust taking a census,* "ellamy replied. '$peci!ically, to determine the relationship status

o! all the pretty girls on Earth.*

Clarke rolled her eyes, ut then she turned ack to 6cta%ia and the play!ulness drained



!rom her !ace.

'hat is it-* "ellamy looked !rom Clarke to his sister.

'9othing,* Clarke said uickly. '& =ust wish & had some antiseptic !or that cut on her !ace.

And some o! the others are going to need antiiotics.*

'$o we don’t ha%e any medicine-* "ellamy asked, !rowning in concern.

Clarke looked at him, startled. '& think the medical supplies kits were thrown out o! the

dropship in the crash. e’ll e !ine, though,* she said uickly, the lie shooting out o! her

mouth e!ore she had time to make her !eatures match it. 'e’ll e okay !or a while. The

human ody has a remarkale aility to heal itsel!.F* $he trailed o!! as her eyes settled

on the loodstains on his stolen uni!orm.

"ellamy grimaced as he glanced down, wondering i! she was thinking aout theChancellor. "ellamy hoped he’d sur%i%ed/he had enough lood on his hands already.

"ut it proaly didn’t matter one way or another. hoe%er the Council sent down with

the ne+t group would most certainly e authori3ed to e+ecute "ellamy on the spot,

regardless o! the !act that the Chancellor’s in=ury had een an accident. As soon as

6cta%ia was well enough to mo%e, she and "ellamy would e out o! there. They’d hike

!or a !ew days, put some distance etween themsel%es and the group, and e%entually !ind

somewhere to settle down. He hadn’t spent months poring o%er those ancient sur%i%al

guides he’d disco%ered on " deck !or nothing. He’d e ready !or whate%er was waiting

!or them in those woods. &t couldn’t e worse than what was going to come hurtling

down !rom the sky.

'How long until she’ll e ale to walk on it-*

Clarke turned ack to "ellamy. '&t’s a pretty ad sprain, so &’d say a !ew days until she

can walk, a week or two until it’s !ully healed.*

'"ut possily sooner-*

$he tilted her head to the side and ga%e him a small smile that, !or a moment, made him

!orget that he was marooned on a potentially to+ic planet with ninety#nine =u%enile

delinuents. 'hat’s the rush-*

"ut e!ore he had time to respond, someone called Clarke’s name and she was gone.

"ellamy took a deep reath. To his surprise, the simple act cleared his head, lea%ing him

more awake and alert. &t’d proaly turn out to e to+ic, ut e%ery time he inhaled, he



sensed something unnamale ut intriguing, like a mysterious girl Kter "ut it who

wouldn’t meet your eyes ut passed closely enough !or you to catch a whi!! o! her

per!ume.

He took a !ew steps closer to the trees, an+ious !or a etter look ut unwilling to stray too

!ar !rom 6cta%ia. They didn’t look like any species he recogni3ed, ut then again, the

only Earth otany ook he’d een ale to !ind had een aout plants nati%e to A!rica, and

he thought he’d heard ells say they were on the East Coast o! what had once een the

<nited $tates.

A twig snapped ne+t to him. "ellamy whipped around and saw a girl with a long, narrow

!ace and stringy hair. 'Can & help you-*

'ells says e%eryone who’s not hurt should collect wood.*

A thread o! irritation coiled around "ellamy’s stomach, and he ga%e the girl a tight smile.

'& don’t think ells is in any position to e gi%ing orders, so i! it’s all right with you, &’m

going to worry aout mysel!, okay-* $he shi!ted uneasily !or a moment e!ore shooting a

ner%ous glance o%er her shoulder. '6!! you go,* "ellamy said, motioning her !orward

with his hands. He watched her scurry o!! with satis!action.

He craned his neck and stared up at the sky, his eyes drinking in nothing ut emptiness in

all directions. &t didn’t matter where they were. Any spot on this planet was going to e

in!initely etter than the world they’d le!t ehind.

@or the !irst time in his li!e, he was !ree.

CHAPTER

:lass

:lass spent the rest o! the night on 2uke’s couch, grate!ul that Camille didn’t ask why she

re!used to sleep in Carter’s old room. They’d decided that it was est !or :lass to stay

hidden in 2uke’s !lat until the shi!t change at 777, when there would e !ewer guards on

patrol.

$he’d tossed and turned all night. E%ery time she rolled o%er, the racelet dug into her

skin, a pain!ul reminder that while she was in danger, ells was hundreds o! kilometers

away, !ighting to sur%i%e on a planet that hadn’t een ale to support li!e !or centuries.

&t’d always een his dream to see Earth, ut not like this. 9ot when it might still e to+ic.

9ot a!ter seeing his !ather shot right in !ront o! him.



As she lay staring at the ceiling, she couldn’t keep her ears !rom searching !or sounds in

the darkness. The !aintest murmur !rom the other side o! 2uke’s door was enough to turn

her stomach. The silence was e%en worse.

ust as the circadian lights egan to creep under the !ront door, 2uke’s edroom door

opened, and oth he and Camille staggered out wearily. Clearly, neither o! them had slept

much either. 2uke was already dressed in o!!#duty ci%ilian clothes, ut Camille wore only

one o! 2uke’s old undershirts, the hem o! which skimmed the tops o! her slender thighs.

:lass lushed and looked away.

':ood morning.* The !ormality in 2uke’s %oice made :lass wince. The last time 2uke

had said those words to her, the two o! them had een in his ed, and he’d whispered

them in her ear.

':ood morning,* she managed, sho%ing the memory out o! her head.

'e need to get that racelet o!!.* 2uke gestured toward her wrist.

:lass nodded and rose !rom the couch, shi!ting uneasily as Camille looked ack and !orth

etween her and 2uke. @inally, she crossed her arms and turned to him. 'Are you sure

this is a good idea- hat i! someone sees you-*

2uke’s e+pression darkened. 'e talked aout this.* He spoke uietly, ut :lass heard

the note o! !rustration in his %oice. '&! we don’t help her, they’re going to kill her. &t’s theright thing to do.*

The right thing to do, :lass thought. That was all she meant to him anymore, a li!e he

didn’t want on his conscience.

'"etter her than you,* Camille said, her %oice tremling.

2uke leaned o%er and kissed the top o! her head. '&t’s going to e !ine. &’ll take her ack

to Phoeni+ and then come straight home.*

Camille sighed and tossed :lass a shirt and a pair o! pants. 'Here,* she said. '& know it’s

not up to your Phoeni+ standards, ut you’ll look a it more elie%ale in this. 5ou aren’t

going to pass !or a sanitation worker with that hair.* $he ga%e 2uke’s arm a suee3e and

then slipped ack into his edroom, lea%ing :lass and 2uke alone.

:lass stood holding the clothes awkwardly in her arms, and !or a moment, they =ust



stared at each other. The last time she’d seen 2uke, she’d ha%e thought nothing o!

changing in !ront o! him. '$hould &F* $he trailed o!!, gesturing toward Carter’s room.

'6h,* 2uke said, reddening slightly. '9o, &’ll =ustF &’ll e right ack.* He retreated to

his edroom. :lass changed as uickly as she could, trying to ignore the whispers that

escaped through the door, stinging her skin like pinpricks.

hen 2uke returned, :lass was dressed in a pair o! loose gray pants that arely clung to

her hDps and a rough lue T#shirt that cha!ed her skin. 2uke sur%eyed her critically.

'$omething’s still o!!,* he said. '5ou don’t look like a prisoner, ut you de!initely don’t

look like a aldenite.*

:lass egan to smooth the sides o! her wrinkled trousers sel!#consciously, wondering

whether 2uke pre!erred eing with a girl who looked at home in these clothes. '&t’s not

that,* he said. '&t’s your hair. :irls don’t wear it that long here.*

'hy-* she asked, reali3ing with a small measure o! guilt that she’d ne%er e%en noticed.

2uke had turned and egan rummaging through a small storage in against the wall.

'Proaly ecause it’d e too hard to take care o!. e don’t get the same water allotment

on alden that you do on Phoeni+.* He turned around with a look o! triumph on his !ace

and produced an ancient#looking stained cap.

:lass ga%e him a weak smile. 'Thanks.* $he took the hat !rom 2uke, their hands

rushing, and placed it on her head.

'& don’t think we’re uite there yet,* he said, sur%eying her with a !rown. He stepped

toward her and remo%ed the hat with one hand, and with his other, reached o%er her

shoulder to gather her hair, gently twisting it into a knot on top o! her head. 'There,* he

said in satis!action, placing the cap on top.

The silence stretched etween them. $lowly, 2uke reached up and tucked a !ew stray

strands ehind :lass’s ear. His rough !ingers lingered on her neck, and he looked into her

eyes, unlinking.

'Ready-* :lass asked, reaking the spell as she stepped to the side.

'5es. 2et’s go.* 2uke stepped ack sti!!ly and led her out into the hallway.

There weren’t as many circadian lights on alden as there were on Phoeni+, so although

it was technically dawn, $nicL>GL the corridors were mostly dark. :lass couldn’t tell



where 2uke was leading her, and she clenched her hands to keep hersel! !rom reaching

!or his.

@inally, 2uke stopped in !ront o! the !aint outline o! a door. He dug into his pocket,

producing something :lass couldn’t see and holding it up to the scanner. The door

eeped and slid open. :lass’s insides twisted as she reali3ed that where%er 2uke took her,

he’d lea%e a trail o! log#ins and access codes. $he couldn’t ear to think what would

happen when the Council !igured out that he’d helped an escaped criminal.

"ut there was no other option. A!ter she said one last good#ye to her mother, she’d wait

!or the guards to !ind her. $he wouldn’t try to see 2uke again. $he couldn’t ask him to

risk his sa!ety !or her. 9ot a!ter what she’d done.

A !aint light !lickered wearily to li!e, casting a dirty, yellowish glow o%er machinery

:lass didn’t recogni3e. 'here are we-* she asked, her %oice echoing strangely.

'6ne o! the old workshops. This is where they used to repair the Earthmade euipment,

e!ore it was all replaced. & came here !or some o! my training.*

:lass started to ask why the guards would train here, ut it ack the uestion. $he

always !orgot that 2uke had already started his mechanical apprenticeship when he was

accepted into the engineering corps o! the guards. He rarely spoke aout that part o! his

li!e. 2ooking ack, :lass was ashamed that she hadn’t tried harder to learn aout 2uke’s

worldB it was no wonder he’d turned to Camille.

2uke stood ne+t to an enormous machine, pushing di!!erent uttons, his row !urrowed in

concentration. 'hat is that-* :lass asked when it started to hum ominously.

'A laser cutter,* 2uke said without glancing up.

:lass hugged her wrist protecti%ely to her chest. '9o way.*

2uke ga%e :lass a look that was eual parts amusement and irritation. '9o arguing. The

sooner we get that thing o!! o! you, the etter your chances o! hiding.*

'Can’t we =ust !igure out how to unlock it-*

2uke shook his head. '&t has to e cut o!!.* hen she didn’t mo%e, he held out his hand

with a sigh. 'Come here, :lass,* he said, eckoning her o%er.

:lass’s !eet locked into the !loor. Although she’d spent the last si+ months imagining



2uke calling to her, she’d ne%er thought that a piece o! deadly machinery would e

in%ol%ed. 2uke raised an eyerow. ':lass-*

:lass took a tentati%e step !orward. &t wasn’t like she had anything to lose. "etter to ha%e

2uke slice her wrist o!! than a medic in=ect poison into her %ein.

2uke tapped a !lat sur!ace in the middle o! the machine. 'ust put your hand here.* He

!lipped a switch and the whole machine egan to %irate.

:lass tremled as her skin made contact with the cold metal.

'&t’ll e okay,* 2uke said. '& promise. ust hold still.*

:lass nodded, too a!raid to speak. The humming continued and was soon accompanied

y a high#pitched screech.

2uke made a !ew more ad=ustments, then came to stand ne+t to her. 'Ready-*

$he swallowed ner%ously. '5es.*

2uke placed his le!t hand o%er her arm, and with his right, started to mo%e another le%er

toward her. To her horror, she saw that it was emitting a thin $ttient thered line o! light

that pulsed with dangerous energy.

$he started to shake, ut 2uke gripped her arm tighter. '&t’s okay,* he murmured. 'ust

stay still.*

The light was getting closer. :lass could !eel the heat on her skin. 2uke’s !ace tensed

with concentration, his eyes !i+ed on :lass’s wrist as he mo%ed the laser steadily along.

:lass closed her eyes, racing hersel! !or the searing pain, the screaming o! her ner%es as

they lost contact with her hand.

'Per!ect.* 2uke’s %oice cut through her terror. :lass looked down and saw the racelet

had een split into two neat pieces, !reeing her wrist.

$he sighed, her reath ragged. 'Thank you.*

'5ou’re welcome.* He smiled at her, his hand still clutching her arm.

9either o! them spoke as they slipped out o! the workshop and egan to wind their way

ack up toward the skyridge.



'hat’s wrong-* 2uke whispered as he guided :lass around a corner and up another

!light o! stairs, narrower and darker than anything on Phoeni+.

'9othing.*

&n the past, 2uke would’%e reached o%er, taken her chin in his hand, and looked her in the

eye until she giggled. 5ou’re a terrile liar, Rapun3el, he’d say, a re!erence to the !airytale

aout the girl whose hair grew a !oot anytime she !ied. "ut this time, :lass’s lie

e%aporated into the air.

'$o how ha%e you een-* she asked !inally, when she couldn’t ear the weight o! the

silence any longer.

2uke glanced o%er his shoulder and raised an eyerow. '6h, you know, apart !rom eingdumped y the girl & lo%ed and then ha%ing my est !riend e+ecuted !or a ullshit

in!raction, &’d say not too ad.*

:lass cringed as his words landed in her chest. $he’d ne%er heard that kind o! itterness

in 2uke’s %oice e!ore.

'"ut at least & had Camille.F*

:lass nodded, ut as she stole a glance at 2uke’s !amiliar pro!ile, shards o! indignation

gathered, sharp and dangerous, in her mind. hat did he think she had done to eCon!ined- hy wasn’t he more curious or surprised- 4id he think she was such a terrile

person that she would ha%e committed an in!raction-

2uke stopped aruptly, causing :lass to stumle into him. '$orry,* she muttered,

scramling to regain her alance.

'4oes your mother know what happened-* 2uke asked, turning to !ace her.

'9o,* :lass said. '& mean, she knew & was Con!ined, ut she can’t ha%e known aout the

Earth mission.* The Chancellor had made it clear that the operation was top secret. Their

parents wouldn’t e in!ormed until it was certain their children had sur%i%ed the =ourney

/or until the Council was sure they’d ne%er return.

'&t’s good that you’re going to see her.*

:lass said nothing. $he knew he was thinking o! his own mother, who’d died when he



was only twel%e, which was why he’d ended up li%ing with his then#eighteen#year#old

neighor Carter.

'5eah,* :lass said in a shaky %oice. $he’d een desperate to see her mother, ut e%en

without the racelet, it wouldn’t take the guards long to !ind her. hat was more

important- $aying good#ye- 6r sparing her mother the pain o! seeing her daughter

eing dragged away toward certain death- 'e should keep $e s

They crossed the ridge in silence as :lass drank in the sight o! the twinkling stars. $he

hadn’t reali3ed how much she lo%ed the %iew !rom the skyridge until she’d een locked

in a tiny, windowless cell. $he stole a glance at 2uke, not sure whether to e hurt or

relie%ed that he didn’t turn to look at her.

'5ou should go ack,* :lass said as they reached the Phoeni+ checkpoint, which was, as

2uke had promised, !ree o! guards. '&’ll e okay.*

2uke’s =aw tightened and he ga%e her a itter smile. '5ou’re an escaped con%ict, and &’m

still not good enough to meet your mother.*

'That’s not what & meant,* she said, thinking o! the scan trail he’d already le!t ehind.

'&t’s not sa!e !or you to help me. & can’t let you risk your li!e. 5ou’%e already done so

much.*

2uke took a reath as i! to say something, then nodded. '6kay, then.*

$he !orced what she hoped was a smile, holding ack tears. 'Thank you !or e%erything.*

2uke’s !ace so!tened slightly. ':ood luck, :lass.* He started to lean in, and :lass

couldn’t help tipping her head up, out o! hait/ut then he stepped ack, wrenching his

eyes !rom her with an almost physical !orce. ithout a word, 2uke turned and mo%ed

soundlessly ack the way they’d come. :lass watched him go, her lips aching !or the

good#ye kiss they’d ne%er !eel again.

hen she reached the entrance to her !lat, :lass raised her !ist and tapped lightly. The

door opened and :lass’s mother, $on=a, peered around it. A symphony o! emotions

played across her !ace in an instant/surprise, =oy, con!usion, and !ear.

':lass-* she gasped, reaching !or her daughter, as i! she wasn’t sure she was really there.

:lass leaned grate!ully into her mother’s hug, drinking in the smell o! her per!ume. '&

thought &’d ne%er see you again.* $he ga%e :lass one more suee3e e!ore pulling her

inside and closing the door. $on=a stepped ack and stared at her daughter. '& was =ust



counting down the days.* Her %oice !aded into a whisper. '5ou turn eighteen in three

weeks.*

:lass graed her mother’s clammy hand and led her to the couch. 'They were going to

send us to Earth,* :lass told her. 'A hundred o! us.* $he took a deep reath. '& was

supposed to e one o! them.*

'Earth-* $on=a repeated slowly, holding the word almost at a distance, as i! trying to get a

etter look. '6h my god.*

'There was an altercation at the launch. The ChancellorF* :lass’s head swam as she

recalled the scene !rom the launch deck. $he sent up a silent prayer that ells was okay

down there on Earth, that he was with Clarke and didn’t ha%e to grie%e alone. '&n the

chaos, & was ale to get away,* :lass continued. The details weren’t important right now.

'& =ust came to say & lo%e you.*

Her mother’s eyes widened. '$o that’s how the Chancellor was shot. 6h, :lass,* she

whispered, wrapping her arms around her daughter.

The thud o! !ootsteps echoed out in the hallway, and :lass !linched. $he looked warily at

the door e!ore turning ack to !ace her mother. '& can’t stay long,* she said, rising

shakily to her !eet.

'aitI* $on=a =umped up and clutched :lass’s arm, pulling her ack to the couch. Her

!ingers tightened around her wrist. 'The Chancellor is on li!e $r ied up ansupport, whichmeans that Jice Chancellor Rhodes is in charge. 5ou shouldn’t go yet.* $he paused. 'He

has a %ery di!!erent approach toF go%erning. There’s a chance that he’ll pardon you. He

can e con%inced.* $on=a stood and ga%e :lass a smile that did little to illuminate her

glistening eyes. 'ust wait here.*

'4o you ha%e to go-* :lass asked, her %oice small. $he couldn’t ear to say another

good#ye. 9ot when e%ery good#ye could e !ore%er.

Her mother ent down and kissed :lass’s !orehead. '& won’t e long.*

$he watched $on=a apply a hurried layer o! lipstick and slip out into the still#empty

corridor, then pulled her knees into her chest and hugged them tightly, as i! trying to keep

e%erything inside her !rom spilling out.

:lass wasn’t sure how long she slept, ut curled up on the cushions that still rememered

the shape o! her ody, it seemed possile that the past si+ months had een a nightmare.



That she hadn’t actually een imprisoned in a cell that contained nothing esides two

metal cots, a silent, seething Arcadian cell mate, and the ghosts o! sos that remained

long a!ter her tears dried up.

hen she opened her eyes her mother was sitting ne+t to her on the couch, stroking

:lass’s matted hair. '&t’s all taken care o!,* she said so!tly. '5ou’%e een pardoned.*

:lass rolled o%er to look up at her mother’s !ace. 'How-* she asked, the surprise

shocking her out o! her sleep, chasing away the images o! 2uke that lingered on her

eyelids when she !irst woke up. 'hy-*

'People are growing restless,* her mother e+plained. '9one o! the con%icted =u%eniles

ha%e made it past their retrials in the last year, and it makes the =ustice system look

anything ut =ust. 5ou’re going to e the e+ception/the proo! that the system’s still

working how it’s supposed to, that those who can contriute to society are gi%en thechance to return to it. &t took a little con%incing, ut e%entually Jice Chancellor Rhodes

saw my side o! things,* her mother !inished, sinking ack into the couch, looking

e+hausted ut relie%ed.

';om/& can’t/& don’t/thank you.* :lass didn’t know what else to say. $he smiled as

she pushed hersel! up into a seated position and rested her head against her mother’s

shoulder. $he was !ree- $he almost couldn’t comprehend the meaning o! the word.

'5ou don’t need to thank me, sweetheart. &’d do anything !or you.* $on=a pushed a piece

o! :lass’s hair ehind her ear and smiled. 'ust rememer, you’re not to tell anyone aoutthe Earth mission/& mean it.*

'"ut what happened to the others- &s ells okay- Can you !ind out-*

$on=a shook her head. 'As !ar as you’re concerned, there was no mission. hat’s

important is that you’re sa!e now. 5ou ha%e a second chance,* her mother murmured.

'ust promise me you won’t do anything !oolish.*

'& promise,* :lass said !inally, shaking her head in diselie!. '& promise.*

CHAPTER )

Clarke

Clarke slipped through the !lap o! the designated in!irmary tent and stepped into the

clearing. E%en without the lu+ury o! wind Joked on/theows, she sensed that it was



dawn. The sky erupted with color, and the pungent air stimulated sensors in her rain

Clarke had ne%er reali3ed e+isted. $he wished she could share the e+perience with the

two people who had made her yearn to see Earth in the !irst place. "ut Clarke would

ne%er ha%e that chance.

Her parents were gone.

':ood morning.*

Clarke sti!!ened. &t was almost un!athomale that ells’s %oice had once een her

!a%orite sound in the uni%erse. He was the reason her parents were dead, their odies

!loating through the depths o! space, mo%ing !arther and !arther !rom e%erything they’d

known and lo%ed. &n a moment o! weakness, Clarke had con!ided a secret that wasn’t

hers to share. And e%en though he’d sworn not to tell a soul, ells hadn’t e%en waited

twenty#!our hours e!ore skipping o!! to his !ather, so desperate to e the per!ect son,Phoeni+’s golden child, that he etrayed the girl he’d pretended to lo%e.

$he turned to !ace ells. There was nothing to keep her !rom lunging at him, ut she

wanted to a%oid any con!rontation that would prolong the e+posure.

As she strode past him, ells graed her arm. 'Hold on a second, & =ust wanted to/*

Clarke spun around and wrenched hersel! !ree. '4on’t touch me,* she hissed.

ells took a step ack, his eyes wide. '&’m sorry,* he said. His %oice was steady, ut shecould see the hurt on his !ace. Clarke had always een ale to tell what ells was !eeling.

He was a terrile liar, which was how she’d known, in that rie! moment, that his

promise to keep her secret had een sincere. "ut something had changed his mind, and it

was Clarke’s parents who had paid the price.

ells didn’t mo%e. '& =ust wanted to make sure you were doing okay,* he said uietly.

'e’re going to !inish sorting through the wreckage today. &s there anything in particular

you need !or your patients-*

'5es. A sterile operating room, &Js, a !ull#ody scanner, real doctorsF*

'5ou’re doing an incredile =o.*

'&’d e doing e%en etter i! &’d spent the past si+ months training at the hospital instead o!

in Con!inement.* This time, ells had raced !or the ar, and his !ace remained

impassi%e.



The sky was growing righter, !illing the clearing with an almost golden light that made

e%erything look like it’d een polished o%ernight. The grass seemed greener, glistening

with tiny drops o! water. Purple lossoms egan un!urling !rom what had seemed like an

unremarkale shru. The long, tapered petals stretched toward the sun, twisting in the air

as i! dancing to music only they could hear.

ells seemed to read her mind. '&! you hadn’t een Con!ined, you’d ne%er ha%e come

here,* he said uietly.

$he whipped her head ack to !ace him. '5ou think & should e grate!ul !or what you

did- &’%e seen kids die, kids who ne%er wanted to come here ut had to ecause some

little shit like you turned them in =ust to !eel important.*

'That’s not what & meant.* ells sighed and met her ga3e straight on. '&’m so sorry,

Clarke. & can’t tell you how sorry. "ut & didn’t do it to !eel important.* He started to step!orward, ut then seemed to think etter o! it and shi!ted his weight ack. '5ou were

su!!ering, and & wanted to help. & couldn’t ear it, seeing you like that. & =ust wanted to

help make the pain go away.*

T Mt sto he tenderness in his %oice made Clarke’s stomach twist. 'They killed my

parents,* she said uietly, imagining the scene as she had so many times e!ore. Her

mother racing !or the prick o! a needle, her ody systematically shutting down until

those !inal dread!ul moments when only her rain was le!t. Had they een o!!ered the

customary last meal- Clarke’s heart twinged as she imagined her !ather’s li!eless ody in

a release capsule, his !ingers stained red !rom the erries he’d eaten alone. 'That kind o! pain ne%er goes away.*

@or a moment, they =ust stared at each other, the silence taking on a physical weight. "ut

then ells roke eye contact and turned his head up toward the trees ao%e them. There

were !aintly musical sounds coming !rom the lea%es.

'4o you hear that-* ells whispered without looking at her.

The song was oth haunting and =oy!ul, the !irst !ew notes an elegy !or the !ading stars.

5et =ust when Clarke was sure her heart would reak with the ittersweet lo%eliness, the

melody soared, trumpeting the arri%al o! the dawn.

"irds. Real irds. $he couldn’t see them, ut she knew they were there. $he wondered i!

the !irst colonists had heard irds singing as they’d oarded the !inal ship. ould the

music ha%e een a song o! !arewell- 6r had the creatures already =oined their %oices

together in a reuiem !or the dying Earth-



'&t’s incredile,* ells said, turning to look at her with a smile she recogni3ed !rom long

ago. Clarke shi%ered. &t was like seeing a ghost/a specter o! the oy to whom she’d een

!oolish enough to gi%e her heart.

Clarke couldn’t suppress a smile as she watched ells shi!t !rom side to side outside her

!ront door. He always got ner%ous aout kissing her in pulic, ut it had gotten worse

since he’d started o!!icer training. The idea o! making out with his girl!riend while in

uni!orm seemed to make him uncom!ortale, which was un!ortunate ecause the sight o!

him in his uni!orm made her want to kiss him e%en more than usual.

'&’ll see you tomorrow.* Clarke turned to press her thum to the scanner.

'ait,* ells said, glancing o%er his shoulder e!ore graing hold o! her arm.

Clarke sighed. 'ells,* she started as she tried to wiggle out o! his grasp. '& need to go.*

He grinned as he tightened his grip. 'Are your parents home-*

'5es.* $he inclined her head toward the door. '&’m late !or dinner.*

ells stared at her e+pectantly. He much pre!erred eating with her !amily to sitting across

!rom his !ather in silence, ut she couldn’t in%ite him to =oin them. 9ot tonight.

ells cocked his head to the side. '& won’t make a !ace this time, no matter what your!ather added to the protein paste. &’%e een practicing.* His !ace roke into a comically

right smile as he nodded emphatically. 'ow. This is deliciousI*

Clarke pressed her lips together !or a moment e!ore responding. '& =ust need to ha%e a

pri%ate con%ersation with them.*

ells’s !ace grew serious. 'hatNs going on -* He released her arm and rought his hand

to her cheek.'&s e%erything okay-*

'&t’s !ine.* $he stepped to the side and tilted her head so her eyes wouldn’t etray her y

sending distress signals !rom ehind the lies. $he needed to con!ront her parents aout

their e+periments, and she couldn’t put it o!! any longer.

'6kay, then,* he said slowly. '$ee you tomorrow-*

&nstead o! kissing her on the cheek, ells surprised Clarke y wrapping his arms around



her waist and pulling her close. His lips pressed against hers, and !or a moment, she

!orgot aout e%erything e+cept the warmth o! his ody. "ut y the time she’d closed the

door, the tingle o! ells’s touch on her skin had een replaced y a prickle o! dread.

Her parents were sitting on the couch. Their heads turned to her. 'Clarke.* Her mother

rose to her !eet, smiling. 'as that ells with you outside- 4oes he want to =oin us !or

din/*

'9o,* Clarke said, more sharply than she’d meant to. 'Can you sit down- & need to talk to

you.* $he crossed the room and settled on a chair !acing her parents, tremling as two

%iolent !orces waged war !or control o! her ody? urning !ury and desperate hope. $he

needed her parents to admit what they’d done to =usti!y her anger, ut she also prayed

they’d ha%e a good e+cuse. '& !igured out the password,* she said simply. '&’%e een in

the la.*

Her mother’s eyes widened as she sank ack onto the couch. Then she took a deep reath,

and !or a moment, Clarke hoped she’d try to e+plain, that she had the words to make it all

etter. "ut then she whispered the phrase Clarke had een dreading. '&’m sorry.*

Her !ather took his wi!e’s hand, his eyes on Clarke. '&’m sorry you had to see that,* he

said uietly. '& know it’sF shocking. "ut they don’t !eel any pain. e make sure o! that.*

'How could you-* The uestion !elt !limsy, incapale o! supporting the weight o! her

accusation, ut she couldn’t think o! anything else to ask. '5ou’re e+perimenting on

people. 6n children.* $aying it aloud made her stomach churn. "ile crept up her throat.

Her mother closed her eyes. 'e didn’t ha%e a choice,* she said so!tly. 'e’%e spent

years trying to test radiation le%els in other ways/you know that. hen we reported

ack to the Jice Chancellor there was no way to gather conclusi%e e%idence without

human studies, we thought he understood it was a dead end. "ut then he insisted that

weF* Her %oice cracked. Clarke didn’t need her to !inish the sentence. 'e had no

choice,* she repeated desperately.

'e always ha%e a choice,* Clarke said, tremling. '5ou could ha%e said no. & would

ha%e let them kill me e!ore & agreed to that.*

'"ut he didn’t threaten to kill us.* Her !ather’s %oice was in!uriatingly uiet.

'Then what the hell are you doing this !or-* Clarke asked shrilly.

'He said he would kill you.usi% Mou



The irdsong trailed o!!, lea%ing a charged silence in its wake, as i! the music had seeped

into the stillness, imuing the air with melody. 'ow,* ells said so!tly. 'That was

ama3ing.* He was still !acing the trees, ut he’d e+tended his arm toward her, as i!

reaching through time to hold the hand o! the girl who used to lo%e him.

The spell was roken. Clarke sti!!ened and, without a word, headed ack toward the

in!irmary.

&t was dark inside the tent. Clarke almost tripped as she stepped in, making a mental note

to change the andages on one oy’s leg, !i+ the sloppy stitches she’d gi%en the girl with

the gash on her thigh. $he’d !inally !ound a container with real andages and surgical

thread, ut there wasn’t going to e much more she could do i! they didn’t !ind the actual

medicine chest. &t hadn’t turned up in the wreckage, most likely thrown !rom the dropship

during the crash and destroyed.

Thalia was lying on one o! the cots. $he was still asleep, and the newest andage seemed

to e holding up. Clarke had already changed the wrappings three times since she’d

!ound Thalia a!ter the crash, lood pouring out o! an ugly gash in her side.

The memory o! stitching up the wound made Clarke’s stomach churn, and she hoped that

her !riend rememered e%en less. Thalia had passed out !rom the pain and had een

!ading in and out o! consciousness e%er since. Clarke knelt down and rushed a strand o!

damp hair ack !rom her !riend’s row.

'Hi,* she whispered as Thalia’s eyes !luttered open. 'How are you !eeling-*

The in=ured girl !orced a smile that seemed to drain the energy !rom the rest o! her ody.

'&’m =ust great,* Thalia said, ut then winced, the pain !lashing in her eyes.

'5ou used to e a much etter liar.*

'& ne%er lied.* Her %oice was hoarse ut still !ull o! mock indignation. '& =ust told the

guard that & had a neck prolem and needed an e+tra pillow.*

'And then con%inced him that lack#market whiskey would keep you !rom singing in

your Osleep,’ * Clarke added with a smile.

'5eah.F &t’s too ad 2ise wasn’t willing to play along.*

'6r that you can’t carry a tune to sa%e your li!e.*



'That’s what made it so greatI* Thalia protested. 'The night guard would’%e done

anything to shut me up at that point.*

Clarke shook her head with a smile. 'And you say that Phoeni+ girls are lunatics.* $he

gestured toward the thin lanket draped o%er Thalia. ';ay &-*

Thalia nodded, and Clarke pulled it ack, trying to keep her !ace neutral as she

unwrapped the andage. The skin around the wound was red and swollen, and pus was

!orming in the gaps etween the stitches. The wound itsel! wasn’t the prolem, Clarke

knew. hile it looked ad, it was the kind o! in=ury they wouldn’t at an eye at in the

medical center. The in!ection was the real threat.

'That ad-* Thalia asked uietly.

'9ah, you look great,* Clarke said, the lie !alling smoothly !rom her lips. Her eyes slid

in%oluntarily toward the empty cot where a oy who died the day e!ore had spent his

!inal hours.

'That wasn’t your !ault,* Thalia said uietly.

'& know.* Clarke sighed. '& =ust wished he hadn’t een alone.*

'He wasn’t. ells was here.*

'hat-* Clarke asked, con!used.

'He came to check on him a !ew times. & think the !irst time he came into the tent, he was

looking !or you, ut once he saw how adly that oy was hurtF*

'Really-* Clarke asked, not uite sure whether to trust the oser%ations o! a girl who’d

spent most o! the past day unconscious.

'&t was de!initely him,* another %oice called. Clarke looked o%er and saw 6cta%ia sitting

up, a play!ul smile on her !ace. '&t’s not e%ery day ells aha comes and sits y your

ed.*

Clarke looked at her in diselie!. 'How do you e%en know ells-*

'He %isited the care center with his !ather a !ew years ago. The girls were talking aout it

!or weeks. He’s kind o! a superno%a.*



Clarke smiled at the alden slang as 6cta%ia continued. '& asked him i! he rememered

me. He said he did, ut he’s too much o! a gentleman to say no.* 6cta%ia ga%e an

e+aggerated sigh and placed the ack o! her hand against her !orehead. 'Alas. ;y one

chance at lo%e.*

'Hey, what aout me-* A oy Clarke had thought was asleep shot 6cta%ia an in=ured

look, and she lew him a kiss.

Clarke =ust shook her head and turned ack to Thalia, her eyes tra%eling !rom her !riend’s

!ace ack to the in!ected wound.

'That’s not a good sign, is it-* Thalia asked uietly, !atigue eginning to tug at the ragged

edges o! her %oice.

'&t could e worse.*

'5our lying skills are slipping as well. hat’s going on-* $he managed to raise an

eyerow. '&s lo%e making you so!t-*

Clarke sti!!ened and snatched her hand ack !rom Thalia’s lanket. 'Are your in=uries

making you delirious-* $he glanced o%er her shoulder and was relie%ed to see 6cta%ia

asored in con%ersation with the Arcadian oy. '5ou know what he did to me.* $he

paused as her stomach churned with re%ulsion. 'hat he did to my parents.*

'6! course & know.* Thalia looked at Clarke with a mi+ture o! !rustration and pity. '"ut &also know what he risked to come here.* $he smiled. 'He lo%es you, Clarke. The kind o!

lo%e most people spend their whole li%es looking !or.*

Clarke sighed. 'ell, & hope, !or your sake, that you ne%er !ind it.*

CHAPTER 17

"ellamy

&t was cra3y how much their surroundings could change throughout the day. &n the

mornings, e%erything !elt crisp and new. E%en the air had a sharpness to it. 5et in the

a!ternoon, the light mellowed and the colors so!tened. That’s what "ellamy liked est

aout Earth so !ar/the une+pectedness. 2ike a girl who kept you guessing. He’d always

een drawn to the ones he couldn’t uite !igure out.

2aughter rose up !rom the !ar side o! the clearing. "ellamy turned to see two girls



perched on a low tree ranch, giggling as they swatted at the oy attempting to clim up

and =oin them. 9eary, a unch o! alden oys were playing a game o! keep#away with

an Arcadian girl’s shoe, the owner asoro! which was laughing as she skidded are!oot

across the grass. @or a moment, he !elt a twinge o! regret that 6cta%ia still wasn’t well

enough to =oin in/she’d had so little !un in her li!e. "ut then again, it was proaly est

that she didn’t !orm any real attachments. As soon as her ankle healed, she and "ellamy

would e o!! !or good.

"ellamy tore open a crumpled nutrition pack, suee3ed hal! the contents into his mouth,

then slipped the care!ully !olded wrapper ack into his pocket. A!ter sorting through the

remainder o! the wreckage, they’d disco%ered what they’d all !eared? The !ew weeks’

worth o! nutrition packets they’d !ound when they !irst landed was all they’d een sent

with. Either the Council had assumed the hundred would !igure out how to li%e o!! the

land a!ter a monthF or they didn’t plan on them sur%i%ing that long.

:raham had strong#armed most people into handing o%er any packs they’d sal%aged and

had supposedly put an Arcadian named Asher in charge o! distriuting them, ut there

was already a !ledgling lack marketB people were trading nutrition packs !or lankets

and taking on e+tra water shi!ts in e+change !or reser%ed spots inside the crowded tents.

ells had spent the day trying to get e%eryone to agree to a more !ormal system, and

while some people had seemed interested, it hadn’t taken :raham long to shut him down.

"ellamy turned as the laughter at the short end o! the clearing ga%e way to shouts.

':i%e that to meI* one o! the aldenites cried, trying to wrench something away !romanother. As "ellamy hurried o%er, he reali3ed it was an a+. The !irst oy was holding the

handle with oth hands and was trying to swing it out o! reach while the second oy

attempted to gra on to the lade.

6thers egan to descend on the oys, ut instead o! pulling them apart, they darted

etween the trees, scooping items into their arms. Tools were scattered on the ground/

more a+es, kni%es, e%en spears. "ellamy smiled as his eyes landed on a ow and arrow.

ust this morning, he’d !ound animal prints/goddamn real tracks, leading into the trees.

His disco%ery had caused a huge commotion. At one point, there’d een at least three

do3en people gathered around, all making intelligent, help!ul oser%ations like &t’s

proaly not a ird and &t looks like it has !our legs. @inally, "ellamy had een the one to

point out that they were hoo%es, not paws, which meant that it was proaly an heri%ore,

and there!ore something they could concei%aly catch and eat. He’d =ust een waiting !or

something to hunt with, and now, in his !irst stroke o! good luck on Earth, he had it.

Hope!ully he and 6cta%ia would e long gone e!ore the nutrition packets ran out, ut he



wasn’t taking any chances.

'Hold it, e%eryone,* a %oice rang out o%er the crowd. "ellamy glanced up as ells

reached the tree line. 'e can’t =ust let random people carry weapons. e need to sort

and organi3e these, and then decide who should ha%e them.*

A !lurry o! snorts and de!iant glares rose up !rom the crowd.

'That guy took the Chancellor hostage,* ells went on, pointing at "ellamy, who’d

already swung the ow and arrows o%er his shoulder. 'ho knows what else he’s capale

o!. 5ou want someone like him walking around carrying a deadly weapon-* ells raised

his chin. 'e should at least put it to a %ote.*

"ellamy couldn’t help ut laugh. ho the hell did this kid think he was, anyway- He

reached down, picked a kni!e up o!! the ground, and egan walking toward ells.

ells stood his ground, and cs gd cs gd "ellamy wondered i! he was trying not to !linch,

or i! maye ells was less o! a pusho%er than "ellamy had thought. ust when it seemed

like he might sta ells in the chest, "ellamy !lipped the weapon so that the handle !aced

ells, and pushed it into his hand.

'"reaking news, pretty oy.* "ellamy winked. 'e’re all criminals here.*

"ut e!ore he had time to respond, :raham sauntered o%er. As he looked !rom ells to

"ellamy, a wry smile !lickered across his !ace.

'& agree with the right honorale mini#Chancellor,* :raham said. 'e should lock up the

weapons.*

"ellamy took a step ack. 'hat- And put you in charge o! those as well-* He ran his

!inger along the ow. '9o way. &’m ready to hunt.*

:raham snorted. 'And what e+actly did you hunt ack on alden e+cept !or girls with

low standards and e%en lower sel!#esteem-*

"ellamy sti!!ened ut didn’t say anything. &t was a waste o! time to rise to :raham’s ait,

ut he could !eel his !ingers clenching.

'6r maye you don’t e%en ha%e to chase a!ter them,* :raham continued. '& suppose

that’s the ene!it to ha%ing a sister.*



ith a sickening crunch, "ellamy’s !ist sank into :raham’s =aw. :raham staggered ack

a !ew steps, too stunned to raise his arms e!ore "ellamy landed another punch. Then he

righted himsel! and struck "ellamy with a power!ul, well#aimed shot to the chin. "ellamy

lunged !orward with a growl, using his whole ody weight to send :raham !lying

ackward. He landed on the grass with a hea%y thud, ut =ust when "ellamy was aout to

deli%er a swi!t kick, :raham rolled to the side and knocked "ellamy’s legs out !rom

under him.

"ellamy thrashed around, trying to sit up in time to gain le%erage o%er his opponent, ut

it was too late. :raham had him pinned to the ground and was holding something =ust

ao%e his !ace, something that glinted in the sun. A kni!e.

'That’s enough,* ells shouted. He graed :raham y the collar and !lung him o!!

"ellamy, who rolled o%er onto his side, whee3ing.

'hat the hell-* :raham ellowed, scramling to his !eet.

"ellamy winced as he rose onto his knees and then slowly stood up and walked o%er to

pick up the ow. He shot a uick glance at :raham, who was too usy glaring at ells to

notice.

'ust ecause the Chancellor used to tuck you into ed doesn’t mean you’re automatically

in charge,* :raham spat. '& don’t care what 4addy told you e!ore we le!t.*

'& ha%e no interest in eing in charge. & =ust want to make sure we don’t die.*

:raham e+changed a glance with Asher. '&! that’s your concern, then & suggest you mind

your own usiness.* He reached down and scooped up the kni!e. 'e wouldn’t want

there to e any accidents.*

'That’s not how we’re going to do things here,* ells said, holding his ground.

'5eah-* :raham raised his eyerows. 'And what makes you think you ha%e any say o%er

that-*

'"ecause &’m not an idiot. "ut i! you’re an+ious to ecome the !irst thug to try to kill

someone on Earth in centuries, e my guest.*

"ellamy e+haled as he crossed the clearing toward the area where he’d seen the animal

tracks. He didn’t need to get pulled into a pissing contest, not when there was !ood to

!ind. He c tord the aswung the ow o%er his shoulder and stepped into the woods.



As he’d learned at a young age, i! you wanted to get something done, you had to do it

yoursel!.

"ellamy had een eight years old during the !irst %isit.

His mother hadn’t een home, ut she’d told him e+actly what to do. The guards rarely

inspected their unit. ;any o! them had grown up neary, and while the recruits liked

showing o!! their uni!orms and hassling their !ormer ri%als, in%estigating their neighors’

!lats !elt like crossing the line. "ut it was o%ious the o!!icer in charge o! this regiment

wasn’t a local. &t wasn’t =ust his snooty accent. &t was the way he’d looked around their

tiny !lat with a mi+ture o! surprise and disgust, like he couldn’t imagine human eings

li%ing there.

He’d come in without knocking while "ellamy had een trying to clean the reak!astdishes. They only had running water a !ew hours a day, generally while his mother was

working in the solar !ields. "ellamy was so startled, he dropped the cup he was cleaning

and watched in horror as it ounced on the !loor and rolled toward the closet.

The o!!icer’s eyes darted ack and !orth as he read something o!! his cornea slip.

'"ellamy "lake-* he said in his weird Phoeni+ accent that made it sound like his mouth

was !ull o! nutrition paste. "ellamy nodded slowly. '&s your mother home-*

'9o,* he said, working hard to keep his %oice steady, =ust like he’d practiced.

Another guard stepped through the door. A!ter a nod !rom the o!!icer, he egan asking

uestions in a dull, !lat tone that suggested he’d gi%en the same speech a do3en times

already that day.

'4o you ha%e more than three meals’ worth o! !ood in your residence-* he droned.

"ellamy shook his head. '4o you ha%e an energy source other thanF*

"ellamy’s heart was eating so loudly, it seemed to drown out the guard’s %oice.

Although his mother had drilled him countless times, practicing any numer o! scenarios,

he ne%er imagined the way the o!!icer’s eyes would mo%e around their !lat. hen his

eyes landed on the dropped cup then mo%ed to the closet, "ellamy thought his chest was

going to e+plode.

'Are you going to answer his uestion-*

"ellamy looked up and saw oth men staring at him. The o!!icer was scowling



impatiently, and the other guard =ust looked ored.

"ellamy started to apologi3e, ut his '$orry* came out like a whee3e.

'4o you ha%e any permanent residents other than the two people registered !or this unit-*

"ellamy took a deep reath. '9o,* he said, !orcing the word out. He !inally rememered

to a!!ect the annoyed e+pression his mother had him practice in the mirror.

The o!!icer raised one eyerow. '$o sorry to ha%e wasted your time,* he said with mock

cordiality. ith a !inal glance around the !lat, he strode out, !ollowed y the guard, who

sla cuarry to hmmed the door shut ehind him.

"ellamy sank to his knees, too terri!ied to answer the uestion rattling through his mind?

hat would ha%e happened i! they’d looked in the closet-

CHAPTER 11

:lass

As she trailed ehind Cora and Hu+ley on their way to the E+change, :lass !ound hersel!

wishing that her mother had waited a !ew more days e!ore spreading the news o! her

pardon. At !irst, she’d een o%er=oyed to see her !riends. hen they’d walked through her

door that morning, all three girls had urst into sos. "ut now, watching Cora and Hu+ley

e+change knowing smiles as they passed a oy :lass didn’t recogni3e, she !elt morealone than she e%er had in her cell.

'& et you ha%e a ton o! points sa%ed up,* Hu+ley said as she wrapped her arm around

:lass. '&’m =ealous.*

'All & ha%e is what my mother trans!erred to me this morning.* :lass ga%e her a weak

smile. 'The rest were eliminated a!ter my arrest.*

Hu+ley shuddered dramatically. '& still can’t elie%e it.* $he lowered her %oice. '5ou

ne%er did tell us why you were Con!ined.*

'$he doesn’t want to talk aout that,* Cora said as she glanced ner%ously o%er her

shoulder.

9o, you don’t want to talk aout that, :lass thought as they turned onto the main " deck

corridor, a long, wide passage ordered y panoramic windows on one side and enches

tucked etween arti!icial plants on the other. &t was midday, and most o! the enches were



occupied y women her mother’s age talking and sipping sun!lower root tea. Technically,

you were supposed to use ration points at the tea stand, ut :lass couldn’t rememer the

last time she’d een asked to scan her thum. &t was =ust one o! the many small lu+uries

o! li!e on Phoeni+ that she’d ne%er gi%en a second thought until she started spending time

with 2uke.

As the girls strode down the corridor, :lass could !eel nearly e%ery pair o! eyes turn to

her. Her stomach twisted as she wondered what had een more shocking/the !act that

she’d een Con!ined or the !act that she’d een pardoned. $he held her head up high and

tried to look con!ident as she walked past. :lass was supposed to e an e+ample o! the

Colony’s sense o! =ustice, and she would ha%e to keep !ace as though her li!e depended

on it. "ecause this time, it did.

'4o you think there’s any chance Clarke will get pardoned too-* Hu+ley asked as Cora

shot her a warning look. '4id you guys e%er like, hang out, while you were inCon!inement-*

'6h my god, Hu+ley, will you gi%e it a rest-* Cora said, touching :lass’s arm in a

supporti%e gesture. '$orry,* she said. '&t’s =ust that, when Clarke was sentenced =ust a!ter

you, noody could elie%e it? two Phoeni+ girls in a !ew months- And then when you

came ack, there were all these rumors.F*

'&t’s !ine,* :lass said, !orcing a smile to signal that she was okay talking aout it. 'Clarke

got put into solitary pretty uickly, so & didn’t see her much. And & don’t know whether

she’ll e pardoned,* she lied, rememering her mom’s imperati%e that she not talk aoutthe Earth mission. '&’m not sure when she turns eighteen/my case was ree%aluated since

it’s almost my irthday.*

'6h, ri !yway-strodght, your irthdayI* Hu+ley suealed, clapping her hands. '& !orgot

it’s coming up. e’ll ha%e to !ind you something at the E+change.*

Cora nodded, seeming o%er=oyed to ha%e !ound their way ack to such an acceptale

topic, as the girls approached their destination.

The Phoeni+ E+change was in a large hall at the end o! " deck. &n addition to panoramic

windows, it held an enormous chandelier that had supposedly een e%acuated !rom the

Paris 6pera house hours e!ore the !irst om !ell on estern Europe. hene%er :lass

heard the tale, she !elt a twinge o! sadness !or the people who might’%e een sa%ed

instead, ut she couldn’t deny that the chandelier was reathtaking. 4ancing with

re!lected light !rom the ceiling and the windows, it looked like a small cluster o! stars, a

miniature gala+y spinning and shimmering o%erhead.



Hu+ley let go o! :lass’s arm and dashed o%er to a display o! rions, oli%ious to the

neary group o! girls who’d !allen silent at :lass’s arri%al. :lass lushed and hurried

a!ter Cora, whose eyes were trained on a te+tile ooth near the ack wall.

$he stood awkwardly ne+t to Cora while her !riend rummaged through the !aric, uickly

reducing the orderly stack into a messy pile while the alden woman ehind the tale

ga%e her a tight smile. '2ook at all this crap,* Cora muttered as she !lung a piece o!

urlap and a !ew strips o! !leece to the side.

'hat are you looking !or-* :lass asked, running her !inger along a tiny scrap o! pale#

pink silk. &t was eauti!ul, e%en with the rust marks and water stains along the edges, ut

it would e impossile to !ind enough matching pieces !or a small e%ening ag, let alone

a dress.

'&’%e spent a million years collecting scraps o! lue satin, and & !inally ha%e enough !or

the slip, ut & need to layer something o%er it so it doesn’t look too patchworky.* Cora

wrinkled her nose as she e+amined a large piece o! clear %inyl. 'How much is this-*

'$i+,* the alden woman said.

'5ou’re not serious.* Cora rolled her eyes at :lass. '&t’s a shower curtain.*

'&t’s Earthmade.*

Cora snickered. 'Authenticated y who-*

'How aout this-* :lass asked, holding up a piece o! lue netting. &t looked like it had

once een part o! a storage ag, ut no one would e ale to tell once it was applied to

the dress.

'6ooh,* Cora cooed, snatching it out o! :lass’s hand. '& like it.* $he held it against her

ody to check the length, then smiled up at :lass. ':ood thing your time in Con!inement

didn’t a!!ect your !ashion sense.* :lass sti!!ened ut said nothing. '$o, what are you

going to wear-*

'To what-*

'To the %iewing party,* she said, enunciating her syllales as one might do with a small

child. '@or the comet-*



'$orry.* :lass shrugged. Apparently, spending si+ months in Con!inement was no e+cuse

!or !ailing to keep up with the Phoeni+ social calendar.

'5our mother didn’t tell you aout it when you got ack-* Cora continued, holding the

netting around her waist like a petticoat. 'There’s a comet on track to pass right y the

ship/the closest any has come since the Colony was !ounded.*

'And there’s a %iewing party-*

Cora nodded. '6n the oser%ation deck. They’%e een making all sorts o! e+ceptions so

there konsoman saidcan e !ood, drinks, music, e%erything. &’m going with Jikram.* $he

grinned, ut then her !ace !ell. '&’m sure he won’t mind i! you come along. He knows

there are, well, e+tenuating circumstances.* $he ga%e :lass a sympathetic smile and

turned ack to the alden woman. 'How much-*

'9ine.*

$uddenly, :lass’s head egan to pound. $he murmured an e+cuse to Cora, who was still

negotiating with the shopkeeper, and wandered o!! to look at the display o! =ewelry on a

neary tale. $he rushed her !ingers asently along her are throat. $he’d always worn a

necklace chip, the de%ice some girls on Phoeni+ chose as an alternati%e to earuds or

cornea slips. &t was !ashionale to ha%e the chip emedded in a piece o! =ewelry, i! you

were lucky enough to ha%e a relic in the !amily or managed to !ind something at the

E+change.

Her eyes tra%eled o%er the glittering assemlage and a glint o! gold caught her eye/an

o%al locket on a delicate chain. :lass inhaled sharply as a wa%e o! pain crashed o%er her,

!illing e%ery inch o! her ody with a throing mi+ o! grie! and sorrow. $he knew she

should turn away and keep walking, ut she couldn’t help it.

:lass reached out a tremling arm and picked up the necklace. The outline lurred as

tears !illed her eyes. $he ran her !inger care!ully o%er the car%ing in the ack, knowing

without ha%ing to look that it was an ornate cursi%e :.

'Are you sure you don’t mind spending your irthday on alden-* 2uke asked, leaning

his head ack ne+t to hers on the couch. The look o! concern on his !ace was so sincere, it

almost made her laugh. 'How many times do & ha%e to tell you-* :lass swung her legs up

so they were lying across 2uke’s. 'There’s nowhere else &’d rather e.*

'"ut didn’t your mom want to throw you some !ancy party-* :lass rested her head on

her shoulder. '5es, ut what’s the point i! you can’t e there-*



'& don’t want you gi%ing up your whole li!e =ust ecause & can’t e a part o! it.* 2uke ran

his !ingers down :lass’s arm, suddenly serious. '4o you e%er wish we hadn’t stopped

you that night-*

As a memer o! the prestigious mechanical engineering unit, 2uke wasn’t normally

assigned to checkpoint duty, ut he’d een called in one e%ening when :lass had een

hurrying ack !rom studying with ells.

'Are you kidding-* $he raised her head to kiss his cheek. The taste o! his skin was

enough to make her whole ody tingle, and she mo%ed her lips down, tracing the line o!

his =aw up to his ear. '"reaking cur!ew that night was the est decision &’%e e%er made,*

she whispered, smiling as he shuddered slightly.

The cur!ew wasn’t strictly en!orced on Phoeni+, ut she’d een stopped y a pair o!guards. 6ne o! them had gi%en :lass a hard time, !orcing her to pro%ide a thum scan

and then asking hostile uestions. E%entually, the other guard had stepped in and insisted

on escorting :lass the rest o! the way.

'alking you home was the est decision & e%er made,* he murmured. 'Although it was

torture trying to keep mysel! !rom kissing you that night.*

'ell, then, we’d etter make up !or lost time now,* :lass teased, mo%ing her lips ack

to his. Her kisses grew mo kiss a part o!re urgent as he placed his hand on the ack o! her

head and wo%e his !ingers through her hair. :lass shi!ted until she was sitting mostly in2uke’s lap, !eeling his other arm mo%e down to her waist to keep her !rom !alling.

'& lo%e you,* he whispered in her ear. 9o matter how many times she heard the words,

they ne%er ceased to make her shi%er.

$he pulled away =ust long enough to reathe, '& lo%e you too,* then kissed him again,

running her hand lightly down his side and then resting her !ingers on the sli%er o! skin

etween his shirt and his elt.

'e should take a reak,* 2uke said, gently pushing her hand to the side. 6%er the past

!ew weeks, it’d ecome increasingly di!!icult to keep things !rom progressing too !ar.

'& don’t want to.* :lass ga%e him a coy smile and returned her lips to his ear. 'And it’s

my irthday.*

2uke laughed, then groaned as he rose to his !eet with :lass in his arms.



'Put me downI* :lass giggled, kicking her !eet in the air. 'hat are you doing-*

2uke took a !ew steps !orward. 'Taking you to the E+change. &’m trading you in !or a girl

who won’t try so hard to get me in troule.*

'Hey.* $he hu!!ed with mock indignation, then started pounding her !ists into his chest.

'Put me downI*

He turned away !rom the door. 'Are you going to eha%e yoursel!-*

'hat- &t’s not my !ault you’re too hot to keep my hands o!! o!.*

':lass,* he warned.

'@ine. 5es, & promise.* ':ood.* He walked ack to the couch and laid her gently ack

down. '"ecause it’d e a shame i! & couldn’t gi%e you your present.*

'hat is it-* :lass asked, pushing hersel! up into a seated position.

'A chastity elt,* 2uke said gra%ely. '@or me. & !ound it at the E+change. &t cost a !ortune,

ut it’s worth it to protect/*

:lass smacked him in the chest. 2uke laughed and wrapped his arms around her. '$orry,*

he said with a grin. He reached into his pocket then paused. '&t’s not wrapped oranything.*

'That’s okay.*

He pulled something out o! his pocket and e+tended his arm toward her. A gold locket

glittered on his palm.

'2uke, it’s eauti!ul,* :lass whispered, reaching out to take the locket. Her eyes widened

as her !ingers ran along its delicate edges. 'This is Earthmade.* $he looked up at him in

surprise.

He nodded. '5es, at least, it’s supposed to e, according to the records.* He picked it up

out o! her hand. ';ay &-* :lass nodded, and 2uke stepped ehind her to !astenthe clasp.

$he shi%ered at the touch o! his hand on.

:lass nodded, and 2uke stepped ehind her to !asten the clasp. $he shi%ered at the touch

o! his hand on her neck as he rushed her hair to the side. $he could only imagine how



much something like this cost/2uke must ha%e used his entire sa%ings on it. E%en as a

guard, he didn’t ha%e many ration points to spare. '& lo%e it,* :lass said, running her

!inger along the chain as she turned to !ace him.

His smile lit up his whole !ace. '&’m so glad.* 2uke ran his hand down her neck and

turned the locket o%er, re%ealing a : etched into the gold.

'4id you do that-* :lass asked.

2uke nodded. 'E%en in a thousand years, & want people to know that it elonged to you.*

He pressed his !inger against the locket, pushing the metal against her skin. '9ow you

=ust ha%e to !ill it with your own memories.*

:lass smiled. '& know what memory & want to start with.* $he looked up, e+pecting to

see 2uke roll his eyes, ut his !ace was serious. Their eyes met, and !or a long moment,the !lat was silent e+cept !or the sound o! their eating hearts.

'Are you sure-* 2uke asked, his row !urrowing slightly as he ran a !inger along the

inside o! her arm.

';ore sure than &’%e een o! anything in my li!e.*

2uke took :lass’s hand, and a current o! electricity shot through her. He suee3ed his

!ingers around hers and, without a word, led her toward his edroom.

6! course he’d traded it, :lass told hersel!. &t’d e ridiculous to keep such a %aluale

item, especially a!ter she’d roken his heart. 5et the thought o! her discarded necklace

languishing alone in the E+change unleashed a pang o! grie! that threatened to rip her

heart in two. A prickle on the ack o! her neck pulled :lass !rom her thoughts. $he

raced hersel!, e+pecting to see another %ague acuaintance staring at her with open

suspicion. "ut when she turned around, her eyes landed on someone else entirely.

2uke.

He stared at her =ust long enough !or :lass to lush, then roke away as his eyes !litted

toward the tale. An odd e+pression crossed his !ace as his ga3e landed on the necklace.

'&’m surprised no one’s snatched it up yet,* he said uietly. '&t’s so eauti!ul.* His arm

dropped ack to his side, and he turned around to gi%e her a small, sad smile. '"ut then

again, the eauti!ul ones can hurt you the most.*

'2uke,* :lass egan, '&/* "ut then she noticed a !amiliar !igure ehind 2uke. Camille



stood ehind the counter o! the paper te+ts stall, her eyes !i+ed on :lass.

2uke glanced o%er his shoulder and then turned ack to :lass. 'Camille’s co%ering !or

her !ather. He’s een sick.*

'&’m sorry,* :lass said. "ut e!ore she had time to say anything else, she was distracted

y the sound o! raised %oices.

:lass turned and saw Cora shouting at the alden woman. '&! you re!use to charge me a

reasonale price, then &’ll ha%e no choice ut to report you !or !raud.* The woman paled

and said something :lass couldn’t hear, ut apparently, it was to Cora’s liking, ecause

she smiled a k shn two. A nd held her thum up to e scanned.

:lass grimaced, emarrassed y her !riend’s eha%ior. '$orry/& should go.*

'4on’t,* 2uke pleaded, touching her arm. '&’%e een worried aout you.* He lowered his

%oice. 'hat are you doing here- &s it sa!e-*

The concern in his %oice !illed some o! the smaller cracks in her attered heart, ut not

enough to make the pain go away. '&t’s sa!e. & was pardoned, actually,* :lass said, trying

hard to keep her %oice steady.

'Pardoned-* His eyes widened. 'ow. & ne%er thoughtF That’s incredile.* He paused,

as i! unsure how to go on. '5ou know, you ne%er told me why you were Con!ined in the

!irst place.*

:lass cast her eyes toward the ground, !ighting an o%erwhelming urge to tell 2uke the

truth. He deser%es to e happy, she reminded hersel! !irmly. HeNs not yours anymore.

'&t doesn’t matter,* she said !inally. '& =ust want to put it all ehind me.*

2uke stared at her, and !or a moment :lass wondered i! he could see straight through her.

'ell, take care o! yoursel!,* he said !inally.

:lass nodded. '& will.* $he knew she was doing the right thing, !or once. $he =ust wished

it didn’t hurt so much.

CHAPTER 1>

Clarke



Clarke sat in the dark in!irmary tent, watching ner%ously as Thalia tossed and turned in

her sleep, restless !rom the !e%er that set in as the in!ection grew worse.

'hat do you think she’s dreaming aout-*

Clarke turned and saw 6cta%ia sitting up, staring at Thalia wide#eyed.

'&’m not sure,* Clarke lied. @rom the e+pression on Thalia’s !ace, Clarke could tell she

was thinking aout her !ather again. $he’d een Con!ined !or trying to steal medicine

a!ter the Council had weighed against treating himB with limited medical supplies, they’d

deemed his prospects too grim to e worth the resources. Thalia still didn’t know what

happened to him/whether he’d succumed to his disease a!ter her arrest, or whether he

was still clinging to li!e, praying that he’d get to see his daughter again someday.

Thalia moaned and curled into a all, reminding Clarke o! 2illy on one o! her ad nights,when Clarke would sneak into the la so her !riend wouldn’t ha%e to e alone. Although

no one was keeping Clarke !rom helping Thalia, she !elt =ust as !rantic, =ust as helpless.

<nless they !ound the medicine that had een !lung !rom the dropship, there was nothing

she could do to ease her su!!ering.

The !lap !lew open, !looding the tent with light and cool, pungent air, and "ellamy

tumled in. He had a ow slung o%er his shoulder, and his eyes were right. ':ood

a!ternoon, ladies,* he said with a grin as he strode o%er to 6cta%ia’s cot. He stooped

down to ru!!le her hair, which was still secured with a neatly tied red rion. He was

close enough that Clarke couldn’t help ut notice the !aint smell o! sweat clinging to hisskin, lending with another scent she couldn’t identi!y ut that made her think o! trees.

'How’s the ankle-* he asked 6cta%ia, making an e+aggerated show o! suinting and

e+amining it !rom all angles.

$he !le+ed it gingerly. e+ed it k;uch etter.* $he turned to Clarke. 'Am & ready to lea%e

yet-*

Clarke hesitated. 6cta%ia’s ankle was still !ragile, and there was no way o! making an

e!!ecti%e race. &! she put too much pressure on it, she’d sprain it all o%er again, or worse.

6cta%ia sighed, then stuck her ottom lip out in a pleading e+pression. 'Please- & didn’t

come all the way to Earth to sit in a tent.*

'5ou didn’t ha%e a choice,* "ellamy said. '"ut & certainly didn’t risk my ass coming here

=ust to watch you get gangrene.*



"ellamy shook his head. '&t was too !ar away. e wouldn’t make it ack e!ore dark.

e’ll go tomorrow.*

$he glanced at Thalia, whose !ace was still contorted in pain. '6kay. @irst thing in the

morning.*

'2et’s wait until the a!ternoon. &’ll e hunting in the morning. That’s when the animals

are out looking !or water.* Clarke suppressed the urge to ask him where he’d learned that,

although she couldn’t uite mask the surprise on her !ace. '<ntil tomorrow, then-*

"ellamy asked, and Clarke nodded. ':reat.* He grinned. '&t’s a date.*

$he watched them lumer out o! the tent, then went ack o%er to Thalia. Her !riend’s eyes

!luttered open. 'Hi,* she said weakly.

'How are you !eeling-* Clarke asked, mo%ing to check Thalia’s %ital signs.

':reat,* she croaked. 'ust aout ready to =oin "ellamy on his ne+t hunting e+pedition.*

Clarke smiled. '& thought you were sleeping.*

'& was. 6!! and on.*

'&’m =ust going to take a uick look, okay-* Clarke asked, and Thalia nodded. Clarke

pushed the lanket aside and li!ted Thalia’s shirt. $treaks o! red radiated out !rom theoo3ing wound, suggesting that the in!ection was making its way into her loodstream.

'4oes it hurt-*

'9o,* Thalia said hollowly. They oth knew she wasn’t getting any etter.

'Can you elie%e they’re really silings-* Clarke asked, purpose!ully changing the

su=ect as she replaced Thalia’s lanket.

'5eah, it’s cra3y to think aout.* Thalia’s %oice grew slightly stronger.

'hat’s cra3y is pulling a stunt like that on the launch deck,* Clarke said. '"ut it was

really ra%e. They would’%e killed him i! they’d caught him.* $he paused. 'They’ll kill

him when they come down.*

'He’s done a lot to keep her sa!e,* Thalia agreed, turning her !ace away !rom Clarke in an



attempt to hide a grimace as a new wa%e o! pain washed o%er her. 'He really lo%es you,

you know.*

'ho- "ellamy-* Clarke asked, startled.

'9o. ells. He came to Earth !or you, Clarke.*

$he pressed her lips together. '& didn’t ask him to.*

'e’%e all done things we’re not proud o!,* Thalia said, her %oice uiet.

Clarke shuddered and closed her eyes. '&’m not asking anyone !or !orgi%eness.*

'That’s not what & mean, and you know it.* Thalia paused to catch her reath. The e!!ort

it took to speak was wearing her out.

'5ou need to rest,* Clarke said, reaching o%er to pull the lanket up o%er her !riend’s

shoulders. 'e can talk aout this tomorrow.*

'9oI* Thalia e+claimed. 'Clarke, what happened wasn’t your !ault.*

'6! course it was my !ault.* Clarke re!used to meet her !riend’s ga3e. Thalia was the only

one who knew what Clarke had really done, and Clarke couldn’t ear to !ace that right

now, to see the memory re!lected in her !riend’s dark, e+pressi%e eyes. 'And what does it

ha%e to do with ells anyway-*Thalia closed her eyes and sighed, ignoring the uestion. '5ou need to let yoursel! e

happy. 6r else, what’s the point o! anything-*

Clarke opened her mouth to launch a retort, ut the words disappeared as she watched

Thalia lean o%er, suddenly coughing. '&t’ll e okay,* Clarke whispered, running her hand

through her !riend’s sweat#dampened hair. '5ou’ll e okay.*

This time, the words weren’t a prayer ut a declaration. Clarke re!used to let Thalia die,

and nothing was going to stop her. $he wouldn’t let her est !riend =oin the chorus o!

ghosts in her head.

CHAPTER 1(

ells

ells looked up at the star#!illed sky. He ne%er imagined how homesick it would make



him to stare at the !amiliar scene !rom hundreds o! kilometers away. &t was unsettling to

see the moon so tiny and !eatureless, like waking up to !ind that your !amily’s !aces had

een erased.

$itting at the camp!ire around him, the others were grumling. They’d een on Earth less

than a week, and already their rations were dwindling. The !act that they had no medicine

was trouling, ut right now the igger concern was the !ood supply. Either the Colony

miscalculated their pro%isions, or :raham and his !riends had een hoarding more than

he’d reali3ed. Either way, the e!!ects were already eginning to show. &t wasn’t =ust the

hollows !orming under their cheekones/there was a hunger in their eyes that terri!ied

ells. He could ne%er let himsel! !orget that they’d all een Con!ined !or a reason, that

e%eryone surrounding him had done something to endanger the Colony.

ells most o! all.

ust then, Clarke emerged !rom the in!irmary tent and walked toward the camp!ire, her

eyes skimming the circle as she searched !or a spot. There was an empty space ne+t to

ells, ut her ga3e skipped right o%er him. $he sat eside 6cta%ia, who was perched on a

log, her in=ured leg stretched out in !ront o! her.

ells sighed as he turned to look around the clearing, the !lames !lickering on the dark

!orms o! the three tents they’d !inally uilt/the in!irmary, a structure to hold supplies,

and ells’s personal !a%orite, a ditch !or collecting water, in case it e%er rained. At least

their camp wasn’t turning out to e a complete !ailure. His !ather would e impressed

when he =oined them on Earth.

&! he =oined them. &t was ecoming harder and harder to con%ince himsel! that his !ather

was !ine, that the ullet wound was only super!icial. His chest tightened pain!ully as he

thought o! his !ather clinging to li!e in a hospital ed, or worse, his ody !loating

somewhere through space. His !ather’s words still rang in his ears? &! anyone can make

this mission a success, it’s you. A!ter a li!etime o! urging ells to work harder and do

etter, he wondered i! the Chancellor might ha%e gi%en his last order to his son.

A strange noise came !rom the trees. ells sat up straighter, all his senses on the alert.

There was a cracking sound, !ollowed y a rustling. The murmurs y the !ire turned to

gasps as a strange shape materiali3ed out o! the shadows, part human, part animal, like

something !rom the ancient myths.

ells leapt to his !eet. "ut then the creature mo%ed past the tree line and into the light.

"ellamy stood with an animal carcass draped o%er his shoulders, a trail o! lood in his



wake.

A deer. ells’s eyes tra%eled o%er the li!eless animal, taking in its so!t rown !ur, spindly

legs, delicately tapered ears. As "ellamy mo%ed toward them, the deer’s head swayed

ack and !orth !rom its limp neck/ut it ne%er made a !ull arc, ecause each time it

swung ack, it knocked against something else.

&t was another head, swinging !rom another slender neck. The deer had two heads.

ells !ro3e as e%eryone around the !ire scramled to their !eet, some o! them inching

!orward !or a etter look, others acking up in terror. '&s it sa!e-* one girl asked.

'&t’s sa!e.* Clarke’s %oice came !rom the shadows, and then she stepped into the light.

'The radiation might ha%e mutated the mu ranggenetic material hundreds o! years ago,

ut there wouldn’t e any trace o! it now.*

E%eryone !ell silent as Clarke stretched out her hand to stroke the creature’s !ur. $tanding

in a pool o! moonlight, she ne%er looked so eauti!ul.

Clarke turned to "ellamy with a smile that made ells’s stomach twist. 'e’re not going

to star%e.* Then she said something ells couldn’t hear, and "ellamy nodded.

ells e+haled, willing his resentment to drain away. He took another deep reath e!ore

walking toward "ellamy and Clarke. $he sti!!ened as he approached, ut ells !orced

himsel! to keep his eyes on "ellamy. 'Thank you,* ells said. 'This will !eed a lot o! people.*

"ellamy stared at him uestioningly as he shi!ted his weight !rom one !oot to the other.

'& mean it,* ells said. 'Thanks.*

@inally, "ellamy nodded. ells went ack to his place y the !ire, lea%ing "ellamy and

Clarke to talk uietly, their heads owed together.

The oser%ation deck was completely empty. $taring out into the immeasuraly %ast sea

o! stars, ells could easily imagine that they were the only two li%ing things in the entire

uni%erse. He tightened his arm around Clarke. $he pressed her head against his chest and

e+haled, sinking closer to him as the air le!t her ody. As i! she was happy to let him

reathe !or them oth.

'How’d it go today-* she murmured.



'@ine,* ells said, not sure why he was othering to lie when Clarke was pressed against

his chest. $he could read his hearteat like it was ;orse code.

'hat happened-* she asked, concern !lickering in her large green eyes.

His o!!icer training entailed periodic trips to alden and Arcadia to monitor the guards.

Today, he’d oser%ed them sei3e a woman who’d gotten pregnant with an unregistered

child. There’d e no chance at lenience. $he would e Con!ined until she ga%e irth, the

child would e placed in the Council’s care, and the mother would e e+ecuted. The law

was harsh ut necessary. The ship could only support a certain numer o! li%es, and

allowing anyone to disrupt the delicate alance would =eopardi3e the entire race. "ut the

look o! panic in the woman’s eyes as the guards had dragged her away was urned into

ells’s rain.

$urprisingly, it’d een his !ather who helped ells make sense o! what he’d seen. That

night at dinner, he’d sensed something was wrong, and ells had told him aout the

incident, trying to sound soldierly and detached. "ut his !ather had seen through the act

and, in a rare gesture, put his hand o%er ells’s across the tale. 'hat we do isn’t easy,*

he’d told his son, 'ut it’s crucial. e can’t a!!ord to let our !eelings keep us !rom doing

our duty/keeping the human race ali%e.*

'2et me guess,* Clarke said, interrupting his thoughts. '5ou arrested some criminal

mastermind !or stealing ooks !rom the lirary.*

'9ope.* He swept a piece o! hair ehind her ear. '$he’s still at large. They’re !orming a

special task !orce as we speak.*

$he smiled, and the !lecks o! gold in her eyes d igotten pre seemed to sparkle. He

couldn’t imagine a prettier color.

ells turned his attention ack to the enormous window. Tonight, the clouds co%ering

Earth didn’t remind him o! a shroud/they were merely a lanket. The planet hadn’t died,

it’d only slipped into an enchanted sleep until the time came !or it to welcome humanity

home.

'hat are you thinking aout-* Clarke asked. '&s it your mom-*

'9o,* he said slowly. '9ot really.* ells reached out and asentmindedly wrapped a lock

o! Clarke’s hair around his !inger, then let it !all ack to her shoulder. 'Though & guess, in

a way, &’m always thinking aout her.* &t was hard to elie%e that she was really gone.



'& =ust want to make sure she’s proud o! me, where%er she is,* ells continued, a chill

passing o%er him as he glanced toward the stars.

Clarke suee3ed his hand, trans!erring her warmth to him. '6! course she’s proud o! you.

Any mother would e proud o! a son like you.*

ells turned ack to Clarke with a grin. 'ust mothers-*

'& imagine you’re a hit with grandparents, too.* $he nodded gra%ely, ut then giggled

when ells play!ully smacked her shoulder.

'There’s someone else & want to make proud.*

Clarke raised an eyerow. '$he’d etter watch her ack,* she said, reaching out to wrapher hands ehind ells’s head. '"ecause &’m not %ery good at sharing.*

ells grinned as he leaned !orward and closed his eyes, rushing his lips against hers !or

a teasing kiss e!ore mo%ing down to her neck. '9either am &,* he whispered into her ear,

!eeling her shi%er as his reath tickled her skin. $he pulled him closer, her touch melting

away the tension until he !orgot aout his day, !orgot that he’d ha%e to repeat it all

tomorrow and the day a!ter that. All that mattered was the girl in his arms.

The smell o! the roasting deer was !oreign and into+icating. There was no meat on the

Colony, not e%en on Phoeni+. All the li%estock had een eliminated in the middle o! the!irst century.

'How do we know when it’s done-* an Arcadian girl named 4arcy asked ells.

'hen the outside starts to crisp and the inside turns pink,* "ellamy called without

turning his head.

:raham snorted, ut ells nodded. '& think you’re right.* A!ter the meat cooled, they

chopped it into smaller pieces and egan passing it around the !ire. ells carried some to

the other side o! the circle, distriuting it to the crowd.

He handed a piece to 6cta%ia, who held it in !ront o! her as she looked up at ells. 'Ha%e

you tried it yet-* ells shook his head. '9ot yet.*

'ell, that’s not !air.* $he raised her eyerows. 'hat i! it turns out to e disgusting-*



He glanced around the circle. 'E%eryone else seems to e okay with it.*

6cta%ia pursed her lips together. '&’m not like e%eryone else.* $he looked a $h!ontt

him !or a moment, as i! waiting !or him to speak, then smiled and pushed her piece

toward him. 'Here, you take the !irst ite and tell me what you think.*

'&’m okay, thanks,* ells said. '& want to make sure e%eryone else/*

'Come on.* $he giggled as she tried to slip it into his mouth. 'Take a ite.*

ells snuck a uick glance around the circle to make sure Clarke hadn’t een watching.

$he wasn’t/she was caught up in con%ersation with "ellamy.

ells turned ack to 6cta%ia. '6kay,* he said, taking the piece o! meat !rom her hands.

$he looked disappointed not to !eed it to him, ut ells didn’t care. He took a ite. Theoutside was tough, ut as his teeth sank in, the meat released a !lood o! !la%or unlike

anything ells had tasted e!ore, simultaneously salty and smoky and !aintly sweet. He

chewed some more and then swallowed, racing !or his stomach to re=ect the alien

sustance. "ut all he !elt was warmth.

The kids who’d eaten !irst had risen !rom the !ire and egun milling around the clearing,

and !or a !ew minutes, the so!t hum o! their con%ersation merged with the crackling o! the

!lames. "ut then the sound o! con!used murmurs egan to rise to the sur!ace, making the

skin on the ack o! ells’s neck prickle. He rose to his !eet and walked o%er to where a

group was standing near the tree line.

'hat’s going on-* he asked.

'2ook.* 6ne o! the girls pointed to something in the trees.

'hat-* ells suinted into the darkness.

'There,* another girl said. '4id you see it-*

@or a moment, ells thought they were playing a trick on him, ut then something caught

his eye. A !lash o! light, so rie! that he might ha%e imagined it. There was another !lash a

!ew !eet away, then another, this one a little higher up. He took a step toward the edge o!

the clearing, which was now ala3e with glowing lights, as i! in%isile hands had

decorated it !or a party. His eyes landed on the closest or, a all o! light hanging !rom

the lowest ranch o! a neary tree.

There was something mo%ing inside. A creature. &t was some sort o! insect, with a tiny



ody and disproportionately large, delicate wings. The word !luttered to ells’s lips.

"utter!ly.

$ome o! the others had !ollowed him into the !orest and were now staring in wonder

alongside him. 'Clarke,* he whispered into the darkness. $he needed to see this. He tore

his eyes away and spun around, ready to go run and !ind her. "ut she was already there.

Clarke stood a !ew !eet away, utterly trans!i+ed. A so!t glow lit up her !ace, and the tense,

worried e+pression that had clung to her !eatures since the crash had !allen away.

'Hey,* ells said so!tly, not wanting to disrupt the stillness. He e+pected Clarke to scowl

at him, or silence him, or walk away. "ut she didn’t mo%e. $he stood right where she

was, staring up at the luminous utter!lies.

ells didn’t dare mo%e or say another word. The girl he thought he’d lost was still inthere, somewhere, and in that instant, he knew? He could make her lo%e him again.

CHAPTER 18

"ellamy

"ellamy didnNt know why the ancient humans e%en othered doing drugs. hat was the

point o! shooting =unk into your %eins when walking through the !orest had the same

e!!ect- $omething happened each time he crossed the tree line. As he mo%ed away !rom

the camp in the early morning sunlight, setting out on another hunting e+pedition, he egan taking deeper reaths. His heart pounded with strong, slow, steady eats, his

organs marching in time to a pulse in the ground. &t was like someone had hacked into his

rain and cranked up his senses to a setting "ellamy hadn’t known e+isted.

"ut the est part was the uiet. The ship had ne%er een completely silent. There was

always a low hum o! ackground noise? the drone o! the generators, the u33 o! the

lights, the echo o! !ootsteps in the hallway. &t had !reaked him out the !irst time he

entered the !orest, not ha%ing anything to drown out his thoughts. "ut the more time he

spent here, the uieter his mind ecame.

"ellamy scanned the ground, his eyes skipping o%er the rocks and damp patches as they

searched !or clues. There were no tracks to !ollow as there’d een yesterday, ut

something told "ellamy to turn right, and go deeper into the !orest where the trees grew

thicker, co%ering the ground with strange shadows. That’s where he would go i! he were

an animal.



He reached ehind his shoulder to gra one o! the arrows !rom the sling he’d constructed.

Although it was terrile to watch them die, his aim had %astly impro%ed o%er the past !ew

days, so he knew the animals didn’t su!!er much. He’d ne%er !orget the pain and !ear in

the !irst deer’s eyes as it staggered across the ground. 5et shooting an animal was less o!

a crime than a lot o! the crap the other kids had done to end up here. hile he might e

cutting the creature’s li!e short, "ellamy knew that it had li%ed e%ery moment o! that li!e

completely !ree.

The hundred prisoners might ha%e een promised their !reedom, ut "ellamy knew he

wouldn’t e a!!orded the same pri%ilege, not a!ter what he’d done to the Chancellor. &! he

was still around when the ne+t ship landed, the !irst person o!! it would proaly shoot

him on the spot.

"ellamy was done with all o! it/the punishments, the stations, the system. He was

through !ollowing other people’s rules. He was sick o! ha%ing to !ight to sur%i%e. 2i%ingin the !orest wouldn’t e easy, ut at least he and 6cta%ia would e !ree.

Holding his arms out !or alance, he hal! shu!!led, hal! skidded down the slope, trying his

est to not make any noise that could scare an animal away. He landed at the ottom with

a thud, mud suelching under his tattered oots. "ellamy winced as water sloshed

through the gap ao%e the soles. &t would e uncom!ortale walking ack to camp with

wet socks, something he’d learned the hard way. He wasn’t sure why that wasn’t

mentioned in any o! the ooks he read. hat was the point o! knowing how to uild a

snare out o! %ines, or which plants to use to treat urns, i! you couldn’t walk-

"ellamy laid his socks o%er a ranch to dry, then dipped his !eet into the stream. &t was

already hotter out than it had een when he le!t camp, and the cold water !elt incredile

on his skin. He rolled his pants up to his knees and waded in !arther, grinning like a

complete doo!us as the water swirled around his cal%es. &t was one o! his !a%orite things

aout Earth, how mundane stu!! like washing your !eet suddenly !elt like a huge deal.

The trees weren’t as dense y the stream, and the sun shone righter. "ellamy’s !ace and

arms suddenly !elt unearaly hot. He pulled o!! his T#shirt, crumpled it into a all, and

tossed it onto the grass e!ore reaching down to scoop water into his hands and splash it

o%er his !ace. He shiser miled, still lown away y the re%elation that water could ha%e a

taste. They’d always made crude =okes aout the ship’s recycled water supply, how you

were asically drinking your great#grand!ather’s piss. 5et now he reali3ed that the

centuries o! !iltration and puri!ication had stripped the liuid until it was no more than a

collection o! hydrogen and o+ygen molecules. He reached down and cupped another

hand!ul. &! he’d had to descrie it, he would say it tasted like a comination o! Earth and

sky/and then he’d punch whoe%er laughed at him !or it.



A crack sounded !rom inside the woods. "ellamy spun around so uickly, he lost his

alance and !ell ackward with a splash. He uickly scramled to his !eet, rocks and mud

shi!ting eneath his are toes as he turned to look !or the source o! the sound.

'$orry, & didn’t mean to scare you.*

"ellamy pushed his hair ack and saw Clarke standing on the grass. &t was startling to see

someone else in the woods, which he’d come to think o! as elonging e+clusi%ely to him.

"ut the !lash o! irritation he was e+pecting ne%er came. '5ou couldn’t wait till

a!ternoon-* he asked, making his way ack to the ank.

Clarke lushed. 'e need that medicine,* she said as she looked away !rom his are

chest. $he was so tough most o! the time, it was easy to !orget that she grew up in a world

o! !ancy concerts and lecture parties. "ellamy grinned as he shook his head, sendingdroplets o! water !lying.

'Hey,* she shouted, =umping ackward as she tried to !lick the water o!!. 'e ha%en’t

tested this stream yet. That could e to+ic.*

'$ince when did our adass surgeon ecome such a priss-* He sat down in a sunny patch

o! grass and patted the spot ne+t to him in in%itation.

'A priss-* Clarke lowered hersel! to the ground with a hu!!. '5ou could arely hold the

kni!e last night, your hand was shaking so adly.*

'Hey, & killed the deer. & think & did more than my !air share. "esides*/he paused as he

lay ack on the grass/'you’re the one who’s trained to cut things open.*

'&’m not, really.*

"ellamy rought his hands ehind his head and tilted his !ace toward the sun, e+haling as

the warmth seeped into his skin. &t was almost as nice as eing in ed with a girl. ;aye

e%en etter, ecause the sun would ne%er ask him what he was thinking. '$orry to insult

you,* he said, stretching out the words as a rela+ed hea%iness settled in his lims. '&

know you’re a doctor, not a utcher.*

'9o, & mean & was Con!ined e!ore & !inished my apprenticeship.*

The note o! sorrow in her %oice re%ererated strangely in "ellamy’s gut. He ga%e her a

weak smile. 'ell, you’re doing a great =o !or a uack.*



$he stared at him, and !or a second, he worried he’d o!!ended her. "ut then she nodded

and stood up. '5ou’re right,* she said. 'hich is why we need to !ind that medicine.

Come on.*

"ellamy rose to his !eet with a groan, slipped into his shoes and socks, then slung his

shirt o%er his shoulder.

'&’d recommend putting your shirt ack on.*

'hy- Are you worried you won’t e ale to control yoursel!- "ecause i! you’re

concerned aout my %irtue, & ha%e to tell you, &’m not/*

'& meant*/she cut him o!! with a small smile/'there are some poisonous plants out

here that ouack o could make that pretty ack o! yours erupt with pus#!illed oils.*

He shrugged. '@or all & know, that might e your thing, doctor girl. &’ll take my chances.*

$he laughed !or what "ellamy was pretty sure was her !irst time on Earth. He !elt a

surprising !licker o! pride that he’d een the one to make it happen.

'6kay,* he said lightly, pulling his shirt o%er his head and smiling to himsel! when he

caught Clarke’s eyes on his stomach. 'The wreckage was !arther west. 2et’s go.* He

started walking up the slope, then turned to look at Clarke. 'The direction the sun sets

in.*

$he ran a !ew steps to catch up to him. '5ou taught yoursel! all o! this-*

'& guess. There aren’t a lot o! lectures on Earth’s geography on alden.* The statement

didn’t carry the itterness it might ha%e, had it een directed at ells or :raham. '&’d

always een interested in that stu!!, and then when & !ound out they were planning on

sending 6cta%ia to EarthF* He paused, not sure how much it was sa!e to share. "ut

Clarke was looking at him e+pectantly, her green eyes !ull o! curiosity and something

else he couldn’t uite identi!y. '& !igured, the more & knew, the etter euipped &’d e to

keep her sa!e.*

They reached the top o! the slope, ut instead o! heading ack toward camp, "ellamy led

them deeper into the woods. The trees grew so close together that their lea%es locked

most o! the sun. hat little light made it through dappled the ground in golden pools.

"ellamy smiled as he saw Clarke taking care to step around them, like a little kid trying

to a%oid the lines crossing the skyridge.



'This is how & imagined $herwood @orest,* she said, her %oice !ull o! re%erence. '&

almost e+pect to see Roin Hood pop out !rom ehind a tree.*

'Roin Hood-*

'5ou know.* $he stopped to look at him. 'The e+iled prince who stole medicine to gi%e

to the orphans-* "ellamy stared at her lankly. 'ith the enchanted ow and arrows-

5ou kind o! remind me o! him, now that & think aout it,* she added, smiling.

"ellamy ran his hand along a %ine#co%ered ranch that shimmered slightly in the dim

light. 'e don’t get a lot o! story time on alden,* he said sti!!ly. "ut then his %oice

so!tened. 'There aren’t many ooks, so & used to make up !airy tales !or 6cta%ia when

she was little. Her !a%orite was aout an enchanted trash can.* He snorted. '&t was the

est & could do.*

Clarke smiled. '&t was ra%e, what you did !or her,* she said.

'5eah, well, &’d say the same thing aout you, ut & ha%e a !eeling you’re not e+actly here

y choice.*

$he held up her wrist, which, like all the others’, was still encased in the monitor racelet.

'hat ga%e it away-*

'&’m sure he deser%ed it,* "ellamy said with a grin. "ut instead o! laughing, Clarketurned away. He’d meant it as a =oke, ut he should ha%e known that he couldn’t e so

gli with her/with anyone who was here, really. They were all hiding something.

"ellamy most o! all.

'Hey, &’m sorry,* he said. He apologi3ed so rarely, the word !elt strange in his mouth.

'e’ll !ind the medicine chest. hat’s in it, anyway-*

'E%erything. $terile andages, painkillers, antiioticsF things that could make all the

di!!erence toF* $he paused !or a moment. 'To the in=ured people.*

"ellamy kne1LQnd o! w she was thinking aout the one girl she was always watching

o%er, her !riend.

'5ou really care aout her, don’t you-* He held out his hand to help her o%er a moss#

co%ered log locking their path.



'$he’s my est !riend,* Clarke said, taking his hand. 'The only person on Earth who

knows the real me.*

$he shot an emarrassed smile at "ellamy, ut he nodded. '& know what you mean.*

6cta%ia was the only person in the world who truly knew him. There was no one else he

really cared aout e%er seeing again.

"ut then he glanced o%er at Clarke, who was leaning o%er to reathe in the scent o! a

right#pink !lower, the sun catching the gold strands in her hair, and suddenly he wasn’t

so sure.

CHAPTER 1

Clarke

"ellamy led Clarke down a steep hill ordered y slender trees whose ranches wo%etogether to !orm a sort o! archway. The silence !elt ancient, as i! e%en the wind hadn’t

dared to distur the solitude o! the trees !or centuries.

'&’m not sure & e%er thanked you !or what you did !or 6cta%ia,* "ellamy said, reaking

the spell.

'4oes this count as a thank#you-* Clarke teased.

'& think it’s the closest you’re going to get.* He shot her a sidelong look. '&’m not the

est at stu!! like that.*

Clarke opened her mouth, ut e!ore she could launch a retort, she stumled o%er a rock.

'hoa there,* "ellamy said with a laugh, graing Clarke’s hand to steady her. 'And

apparently, you’re not the est at stu!! like walking.*

'This isn’t walking. This is hiking/something no human has done !or hundreds o! years,

so gi%e me a reak.*

'&t’s okay. &t’s all aout di%ision o! laor. 5ou keep us ali%e, and &’ll keep you on two

!eet.* He ga%e her a play!ul suee3e, and Clarke !elt her !ace !lush. $he hadn’t reali3ed

she was still clutching his hand.

'Thanks,* she said, letting her arm !all to her side.

"ellamy paused as they reached the point where the ground !lattened out again. 'This

way,* he said, gesturing to the le!t. '$o, how did you end up ecoming a doctor-*



Clarke’s eyerows knit in con!usion. '& wanted to. 4idn’t you choose toF* $he trailed

o!!, reali3ing, to her emarrassment, that she had no idea what "ellamy had done ack on

the ship. Clearly he hadn’t een a guard.

He stared at her, as i! trying to determine whether or not she was =oking. '&t doesn’t work

that way on alden,* he said slowly, stepping deeper into the green#tinged shade. '&!

you’%e got a great record and you get lucky, you can ecome a guard. 6therwise you =ust

do whate%er =o your parents had.*

Clarke tried to keep the surprise !rom registering on her !ace. 6! course she knew only

certain =os were a%ailale to aldenites, ut she hadn’t reali3ed they had no choice at

all. '$o what were you-*

'& wasF* He pressed his lips together. '5ou know what- &t doesn’t matter what & did ack there.*

'&’m sorry,* Clarke said uickly. '& didn’t mean that/*

'Hold on,* "ellamy whispered, reaching out a hand to lock her path. &n one !luid

motion, he pulled out one o! the arrows tucked into his sling and raised his ow. His eyes

!i+ed on a spot where the trees were so dense, it was almost impossile to distinguish the

shrus !rom the shadows. Then she saw it/a !lash o! motion, a glint o! light re!lected in

an eye. Clarke held her reath as an animal emerged, small and rown with long, tapered

ears that !licked ack and !orth. A rait.

$he watched the creature spring !orward, its tail almost twice as long as its ody,

twitching curiously. Aren’t raits supposed to ha%e little, !lu!!y tails- she wondered. "ut

e!ore she could rememer her old notes !rom "iology o! Earth class, Clarke saw

"ellamy’s elow draw ack, chasing e%ery thought out o! her head.

Her gasp caught in her throat as "ellamy’s arrow shot !orward, landing with a terrile

thwack right in the creature’s chest. @or a second, Clarke wondered i! she could sa%e it/

run o%er, remo%e the arrow, and stitch it ack up.

"ellamy graed her arm, suee3ing it =ust hard enough to con%ey oth assurance and

warning. That rait was going to help keep them ali%e, Clarke knew. &t would gi%e

Thalia a little strength. $he tried to close her eyes, ut they remained locked on the

animal.

'&t’s okay,* "ellamy said uietly. '& got it through the heart. He won’t su!!er !or long.*



He was right. The rait stopped twitching and slowly !ell to the !orest !loor, then went

still. "ellamy turned to her. '$orry. & know it’s not easy to watch someone su!!er.*

A chill passed o%er her that had nothing to do with the dead rait. '$omeone-*

'$omething.* He corrected himsel! with a shrug. 'Anything.*

Clarke watched "ellamy =og o%er to the rait, e+tract the arrow, and swing the creature

o%er his shoulder. '2et’s go this way,* he said, inclining his head.

The tension seemed to ha%e drained away, "ellamy’s mood %isily olstered y his

success!ul kill. '$o, what’s the story with you and ells-* he asked, shi!ting the rait

o%er to his other shoulder.

Clarke raced !or a rush o! indignation at his nosiness, ut it ne%er came. 'e dated !or alittle it, a while ago, ut it didn’t work out.*

"ellamy snickered. '5eah, well, that part was o%ious.* He paused, waiting !or Clarke to

continue. '$o,* he prodded, 'what happened-*

'He did something un!orgi%ale.*

&nstead o! making a =oke or using the opportunity to make a =a at ells, "ellamy grew

serious. '& don’t think anything’s un!orgi%ale,* he said uietly. '9ot i! it’s done !or the

right reasons.*

Clarke didn’t say anything, ut couldn’t help wondering whether he was talking aout

what 6cta%ia had done to e Con!ined, or something else.

"ellamy glanced up, as i! the treetops had caught his attention, then looked ack at

Clarke. '&’m not saying he didn’t do something terrile, whate%er it was. All & mean is

that & sort o! understand where he’s coming !rom.* He reached out to run his !inger along

the right#yellow moss spiraling up the trunk o! a tree. 'ells and & are the only two

people who chose to e here, who came !or a reason.*

Clarke started to reply, ut reali3ed tha t rg his t she wasn’t sure what to say. They were

so di!!erent on the sur!ace/ells, whose elie! in structure and authority had resulted in

her parents’ e+ecution, and "ellamy, the hotheaded aldenite who’d held the Chancellor

at gunpoint. "ut they were oth willing to do anything to get what they wanted. To

protect the people they cared aout.



';aye you’re right,* she said uietly, surprised y his insight.

"ellamy paused, then increased his stride, suddenly e+cited y whate%er he saw. '&t was

up here,* he said, pulling her up another shallow slope into a clearing. The grass was

dotted with white !lowers, e+cept !or a spot aout hal!way down that was urned lack.

Pieces o! the dropship lay scattered aout like ones. Clarke roke into a run.

$he heard "ellamy call her name ut didn’t other to look ack. $he stumled !orward,

hope looming in her chest. 'Come on, come on, come on,* she muttered to hersel! as

she egan rummaging through the wreckage with a manic !ren3y.

Then she saw them. The metal o+es that had once een white ut were now discolored

y the dirt and !lames. $he graed the closest one and held it up, her heart pounding so

!ast it ecame di!!icult to reathe. Clarke !umled with the misshapen clasp. &t wouldn’t

open. The heat had welded the hinges shut. @rantically, she shook the o+, praying thatthe medicine had sur%i%ed.

The sound o! pill ottles rattling around inside was the sweetest thing she had e%er heard.

'&s that it-* "ellamy asked, skidding to a reathless stop ne+t to her.

'Can you open this-* Clarke sho%ed the o+ at his chest. He held it up, suinting at the

clasp. '2et me see.* He remo%ed a kni!e !rom his pocket, and with a !ew uick

mo%ements, pried the chest open.

E+hilaration !i33ed through Clarke’s ody. "e!ore she reali3ed what she was doing, she

had thrown her arms around "ellamy. He =oined in her laughter as he staggered

ackward, and wrapped his arms around her waist, li!ting her up and spinning her

through the air. The colors o! the clearing swirled, green and gold and lue all lurring

until there was nothing in the world ut "ellamy’s smile, lighting up his eyes.

@inally, he set her down gently on the ground. "ut he didn’t loosen his hold. &nstead, he

pulled her e%en closer, and e!ore Clarke had time to catch her reath, his lips were on

hers.

A %oice in the ack o! her rain told her to stop, ut it was o%erpowered y the smell o!

his skin and the pressure o! his touch.

Clarke !elt like she was melting into his arms, losing hersel! in the kiss.

He tasted like =oy, and =oy tasted etter on Earth.



CHAPTER 1

:lass

'& don’t know,* $on=a said slowly, suinting at her daughter in the dim light o! the

edroom. 'hat i! we take the skirt o!! that one and comine it with the green odice-*

:lass !orced hersel! to take a deep, calming reath. $he’d een trying on gowns !or two

hours, and they were no closer to picking one !or the comet %iewing party than when

they’d started. 'hate%er you think, ;om,* she said, hoping her smile didn’t look as

strained as it !elt.

'&’m not sure.* :lass’s mother sighed. '&t’lle thaors o! the e hard to ha%e it ready in

time, ut we’ll =ust ha%e to do our est.*

:lass reminded hersel! that her mother was only trying to help. $he saw the comet

%iewing party as the per!ect moment !or :lass to reenter Phoeni+ society, armed with the

o!!icial pardon and dressed to per!ection. :lass knew the Jice Chancellor would e there,

and that it was essential to play her partB she’d gotten ack her li!e in e+change !or gi%ing

him a etter image, which was a more than !air trade#o!!. $till, :lass !elt an+ious aout

making hersel! the center o! attention.

'6r maye we should go ack to the tulle-* Her mother gestured to the pile o! discarded

gowns. 'ust put it ack on and we can/* $he was cut o!! y the eep o! a message alert!rom the kitchen.

'&’ll get it,* :lass said uickly, hurrying !rom the room e!ore her mother had time to

protest. &t wouldn’t e !or her, o! course. Her !riends only contacted each other %ia chipsB

message screens were generally reser%ed !or pointless updates !rom sanitation, or slightly

more ominous alerts !rom the Council. "ut it would at least pro%ide a rie! respite !rom

dress talk. :lass pro=ected the message ueue in the air in !ront o! her. Her reath caught

in her chest as she saw the linking name at the top. &t was !rom 2uke.

4ear ;iss $orenson,

$ecurity reco%ered a missing item o! yours near the solar !ields. &t will e held at the

checkpoint until 177 today.

$he had to read it se%eral times e!ore the message sank in. $he and 2uke had created

this system long ago, e!ore she got her chip, in case her mother e%er snooped through



her messages. He wanted her to meet him y the solar !ields that a!ternoon.

':lass-* $on=a called !rom the other room. 'hat was it-*

$he deleted the message uickly. 'ust a reminder aout the comet %iewing, as i! we

could !orgetI* $he glanced at the clock and sighed. &t was only 171. The ne+t !ew hours

were going to pass more slowly than they had in Con!inement.

'6h,* :lass’s mother gasped when :lass stepped ack into the edroom. ';aye this is

the one a!ter all. 5ou look eauti!ul.*

:lass turned hesitantly toward the mirror. $he saw what her mother meant. "ut it wasn’t

the dress. Her cheeks were !lushed, her eyes right with anticipation.

$he looked like a girl in lo%e.

At 187, :lass climed the endless !light o! stairs up to the solar !ields that co%ered the

top o! alden. The plants themsel%es were o!!#limits to e%eryone e+cept scientists and

gatherers, ut there was a small, enclosed deck o%erlooking the !ields. &t must’%e een

designed !or super%ising the workers ut had !allen out o! use and was almost always

empty.

hen she reached the top, :lass mo%ed to the edge o! the plat!orm and sat down against

the railing, her legs dangling o%er the side. $he !elt her ody rela+ as her eyes tra%eled

o%er the rows o! plants stretching their lea%es toward the solar panels. The !ar side o! the!ield was ordered y an enormous window that made it look as though the crops were

growing right out o! the st old !ortars. $he and 2uke used to meet here all the time. &t was

sa!er than him sneaking onto Phoeni+, or ha%ing :lass wander through his residential

unit.

'Hey.*

:lass turned to see 2uke standing sti!!ly ehind her. $he started to get to her !eet, ut he

shook his head. 'Can & =oin you-* $he nodded and mo%ed her legs to the side to make

room, and he lowered himsel! to the ground. 'Thanks !or coming,* he said awkwardly.

'5our mom didn’t suspect anything, did she-*

'&t’s !ine. $he was too usy trying to sol%e a dress crisis.*

2uke surprised :lass with a smile, then cleared his throat. ':lass, &F & ha%en’t een ale

to stop thinking aout what happened,* he said, and her whole ody tensed. $he kept her

eyes trained care!ully on the ground. '& mean, what someone like you could possily e



Con!ined !or. "ut then & rememered/a !ew months a!ter we roke up, & heard a rumor

aout a girl on Phoeni+ who was arrested !orF* His %oice roke as he trailed o!!. :lass

turned ack to !ace him and saw that his eyes were glistening. 'The timing made sense.

"ut & ne%er elie%ed it could e you.* 2uke stared straight ahead, as i! looking at

something !ar in the distance. '& told mysel! that you’d ne%er keep something like that a

secret !rom me. & needed to elie%e that you trusted me more than that.*

:lass it her lip, trying to hold ack the !lood o! words welling up in her throat. $he so

desperately wanted to tell him, ut what good would come !rom admitting the truth-

"etter to let him think she was =ust a silly, spoiled Phoeni+ girl who’d roken his heart.

He was happy with Camille right now/and he deser%ed to e happy.

"ut then 2uke reached o%er and cupped her chin in his hand, and all her thoughts !aded

away.

:lass woke up smiling. Although it’d een a !ew weeks since the night she and 2uke had

spent together, she couldn’t stop thinking aout it. "ut =ust as she egan to replay the

e%ents in her head, a wa%e o! nausea rolled o%er her.

$he tumled out o! ed and staggered through the hallway to the athroom, grate!ul that

the lights were working, proaly thanks to her mother’s new '!riend,* the head o! the

Resource "oard.

:lass sank to the cold !loor o! the athroom and uickly shut the door ehind her, her

rain attling with her stomach. $he !orced hersel! to reathe, trying to keep uiet. Thelast thing she needed was !or her mother to drag her o!! to the medical center.

Her stomach won out, and :lass leaned o%er the toilet =ust in time. $he gagged, tears

stinging her eyes, then slumped ack against the wall. There was no way she’d e ale to

meet ells !or lunch, although she !elt terrile standing him up again. $he’d een

spending all her time with 2uke, and hadn’t een much o! a !riend to ells lately. $he

missed him. He ne%er seemed to resent her !lakiness, which somehow made her !eel

worse. Especially a!ter e%erything that had happened with his mother, and now Clarke

was apparently acting strangeF $he really needed to catch up with him.

':lass-* her mother called out !rom the other side o! the door. 'hat’s going on in

there-*

'9othing,* :lass said, trying to keep her %oice light.

'Are you ill-*!ontQ



:lass groaned so!tly. Their new !lat had no pri%acy. $he missed their old, spacious !lat

with the windows !ull o! stars. $he still didn’t understand why they’d had to downgrade

=ust ecause her !ather had made the unusual and morti!ying decision to se%er his

marriage contract and mo%e out.

'&’m coming in,* her mother’s %oice called !rom the other side o! the door. :lass hastily

wiped her mouth and tried to rise to her !eet ut slid ack down as another wa%e o!

nausea sent her stomach into re%olt. The door opened and :lass saw her mother, dressed

!or an e%ening out despite the !act that it wasn’t e%en noon. "ut e!ore she had a chance

to ask where she was going/or where she was coming !rom/her mother’s eyes

widened, and she %isily paled under her generously applied lush. 'hat’s going on-*

'9othing,* :lass said, try to shake the ha3e !rom her mind long enough to come up with

an e+planation that would get her mother to lea%e her alone. $tomach %iruses were rareon Phoeni+, and anyone who seemed %aguely contagious was reuired to spend the

duration o! their illness in uarantine. '&’m !ine.*

'ere you*/$on=a looked ehind her and lowered her %oice, which was ridiculous

considering they were the only two people in the !lat/'throwing up-*

'5es, ut &’m !ine. & think & =ust/*

'6h my god,* her mother said, closing her eyes.

'&’m not sick, & promise. & don’t need to e uarantined. &’%e =ust een nauseous the past

!ew mornings, ut it goes away y the a!ternoon.*

hen her mother opened her eyes, she didn’t look any less worried. The room started to

spin, and $on=a’s %oice grew !aint, as i! she were speaking !rom somewhere !ar away.

:lass could arely make out her uestion, something aout how long it’d een since her

last/

$uddenly, :lass’s con!usion hardened into a all o! dread. $he looked up at $on=a and

saw the terri!ying reali3ation re!lected in her mother’s eyes.

':lass.* $on=a’s %oice was hoarse. '5ou’re pregnant.*

$taring at 2uke’s !ace, !ull o! sympathy and understanding, :lass !elt her last it o! sel!#

control shatter. '&’m sorry.* Her reath caught in her throat as she tried to sti!le a so. '&

should’%e told you, & =ust/& didn’t see any reason !or oth o! us to die.*



&t was nearly noon, and Clarke had een gone !or hours. 6ne o! the Arcadian girls had

seen her head into the woods earlier that morning, and it had taken all o! ells’s sel!#

control to keep !rom running a!ter her. The thought o! her %enturing o!! on her own made

his stomach !eel like a punching ag !or his imagination. "ut he had to accept that, o! all

the people in camp, Clarke knew how to take care o! hersel!. He also knew how

important it was to !ind the missing medicine. ust yesterday, they’d dug another gra%e.

He wandered toward the de !acto cemetery that had cropped up on the !ar side o! the

clearing. 6%er the past !ew days, ells had arranged !or wooden markers to e placed at

the head o! each mound, something he rememered !rom old photographs. He’d wanted

to car%e the names onto the crosses, ut he only knew the names o! three o! the !i%e kids

sleeping eneath the soil, and it didn’t seem right to lea%e the others lank.

He shuddered and turned ack to the gra%es. The concept o! urying the dead hadinitially struck him as repulsi%e, ut there hadn’t seemed to e any alternati%e. The

thought o! urning the odies was e%en worse. "ut although the normal practice o!

releasing corpses into space was certainly tidier, there was something reassuring aout

gathering the dead together. E%en in death, they’d ne%er e alone.

&t was also strangely com!orting to ha%e a place to %isit, to say the things you couldn’t

say to people you could see. $omeone, possily a alden girl he’d seen !litting near the

trees, had gathered !allen ranches and rested them along the wooden markers. &n the

e%ening, the pods still glowed to li!e, casting a so!t light o%er the cemetery that ga%e it an

almost unearthly eauty. &t would ha%e een nice to ha%e somewhere on the ship where itwouldn’t ha%e s9hims !eweemed strange to talk to his mother.

ells glanced up at the darkening sky. He had no idea i! the Colony lost contact with the

dropship when it crashed, ut he hoped that the monitors in the racelets were still

transmitting data aout their lood composition and heart rates. They must ha%e collected

enough in!ormation to pro%e that Earth was sa!e, and would surely egin sending groups

o! citi3ens down soon. @or a moment he dared to let himsel! hope that his !ather and

:lass would e among them.

'hat are you doing o%er here-*

ells turned and saw 6cta%ia mo%ing toward him slowly. Her ankle was healing uicklyB

her limp was starting to look like a saunter.

'& don’t know. Paying my respects, & suppose.* He gestured toward the gra%es. '"ut & was

=ust lea%ing,* he added uickly as he watched her toss her dark hair o%er her shoulder.



'&t’s my turn to go !or water.*

'&’ll go with you.* 6cta%ia smiled, and ells looked away uncom!ortaly. The long

lashes that made her look so innocent when she was sleeping in the in!irmary tent now

lent a !eral gleam to her enormous lue eyes.

'Are you sure that’s a good idea with your ankle- &t’s a long walk.*

'&’m !ine,* she said, her %oice !ull o! play!ul e+asperation as she !ell into stride ne+t to

him. 'Though you’re %ery sweet to e concerned. 5ou know,* she went on, increasing her

pace to catch up with ells, who hadn’t noticed he’d lengthened his step, 'it’s ridiculous

that e%eryone hangs on to :raham’s e%ery word. 5ou know so much more than he does.*

ells graed one o! the empty =ugs ne+t to the supply tent and turned toward the !orest.

They’d disco%ered a stream not !ar !rom camp, and e%eryone strong enough to carry a!ull container took turns going !or water. At least, they were supposed to take turns. He

hadn’t seen :raham go !or days.

6cta%ia paused as ells stepped across the tree line. 'Are you coming-* he asked,

throwing a glance o%er his shoulder.

$he tilted her head ack, her eyes widening as she scanned the shadowy outlines o! the

trees in the !ading light. '&’m coming.* Her %oice grew uiet as she darted to ells’s side.

'& ha%en’t een in the woods yet.*

ells so!tened. E%en he, who’d spent most o! his li!e dreaming aout coming to Earth,

!ound it !rightening at times/the %astness, the un!amiliar sounds, the sense that anything

could e hiding eyond the light o! the camp!ire. And he’d had time to prepare. He could

only imagine what it was like !or the others, who were snatched !rom their cells and

sho%ed onto the dropship e!ore they had time to process what was going on, that they

were eing sent to a !oreign planet that had ne%er een more to them than an empty word.

'Care!ul,* he said, pointing at a tangle o! roots hidden y a mass o! purple lea%es. 'The

ground gets pretty une%en here.*

ells took 6cta%ia’s small hand and helped her clim o%er a !allen tree. &t was strange to

think that something without a pulse could die, ut the soggy, peeling ark was decidedly

corpse#like.

'$o is it true-* 6cta%ia asked as they egan walking down the slope that led to the

stream. '4id you really get yoursel! Con!ined so you could come with Clarke-*



'& suppose it is.*

$he sighed wist!ully. 'That’s the most romantic thing &’%e e%er heard.*

el sie itls ga%e her a wry smile. 'Trust me, it’s not.*

'hat do you mean-* 6cta%ia asked, cocking her head to one side. &n the shadows o! the

!orest, she looked almost childlike again.

ells glanced away, suddenly unale to look her in the eye. He wondered grimly what

6cta%ia would say i! she knew the truth.

He wasn’t the ra%e knight who’d come to rescue the princess. He was the reason she’d

een locked away in the dungeon.

ells glanced at his collar chip !or the !ourteenth time since he’d sat down two minutes

earlier. The message Clarke had sent him earlier that day had sounded an+ious, and she’d

een acting strange !or the past !ew weeks. ells had arely seen her, and the !ew times

he managed to track her down, she’d een practically twitching with ner%ous energy.

He couldn’t help ut worry that she was aout to reak up with him. The only thing that

kept the an+iety !rom urning a hole through his stomach was the knowledge that she

proaly wouldn’t ha%e chosen the lirary to dump him. &t’d e cruel to tarnish the spot

they oth lo%ed est. Clarke wouldn’t do that to him.

He heard !ootsteps and rose to his !eet as the o%erhead lights !lickered ack on. ells had

een still !or so long that the lirary had !orgotten his presence, the dim sa!ety lights on

the !loor pro%iding the only light. Clarke approached, still wearing her scrus, which

normally made him smile/he lo%ed that she didn’t spend hours stressing o%er her

appearance, like most girls on Phoeni+/ut the lue top and pants !ell too loosely !rom

her !rame, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

'Hey,* he said, stepping !orward to kiss her lightly in greeting. $he didn’t mo%e away,

ut she didn’t kiss him ack. 'Are you okay-* he asked, e%en though he knew !ull well

that she wasn’t.

'ells,* she said, her %oice reaking. $he linked ack tears. His eyes widened in alarm.

Clarke ne%er cried.

'Hey,* he murmured, putting his arm around her to lead her to the couch. Her legs

seemed to uckle eneath her. '&t’ll e okay, & promise. ust tell me what’s going on.*



$he stared at him, and he could see her urge to con!ide in him attling her !ear. '& need

you to promise me that you won’t say anything aout this to anyone.*

He nodded. '6! course.*

'&’m serious. This isn’t gossip. This is real, li!e#or#death.*

ells suee3ed her hand. 'Clarke, you know you can tell me anything.*

'& !ound outF* $he took a reath, closed her eyes !or a moment, and then started again.

'5ou know aout my parents’ radiation research.* He nodded. Her parents were in charge

o! a massi%e ongoing study meant to determine when, i! e%er, it would e sa!e !or

humans to return to Earth. hene%er his !ather had spoken o! an Earth mission, ells

had thought o! it as a distant possiility, more o! a hope than a real plan. $till, he knewhow important the :ri!!ins’ work was to the Chancellor and to the whole Colony.

'They’re doing human trials,* Clarke said so!tarke o!ly. A chill tra%eled down ells’s

spine, ut he said nothing, =ust tightened his grasp on her hand. 'They’re e+perimenting

on children,* Clarke !inally said, her %oice arely a whisper.

Her %oice was hollow, as i! the thought had een circulating !or so long, it no longer held

any meaning. 'hat children-* he asked, his rain racing to understand.

'<nregistereds,* Clarke said, her tear#!illed eyes !lashing with sudden anger. 'Children

!rom the care center whose parents were e+ecuted !or %iolating the population laws.* Hecould hear the unspoken accusation. People your !ather killed.

'They’re so young.F* Clarke’s %oice trailed o!!. $he sank ack and seemed to shrink, as

i! the truth had taken some part o! her with it.

ells slid his arm ehind her, ut instead o! recoiling as she’d done e%ery day o%er the

past !ew weeks, she leaned into him and rested her head against his chest. 'They’re all so

sick.* He could !eel her tears seeping through his shirt. '$ome o! them ha%e already

died.*

'&’m so sorry, Clarke,* he murmured as he searched !or something to say, anything to

make her pain go away. '&’m sure your parents are doing their est to make sure it’sF*

He paused. There weren’t any words that could make it etter. He had to do something, to

put a stop to it e!ore the guilt and horror destroyed her. 'hat can & do-* he asked, his

%oice ecoming !irm.



$he olted upright and stared at him, a di!!erent kind o! terror !illing her eyes. '9othing,*

she said with a resol%e that took him y surprise. '5ou ha%e to promise me that you’ll do

nothing. ;y parents made me swear not to tell anyone. They didn’t want to do this,

ells. &t wasn’t their choice. Jice Chancellor Rhodes is making them. He threatened

them.* $he graed ells’s hands. 'Promise me you won’t say anything. & =ustF* $he

it her lip. '& =ust couldn’t keep it !rom you anymore. & had to tell someone.*

'& promise,* he said, though his skin was growing warm with !ury. The slimy astard had

no right to go around the Chancellor like that. He thought o! his !ather, the man who had

an un!linching sense o! right and wrong. His !ather ne%er would ha%e appro%ed human

trials. He could put a stop to it immediately.

Clarke stared at him, searching his eyes, and then ga%e him a small, tremling smile that

%anished almost as uickly as it had appeared. 'Thank you.*

$he returned her head to ells’s chest, and he wrapped his arm around her. '& lo%e you,*

he whispered.

An hour later, a!ter he’d walked Clarke home, ells headed ack along the oser%ation

deck alone. He needed to do something. &! something didn’t change soon, the guilt would

destroy her, and he re!used to stand y and watch.

ells had ne%er roken a promise e!ore. &t was something his !ather had impressed upon

him !rom an early age/a leader ne%er goes ack on his word. "ut then he thought o!

Clarke’s tears, and knew he didn’t ha%e a choice.

He turned around and egaros, and knean walking toward his !ather’s o!!ice.

They !illed the water =ug at the stream and started to make their way ack to the camp.

A!ter gi%ing enough one#word answers, ells had gotten 6cta%ia to stop asking aout

Clarke, ut now she was walking along sullenly, and he !elt guilty. $he was a sweet girl,

and he knew she meant well. How had she wound up here-

'$o,* ells said, reaking the silence, 'what could you ha%e possily done to end up in

Con!inement-*

6cta%ia looked at him in surprise. 'Ha%en’t you heard my rother talking aout it-* $he

ga%e him a tight smile. 'He lo%es telling people aout how & was caught stealing !ood !or

the younger kids in the care center/the little ones who are always ullied into gi%ing up

their rations/and how the monsters on the Council Con!ined me without atting an eye.*



$omething in 6cta%ia’s %oice ga%e him pause. '&s that really how it happened-*

'4oes it matter-* she asked with a weariness that suddenly made her seem older than

!ourteen. 'e’re all going to think what we want aout each other. &! that’s the story

"ellamy needs to elie%e, then &’m not going to stop him.*

ells stopped to rearrange the hea%y water =ug. $omehow, they’d ended up in a di!!erent

part o! the woods. The trees grew e%en closer together here, and he could see !ar enough

ahead to tell how !ar they’d strayed.

'Are we lost-* 6cta%ia glanced !rom side to side, and e%en in the dim light he could see

the panic !lash across her !ace.

'e’ll e !ine. & =ust need to/* He stopped as a sound shuddered through the air.

'hat was that-* 6cta%ia asked. 'Are we/*

ells cut her o!! with a shush and took a step !orward. &t sounded like a twig snapping,

which meant that something was mo%ing =ust ehind the trees. He kicked himsel! !or not

ringing a weapon. &t would’%e een nice to ring ack his own kill, to show that

"ellamy wasn’t the only one who could learn how to hunt. The sound came again, and

ells’s !rustration turned to !ear. @orget catching dinner/i! he wasn’t care!ul, he and

6cta%ia might ecome dinner themsel%es.

He was aout to gra her hand and run away when something caught his eye. A glint o!reddish gold. ells lowered the water =ug and took a !ew steps !orward. '$tay here,* he

whispered.

ust ahead, he could see an open space eyond the trees. $ome kind o! clearing. He was

aout to shout the name ho%ering on his lips when he !ro3e, skidding to a stop.

Clarke was standing in the grass, locked in an emrace with none other than "ellamy. As

she rought her lips up to the aldenite, !ury tore through ells. Heat shot up through

his chest to settle in his racing heart.

$omehow, he managed to wrench his eyes away and stagger ack into the trees e!ore a

wa%e o! nausea sent his head spinning. He graed on to a ranch !or alance, gasping as

he tried to !orce air into his lungs. The girl he’d risked his li!e to protect wasn’t =ust

kissing someone else/she was kissing the hothead who may ha%e gotten his !ather

killed.



'hoa.* 6cta%ia’s %oice came !rom eside him. 'Their walk looks a lot more !un than

ours.*

"ut ells had already turned and egun walking in the other direction. He was %aguely

aware o! 6cta%ia scampering a!ter him, asking something aout a medicine chest, ut her

%oice was drowned out y the pulsing y t to rino! lood in his head. He didn’t care

whether they’d !ound the missing medicine. There was no drug strong enough to repair a

roken heart.

CHAPTER 1

Clarke

"y the time Clarke and "ellamy returned to camp with the medicine, darkness had !allen.

$he’d only een in the woods !or a !ew hours, ut as they stepped through the tree lineinto the clearing, it !elt like she’d le!t a li!etime ago.

They’d spent most o! the walk ack in silence, ut e%ery time Clarke’s arm accidentally

rushed against "ellamy’s, electricity seemed to dance across her skin. $he’d een

morti!ied a!ter their kiss, and had spent the ne+t !i%e minutes stammering an apology

while he grinned. E%entually, he cut her o!! with a laugh and told her not to worry aout

it. '& know you’re not the type o! girl to make out with random guys in the woods,* he’d

said with a mischie%ous grin, 'ut maye you should e.*

"ut as they approached the clearing, all thoughts o! the kiss were pushed aside y theshadowy outline o! the in!irmary tent. Clarke took o!! with the medicine tucked under her

arm.

The tent was empty e+cept !or a delirious, !e%erish Thalia, and to Clarke’s surprise,

6cta%ia, who was =ust settling ack in her old cot. 'The other tent is =ust so small,*

6cta%ia was saying, ut Clarke couldn’t do more than nod.

$he !lung the medicine chest onto the !loor, !illed a syringe, and plunged the needle into

Thalia’s arm. Then Clarke turned ack to the o+, searching !or painkillers. $he uickly

ga%e Thalia a dose and smiled as her !riend’s !ace rela+ed in sleep.

Clarke knelt ne+t to Thalia !or a !ew more minutes, reathing a deep sigh o! relie! at her

steady pulse. @or a moment, she looked down at the racelet on her wrist and wondered

i!, somewhere up in the sky, someone was monitoring her own heart rate. 4r. 2ahiri,

perhaps, or another o! the Colony’s top doctors, reading the hundred’s %ital signs like the

day’s news. $urely they had seen that !i%e people had died already.F $he wondered i!



they’d chalk the deaths up to radiation poisoning and rethink their coloni3ation e!!orts, or

i! they’d e smart enough to reali3e they’d een killed ecause o! the rough landing. $he

wasn’t sure which scenario she pre!erred. $he certainly wasn’t ready !or the Council to

e+tend its =urisdiction to Earth. And yet her mother and !ather had de%oted their li%es to

helping humanity return home. A permanent settlement would mean, in a way, that her

parents had succeeded too. That they hadn’t died !or nothing.

@inally, she scooped the medicine ack into the chest and placed it in the corner o! the

tent. Tomorrow, she’d !ind a place to lock it up, ut !or now, Clarke !elt like she could

!inally rest. &! someone was indeed monitoring their ody count up in space, she was

going to make damn sure they didn’t drop elow ninety#!i%e.

$he took a !ew shaky steps and collapsed on her cot without e%en othering to take o!!

her shoes.

'&s she going to e okay-* 6cta%ia asked. Her %oice sounded !ar away.

Clarke murmured yes. $he could arely open her eyelids.

'hat other medicine was in there-*

'E%erything,* Clarke said. 6r at least, she tried to say it. "y the time the word reached

her lips, e+haustion had numed her rain. The laste it wn a thing she rememered was

hearing 6cta%ia rise !rom her cot e!ore !alling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

hen Clarke awoke the ne+t morning, 6cta%ia was gone, and right light was streamingin through the tent !lap.

Thalia lay on her side, still asleep. Clarke rose with a groan, her muscles sti!! !rom their

hike yesterday. "ut it was a good kind o! painB she’d walked through a !orest that hadn’t

een seen y a single human eing in three hundred years. Her stomach suirmed as she

thought aout another distinction she’d inad%ertently earned/the !irst girl to kiss a oy

on Earth since the Cataclysm.

Clarke smiled as she hurried o%er to Thalia. $he couldn’t wait until she was well enough

to hear all aout it. $he pressed the ack o! her hand against her !riend’s !orehead and

was relie%ed to !eel that it was cooler than it had een last night. $he gently pulled ack

the lanket to look at Thalia’s stomach. Her skin still showed signs o! an in!ection, ut it

hadn’t spread any !arther. As long as Thalia had a !ull course o! antiiotics, she’d make a

!ull reco%ery.

&t was hard to know e+actly, ut ased on the strength o! the light, she guessed that at



least eight hours had passed since Thalia’s last dose. $he turned and walked o%er to the

corner where she’d stashed the medicine chest, !rowning slightly as she reali3ed it was

open. Clarke crouched down and inhaled sharply, linking to make sure her eyes weren’t

playing tricks on her.

The chest was empty.

All the antiiotics, the painkillers, e%en the syringes/they were all gone. '9o,* Clarke

whispered. There was nothing. '9o,* she said again, scramling to her !eet. $he ran o%er

to the nearest cot and started to throw the edding aside, then did the same with her own.

Her eyes landed on 6cta%ia’s cot, and her panic momentarily hardened into suspicion.

$he hurried o%er and egan rummaging through the pile o! lankets. 'Come on,* she

muttered to hersel!, ut her hands came up empty.

'9o.* $he kicked the ground. The medicine wasn’t in the tent, that much was clear. "ut

whoe%er had taken it couldn’t ha%e gone !ar. There were !ewer than a hundred human

eings on the planet, and Clarke wasn’t going to rest until she !ound the thie! who was

=eopardi3ing Thalia’s li!e. $he proaly wouldn’t ha%e to look %ery !ar.

A!ter a uick search o! the !lat to make sure her parents weren’t home, Clarke hurried to

the la and entered the code. $he kept e+pecting her parents to change the password, ut

either they didn’t know how o!ten she %isited the kids, or they didn’t want to stop her.

Perhaps they liked knowing that Clarke was keeping them company.

As she made her way toward 2illy, Clarke smiled at the others, though her chest

tightened when she saw how !ew were awake. ;ost were growing sicker, and there were

more empty eds than there’d een the last time.

$he tried to !orce this thought out o! her head as she approached 2illy, ut as her eyes

locked on her !riend, her hands egan to tremle.

2illy was dying. Her eyes arely !luttered open when Clarke whispered her name, and

e%en when her lips mo%ed, she didn’t ha%e the strength to turn the shapes into words.

There were more !laky red patches on her skin, although !ewer o! them were leeding, as

2illy no longer had the energy to scratch them. Clarke sat there, !ighting a wa%e o!

nausea as she watched the irregular rise and !all o! her !riend’s chest. The worst part was

that she knew this was only the eginning. The other su=ects had lingered on !or weeks,

their symptoms growing increasingly gruesome as the radiation poisoning progressed

through their odies.



@or a moment, Clarke imagined carrying 2illy to the medical center, where they could at

least put her on high#intensity pain medication e%en i! it was too late to sa%e her. "ut that

would e tantamount to asking the Jice Chancellor to e+ecute her parents. Then he’d =ust

!ind someone else to !inish what her mother and !ather had started. All Clarke hoped was

that their research pro%ed conclusi%e so that the e+periments could stop, so that these test

su=ects wouldn’t ha%e su!!ered in %ain.

2illy’s translucent eyelids !luttered open. 'Hey, Clarke,* she croaked, the eginnings o! a

smile !lickering on her !ace e!ore a new wa%e o! pain washed them away.

Clarke reached o%er and grasped 2illy’s hand, gi%ing it a gentle suee3e. 'Hey,* she

whispered. 'How are you !eeling-*

'@ine,* 2illy lied, wincing as she struggled to sit up.

'&t’s okay.* Clarke placed a hand on her shoulder. '5ou don’t need to sit.*

'9o, & want to.* The girl’s %oice was strained.

Clarke gently helped her sit, then ad=usted the pillows ehind her. $he suppressed a

shudder as her !ingers rushed against 2illy’s ack. $he could !eel e%ery %ertera poking

out !rom her sallow skin.

'How did you like the 4ickens anthology-* Clarke asked, glancing under 2illy’s ed,where they kept the ooks Clarke had stolen !rom the lirary.

'& only read the !irst story, the one aout 6li%er Twist.* 2illy ga%e Clarke a weak smile.

';y %ision isF* $he trailed o!!. They oth knew that once the su=ects had troule

seeing, the end wasn’t !ar. '"ut & didn’t like it, anyway. &t reminded me too much o! the

care center.*

Clarke hadn’t asked any uestions aout 2illy’s li!e e!ore this. $he’d gotten the sense

that 2illy didn’t want to talk aout it. 'as it really that ad-* she said care!ully.

2illy shrugged. 'e all looked out !or one another. e didn’t ha%e anyone else. ell,

e+cept this one girl. $he had a rother, a real#li!e older rother.* $he looked down,

suddenly lushing. 'He wasF nice. He used to ring her things/e+tra !ood, pieces o!

rionF*

'Really-* Clarke asked, pretending to elie%e the comment aout a girl with a rother as



she rushed a lock o! hair o!! 2illy’s damp !orehead. E%en this !ar along in her sickness,

2illy had a !lair !or the dramatic.

'He sounds nice,* Clarke said %aguely as her eyes !litted toward the ald patches on

2illy’s head, which were ecoming di!!icult to ignore.1LQ'HntQ

'Anyway,* 2illy said, her %oice strained, '& want to hear aout your irthday. hat are

you going to wear-*

Clarke had almost !orgotten that her irthday was ne+t week. $he didn’t !eel much like

celerating. '6h, you know, my est scrus,* she said lightly. '&’d rather hang out here

with you than go to some silly party, anyway.*

'6h, Clarke,* 2illy groaned in mock e+asperation. '5ou ha%e to do something. 5ou’re

starting to e seriously oring. "esides, & want to hear aout your irthday dress.* $hewinced suddenly, douling o%er in pain.

'Are you okay-* Clarke asked, her hand on 2illy’s !ragile arm.

'&t hurts,* 2illy gasped.

'Can & get you anything- 4o you want some water-*

2illy opened her eyes, which were now pleading. '5ou can make it stop, Clarke.* $he

was cut o!! y a groan. 'Please make it stop. &t’s only a matter o! time.F*

Clarke turned her head to the side so 2illy wouldn’t see her tears. '&t’ll e okay,* she

whispered, !orcing a !ake smile. '& promise.*

2illy whimpered e!ore !alling silent again, then leaned ack and closed her eyes.

Clarke pulled the lankets up o%er her !riend’s chest, trying to ignore the demon that was

clawing its way to the !ront o! her mind. $he knew what 2illy was asking !or. And it

wouldn’t e di!!icult. $he was so !rail at this point, it would take =ust a !ew well#

comined painkillers to ease her into a coma. $he’d slip away painlessly.

hat am & thinking- Clarke asked hersel!, drawing ack in horror. The lood on her

parents’ hands had spread to her own. This whole nightmare had in!ected her, turned her

into a monster. 6r maye it wasn’t her parents’ !ault. ;aye she’d always had this

darkness inside o! her, waiting to rise to the sur!ace.



ust as she was aout to lea%e, 2illy spoke again. 'Please,* she egged. '&! you lo%e me,

please.* Her %oice was uiet ut contained an edge o! desperation that terri!ied Clarke.

'ust make it all stop.*

"ellamy was chopping wood on the !ar side o! the clearing. Although the morning was

cool, his T#shirt was already soaked through with sweat. Clarke tried not to notice how it

clung to his muscular chest. hen he saw her running toward him, he lowered his a+ to

the ground and turned to !ace her with a grin.

'ell, hello there,* he said as she came to a stop and paused to catch her reath.

'Couldn’t stay away, could you-* He stepped !orward and placed his hand on her waist,

ut Clarke swatted his arm away.

'here’s your sister-* she asked. '& can’t !ind her anywhere.*

'hy-* <rgency sho%ed the play!ulness out o! his %oice. 'hat’s wrong-*

'The medicine we !ound is missing.* Clarke took a deep reath, racing hersel! !or her

ne+t words. 'And & think 6cta%ia took it.*

'hat-* His eyes narrowed.

'$he was the only other person in the tent last night, and she seemed really !i+ated on the

drugs/*

'9o,* "ellamy snapped, cutting her o!!. '6! all the criminals on this goddamn planet,

you think my sister is the thie!-* He stared at her, his eyes urning with anger. "ut when

he spoke again, his %oice was uiet. '& thought you were di!!erent. "ut & was wrong.

5ou’re =ust another stupid Phoeni+ itch who thinks she knows etter than e%eryone

else.*

He kicked the handle o! the a+, then pushed past her without another word.

@or a moment, Clarke stood rooted to the ground, too stunned y "ellamy’s words to

mo%e. "ut then she !elt something inside her tear, and suddenly she was running toward

the trees, staggering into the shade o! the !orest canopy. Her throat raw, she slumped onto

the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees to keep the anguish !rom !lowing out o!

her chest.

Alone in the shadows, Clarke did something else on Earth !or the !irst time. $he cried.



CHAPTER 1)

"ellamy

"ellamy paused to ad=ust the ird that he’d slung o%er his shoulder. The con!rontation

with Clarke had le!t him so agitated that he’d graed his ow and stormed o!! into the

woods without a second thought. 6nly a!ter shooting this ird near the stream had he

started to calm down. &t was a good kill/his !irst ird, much harder than animals on the

ground/and its !eathers would e per!ect !or the new arrows he’d een working on, to

take with them when he and 6cta%ia headed out on their own. As he stepped ack into

camp, he reali3ed that he hadn’t seen 6cta%ia since early that morning, and !elt a twinge

o! concern. He should ha%e checked on her e!ore he le!t.

The !ire was already uilt up, and a do3en !aces turned to look at "ellamy as he

approached. "ut no one was smiling. He shi!ted the ird o%er to his other shoulder to gi%ethem a etter %iew o! his kill. hy the hell were they staring at him like that-

An angry shout pulled his attention to a group at the !ar end o! the clearing, near the

wreckage o! the dropship. They were clustered in a circle around something on the

ground. He inhaled sharply as the shape on the ground mo%ed.

Then he saw her, and his con!usion erupted into a rage unlike anything he’d e%er !elt.

&t was 6cta%ia.

He threw the ird on the ground and roke into a run.

'6ut o! my way,* "ellamy shouted as he !orced his way inside the circle.

6cta%ia was on the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks. :raham and a !ew o! the

Arcadians stood o%er her, a deranged gleam in their eyes.

':et away !rom her,* "ellamy ellowed as he charged !orward. "ut e!ore he could

reach 6cta%ia, an arm hooked around his neck, nearly crushing his windpipe. "ellamy

whee3ed and looked around !rantically. ells was standing in !ront o! him, his e+pression

cold and !irm. 'hat the hell-* "ellamy sputtered. ':et out o! my way.*

hen ells didn’t mo%e, "ellamy gritted his teeth and lunged at him, ut someone else

had a hold on his collar and =erked him ack. ':et o!! o! meI* "ellamy spat, p wid He

shooting his elow ack with enough !orce to make whoe%er was ehind him grunt and

let go.



6cta%ia was still on the ground, her eyes wide with terror as she looked !rom "ellamy to

:raham, who was standing o%er her. '5ou etter tell me what’s going on, right now,*

"ellamy said through clenched teeth.

'& heard you and Clarke talking aout the missing medicine earlier,* ells said with

in!uriating calmness. '9o one esides 6cta%ia knew aout it. $he must ha%e taken it.*

'& didn’t take anything.* 6cta%ia soed. $he wiped her !ace with the ack o! her hand

and sni!!ed. 'They’%e all gone cra3y.* $he rose shakily to her !eet and started to take a

step toward "ellamy.

'5ou’re not going anywhere,* :raham snapped, graing 6cta%ia’s wrist and wrenching

her ack.

'2et go o! herI* "ellamy ellowed. He do%e !or :raham, ut ells stepped in !ront o!him, and someone else wrenched his arm ehind his ack. ':et o!! o! meI* "ellamy

thrashed wildly as he tried to wrench himsel! !ree, ut there were too many sets o! hands

holding him down, locking him in place.

'2ook,* "ellamy continued, trying in %ain to keep his %oice steady, 'she’s een in=ured

e%er since we landed. 4o you really think she was up to stealing medicine and dragging it

o!! somewhere outside o! camp-*

'$he was up to !ollowing me into the woods yesterday,* ells answered calmly. 'e

walked pretty !ar together.*

"ellamy thrashed against the arms holding him, unale to uell his rage as the

implication o! ells’s words sank in. &! he so much as laid a hand on his sisterF

'ust take it easy,* ells said. He nodded at a alden oy, who stepped !orward with a

coil o! rope.

'Then tell that creep to take his disgusting hands o!! my sister,* "ellamy spat.

Clarke suddenly appeared, pushing her way through the crowd. 'hat’s going on-* she

asked, her eyes wide when they landed on 6cta%ia. 'Are you okay-* 6cta%ia shook her

head, tears streaming down her !ace.

'e =ust need 6cta%ia to tell us where the medicine is,* ells said calmly, 'and then

we’ll get this all sorted out.*



'& don’t ha%e it.* 6cta%ia’s %oice had grown ragged.

'e know you’re lying,* :raham hissed. 6cta%ia yelped as he tightened his hold on her

wrist, and "ellamy struggled against the hands that held him. '5ou’re only making things

worse.*

'$o what are you going to do-* "ellamy spat at ells. 'Keep us oth tied up-*

'E+actly,* ells said, his =aw tightening. 'e’ll keep 6cta%ia locked up until she tells us

where she hid the medicine, or we !ind e%idence pointing to another suspect.*

'2ock her up-* "ellamy made a show o! looking around the clearing. 'And how do you

propose to do that-*

Clarke stepped !orward, a tense look on her !ace. '& spend most o! the day in thein!irmary tent, anyway,* she said curtly. '6cta%ia can stay there. &’ll keep an eye on her

and make sure she doesn’t sneak o!!.*

'Are you serious-* :raham snorted. '$he stole the medicine !rom under your nose, and

your plan is to keep an eye on her-*

Clarke turned to :raham with a scowl. '&! that’s not good enough !or you, :raham, youu,

, an can post a guard outside the door.*

'This is ridiculous.* "ellamy’s whole ody was eginning to shake as his angersmoldered into e+haustion. '2ook at her,* he said weakly. '$he’s o%iously not a danger

to anyone. ust untie her and & promise & won’t let her out o! my sight.* He scanned the

crowd that had assemled around them, scouring the audience !or a sympathetic !ace.

$urely someone else saw that this whole thing was complete ullshit. "ut no one was

willing to meet his eyes.

'5ou’re all insane.* His mouth curled into a snarl as he turned ack to !ace :raham.

'5ou set her up. 5ou stole those meds.*

:raham snickered and shot a look at Asher. '& told you he was going to say that.*

The sky was growing dark, the clouds wea%ing into a lanket o! gray. "ellamy took a

deep reath. '@ine. "elie%e whate%er you want. ust untie 6cta%ia and let us go. e’ll

lea%e camp !or good. e won’t e%en take any o! your precious supplies.* He glanced at

his sister, ut she didn’t look happy at the ideaB her !eatures seemed !ro3en in shock.

'5ou’ll ne%er ha%e to think aout us again.*



A !leeting look o! pain crossed Clarke’s !ace e!ore she retreated ehind her mask o!

steely resol%e. $he’ll get o%er it, "ellamy thought itterly. $he’d !ind someone else to go

traipsing through the woods with her.

'& don’t think so,* :raham said, sneering. '9ot until we get ack the meds. e can’t let

anyone else die =ust ecause your little sister’s a drug addict.*

The accusation made e%ery ner%e in "ellamy’s ody si33le until his !ingers itched to

close around :raham’s neck.

'Enough,* Clarke said, shaking her head at :raham and raising a hand. '& want the

medicine ack more than anyone, ut you’re not helping.*

'@ine,* "ellamy snapped. '"ut &’m taking her into the tent. And no one is going to puttheir hands on her again.*

He wrenched !ree !rom his captors and strode o%er to 6cta%ia, graing her hand as he

locked eyes with :raham. '5ou’re going to regret this,* "ellamy said in a low, dangerous

%oice. He wrapped his arm around his tremling sister and led her toward the in!irmary

tent, a grim determination o%ertaking him.

He’d do whate%er it took to protect her. He always had.

&t was the third guard %isit in the last !ew months. They had een coming more o!ten thatyear, and 6cta%ia was getting igger. "ellamy tried not to think aout what would happen

ne+t time, ut e%en he knew they wouldn’t e ale to hide her !ore%er.

'& can’t elie%e they looked in the closet,* his mother said hoarsely, staring at 6cta%ia,

whom "ellamy had carried to the couch. 'Thank god she didn’t cry.*

"ellamy looked o%er at his toddler sister. E%erything aout her was miniaturi3ed, !rom

her tiny sock#clad !eet to her impossily small !ingers. E%erything e+cept her round

cheeks and enormous eyes, which always glistened with tears she ne%er seemed to shed.

as it normal !or a two#year#old to e so uiet- 4id she somehow know what would

happen i! someone !ound her-

"ellamy walked o%er and sat down ne+t to 6cta%ia, who turned her head to stare at him

with her deep#lue eyes. He reached !orward to touch one o! her dark, glossy curls. $he

looked =ust l lo his cike that doll head he’d !ound while sca%enging !or relics in the

storage room. He’d thought aout taking it home to 6cta%ia, ut decided the ration points



he’d get !or it at the E+change were more important. He also hadn’t een sure whether it

was right to gi%e a ay a disemodied doll’s head, no matter how pretty it was.

He grinned as 6cta%ia graed his !inger with her tiny !ist. 'Hey, gi%e that ack,* he said,

pretending to wince. $he smiled ut didn’t giggle. He couldn’t rememer e%er hearing

her laugh.

'&t was too close,* his mother was muttering to hersel! as she paced ack and !orth. 'Too

closeF too closeF too close.*

';om. Are you okay-* "ellamy asked, !eeling his panic return. $he walked o%er to the

sink, which was still spilling o%er with dishes despite the !act that this morning had een

their water hour. He hadn’t een ale to !inish e!ore the guards came. &t would e

another !i%e days e!ore they’d ha%e the chance to wash them again.

There was a !aint crash down the hallway, !ollowed y a peal o! laughter. His mother

gasped and looked around the !lat. ':et her ack in the closet.*

"ellamy put his arm in !ront o! 6cta%ia. '&t’s !ine,* he said. 'The guards were =ust here.

They’re not going to e ack !or a while.*

His mother took a step !orward. Her eyes were wide and !ull o! terror. ':et her out o!

hereI*

'9o,* "ellamy said, sliding o!! the couch and standing in !ront o! 6cta%ia. 'That wasn’te%en the guards. &t was =ust someone messing around. $he doesn’t need to go ack in

yet.*

6cta%ia whimpered ut !ell silent as their mother !i+ed her with a wild#eyed stare.

'6h no, oh no, oh no,* their mother was muttering, running her hands distractedly

through her already dishe%eled hair. $he leaned ack against the wall and slid down to the

!loor, landing with a sharp thud.

"ellamy glanced at 6cta%ia, then walked slowly o%er to his mother, kneeling care!ully

eside her. ';om-* A new kind o! !ear welled up inside him, di!!erent !rom what he’d

!elt during the inspection. This !ear was cold and seemed to e creeping out !rom his

stomach, turning his lood to ice.

'5ou don’t understand,* she said !aintly, staring at something =ust ehind "ellamy’s head.

'They’re going to kill me. They’re going to take you and they’re going to kill me.*



'Take me where-* "ellamy asked, his %oice ui%ering.

'5ou can’t ha%e oth,* she whispered, her eyes growing e%en larger. '5ou can’t ha%e

oth.* $he linked and re!ocused her ga3e on "ellamy. '5ou can’t ha%e a mother and a

sister.*

CHAPTER >7

:lass

:lass swept up the !inal !light o! stairs and turned into her corridor. $he wasn’t worried

aout eing stopped y the guards !or %iolating cur!ew. $he !elt like she was !loating, her

steps !eatherlight as she skimmed silently down the hallway. $he raised her hand to her

lips, where the memory o! 2uke’s kiss still lingered, and smiled.

&t was a little a!ter three in the morningB the ship was empty, the lights in the hallway a

dim glow. Tearing hersel! away !rom 2uke made her ache with an almost physical pain,

ut she knew etter than to risk getting caught y her mother. &! she !ell asleep uickly

enough, she might e ale to trick her mind into thinking that she was still with 2uke, his

warm, sleeping !orm curled up ne+t to her.

$he pressed her thum against the key panel on the door and slipped inside.

'Hello, :lass.* Her mother’s %oice came !rom the so!a.

:lass gasped and started stammering. 'Hi, & wasF &F* $he !umled !or words, trying to

come up with a plausile reason !or why she’d een out in the middle o! the night. "ut

she couldn’t lieB not anymore, not aout this.

They stood in silence !or a long moment, and although she couldn’t make out the

e+pression on her mother’s !ace, :lass could !eel her con!usion and anger radiating

through the darkness. '5ou were with him, weren’t you-* $on=a !inally asked.

'5es,* :lass said, relie%ed to e telling the truth at last. ';om, & lo%e him.*

Her mother took a step !orward, and :lass reali3ed that she was still wearing a lack

e%ening dress, the outline o! !aded lipstick on her mouth, dying traces o! her per!ume in

the air.

'here were you tonight-* :lass asked wearily. &t was like last year all o%er again. E%er

since her !ather had le!t them, her mother had arely een around, staying out all hours o!



the night and sometimes sleeping through the day. 9ow :lass didn’t ha%e the energy to

e emarrassed, or e%en angry, aout her mother’s eha%ior. All she could !eel was a !aint

pang o! sadness.

$on=a’s lips twisted into a gruesome appro+imation o! a smile. '5ou ha%e no idea what

&’%e done to protect you* was all she said. '5ou need to stay away !rom that oy.*

'That oy-* :lass cringed. '& know you think he’s =ust/*

'That’s enough,* her mother snapped. '4on’t you reali3e how lucky you are to e%en e

here- &’m not going to let you die !or some alden trash who seduces Phoeni+ girls and

then aandons them.*

'He’s not like thatI* :lass e+claimed, her %oice growing shrill. '5ou don’t e%en know

him.*

'He doesn’t care aout you. 5ou were ready to die to sa%e him. hile you were in

Con!inement he’d proaly !orgotten all aout you.*

:lass winced. &t was true that 2uke had started seeing Camille while :lass was in

Con!inement. "ut she couldn’t lame him, not a!ter the cruel things she’d said when she

roke up with him in a desperate attempt to keep him sa!e.

':lass.* $on=a’s %oice ui%ered with the strain o! trying to remain calm. '&’m sorry to e

harsh. "ut with the Chancellor still on li!e support, you need to e care!ul. &! he wakes upand has any reason, any reason at all, to re%oke your pardon, he will.* $he sighed. '&

can’t let you risk your li!e again. Ha%e you already !orgotten what happened last time-*

"ut o! course :lass hadnly last !orgotten. The memory o! it was as permanent as the

scars !rom the racelet on her skin, something she would carry with her the rest o! her

li!e. And her mother didn’t e%en know the whole truth.

:lass ignored the guards’ strange looks as she passed the checkpoint and egan crossing

the skyridge toward alden. 2et them think she was o!! to uy drugs i! they wanted. 9o

punishment they ga%e her could possily hurt more than what she was aout to do.

&t was late a!ternoon, and the corridors were thank!ully empty. 2uke would e ack !rom

his morning shi!t y now, ut Carter would still e at the distriution center, where he

worked sorting nutrition packets. :lass knew it was !oolish/Carter hated her, and he

would hate her e%en more once he !ound out that she had roken 2uke’s heart/ut she

couldn’t ear to reak up with 2uke with Carter in the other room.



'6h,* :lass said, iting ack a criticism. &! Carter wasn’t care!ul, he’d get demoted yet

again, and the only position elow the distriution center was sanitation duty. '&’m

sorry,* she added, ecause she wasn’t sure what else to say.

'9o, you’re not,* Carter said, taking a pull o! an unmarked ottle. :lass wrinkled her

nose. "lack#market whiskey. '5ou’re =ust like all the other assholes on Phoeni+. All you

care aout is yoursel!.*

'5ou know what, & should e going,* :lass said, mo%ing uickly across the li%ing space

toward the door. 'Tell 2uke &’ll see him later.*

'Hold it,* Carter called. :lass ignored him and graed the handle without turning

around, ut e!ore she could open the door, Carter reached o%er her shoulder and leaned

!orward to slam it shut.

'2et me go,* :lass ordered, turning to !ace him.

Carter’s grin widened, sending chills down :lass’s spine. 'hat’s the prolem-* he

asked, reaching down to ru his hands o%er her arms. 'e oth know how much you like

slumming it down on alden. 4on’t pretend to e all choosy.*

'hat are you talking aout-* :lass spat, wincing as she tried unsuccess!ully to reak

his grip.

He !rowned, digging his !ingers pain!ully into her arms. '5ou think you’re eing soreellious, sneaking around with 2uke. "ut &’%e known plenty o! Phoeni+ girls like you.

5ou’re all the same.* $till holding one o! her arms, he reached his other hand around and

started to !umle with the waistand o! her pants.

'$top,* :lass said, trying to push him away, horror spreading rapidly through her %eins.

Then, more loudly, '$top itI 2et me goI*

'&t’s okay,* Carter murmured, yanking her closer to him and wrenching her arms ao%e

her head. :lass tried to mo%e away, ut he weighed more than twice what she did and she

couldn’t wriggle !ree. $he thrashed around wildly, trying to =a her knee into his stomach,

ut she was trapped.

'4on’t worry,* Carter said, !illing her ear with his sour reath. '2uke won’t mind. He

owes me this, a!ter all &’%e done !or him. "esides, we share e%erything.*

:lass opened her mouth to scream, ut Carter had pushed himsel! up against her chest,



and there was no air in her lungs. "lack spots danced e!ore her %ision, and she !elt

hersel! losing consciousness.

Then the door opened, and Carter =umped ack so uickly, :lass lost her alance and !ell

to the !loor.

':lass-* 2uke asked, stepping inside. 'Are you okay- hat’s going on-*

:lass tried to catch her reath, ut e!ore she had time to answer, Carter called out !rom

the couch, where he was already reclined in an attitude o! calculated carelessness, '5our

girl!riend wasgirh her r =ust showing me the latest Phoeni+ dance mo%e.* He snorted. '&

think she needs a little more practice.*

2uke tried to catch :lass’s ga3e, ut she looked away. Her heart thumped wildly with

!ear#!ueled adrenaline and rage.

'$orry & was late/& got caught up talking to "ekah and Ali,* 2uke said as he reached

down to help her up, naming two o! his !riends !rom the engineering corps who had

always een nice to :lass. 'Hey, what’s wrong-* he asked uietly when she didn’t take

his hand.

A!ter what had =ust happened, all she wanted to do was throw hersel! into 2uke’s arms, to

allow the warmth o! his ody to con%ince hers that e%erything was okay. "ut she’d come

here !or a reason. $he couldn’t let him com!ort her.

'Are you okay- $hould we go talk in my room-*

:lass glanced o%er at Carter, summoning her anger and hatred !or him to the sur!ace,

letting it oil her lood. $he stood up.

'&’m not going into your room,* she said, !orcing an edge into her %oice she didn’t

recogni3e. 'E%er again.*

'hat- hat’s wrong-* 2uke asked. He gently pulled on her hand ut she snatched it

away. ':lass-* The con!usion in his %oice was enough to make her heart thro.

'&t’s o%er,* she said, shocked at the coldness in her own %oice. A strange numness

spread through her, as i! her ner%es were shutting down to protect her !rom the grie! that

would surely destroy her. '4id you really think it was going to last-*

':lass.* 2uke’s %oice was low and strained. '&’m not sure what you’re talking aout, ut



could we continue this con%ersation in my room-* He reached out to place his hand on

her arm, and she recoiled !rom his touch.

'9o.* $he pretended to shudder in horror, looking away so that he couldn’t see the tears

in her eyes. '& can’t elie%e & let you take me in there in the !irst place.*

2uke !ell silent, and :lass couldn’t help glancing ack at him. He was staring at her, his

eyes !ull o! hurt. He had always worried that he wasn’t good enough !or :lass/that he

was keeping her !rom a etter li!e on Phoeni+. And now here she was, using the same

!ears she had once dismissed to turn 2uke against her. '&s that really how you !eel-* he

asked !inally. '& thought we/:lass, & lo%e you,* he said helplessly.

'& ne%er lo%ed you.* $he !orced the words out o! her mouth with such intensity, they

seemed to tear out her %ery soul. '4on’t you see- This was all =ust a game to me, seeing

how long & could go on e!ore & got caught. "ut &’m done now. &’m ored.*

2uke reached up to take her chin, turning her !ace up so that their eyes met. $he could

!eel him searching her !or some sign that the real :lass was hidden deep inside. '5ou

don’t mean that.* His %oice cracked. '& don’t know what’s going on, ut this isn’t you.

:lass, talk to me. Please.*

@or a L#1ing onrie! moment, :lass wa%ered. $he could tell him the truth. 6! course he

would understandB he would !orgi%e all the terrile things she’d =ust said. $he would lean

her head on his shoulder and pretend that e%erything would e okay. They could !ace this

together.

"ut then she thought o! 2uke eing e+ecuted/the lethal in=ection shutting down his

ody e!ore it was released into the cold emptiness o! space.

The only way to sa%e 2uke’s heart was to reak it.

'5ou don’t e%en know me,* she said, =erking away !rom his touch, the pain o! her grie!

slicing sharp and hot through her chest. 'Here,* she !inished, linking ack tears as she

reached ehind her neck to unhook the clasp o! her locket. '& don’t want this anymore.*

As she dropped it into 2uke’s hand he stared at her wordlessly, shock and hurt etched in

sharp lines across his !ace.

$he was only %aguely aware o! running out o! the door and slamming it shut, and then

she was racing down the hall, concentrating on the thud o! her steps across the skyridge.

2e!t, right, le!t, right. ust get home, :lass told hersel!. ust get home, and then you can



cry.

"ut the moment she turned the corner, she staggered and slid to the !loor, oth hands

clutching her stomach. '&’m sorry,* :lass whispered so!tly, uncertain whether she was

speaking to the ay, or 2uke, or her own ruised and damaged heart.

CHAPTER >1

Clarke

The tension in the in!irmary tent was so thick, Clarke could practically !eel it pressing

against her chest when she reathed.

$he ho%ered wordlessly at Thalia’s side, trying in %ain to attle the in!ection that had

already claimed her kidneys and seemed hell#ent on taking her li%er ne+t, seething in

silent !ury at 6cta%ia’s sel!ishness. How could she sit there, watching Thalia slip in andout o! consciousness, and not return the stolen medicine-

"ut then she glanced o%er to the corner, where 6cta%ia lay curled up. The sight o! her

round cheeks and thick lashes made her look pain!ully young, and Clarke’s anger was

replaced y dout and guilt. ;aye 6cta%ia hadn’t done it. "ut i! not, who had-

Her eyes lowered to the racelet that encased her wrist. &! Thalia could =ust hold on until

the ne+t wa%e o! colonists arri%ed, she’d e okay. "ut there was no knowing when that

would e. The Council would wait until they had conclusi%e data on the radiation le%els,

regardless o! what was happening on Earth.

Thalia’s death, she knew, would matter as little to the Council as 2illy’s had. 6rphans and

criminals didn’t count.

As she watched Thalia’s laored reathing, Clarke !elt a surge o! white#hot !ury. $he

re!used to sit here and =ust wait !or her !riend to die. Hadn’t humans cured illnesses !or

millennia e!ore the disco%ery o! penicillin- There had to e something in the woods that

!ought in!ection. $he tried to rememer what little she’d learned aout plants in "iology

o! Earth class. ho knew i! those plants were e%en around anymore/e%erything seemed

tnt siess, o ha%e e%ol%ed strangely a!ter the Cataclysm. "ut she had to at least try.

'&’ll e ack,* she whispered to her sleeping !riend. ithout a word to the Arcadian oy

standing guard outside, Clarke hurried out o! the in!irmary and egan to walk toward the

trees, not othering to gra anything !rom the supply tent lest she attract any unwanted

attention. "ut she didn’t manage to go more than ten meters without a !amiliar %oice

scratching at her eardrums.



'here are you going-* ells asked as he !ell in step ne+t to her.

'2ooking !or medicinal plants.* $he was too tired to lie to ells, and it didn’t matter

anywayB he always saw through her lies. $omehow, the sel!#righteousness that linded

him to the most glaring truths didn’t pre%ent him !rom reading the secrets in her eyes.

'&’ll come with you.* '&’m !ine on my own, thanks,* Clarke said, increasing her pace, as

i! that could possily deter the oy who’d tra%eled across the solar system to e with her.

'5ou stay here in case they need someone to lead an angry mo.*

'5ou’re right. Things got a little out o! hand last night,* he said with a !rown. '& didn’t

mean !or anything ad to happen to 6cta%ia. & only wanted to help. & know you need that

medicine !or Thalia.*

'5ou only wanted to help. &’%e heard that one e!ore.* Clarke whipped around to !ace

ells. $he didn’t ha%e the time or the energy to deal with his need !or redemption right

now. ':uess what, ells. $omeone ended up Con!ined this time too.*

ells stopped in his tracks, and Clarke =erked her head away, unale to look at the hurt in

his eyes. "ut she re!used to let him make her !eel guilty. 9othing she could say to him

could egin to appro+imate the pain he’d caused her.

Clarke stared straight ahead as she strode into the trees, still hal! e+pecting to hear the

thud o! !ootsteps ehind her. "ut this time there was only silence.

"y the time she reached the creek, the !ury Clarke had carried into the woods had een

replaced y despair. The scientist in her was morti!ied y her own na%etS. &t was !oolish

to think that she would somehow recogni3e a plant !rom a class she’d taken si+ years ago,

let alone that it would e%en look the same a!ter all this time. "ut she re!used to turn ack,

restrained partly y her own stuorn pride and partly y a desire to a%oid ells !or as

long as possile.

&t was too chilly to wade through the water, so she climed up the slope and walked along

the ridge to cross o%er to the other side. This was the !arthest she’d e%er een !rom camp,

and it !elt di!!erent out hereB the air e%en tasted somehow di!!erent than it did closer to the

clearing. $he closed her eyes, hoping that it would help her identi!y the strange swirl o!

scents that she had no words to descrie. &t was like trying to recall a memory that hadn’t

een hers to egin with.

The ground was !latter here than she’d seen elsewhere in the woods. <p ahead, the gap



etween the trees grew e%en wider, and the trees themsel%es seemed to part into straight

lines on either side, as i! they could sense Clarke’s presence and had stood aside to let her

pass.

Clarke started to pull a star#shaped lea! !rom a tree, then !ro3e as a glint o! light caught

her eye. $omething nestled in etween two enormous trees was re!lecting the !ading

sunlight.

$he sihis took another step !orward, her heart racing.

&t was a window.

Clarke egan walking toward it slowly, !eeling as though she were mo%ing through one

o! her own dreams. The window was !ramed y two trees, which must ha%e grown out o!

the ruins o! the structure, whate%er it had een. "ut the glass wasn’t clear. As she gotcloser, she saw that the window was actually made !rom di!!erent pieces o! colored glass

that had een arranged to create an image, although there were too many cracks to tell

what it had once een.

$he reached !orward and gently rushed her !inger against the glass, shi%ering as the cold

seeped into her !ingers. &t was like touching a corpse. @or a moment, she !ound hersel!

wishing ells was with her. 9o matter how angry she was with him, she’d ne%er depri%e

him o! the chance to see one o! the ruins he’d spent his whole li!e dreaming aout.

$he turned and walked around one o! the large trees. There was another window, ut thisone had een smashed, sharp !ragments o! glass glittering on the ground. Clarke stepped

!orward and crouched down to peer inside. The =agged opening was almost large enough

to crawl through. The sun was only eginning to set, and the orange rays seemed to shine

right into the opening, re%ealing what looked like a wooden !loor. E%ery instinct in

Clarke’s rain was shouting at her to keep away, ut she couldn’t ring hersel! to stop.

Taking care not to let her skin touch the glass, Clarke reached her arm through the

opening o! the window and rushed her hand against the wood. 9othing happened. $he

clenched her !ingers into a !ist and rapped on it, coughing as a cloud o! dust rose into the

air. &t !elt solid. $he paused, considering. The uilding had sur%i%ed this long. $urely the

!loor would e ale to hold her weight.

Care!ully, she slid one leg through the opening, then the other. $he held her reath, ut

nothing happened.

hen she looked up and around her, Clarke sucked in her reath.



The walls soared on all sides, con%erging in a point many meters ao%e her head, higher

than e%en the roo! ao%e the solar !ields. &t wasn’t as dark as she’d e+pected. There were

windows along the other wall that she hadn’t een ale to see. These were made o! clear

glass, ut they weren’t roken. "eams o! sunlight shone through, illuminating millions o!

dust particles dancing through the air.

Clark rose slowly to her !eet. There was a railing up ahead that ran parallel to the !loor at

aout waist height. $he took a !ew hesitant steps toward it and gasped, startling hersel!

again as the sound echoed !ar ao%e her head.

$he was standing on a alcony o%erlooking an enormous open space. &t was almost

completely dark, proaly ecause most o! the uilding was now underground, ut she

could =ust make out the outline o! enches. $he didn’t dare %enture any closer to the edge

!or a etter look, ut as her eyes ad=usted to the darkness, more shapes sharpened into!ocus.

"odies.

At !irst she thought she’d only imagined it, that her mind was using the shadows to play

tricks on her. $he closed her eyes and willed hersel! not to e such a !ool. "ut when she

turned ack, the shapes were the same.

Two skeletons were draped o%er one o! the enches, and another, smaller one lay at their

!eet. Although there was no knowing whether the ones had een distured, !rom whatshe could tell, these people had died huddled together. Had they een trying to keep

warm as the skies darkened and nuclear winter set in- How many people had een le!t at

that point-

Clarke took another small step !orward, ut this time, the wood creaked dangerously. $he

!ro3e and started to inch her way ack. "ut a loud crack sang out through the silence, and

with a sudden lurch, the !loor !ell out !rom underneath her.

$he wa%ed her hands wildly, graing hold o! the alconyedge as the railing and !loor

tumled through the air. Her legs dangled o%er a %ast, open space as the pieces landed

with a thud on the stone !ar elow.

$he screamed, a loud, wordless cry that rose up toward the ceiling and then !aded away,

=oining the ghosts o! whate%er other screams still lingered in the dust. Her !ingers started

to slide.



'hat are you doing here-* she asked !rom inside his emrace, her %oice mu!!led. '&

thoughtF & hopedF*

'& !ollowed you/& was worried,* ells spoke into her hair. '& could ne%er let anything

happen to you. 9o matter what.* He spoke without thinking, ut as the words le!t his lien

twe shrps he knew that they were true. E%en i! she kissed someone else/e%en i! she

wanted to e with someone else/he would always e there !or her.

Clarke didn’t say anything, ut she stayed in his arms.

ells held her there, terri!ied to say anything else and end this moment too soon, his

relie! e+panding into =oy. ;aye he had a chance to win her ack. ;aye, here in the

ruins o! the old world, they could start something new.

CHAPTER >(

"ellamy

He’d start with letting the astards star%e. Then, maye when they were all so weak with

hunger that they had to crawl o%er to him and eg !or !orgi%eness, then he’d consider

going out to hunt. "ut they’d ha%e to make do with a suirrel or something else small/

no way was he killing another deer !or them.

"ellamy had spent the night unale to sleep, watching the in!irmary tent in order to make

damn sure no one got anywhere near his sister. 9ow that it was morning, he’d resorted to pacing around the perimeter o! the camp. He had too much energy to sit still.

"ellamy stepped o%er the tree line, !eeling his ody rela+ slightly as the shadows washed

o%er him. 6%er the past !ew weeks, he’d disco%ered that he en=oyed the company o! trees

more than people. He shi%ered as a ree3e swept across the ack o! his neck, and looked

up. The patches o! sky %isile through the ranches were eginning to turn gray, and the

air suddenly !elt di!!erent/almost damp. He lowered his head and kept walking. Perhaps

Earth had had enough o! their ullshit already and was initiating a second nuclear winter.

He turned and egan dri!ting in the direction o! the stream, where there were usually

animal tracks to !ollow. "ut then a !lash o! mo%ement in a tree a !ew meters away caught

his attention, and he paused.

$omething right red was wa%ing in the wind. &t might’%e een a lea!, e+cept there

wasn’t anything else close to that shade neary. "ellamy suinted, then took a !ew steps

!orward, !eeling a strange prickle on the ack o! his neck. &t was 6cta%ia’s hair rion. &t



made asolutely no sense/she hadn’t een out in the woods !or days/ut he’d

recogni3e it anywhere. There were some things you could ne%er !orget.

The halls were dark as "ellamy scurried up the stairs to their !lat. &t had een worth

staying out a!ter cur!ew, as long as he didn’t get caught. He’d roken through an old air

sha!t, too small !or anyone ut a child to crawl through, into an aandoned storage room

he’d heard aout on C deck. &t was !ull o! all kinds o! treasures? a rimmed hat topped

with a !unny#looking irdB a o+ that said E&:HT ;&9<TE A"$ on it, whate%er that

meantB and a red rion he’d !ound wrapped around the handle o! a strange wheeled ag.

"ellamy had traded his other disco%eries in e+change !or ration points, ut he’d kept the

rion, e%en though it would ha%e !ed them !or a month. He wanted to gi%e it to 6cta%ia.

He pressed his thum to the scanner and care!ully opened the door, then !ro3e. $omeone

was mo%ing inside. His mother was normally asleep y now. He took a silent step

!orward, =ust enough to hear etter, and !elt himsel! rela+ as a !amiliar sound !illed hisears. His mother was singing 6cta%ia’s !a%orite lullay, something she used to do all the

time, sitting on the !loor and singingn theht red was through the door o! the closet until

6cta%ia !ell asleep. "ellamy sighed with relie!. &t didn’t sound like she was in the mood

to scream at him, or worse, ha%e one o! her endless crying !its that made "ellamy want to

hide in the closet with his sister.

"ellamy smiled as he crept into the main room and saw his mother kneeling on the !loor.

'Hush, little ay, don’t you cry, mama’s gonna uy you a star in the sky. And i! that star

can’t carry a tune, mama’s going uy you a piece o! the moon.* Another sound dri!ted

through the darkness, a !aint whee3e. as the %entilation system acting up again- Hetook a step !orward. 'And i! the moon e%er loses its shine, mama’s gonna uy you/*

"ellamy heard the sound again, although this time, it sounded more like a gasp.

';om-* He took another step. $he was crouched o%er something on the !loor. ';om,*

he ellowed, lunging !orward.

His mother had her hands around 6cta%ia’s neck, and e%en in the darkness, "ellamy

could see that his sister’s !ace was lue. He knocked his mother to the side and scooped

6cta%ia into his arms. @or one heart#stopping second, he was sure she was dead, ut then

she twitched and started coughing. "ellamy e+haled, and his heart egan thumping

wildly.

'e were =ust playing a game,* his mother said !aintly. '$he couldn’t sleep. $o we were

playing a game.F*



"ellamy held 6cta%ia close, making soothing noises, staring at the wall as a strange

!eeling came o%er him. He wasn’t sure what his mother had een doing, ut he was sure

she was going to try again.

"ellamy rose onto the alls o! his !eet and stretched his arm toward the rion. His

!ingers wrapped around the !amiliar satin, ut as he tried to pull it down, he reali3ed the

ornament wasn’t =ust caught on the ranch/it had een tied there.

Had someone !ound the rion and tied it to the tree !or sa!ekeeping- "ut why wouldn’t

they =ust ha%e rought it ack to camp- He asentmindedly ran his hand down the

ranch, letting the rough ark dig into his skin as he traced a line !rom the ranch down

to the trunk. "ut then he !ro3e. His !ingers were ho%ering on the edge o! a dip in the

trunk, where a chunk o! wood had een scooped out. There was something sticking out/

a ird’s nest, maye-

"ellamy graed on to the edge and pulled, watching in horror as the medicine he and

Clarke had disco%ered came tumling out. The pills, syringes, ottles/all o! it was

scattered in the grass y his !eet. His rain raced !or an e+planation, anything to staunch

the panic welling up in his chest.

He sank to the grass with a groan and closed his eyes.

&t was true. 6cta%ia had taken the medicine. $he’d hidden it in the tree and used her hair

rion as a marker so she could !ind it again. "ut he couldn’t think why she’d done it.

Had she worried aout what would happen i! one o! them had gotten sick- ;aye she’d een planning to take the supplies with them when they set out on their own.

"ut then :raham’s words rang in his ears. e can’t let anyone else die =ust ecause your

little sister’s a drug addict.

The oy assigned to stand guard outside the in!irmary tent had !allen asleep. He arely

managed to scramle to his !eet and mumle a uick 'Hey, you can’t go in there* e!ore

"ellamy urst through the !lap. He =erked his head around, con!irming that it was empty

e+cept !or Clarke’s sleeping sick !riend, then strode o%er to where 6cta%ia was sitting

cross#legged on her cot, raiding her hair.

'hat the hell do you think you’re doing-* he hissed.

'hat are you talking aout-* Her %oice was a mi+ture o! oredom and irritation, as i! he

were pestering her aout schoolwork like he always used to when checking up on her in

the care center.



"ellamy threw the hair rion down on her cot, wincing as he saw horror rush to

6cta%ia’s !ace. '& didn’tF,* she stammered. '&t wasn’tF*

'Cut the ullshit, 6,* he snapped. '9ow you can !inish raiding your goddamn hair while

a girl is dying in !ront o! you.*

6cta%ia’s eyes darted to Thalia, then shi!ted down. '& didn’t think she was really that

sick,* she said so!tly. 'Clarke had already gi%en her medicine. "y the time & reali3ed she

needed more, it was too late. & can’t con!ess now. 5ou saw how they were. & didn’t know

what they’d do to me.* hen she looked up again, her deep#lue eyes were !illed with

tears. 'E%en you hate me now, and you’re my rother.*

"ellamy sighed and sat down ne+t to his sister. '& don’t hate you.* He graed her hand

and ga%e it a suee3e. '& =ust don’t understand. hy’d you do it- The truth this time, please.*

6cta%ia !ell silent, and he could !eel her skin growing clammy as she egan to tremle.

'6-* He released her hand.

'& needed them,* she said, her %oice small. '& can’t sleep without them.* $he paused and

closed her eyes. 'At !irst, it was =ust at night. & kept ha%ing these terrile dreams, so the

nurse at the care center ga%e me medicine to help me sleep, ut then it got worse. There

were times when & couldn’t reathe, when it !elt like the whole uni%erse was closing in on

me, crushing me. The nurse wouldn’t gi%e me any more medicine, e%en when & asked, so& started stealing pills. &t was the only thing that made me !eel etter.*

"ellamy stared at her. 'That’s what you were caught stealing-* he asked slowly, the

reali3ation o%ertaking him. '9ot !ood !or the younger kids in the care center. Pills.*

6cta%ia didn’t say anything, =ust nodded, her eyes !ull o! tears.

'6,* "ellamy sighed. 'hy didn’t you tell me-*

'& know how much you worry aout me.* $he took a deep reath. '& know how you want

to protect me all the time. & didn’t want you to !eel like you’d !ailed.*

"ellamy !elt pain radiating out !rom a spot ehind his heart. He didn’t know which hurt

more? that his sister was a drug addict, or that she hadn’t told him the truth ecause he’d

een so linded y his insane need to watch o%er her. hen he !inally spoke, his %oice

was hoarse. '$o what do we do now-* he asked. @or the !irst time in his li!e, he had no



idea how to help his sister. 'hat will happen when we gi%e the medicine ack-*

'&’ll e okay. & =ust need to learn how to li%e without them. &t’s already easier here.* $he

reached out and took his hand, gi%ing him a strange, almost pleading look. '4o you wish

you hadn’t come here !or me-*

'9o,* "ellamy said !irmly, shaking his head. '& =u he!ull o!st need some time to process

e%erything.* He rose to his !eet, then looked ack at his sister. '"ut you need to make

sure Clarke gets the medicine. 5ou ha%e to e the one to tell her. &’m serious, 6.*

'& know.* $he nodded, then turned to look at Thalia and seemed to de!late a little. '&’ll do

it tonight.*

'6kay.* $ighing, "ellamy strode out o! the tent and into the clearing. hen he reached

the tree line, he took a deep reath, allowing the damp air to seep through his lungs intohis aching chest. He tilted his head ack to let the wind wash o%er his !lushed skin. 9ow

that the sky was unostructed y trees, it looked e%en darker, almost lack. $uddenly, a

line o! =agged light !lashed across the sky, !ollowed y a %iolent, resounding crack that

made the earth shudder. "ellamy =umped, and screams !illed the clearing. "ut they were

uickly drowned out y another dea!ening oom, this one louder than the !irst, like the

sky was aout to tumle to Earth.

Then something did start to !all.

4rops o! liuid were cascading down his skin, dripping o!! his hair, and uickly seepinginto his clothes. Rain, "ellamy reali3ed, real rain. He tilted his !ace up toward the sky,

and !or a moment, his wonder drowned out all the rest/his anger at :raham and ells

and Clarke, his concern !or his sister, the screams o! the idiot kids who didn’t know that

rain was harmless. He closed his eyes, letting the water wash away the dirt and sweat

caked on his !ace. @or a second, he let himsel! imagine that the rain could wash

e%erything away? the lood, the tears, the !act that he and 6cta%ia had !ailed each other.

They could ha%e a clean start, try again.

"ellamy opened his eyes. He was eing ridiculous, he knew. The rain was only water,

and there was no such thing as a clean start. That was the thing aout secrets/you had to

carry them with you !ore%er, no matter what the cost.

CHAPTER >8

:lass



As she walked across the skyridge, the terrile reali3ation that her mother was right

hung like a weight on :lass’s heart. $he couldn’t risk a single misstep/not !or her sake,

ut !or 2uke’s. hat i! the Chancellor woke up and re%oked her pardon, and then 2uke

did something stupid and admitted the truth aout the pregnancy- &t was like history was

repeating itsel!, and yet she knew she’d always make the same choice. $he would always

choose to protect the oy she lo%ed.

$he’d een a%oiding 2uke !or se%eral days, though he’d een summoned !or so many

emergency shi!ts lately that she wasn’t sure he’d e%en noticed. $he’d !inally arranged to

meet at his !lat this e%ening, and the thought o! him greeting her with a smile made her

chest ache. At least this time, there’d e no tricks, no lies. $he’d simply tell him the truth,

no matter how di!!icult. ;aye he’d seek com!ort in Camille again, and then things

would truly come !ull circle. The thought came with a kni!e#sharp pang, ut :lass

ignored it and kept walking.

As she approached the !ar end o! the skyridge, her eyes landed on a small group

gathered near the checkpoint. A !ew guards stood speaking in a tight circle, while a

numer o! ci%ilians whispered and pointed at something through the long, star#!illed

window that ordered the walkway. :lass suddenly recogni3ed a !ew o! the guards/they

were 2uke’s team, memers o! the elite guard’s engineering corps. The woman with

graying hair who was mo%ing her !ingers rapidly through the air, manipulating a holo#

diagr gmo%ing ham in !ront o! her !ace, was "ekah. 9e+t to her was Ali, a oy with dark

skin and right#green eyes !i+ed intently on the image "ekah was creating.

':lassI* Ali e+claimed warmly, looking up as she approached. He =ogged !orward a !ew

steps and clasped her hands in his. '&t’s great to see you. How are you-*

'&’mF good,* she stammered, con!used. How much did they know- ere they greeting

her as 2uke’s e+, the snotty Phoeni+ girl who’d roken his heart, or as 2uke’s escaped#

con%ict girl!riend- Either way, Ali was eing much kinder than she deser%ed.

"ekah shot :lass a uick smile and then returned to her diagrams, !rowning as she

rotated a complicated#looking three#dimensional lueprint. 'here’s 2uke-* :lass asked

as she glanced !rom side to side. &! they were still on duty, he wouldn’t e home yet

either.

Ali gestured out the window with a grin. '2ook outside.*

:lass turned slowly, e%ery atom in her ody turning to ice. $he knew already what she

would see. Two !igures in space suits were !loating outside, each tethered to the ship y a

thin cord. They had tool kits strapped to their acks and were using their glo%ed hands to

mo%e along the skyridge.



As i! in a trance, :lass mo%ed slowly !orward and pressed her !ace against the window.

$he watched in horror as the two !igures nodded at each other, then disappeared under the

skyridge. 2uke’s unit was responsile !or crucial repairs, ut he’d only een a =unior

memer o! the team when they were dating last year. $he knew he’d een promoted, ut

she had no idea he would e out on spacewalks this soon.

The thought o! him outside/nothing separating him !rom the cold emptiness o! space

ut a laughaly thin cord and a pressuri3ed suit/made :lass !eel di33y. $he graed on

to the railing to steady hersel!, sending up a silent prayer to the stars to keep him sa!e.

$he hadn’t le!t the !lat in two weeks. 9ot e%en her loosest clothes could mask the ump

that had emerged with alarming suddenness. :lass wasn’t sure how much longer her

mother would e ale to make e+cuses !or her. $he’d stopped responding to her !riends’

messages, and e%entually, they’d stopped sending them. E%eryone e+cept !or ells, whocontacted her e%ery day without !ail.

:lass pulled up her message ueue to reread the note he’d sent her that morning.

& know something must e wrong, and & hope you know that &’m always here !or

whate%er you need. "ut e%en i! you don’t or can’tU write ack, &’m going to keep !illing

your ueue with my stupid ramlings ecause, no matter what happened, you’re still my

est !riend and &’ll ne%er stop wishing you were here.

The rest o! the note went on to talk aout ells’s !rustrations with o!!icer training, thenended with a !ew cryptic allusions to something aout Clarke. :lass hoped there was

nothing seriously wrong/Clarke needed to reali3e how good she had it. $he would ne%er

!ind a sweeter, smarter oy on Phoeni+. Although the honor o! the sweetest, smartest oy

in the Colony went to 2uke. 2uke, who was no longer in her li!e.

The only thing that kept :lass sane was the growing presence inside her. Placing her

hand on her stomach, :lass whispered to the ay, telling him again/she !elt certain,

somehow, that it was a hatept :laoy/how much she lo%ed him.

There was a sudden knock at the door, and :lass hurried to stand up, to try to run into her

edroom and lock it shut. "ut the three guards had already urst inside.

':lass $orenson,* one o! them arked, his eyes tra%eling to her stomach, the ump

glaringly o%ious. '5ou are under arrest !or %iolation o! the :aia 4octrine.*

'Please =ust let me e+plain.* $he gasped as panic gushed through her. &t !elt like she was



drowning. The room was spinning, and it was hard to tell which words were coming out

o! her mouth and which were dashing manically through her skull.

&n a !lash, one o! the guards graed her arms and wrenched her wrists ehind her ack

while another secured them with cu!!s. '9o,* she whimpered. 'Please. &t was an

accident.* $he pressed her !eet into the !loor, ut there was no use. The guards were

!orcily dragging her across the room.

And then some wild, !rantic instinct took o%er, and :lass thrashed against the guard

restraining her, kicking wildly against his shins and sho%ing her elow into his throat. He

tightened his grip on her shoulder as he dragged her out through the corridor and into the

stairwell.

A so wrenched up !rom inside her as :lass reali3ed that she would ne%er see 2uke

again, the knowledge hitting her with all the !orce o! a hammer. Her legs suddenly ga%eout. The guard holding her staggered ack as she slid, trying to keep her upright.

& could do it, :lass thought, taking ad%antage o! his momentary imalance to surge

wildly !orward. @or a rie!, shining moment, :lass !elt the thrill o! hope pushing through

the panic. This was her chance. $he would escape.

"ut then the guard snatched at her !rom ehind and she lost her !ooting. Her shoulder

smacked against the landing and, suddenly, she was !alling down the sharp, narrow, dim

staircase.

E%erything went dark.

hen :lass opened her eyes again, her whole ody ached. Her knees, her shoulders, her

stomach/

Her stomach. :lass tried to mo%e her hands to !eel it, ut they were strapped down. 9o,

cu!!ed down, she reali3ed in growing horror. 6! courseB she was a criminal.

'6h, sweetie, you’re awake,* a warm %oice greeted her.

Through her lurry %ision, she could =ust make out the shape o! a !igure approaching her

ed. &t was a nurse.

'Please,* :lass croaked. '&s he okay- Can & hold him-* The woman paused, and :lass

knew e%en e!ore she spoke what she would say. $he could already sense it, the horrile,

aching emptiness inside her.



Her heart was still pumping too !ast to speak, so she nodded, shooting an emarrassed

smile at "ekah and Ali and the others. 'Come on,* 2uke said, taking her hand and

leading her down the skyridge.

As they crossed onto alden, :lass’s reathing !inally returned to normal. '& can’t

elie%e you do that,* she said uietly. 'Aren’t you terri!ied-*

'&t’s scary, ut it’s e+hilarating, too. &t’s soF enormous out there. & know that sounds

kind o! stupid.* He paused, ut :lass shook her head. They oth knew aout enclosed

spaces, how you could !eel trapped in them, e%en one as %ast as the ship.

'&’m =ust glad e%erything went okay,* she said.

'5eah, it did. ell, mostly.* 2uke’s !ingers loosened their grip around hers, and his %oicegrew slightly strained. 'There was something weird going on with the airlock. $ome

%al%e must’%e come loose, ecause it was releasing o+ygen out o! the ship.*

'"ut you guys !i+ed it, right-*

'6! course. That’s what we’re trained to do.* He suee3ed her hand.

$uddenly, :lass stopped short, turning to 2uke and rising up on her toes to kiss him, right

there in the middle o! the crowded hallway. $he didn’t care anymore who saw them. 9o

matter what happened, she thought, kissing him with an almost desperate need, she wouldne%er let anything keep thethi o! tm apart again.

CHAPTER >

"ellamy

"ellamy stared into the !lickering !lames, the u33 o! con%ersation around him mingling

with the cracking o! the logs. &t had een a !ew hours since his con!rontation with

6cta%ia, and so !ar there’d een no sign o! her. He hoped she’d return the medicine soon.

He couldn’t !orce her to hand it o%er, he knew, or their relationship would ne%er reco%er.

He had to show that he trusted her, and she had to do the right thing to win ack that

trust.

The rain had stopped, ut the ground was still damp. A !ew scu!!les had roken out o%er

the hand!ul o! rocks that had ecome J&P seating around the camp!ire, ut !or the most

part, e%eryone seemed willing to tolerate the soggy grass to sit close to the warmth o! the



!lames. A !ew girls had sought out a third option and were now perched on the laps o!

smug#looking oys.

He scanned the circle, searching !or Clarke. There was much more smoke than usual,

proaly ecause all the !irewood was wet, and it took a !ew moments !or his eyes to

settle on the !amiliar glint o! her reddish#gold hair. He suinted and reali3ed, to his

surprise, that she was sitting ne+t to ells. They weren’t touching, or e%en speaking, ut

something had changed etween them. The tension that wracked Clarke’s ody whene%er

ells came near had disappeared, and instead o! shooting wounded, !urti%e looks at

Clarke when her head was turned, ells was staring placidly into the !ire, a content look

on his !ace.

A shard o! resentment worked its way into "ellamy’s stomach. He should ha%e known it

would only e a matter o! time e!ore Clarke went running ack to ells. He should

ne%er ha%e kissed her in the woods. He’d only e%er really cared aout one other girl e!ore/and he’d gotten hurt that time too.

The clouds were thick enough to lock out most o! the stars, ut "ellamy tilted his head

ack anyway, wondering how much warning they’d ha%e e!ore the ne+t dropship

arri%ed. ould they e ale to see it tearing toward them/a warning !lare in the sky-

"ut then his eyes !ell on a !igure mo%ing through the darkness toward the !ire? the

shadowy outline o! a tiny girl with her head held high. "ellamy rose to his !eet as 6cta%ia

stepped into the pool o! light cast y the dancing !lames, sending a ripple o! whispers

around the circle.

'6h, !or the lo%e o! god.* "ellamy heard :raham groan. 'ho the hell was supposed to

e watching her tonight-*

ells shot Clarke a look, then stood to !ace :raham. '&t’s !ine,* he said. '$he can =oin

us.*

6cta%ia paused, looking !rom ells to :raham as the oys glared at each other. "ut

e!ore either o! them had time to speak, she took a reath and stepped !orward. '& ha%e

something to say,* she said. $he was tremling, ut her %oice was !irm.

The e+cited whispers and con!used murmurs trailed o!! as nearly a hundred heads turned

to !ace 6cta%ia. &n the !lickering !irelight, "ellamy could see the panic creeping across

her !ace, and !elt a sudden urge to run o%er and hold her hand. "ut he !orced his !eet to

stay rooted to the ground. He’d spent so long trying to take care o! the little girl in his

mind that he’d ne%er gotten to know the person she’d ecome. And right now, this was



something she had to do on her own.

'& did take the medicine,* 6cta%ia egan. $he paused to let as a %iaher words sink in, then

took a deep reath and continued as a rumle o! & knew its and & told you sos egan to

uild like thunder. 6cta%ia told the group a similar %ersion o! the story she’d told

"ellamy earlier that day/how hard it’d een growing up in the care center, how her

dependence on pills had turned into an addiction.

The muttering ceased as 6cta%ia’s %oice cracked. '"ack on the Colony, & ne%er thought &

was hurting anyone. $tealing =ust seemed like a way to get what & deser%ed. & !igured

e%eryone deser%ed to e ale to !all asleep at night. To wake up without !eeling that your

nightmares had le!t scars inside your head.* $he took a deep reath and closed her eyes.

hen she opened them, "ellamy could see the !aint shimmer o! tears. '& was so sel!ish,

so scared. "ut & ne%er meant to hurt Thalia, or anyone.* $he turned to Clarke and

swallowed the so that seemed to e !orming in her throat. '&’m so sorry. & know & don’t

deser%e your !orgi%eness, ut all & can ask is that you gi%e me a chance to start o%er.* $heraised her chin and looked around the circle until she saw "ellamy, and she ga%e him a

small smile. 'ust like e%eryone here wants to do. & know a lot o! us ha%e done things

we’re not proud o!, ut we’%e een gi%en a chance !or a new eginning. & know & almost

ruined it !or a lot o! you, ut &’d like to start o%er/to ecome a etter person, to help

make Earth the world we want it to e.*

"ellamy’s heart swelled with pride. Tears were eginning to lur his %ision, although i!

anyone called him out on it, he’d lame it on the smoke. His sister’s li!e had een !ull o!

su!!ering and hardship !rom the %ery eginning. $he’d made mistakes/they oth had/

ut she’d still managed to stay ra%e and strong.

@or a moment, no one spoke. E%en the crackling o! the !ire !aded away, as i! Earth itsel!

were holding its reath. "ut then :raham’s %oice arreled through the silence. 'That’s

ullshit.*

"ellamy ristled as a spark o! anger si33led across his chest, ut he gritted his teeth. 6!

course :raham was going to e a astard aout it/that didn’t mean the others hadn’t

een touched y 6cta%ia’s speech. "ut instead o! prompting sco!!s or disappro%ing

whispers, :raham’s words unleashed a tide o! murmured assent that swelled uickly into

shouts. He looked around the circle as he continued. 'hy should we ust our asses all

day, chopping wood, hauling water, doing whate%er it takes to keep e%eryone ali%e, =ust

to let some delusional drug addict walk all o%er us- &t’s like eing/*

'6kay, that’s enough,* "ellamy said, cutting him o!!. He glanced at 6cta%ia. Her ottom

lip had egun to ui%er as her eyes darted around the !ire. '5ou’%e made your point. "ut

there are ninety#!our other people here with opinions o! their own, and they don’t need



you to tell them what to think.*

'& agree with :raham,* a girl’s %oice called out. "ellamy turned and saw a short#haired

aldenite glaring at 6cta%ia. 'e all had shitty li%es ack on the Colony, ut you don’t

see anyone else stealing.* $he narrowed her eyes. 'ho knows what she’ll take ne+t

time.*

'E%eryone =ust rela+.* Clarke had risen to her !eet. '$he apologi3ed. e ha%e to gi%e her

a second chance.* "ellamy stared at her in surprise, waiting !or the surge o! indignation.

A!ter all, she was the one who’d accused 6cta%ia in the !irst place. "ut as he looked at

Clarke, all he !elt was gratitude.

'9o.* :raham’s %oice was hard and as he looked around the circle, his eyes !lashed with

something other than re!lected !irelight. He turned to ells, who was still standing ne+t

to Clarke. '&t’s =ust like you sust oaid. There has to e some kind o! order, or else there’sno way in hell we’ll make it.*

'$o what do you recommend-* ells asked. :raham smiled, and "ellamy !elt like

someone had poured ice water down his ack. @i+ing :raham with a glare, he hurried

o%er to 6cta%ia and put his arm around her.

'&t’ll e okay,* he whispered.

'&’m sorry,* :raham said, turning to "ellamy and 6cta%ia. '"ut we don’t ha%e a choice.

$he put Thalia’s li!e at risk. e can’t take any chances. 6cta%ia needs to die.*

'hat-* "ellamy sputtered. 'Are you insane-* He =erked his head !rom side to side,

e+pecting to see a sea o! similarly re%olted !aces. "ut while a !ew people were staring at

:raham in shock, a numer were nodding.

"ellamy stepped protecti%ely in !ront o! 6cta%ia, who was tremling %iolently. He’d urn

the goddamn planet to a crisp e!ore he let anyone near his sister.

'$hould we put it to a %ote-* :raham raised his chin and nodded at ells. '5ou’re the

one who was so e+cited to ring democracy ack to Earth. &t seems only !air.*

'This is not what & meant,* ells snapped. His !ace had lost its politician’s reser%e, his

!eatures twisted with anger. 'e’re not going to %ote aout whether to kill people.*

'9o-* :raham raised an eyerow. '$o it’s okay !or your !ather, ut not !or us.*



"ellamy winced and closed his eyes as he heard sounds o! agreement ripple through the

crowd. &t was e+actly what he would’%e said in that situation, e+cept that "ellamy would

ha%e only meant it as a =a at ells. He’d ne%er actually propose killing someone.

'The Council doesn’t e+ecute people !or !un.* ells’s %oice shook with !ury. 'Keeping

humanity ali%e in space reuired e+traordinary measures. $ometimes cruel measures.*

ells paused. '"ut we ha%e a chance to do etter.*

'$o what-* :raham growled. '5ou’re =ust going to gi%e her a slap on the wrist and then

make e%eryone pinky swear not to reak the rules-* A !ew snickers rose up !rom the

crowd.

'9o.* ells shook his head. '5ou’re right. There needs to e conseuences.* He took a

deep reath. 'e’ll anish them !rom camp.* His %oice was !irm, ut when he turned to

"ellamy, his eyes seemed to contain a strange mi+ture o! anguish and relie!.

'"anish-* :raham repeated. '$o they can sneak ack whene%er they want and steal more

supplies- That’s ullshit.*

"ellamy opened his mouth to speak, ut his %oice was drowned out as the u33 o! %oices

grew louder. @inally, a girl "ellamy %aguely recogni3ed !rom alden stood up. 'That

sounds !air,* she called out, shouting to e heard o%er the crowd, which grew uiet as

heads turned to look at her. 'As long as they promise ne%er to come ack.*

"ellamy tightened his arm around 6cta%ia, who’d gone limp. He nodded. 'e’ll lea%e atsunrise.* He turned to smile at 6cta%ia/this is what he’d planned all along. $o then why

did he !eel more apprehension than relie!-

The !ire died down, and darkness settled o%er the camp like a lanket, mu!!ling !ootsteps

and muting %oices as shadowy !igures disappeared into tents or carried lankets toward

the edges o! the clearing.

"ellamy si mu!!lilamy set up a makeshi!t cot !or 6cta%ia at the short end, near the

wreckage o! the dropship. They hadn’t said it aloud, ut they oth knew neither o! them

wanted to sleep in a tent tonight.

6cta%ia curled up on her lanket and closed her eyes, though it was clear she wasn’t

sleeping. The trip ack into the woods with Clarke to retrie%e the medicine had een a

tense one. 9o one had spoken, though "ellamy could !eel Clarke’s eyes oring into his

ack as he led the way.



9ow he sat ne+t to 6cta%ia, his ack against a tree, staring into the darkness. &t was hard

to wrap his mind around the !act that tomorrow, they would lea%e !ore%er.

A shape mo%ed through the shadows toward them. ells. He had "ellamy’s ow slung

o%er his shoulder.

'Hey,* ells said uietly as "ellamy rose to his !eet. '&’m sorry aout what happened

ack there. & know anishment sounds harsh, ut & wasn’t sure what else to do.* He

sighed. '& really thought :raham was going to con%ince them toF* He trailed o!! as his

eyes !ell on 6cta%ia. '9ot that & would’%e let that happen, ut there’s only two o! us and a

lot o! them.*

"ellamy !elt a smartass retort rise in his throat ut swallowed it ack down. ells had

done the est thing he could under the circumstances. 'Thank you.*

They stared at each other !or a moment, then "ellamy cleared his throat. '2isten, & should

proalyF* He paused. '&’m sorry aout your !ather.* "ellamy took a deep reath and

!orced himsel! to meet ells’s eyes. '& hope he’s okay.*

'Thank you,* ells said uietly. '& do too.* He !ell silent !or a moment, ut when he

spoke again, his %oice was !irm. '& know you were =ust trying to protect your sister. &

would’%e done the same thing.* He smiled. '& suppose & sort o! did.

ells e+tended his hand. '& hope you and 6cta%ia stay sa!e out there.*

"ellamy shook his hand and smiled rue!ully. '& can’t imagine anything out there worse

than :raham. Keep an eye on that kid.*

'ill do.* ells nodded, then turned around and headed ack into the darkness.

"ellamy lowered himsel! to the lanket and stared out into the clearing. He could =ust

make out the shape o! the in!irmary tent where Clarke would e gi%ing Thalia the long#

awaited medicine. His stomach twisted strangely as he thought ack to the scene y the

!ire, the !lames !lickering o%er Clarke’s determined !ace. He’d ne%er known a girl who

was so eauti!ul and intense at once.

"ellamy leaned ack with a sigh and closed his eyes, wondering how long it would take

until she stopped eing the last person he thought aout e!ore he !ell asleep.

CHAPTER >



Clarke

The antiiotics were working. Although it had een less than a !ew hours since Clarke

urst into the tent, clutching the medicine under her arm, Thalia’s !e%er had already gone

down, and she was more alert than she’d een in days.

Clarke lowered hersel! to perch on the edge o! Thalia’s cot as her !riend’s eyes !luttered

open. 'elcome ack,* Clarke said with a grin. 'How are you !eeling-*

Thalia’s eyes darted around the empty tent, then looked up to meet Clarke’s. 'This isn’t

hea%en, is it-*

Clarke shook her head. ':od, & hope not.*

':ood. "ecause & always assumed there’d e oys there. "oys who didn’t use waterrationing as an e+cuse not to athe.* Thalia managed a smile. '4id anyone uild the !irst

shower on Earth while & was passed out-*

'9ope. 5ou didn’t miss much.*

'$omehow, & !ind that hard to elie%e.* Thalia raised her shoulders in an attempt to sit up,

ut settled ack down with a groan. Clarke gently placed a rolled#up lanket ehind her.

'Thanks,* she muttered and sur%eyed Clarke !or a moment e!ore she spoke again.

'6kay, what’s wrong-*

Clarke ga%e her a emused smile. '9othingI &’m =ust so happy you’re !eeling etter.*

'Please. 5ou can’t hide anything !rom me. 5ou know & always manage to get your secrets

out o! you,* Thalia deadpanned. '5ou can start y telling me where you !ound the

medicine.*

'6cta%ia had it,* Clarke e+plained and uickly !illed Thalia in on what had happened.

'$he and "ellamy are lea%ing tomorrow,* she !inished. 'That’s part o! the deal ells

made with e%eryone. & know it sounds cra3y, ut it really !elt like they were close to

attacking her.* $he shook her head. '&! ells hadn’t stepped in, &’m not sure what

would’%e happened.*

Thalia was staring at Clarke with a curious e+pression on her !ace.

'hat-* Clarke asked.



'9othing, =ust/this is the !irst time &’%e e%er heard you say his name without looking

like you want to punch a hole through a wall.*

'True,* Clarke admitted with a smile. $he supposed her !eelings had changed/or at

least, were starting to.

'$o-*

Clarke egan to !iddle with the pill ottles. $he hadn’t wanted to tell Thalia aout what

happened in the woods in case it made Thalia !eel guilty/a!ter all, she’d gone out

looking !or plants to help her and had ended up almost getting killed. 'There’s something

else & ha%en’t told you. &t didn’t seem important e!ore, when you were so sick, utF*

$he took a reath and ga%e Thalia a rie! account o! ells rescuing her !rom the ruin.

'He !ollowed you all the way there-*

Clarke nodded. 'The weird thing is, while & was hanging on that ledge, con%inced & was

going to die, he was the one person & was thinking aout. And when he showed up, &

wasn’t e%en angry that he’d !ollowed me. & was =ust relie%ed that he’d cared enough to go

a!ter me, despite the terrile things &’%e said to him.*

'He lo%es you. 9othing you do or say can e%er change that.*

'& know.* Clarke closed her eyes, though she was a!raid o! the images that she knew

would emerge !rom the shadows. 'E%en when we were in Con!inement and & told you &

wanted to see his organs e+plode in space, & think there was a part o! me that still lo%edhim. And that made the pain e%en worse.*

Thalia was looking at her with a mi+ture o! pity and understanding. '&t’s time to stop

punishing yoursel!, Clarke.*

'5ou mean punishing him.*

'9o. & mean it’s time to stop punishing yoursel! !or lo%ing him. &t’s not a etrayal o! your

parents.*

Clarke sti!!ened. '5ou didn’t know them. 5ou ha%e no idea what they’d think.*

'& know they wanted whtheont si3at was est !or you. They were willing to do something

they knew was wrong in order to keep you sa!e.* $he paused. 'ust like ells.*

Clarke sighed and tucked her legs up underneath her, sitting on Thalia’s ed =ust like she



"ut ells was only %aguely aware o! the audience. The disgust he’d !elt at their morid

curiosity/like Romans waiting !or loodshed at the Colosseum/!aded away the

moment his eyes landed on the girl sitting alone in the !ront row. He hadn’t seen Clarke

since the night she’d con!ided in him aout her parents’ research. ells had told his

!ather, who weighed the in!ormation care!ully. As ells had e+pected, the Chancellor had

known nothing aout the e+periments and had immediately launched an inuiry. 5et the

in%estigation had taken a terrile turn ells hadn’t e+pected, and now Clarke’s parents

were going to !ace the Council on criminal charges. :uilty and terri!ied, ells had spent

the past week desperate to !ind Clarke, ut his deluge o! messages had gone unanswered,

and when he went to her !lat, he !ound it sealed o!! y guards.

Her e+pression was lank as she watched the Council memers take their seats. "ut then

she turned and saw ells. Her eyes locked with his, her ga3e !illed with hatred so intense

that it sent ile shooting up !rom his stomach.

ells shrank ack into his seat in the third row. He’d only wanted his !ather to stop her

parents’ research, to put an end to Clarke’s misery. He ne%er imagined they’d end up on

trial !or their li%es.

Two guards escorted Clarke’s mother to a ench in the !ront. $he kept her chin high as

she sur%eyed the Council, ut then her eyes settled on her daughter, and her !ace !ell.

Clarke =umped to her !eet and said something ells couldn’t hear, ut it didn’t matter.

The sad smile on her mother’s !ace was enough to clea%e ells’s heart in two.

Another pair o! guards led her !ather in, and the trial egan.

A !emale memer o! the Council opened the proceedings y gi%ing an o%er%iew o! the

in%estigation. According to the :ri!!ins, she reported, they had een ordered y Jice

Chancellor Rhodes to conduct human radiation trials, which Rhodes %ehemently denied.

A strange numness spread o%er ells as he watched the Jice Chancellor stand, his !ace

gra%e as !ontQs he e+plained that while he’d appro%ed their reuest !or a new la, he

ne%er said a word aout e+perimenting on children.

E%eryone’s %oices seemed %ery !ar away/the !ragments o! the Council memers’

uestions and the :ri!!ins’ replies that reached his ears distorted, like sound wa%es !rom a

distant gala+y. ells heard the crowd’s gasps e!ore his rain had time to process what

they were reacting to.



Take me instead.

The Jice Chancellor leaned o%er to whisper something to ells’s !ather.

& don’t care i! it’s pain!ul.

The ChancelloQThLQ

$ho%e me through the release portal so my ody implodes.

The person ne+t to ells shuddered at something the Chancellor said.

ust let her go.

He had the uncom!ortale sensation o! sound returning as gasps rose up !rom the

audience. Two guards graed Clarke and egan dragging her away.

The girl he’d do anything to protect would soon e sentenced to death. And she would

ha%e e%ery right to die hating him.

&t was all his !ault.

'&’m sorry,* ells whispered, as i! somehow, that could make it etter.

'& know,* she said, her %oice so!t.

ells !ro3e, and !or a moment, he was too a!raid to look at her, a!raid to see the grie!

welling up !rom the wound he knew would ne%er heal. "ut when he !inally turned, he

saw that while her eyes glistened with tears, she was smiling.

'& !eel closer to them here,* she said, glancing up at the trees. 'They spent their li%es

trying to !igure out how to get us home.*

ells didn’t know what he could say without reaking the spell, so instead, he leaned

!orward and kissed her, holding his reath until he saw her teardrop#tipped lashes !lutter

closed.

At !irst it was so!t, his lips lightly rushing o%er her mouth, ut then he !elt her kiss him

ack, igniting e%ery cell in his ody. The !amiliarity o! her touch, the taste o! her kiss,

released something in him, and he pulled her closer.



Clarke sank into ells, her lips clinging to his lips, her skin melting into his skin, her

reath mi+ing with his reath. The world around them !aded away as Earth ecame

nothing more than a swirl o! pungent scents and damp air that made him press himsel!

closer to her. The so!t ground cradled them as they slid o!! the log. There was so much he

needed to tell her, ut his words were lost as his lips tra%eled across her skin, mo%ing

!rom her mouth to her neck.

&n that moment, there was no one else. They were the only two people on Earth. ust like

he’d always imagined they would e.

CHAPTER >

:lass

;usic played on Phoeni+ twice that year. The Council had appro%ed the e+ception, and!or the !irst time anyone could rememer, the Earthmade instruments were taken !rom

their preser%ation chamers and carried care!ully to the oser%ation deck !or the comet

%iewing party.

&t should ha%e een one o! the most magical nights o! :lass’s li!e. The entire population

o! Phoeni+ had !locked to the oser%ation deck in their !inery, and the elegantly dressed

crowd u33ed with e+citement. All around her, people were talking and laughing as they

strode toward the enormous windows, clutching glasses o! sparkling root wine.

:lass stood ne+t to Hu+ley and Cora, who were talking animatedly. "ut although :lasscould see her !riends’ mouths mo%ing, their words ne%er reached her ea3eVL#a%ers. E%ery

cell in her ody was !ocused on the musicians who were uietly taking their seats on the

!ar side o! the oser%ation deck.

"ut as the musicians egan to play, :lass shi!ted !rom one !oot to another, growing

restless, as she thought o! 2uke. ithout him, the music that normally wrapped around

her like an enchantment !elt strangely empty. The melodies that once seemed to e+press

the deepest secrets o! her soul were no less eauti!ul now, ut it made her chest ache to

know that the only person she wanted to share them with was somewhere else.

:lass looked o%er and uickly !ound her mother, wearing a long gray dress and their

!amily’s glo%es/kid leather, one o! the only pairs le!t on the ship, stained with age ut

still in!initely precious. $he was talking to someone in the Chancellor’s uni!orm, ut it

wasn’t the Chancellor. :lass reali3ed with a start it was Jice Chancellor Rhodes. Though

she’d only seen him a !ew times, she recogni3ed his sharp nose and mocking smile.



:lass knew that she should go o%er, introduce hersel!, smile at the Jice Chancellor, and

raise her glass to him in a toast. $he should thank him !or her !reedom and look grate!ul

and o%er=oyed as the crowd o! well#dressed Phoenicians looked on and whispered. &t’s

what her mother would ha%e wantedB it’s what she should ha%e done, i! she %alued her

li!e. "ut as :lass stared at his hate!ul dark eyes, she !ound she couldn’t ring hersel! to

mo%e toward him.

'Here, take this. & need some air,* :lass said, handing Cora her still#!ull glass o! wine.

Cora raised her eyerows, ut didn’t argue/they were allotted only one glass each

tonight. ith a !inal glance to make sure that her mother wasn’t watching, :lass wo%e

her way through the crowd and ack into the corridor. $he didn’t run into a single person

as she made her way uickly to their !lat, where she slipped out o! her gown and into a

pair o! nondescript pants, piling her hair under a hat.

There was no designated oser%ation deck on alden, ut there were a numer o!corridors with small windows on the staroard side, where the comet was e+pected to

make its appearance. The aldenites who didn’t ha%e shi!ts that day had egun gathering

early in the morning to reser%e the est seats. "y the time :lass arri%ed, the hallways

were !looded with crowds, talking in e+cited %oices and clustering around the small

windows. $ome o! the kids were already pressing their !aces against the uart3 glass or

clamering onto parents’ shoulders.

As she turned a corner, :lass’s eyes settled on a group at the window a !ew meters down?

three women and !our children. $he wondered whether the women were watching the

!ourth child !or a neighor, or i! it was an orphan they’d taken in.

The youngest child toddled o%er to :lass and linked up at her with a shy smile. 'Hi

there,* :lass said, leaning !orward so that she was le%el with the girl. 'Are you e+cited

!or the comet-* The girl didn’t say anything. Her large, dark eyes were !i+ated on :lass’s

head.

:lass rought her hand up sel!#consciously, grimacing slightly when she reali3ed that her

hair had !allen out o! her hat. $he egan to tuck it ack inside, ut the little girl reached

up and pulled at one o! the loose strands.

'Posy, lea%e the lady alone.* :lass looked up and saw one o! the women walking toward

them. '$orry,* she said to :lass, with a laugh. '$he likes your hair.*

:lass smiled ut didn’t say anything. $he’d learned how to downplay her Phoeni+ accent,

ut the less she spoke, the etter. 'Come on, Pose,* the woman said, placing her hand on

the child’s shoulder and guiding her awauidndered y.



&t was past >177. The comet was due to appear any moment now. <p on Phoeni+, the

oser%ation deck would e silent as e%eryone waited in uiet re%erence. Here, children

were laughing and =umping, and a couple o! teenagers were yelling out a countdown.

:lass looked up and down the corridor, ut there was no sign o! him.

'2ookI* a little girl called out. A white line was rising o%er the outline o! the moon.

&nstead o! !ading away like most comets, it grew larger, the tail e+panding as it la3ed

through space. &t made e%en the stars look dim.

:lass stepped !orward almost unconsciously, and a couple leaning up against the nearest

window shu!!led aside to gi%e her space. &t was so eauti!ul, :lass thought in wonder.

And terri!ying. &t was growing larger and larger, !illing up the entire %iewing space in the

porthole, as i! it were coming straight !or them.

Could there ha%e een a miscalculation- :lass pressed her hands into the ledge so hard,

she could !eel it cutting into her palms. Around her, people started to step ack, with a

!lurry o! low murmurs and !rightened cries.

:lass closed her eyes. $he couldn’t look.

An arm wrapped around her. $he didn’t e%en ha%e to turn to know that it was 2uke. $he

knew the scent o! him, the !eel o! him, like a second skin.

'& was looking !or you,* she said, glancing ack at him. Although the astronomical e%ent

o! a li!etime was playing out right e!ore his eyes, he was looking only at her.

'& hoped you would come,* he whispered into her ear.

The crowd’s an+ious murmurs uled into e+clamations o! astonishment as the comet

swept up and ao%e the ship in a la3e o! !ire. 2uke’s arm tightened around her, and she

leaned into his chest. '& couldn’t imagine seeing this without you,* she said.

'5ou didn’t ha%e any troule getting away-*

'9o, not really.* Her stomach twisted at the thought o! her mother standing ne+t to the

Jice Chancellor. '& =ust wish we didn’t ha%e to sneak around.* $he reached up and ran

her !ingers along his cheek.

2uke took her hand and rought it to his lips. ';aye there’s a way to change your



mom’s mind,* he said earnestly. ';aye & could talk to her. 5ou know, pro%e that &’m not

some ararian. That &’m serious aout my !uture/our !uture. That &’m serious aout

you.*

:lass ga%e him a so!t smile. '& wish it were that easy.*

'9o, & mean it.* He took her hands in his. '$he thinks &’m =ust some alden =erk taking

ad%antage o! you. $he needs to know that this isn’t =ust a !ling. &t’s real.*

'& know,* :lass said, suee3ing his hand. '& know.*

'9o, & don’t think you do,* 2uke said, pulling something out o! his pocket. He turned to

!ace her, his ga3e unlinking.

':lass,* he egan, his eyes glowing, '& don’t want to spend another day without you. &want to go to sleep e%ery night with you y my side and wake up ne+t to you e%ery

morning. & want nothing else ut you, !or the rest o! my li!e.*

He held out his outstretched palm, with a small, golden o=ect in it. &t was her locket.

'& know it’s not e+actly a ring, ut/*

'5es,* she said simply, ecause there was nothing else to say, nothing saVL#1LQelse to do

ut put on the locket and kiss the oy she lo%ed so much it hurt, as ehind them the comet

streaked the sky with gold.

CHAPTER >)

"ellamy

"ellamy couldn’t sleep. His mind was a =umle o! thoughts all elowing !or his attention,

making it impossile to tell where one stopped and the other egan.

$taring up at the stars, he tried to imagine what was happening on the ship. &t was strange

to think o! li!e going on as usual hundreds o! kilometers away/the aldenites and

Arcadians toiling away while the Phoenicians complimented one another’s out!its on the

oser%ation deck and ignored the stars. That was the only thing he’d miss aout the

Colony/the %iew. "e!ore the launch, he’d heard o! a comet passing, which would’%e

een pretty spectacular to see !rom the ship.

He suinted into the darkness, trying to !igure out how many days they’d een on Earth.



&! he’d counted correctly, then the comet was meant to appear tonight. There was going to

e a !ancy %iewing party on Phoeni+, and less#!ormal gatherings on alden and Arcadia.

"ellamy sat up and scanned the sky. He couldn’t see anything !rom the clearing/the

trees locked too much o! the sky/ut he’d ha%e a etter %iew !rom the ridge.

6cta%ia was sleeping peace!ully eside him, her glossy hair !anned out underneath her,

her red hair rion tied to her wrist. '&’ll e right ack,* he whispered, then took o!! at a

=og across the clearing.

The thick canopy o! lea%es locked most o! the starlight, ut a!ter all his hunting

e+peditions, he knew this area o! the !orest well, anticipating e%ery slope and turn and

hidden log. hen he !inally reached the ridge, he paused to catch his reath. The cool

night air had helped to clear his head, and the urning in his cal%es was a welcome

distraction.

The star#!illed sky looked =ust as it had e%ery other night since they’d landed on Earth,

and yet there was something di!!erent aout it/the stars were pulsing, charged, as i!

waiting !or something ig to happen. And then, all at once, it did. The comet erupted

across the sky, a streak o! gold against the glittering sil%er, rightening e%erything around

it, e%en the ground.

His skin si33led as i! some o! the sparks had seeped into his own ody, in%igorating his

cells with something eyond energy/with hope. Tomorrow he and 6cta%ia would lea%e

here !or good. Tomorrow they would e !ree o! the Colony !ore%er, no one telling them

what to do or how to e.

He closed his eyes and imagined how that would !eel. @reedom !rom e%eryone and

e%erything/e%en !rom his past. E%en, perhaps, !rom the memories that had haunted him

all his li!e.

"ellamy ran down the walkway, ignoring his neighors’ grumles and the empty threats

o! the guards he knew were too la3y to chase a remarkaly !ast nine#year#old =ust to issue

a reprimand. "ut as he got closer to his !lat, his e+citement slipped away. E%er since that

terrile night when he caught his mom trying to hurt 6cta%ia, he got ner%ous coming

home.

He unlocked the door and urst inside. ';om-* he called, care!ully shutting the door

ehind him e!ore he said anything else. '6cta%ia-* He waited, ut there was only

silence. ';om-* he said again. He walked through the main room, his eyes widening at

the o%erturned !urniture. His moding entther must ha%e een in another one o! her ad

moods. He crept toward the kitchen, his stomach wriggling like it was trying to escape



through his elly utton.

$omeone groaned, and he rushed inside to !ind his mother on the !loor, lying in a sticky

puddle o! lood. A kni!e lay eside her.

He gasped and hurried o%er, shaking her shoulder !rantically. ';om,* he shouted. 'ake

up. ;om.* "ut all she did was !lutter her eyelids and let out another !aint groan. "ellamy

leapt to his !eet, gasping as he reali3ed the knees o! his pants were soaked with lood. He

had to !ind someone. He had to get help.

He dashed ack into the main room and was aout to go run !or a guard when a noise

rought him skidding to a halt. His eyes !ell on the closet, which was slightly open, a

sli%er o! shadow creeping out o! the gap etween the door and the wall. He took a !ew

steps toward it as a tiny tearstained !ace peeked out.

'Are you okay-* he whispered to his sister, reaching !or her hand. 'Come on.* "ut she

shrank ack into the darkness, tremling. "ellamy’s !ear !or his mother slid away as he

stared at the little girl she’d made terri!ied to come into the light. 'Come on, 6cta%ia,* he

coa+ed, and slowly, tentati%ely, she poked her head out again.

@inally, she toddled out o! the closet, looking around the room with wide eyes. 'Here,*

"ellamy said, picking up the red rion he’d gi%en her !rom the !loor o! the closet. He

tied it around her dark curls in his est appro+imation o! a ow. '5ou look eauti!ul.* He

graed her hand, !eeling his heart swell as her little !ingers wrapped around his. He led

her to their mother’s edroom, li!ted her onto the ed, then curled up ne+t to her, praying

that he wouldn’t hear any other noises !rom the kitchen.

They sat there together on the ed, waiting uietly, until !inally their mother’s moans

stopped and there was only silence.

'&t’s okay, 6,* he said, holding his little sister tight to his chest. '&t’s okay. 5ou’ll ne%er

ha%e to hide again.*

As the comet’s trail !aded into lackness, "ellamy hurried ack down the slope, eager to

get ack e!ore 6cta%ia woke up and reali3ed he’d gone. "ut as he came around the

end, searching !or the !amiliar collection o! tents, all he could see were !lames.

The entire camp was on !ire.

"ellamy skidded to a stop, gasping as his lungs took their !irst reath o! smoke#!illed air.

@or a moment, his %ision was !illed with !lames and shadows, ut then shapes egan to

emerge. @igures were sprinting in e%ery direction, some pouring out o! the urning tents



while others rushed toward the trees.

6nly one thought consumed him as he =ogged o%er to their lankets, his eyes searching

the darkness !or his sister’s sleeping !orm. The knot o! dread in his stomach told him

what he already knew. 6cta%ia wasn’t there.

He called her name, =erking his head !rom side to side, praying that she’d call to him

!rom the edge o! the clearing, !rom someplace sa!e.

'6cta%iaI* he yelled again, looking wildly in all directions, suinting to see through the

smoke. 4on’t panic, he told himsel!, ut it was no use. The !lames tore through the

darkneughin, lookinss and 6cta%ia was nowhere to e !ound.

"ellamy had come down !rom scanning the hea%ens only to !ind himsel! in the depths o!

hell.

CHAPTER (7

Clarke

@or some period o! time/minutes, hours, Clarke wasn’t sure/all she could hear was the

sound o! their hearts, the whisper o! their mingled reaths. "ut then a scream clawed its

way out !rom the clearing, dragging them apart. Clarke and ells =umped to their !eet,

Clarke holding on to ells’s arm !or alance as the world slid ack into terri!ying !ocus.

He graed her hand and they ran ack into the clearing. $he heard more screams, ut

none were as !rightening as the roar and crackle that made e%ery ner%e in her ody stand

at attention.

@lames rose up !rom the tents, some o! which had already collapsed into smoldering

heaps, like corpses on an ancient attle!ield. $hadowy !igures sprinted !or the sa!ety o!

the !orest, pursued y tendrils o! hungry !lames.

Thalia, Clarke thought in horror, and started to run. $he was too weak to make it out o!

the in!irmary tent on her own.

'9oI* ells shouted, !orcing his %oice o%er the chaos o! screams. 'Clarke, it’s not sa!eI*

"ut his words slid o!! her like a spray o! ash. $he made a eeline !or the tent, smoke

!illing her lungs, linking to see in the smoldering air.



His arm wrapped around her waist like a steel and, pulling her !orcily into the shelter

o! the trees. '2et me go,* she shrieked, thrashing with all her might. "ut ells held her

tight, !orcing her to watch helplessly as !ire engul!ed the in!irmary !ewer than a hundred

meters away. The entire side o! the tent was up in !lames. The plastic tarp on top was

melting, and smoke !iltered out o! the gap etween the !ront !laps.

':et o!!.* $he soed, twisting again as she tried to wrestle !ree.

He slid his arm under her and egan dragging her ackward. '9o,* she shrieked, !eeling

the sound tear her throat, pounding at him helplessly with her !ists. '& need to get her

out.* $he dug her heels into the grass, ut ells was stronger, and she couldn’t hold her

ground. 'ThaliaI*

'Clarke, &’m so sorry,* ells whispered in her ear. $he could tell he was crying, ut she

didn’t care. '5ou’ll die i! you go in there. & can’t let you.*

The word die ignited a reser%e o! power that e+ploded through her. Clarke gritted her

teeth and lunged !orward, momentarily escaping ells’s hold. Her entire eing had

reduced to a single, desperate thought/sa%ing the only !riend she had le!t in the

uni%erse.

$he screamed as her arm was wrenched ehind her ack. '2et me go.* This time, it was

more o! a plea than an order. '&’m egging you. 2et me go.*

'& can’t,* he said, wrapping his arms around her again. His %oice was shaking. '& can’t.*

The clearing was empty now. E%eryone had made it into the woods, taking whate%er

supplies they could carry. "ut no one had thought to gra the !rail girl who was now

eing urned ali%e =ust a !ew meters away.

'Help,* Clarke cried. '$omeone, please help.* "ut there was no answer ;om-e ge+cept

!or the roar and crackle o! the !ire.

The !lames on the top o! the in!irmary tent rose higher, the sides collapsing toward each

other, as i! the !ire were inhaling the tent and e%erything inside o! it. '9o.*

There was a crack, and the !lames shot up e%en higher. Clarke shrieked with horror as the

entire tent collapsed into a storm o! !ire, then slowly crumled into ash.

&t was o%er.



As she walked away !rom the medical center, Clarke could almost !eel the %ial pulsing in

her pocket, like the heart in the old story ells had disco%ered at the lirary the other day.

He’d o!!ered to read it to her, ut she’d !latly re!used. The last thing she needed right now

was to hear creepy pre#Cataclysm literature. $he had enough scenes o! horror playing out

in her real li!e.

The %ial Clarke carried in her pocket could ne%er ha%e a hearteat, she knewB =ust the

opposite. The to+ic cocktail o! drugs inside was designed to stop a heart !or good.

hen Clarke got home, her parents weren’t there. Although they oth spent most o! the

day in their la, o%er the past !ew weeks, they’d con%eniently !ound e+cuses to lea%e

right e!ore Clarke returned !rom her training and rarely came ack until =ust e!ore she

went to sleep. &t was proaly !or the est. As 2illy grew sicker, Clarke could arely look

at her parents without !eeling a surge o! rage. $he knew she wasn’t eing !air/the

moment anyone protested, the Jice Chancellor would ha%e her parents e+ecuted andClarke Con!ined within days. "ut that didn’t make it any easier !or her to meet their eyes.

The la was uiet. As Clarke wound her way through the ma3e o! empty eds, all she

could hear was the drone o! the %entilation system. The so!t u33 o! con%ersation had

!aded as more and more odies were secreted away.

2illy seemed e%en thinner than she’d een the day e!ore. Clarke crept toward her ed

and ran her hand gently down her !riend’s arm, shuddering as its o! her skin !ell away.

$he slipped her other hand into her pocket and wrapped her !ingers around the %ial. &t

would e so easy. 9o one would e%er know.

"ut then 2illy’s pale lashes !luttered open, and Clarke !ro3e. As she stared into 2illy’s

eyes, a cold wa%e o! terror and re%ulsion crashed o%er her. hat was she thinking- An

o%erpowering urge to destroy the %ial tore through her ody, and she had to take a deep

reath to keep hersel! !rom hurling it against the wall.

2illy’s lips were mo%ing, ut no sound was coming out. Clarke leaned !orward and ga%e

her a small smile. '$orry, didn’t catch that, 2il.* $he lowered her head so her ear was

closer to 2illy’s mouth. 'hat did you say-*

At !irst, Clarke could only !eel the soundless wisp o! air on her skin, as i! there wasn’t

enough reath in 2illy’s lungs to push the words out o! her mouth. "ut then a !aint moan

escaped !rom her chapped lips. '4id you ring it-*

Clarke raised her head to look into her !riend’s panic#!illed rown eyes. $he nodded

slowly.



'9ow.* The word was arely audile.

'9o,* Clarke protested, her %oice shaking. '&t’s too soon.* $he linked ack the tears that

had egun to !ill her eyes. '5ou could still get etter,* she said, ut the lie sounded

hollow, e%en to her.

2illy’s !ace contorted in pain, and Clarke reached !or her hand. 'Please.* 2illy’s %oice

was ragged.

'&’m sorry.* Clarke ga%e 2illy’s !ragile hand a gentle suee3e as tears egan to trickle

down her cheeks. '& can’t.*

2illy’s eyes grew wide, and Clarke inhaled sharply. '2il-* "ut 2illy remained silent,

staring at something only she could see. $omething that !illed her eyes with terror. The physical pain racking 2illy’s ody was terrile, Clarke knew, ut the hallucinations, the

demons who were with her e%ery moment, ho%ering at her edside, were worse.

'9o more.*

Clarke closed her eyes. The guilt and remorse she’d !eel could ne%er compare to 2illy’s

pain. &t’d e sel!ish to let her own !ear pre%ent her !rom ringing her !riend the peace she

wanted/the respite !rom pain she deser%ed.

Her whole ody was tremling so hard, she could arely remo%e the %ial !rom her pocket,let alone !ill the syringe. $he stood ne+t to the ed and clasped 2illy’s hand with one arm,

using the other to position the needle o%er 2illy’s %ein. '$leep well, 2il,* she whispered.

2illy nodded and ga%e Clarke a smile that she knew would e urned into her rain !or

the rest o! her li!e. 'Thank you.*

Clarke held 2illy’s hand !or the !ew minutes it took !or her !riend to slip away. Then she

rose and placed her !ingers against 2illy’s still#warm neck, searching !or a pulse.

$he was gone.

Clarke sank to the damp ground, gasping as her lungs reached desperately !or the cool air,

then rolled onto her side. Through the tears lurring her %ision, she could make out the

shapes o! people standing all around her, their dark, !eatureless silhouettes still and uiet.

Her est !riend, the only person who truly knew Clarke, who knew what she had done to



2illy and still lo%ed her. Thalia had told her to make things right with ells tonight/and

then ells had held Clarke ack while they watched Thalia die.

'&’m so sorry, Clarke,* ells was saying, reaching !or her. $he pushed his hand away.

'& can’t elie%e you,* she said, her %oice cold and uiet. Rage illowed in her chest, as i!

there were !lames inside her that needed only !ury and grie! to la3e into an in!erno.

'There was no way you’d make it,* ells stammered. '& =ust/& couldn’t let you go. 5ou

would’%e een killed.*

'$o you let Thalia die instead. "ecause you get to decide who li%es and who dies.* He

started to protest, ut she kept going, shaking with rage. 'Tonight was a mistake. 5ou

destroy e%erything you touch.*

'Clarke, please, &/*

"ut she =ust stood up, shaking the its o! cinder !rom her clothes, and walked into the

!orest without looking ack.

They all had ash in thhad ash eir lungs and tears in their eyes. "ut ells had lood on his

hands.

CHAPTER (1

:lass

'&’ll get a ring as soon as & !ind one at the E+change,* 2uke said to :lass, his hand on her

lower ack as he guided her through the crowded corridors ack toward Phoeni+. ;ost o!

the people who’d assemled to watch the comet were heading ack to their residential

units on the lower decks, making it di!!icult to mo%e toward the skyridge. "ut :lass was

hardly aware o! which direction they were heading. Her heart was still thumping with =oy,

and she was shaking, holding tight to 2uke’s hand.

'& don’t need a ring.* $he reached up to touch the locket, which seemed to e radiating

warmth through her chest. 9othing could happen immediately, she knew. Although she

turned eighteen in a !ew weeks, they couldn’t risk getting married until the Chancellor

woke up and con!irmed her pardon/or ne%er woke up at all. Her mother would

understand e%entually, once she saw how much 2uke lo%ed :lass. They’d get married

and apply !or permission to start a !amily, someday. "ut !or now, =ust the promise o! a

!uture together was enough. 'This is per!ect.*



They turned out o! the stairwell and into the corridor that led to the skyridge. 2uke

stopped short and pulled :lass to him as a do3en guards =ogged y, so close a !ew o! their

slee%es rushed against :lass’s arm, although their eyes trained straight ahead. $he

shi%ered and leaned into 2uke, who was watching them with a strange e+pression on his

!ace. '4o you know what’s going on-* she asked.

'&’m sure it’s nothing,* 2uke said too uickly, his words at odds with the tension in his

=aw. "ut then he raised their interlocked !ingers to his lips and kissed her hand. '2et’s

go.*

:lass smiled as they continued walking. The thud o! the guards’ oots had !aded away,

and they had the whole hallway to themsel%es. $uddenly, 2uke stopped and raised her

arm into the air. "e!ore :lass had time to ask what he was doing, he’d spun her around

and lowered her into a dip.

:lass laughed as 2uke wrapped one arm around her waist and swept her across the empty

hallway. 'hat’s gotten into you-*

He paused and pulled her e%en closer to him, then leaned in and murmured into her ear.

'& hear music when &’m with you.* :lass =ust smiled and, in the middle o! the hallway,

closed her eyes as they swayed !rom side to side.

@inally, 2uke stepped ack, gesturing in the direction o! the skyridge. '&t’s almost

cur!ew,* he said.

'6kay,* she agreed, sighing. They walked hand in hand across the skyridge, e+changing

knowing smiles that made e%ery cell in :lass’s ody u33 with e+citement. At the

entrance to Phoeni+, they stopped, reluctant to say good#ye. 2uke ran his !inger along

the locket chain.

'& lo%e you,* he said, suee3ing her hand e!ore gi%ing her a little sho%e. '2et me know

once you get home. &’ll come y tomorrow to talk to your mom.*

'6kay,* she agreed. 'Tomorrow.*

@inally, :lass turned and egan walking across the skyridge. $he’d made it hal!way

across when a shrill eep echoed through the empty space. $he looked around, startled.

The cluster o! guards at the Phoeni+ end o! the ridge roke apart, and she could hear

someone arking orders. :lass !ro3e as thke sound grew louder and more urgent. $he

turned to look at 2uke, who’d started taking a !ew hesitant steps !orward.



'The ridge is closing,* a disemodied woman’s %oice announced o%er the speakers.

'Please clear the area.* There was a rie! pause, then the message repeated. 'The ridge

is closing. Please clear the area.* :lass gasped as a arrier egan to descend at the

Phoeni+ checkpoint. $he lunged !orward and could see 2uke running as well, ut they

were oth too !ar away.

:lass reached the clear partition =ust as it locked into the !loor, slamming her hands

against it. 2uke slid to a stop on the other side. He was saying something, ut although

she could see his mouth mo%ing, no sound reached her ears.

Tears !illed her eyes as she watched him ang his !ists against the wall in !rustration. $he

didn’t understand. The skyridge hadn’t een closed since the plague outreak in the !irst

century. $he knew i! it was closing now, it might not open again.

'2ukeI* she cried, the word !alling uselessly !rom her lips. $he pressed her hand againstthe clear partition and held it there. Their eyes locked.

'& lo%e you,* :lass said.

2uke pressed his own hand to the wall, and !or a moment, :lass could almost !eel the

warmth o! his skin. & lo%e you too, he mouthed. He ga%e her a sad smile and motioned !or

her to start walking. $he paused, not wanting to lea%e without knowing what was going

on, when she’d see him again. The alarm was still sounding o%erhead, ringing in her ears.

:o, 2uke mouthed, his !ace serious.

:lass nodded and turned, !orcing hersel! to keep her eyes straight ahead. "ut e!ore she

turned onto the hallway that led away !rom the skyridge, she glanced o%er her shoulder

one last time. 2uke hadn’t mo%ed. He was still standing there, his hand pressed against

the wall.

:lass ran home, wea%ing through crowds o! panicked ci%ilians and stone#!aced guards.

'6h, thank god,* $on=a said as :lass rushed into the !lat. '& was so worried.* $he sho%ed

a water pitcher into :lass’s arms. ':o !ill this up in the athroom. &’m not sure how

much longer the water will last.*

'hat’s going on-* :lass asked. 'They closed the skyridge.*

'hat were you doing near the ridge-* her mother asked, then linked, taking in the

clothes :lass had changed into a!ter the comet %iewing party. '6h,* she said !latly, a



wearied understanding o%ertaking her !eatures. 'That’s where you were.*

'hat’s happening-* :lass repeated, ignoring her mother’s look o! disappro%al.

'&’m not sure, ut & ha%e a !eelingF* $he trailed o!!, then pressed her lips together. '&

think this is it. The day we all knew was coming.*

'hat are you talking aout-*

Her mother took the pitcher ack !rom :lass and turned to the sink. 'The ship wasn’t

uilt to last this long. &t was =ust a matter o! time e!ore things started to reak down.*

The water had reached the top o! the pitcher and was now o%er!lowing into the sink, ut

$on=a =ust stood there. ';om-*

@inally, her mother shut o!! the water and turned around to !ace :lass. '&t’s the airlock,*

she said uietly. 'There’s een a reach.een a r* A shout rang out !rom the corridor, and

her mother shot a uick glance at the door e!ore she !orced a smile and continued. '"ut

don’t worry. There’s a reser%e o! o+ygen on Phoeni+. e’ll e okay until they !igure out

what to do. & promise, :lass, we’ll get through this.*

:lass !elt the reali3ation dawning in her mind, twisting her stomach with dread. 'hat

does that ha%e to do with the ridge-* she asked, her %oice so uiet it was almost a

whisper.

'They’re already running out o! o+ygen on Arcadia and alden. e had to take security

precautions to make sureF*

'9o,* :lass reathed. 'The Council is going to let them all die-*

$on=a stepped !orward and suee3ed :lass’s arm. 'They had to do something, or else no

one would sur%i%e,* she was saying, ut :lass arely registered her words. '&t’s the only

way to protect the Colony.*

'& ha%e to !ind him,* :lass said, tremling. $he took a shaky step ack. Her head was a

!ren3y o! words and images that ounced o!! one another, creating more panic than sense.

':lass,* her mother said, with something that sounded like pity. '&’m so sorry, ut you

can’t. There’s no way. All the e+its are sealed.* $he stepped !orward and pulled her

daughter into a hug. :lass tried to wriggle !ree, ut her mother tightened her hold.

'There’s nothing we can do.*



'& lo%e him,* :lass soed, her ody shaking.

'& know.* $on=a reached out and took :lass’s hand. 'And &’m sure he lo%es you too. "ut

maye this is !or the est.* $he ga%e a sad smile that sent chills down :lass’s spine. 'At

least this way, you don’t ha%e to say a terrile good#ye.*

CHAPTER (>

ells

ells watched Clarke stride o!! into the woods, !eeling as i! she’d punched through his

sternum and torn away a chunk o! his heart. He was only %aguely aware o! the glee!ul

roar o! the !lames as they swallowed the supplies, the tentsF and anyone who’d een

un!ortunate enough to e le!t inside. Around him, a !ew people had !allen to the ground,gasping !or reath or shaking with horror. "ut most were standing shoulder to shoulder,

!acing the in!erno, their !igures still and uiet.

'&s e%eryone okay-* ells asked hoarsely. 'ho’s missing-* The numness at Clarke’s

words was urning away, replaced y a !rantic energy. He stepped !orward to the edge o!

the tree co%er, shielding his eyes as he tried to peer through the wall o! !lames. hen no

one answered, he took a reath and shouted, '4id e%eryone make it out-* There was a

ripple o! %ague nods.

'4o we need to go !arther-* a small alden girl asked, her %oice tremling as she took astep deeper into the woods.

'&t doesn’t look like it’s spreading to the trees,* an Arcadian oy said hoarsely. He was

standing ne+t to a !ew attered water =ugs and lackened containers he’d carried out o!

the camp.

The oy was right. The ring o! are dirt that ordered the clearing was wide enough that

the !lames engul!ing the tents !lickered =ust out o! reach o! the lowest ranches.

ells turned, searching through the darkness !or a sign o! Clarke. "ut she’d disappeared

into the shadows. He could almost !eel her grie! pulsing through the darkness. E%ery cell

in his ody was screaming at him to go to her, ut he knew it was hopeless.

Clarke was right. He destroyed e%erything he touched.

'5ou look tired,* the Chancellor said, sur%eying ells !rom across the dinner tale.



ells looked up !rom the plate he’d een staring at, then nodded curtly. '&’m !ine.* The

truth was, he hadn’t slept in days. The look o! !ury Clarke had gi%en him was randed

into his rain, and e%ery time he closed his eyes, he could see the terror on her !ace as the

guards dragged her away. Her anguished scream !illed the silence etween his hearteats.

A!ter the trial, ells had egged his !ather to li!t the charges. He swore Clarke had

nothing to do with the research, and that the guilt she’d een carrying around had nearly

killed her. "ut the Chancellor had simply claimed that it was out o! his hands.

ells shi!ted uncom!ortaly in his chair. He could arely stand to e on the same ship as

his !ather, let alone sit across !rom him at dinner, ut he had to maintain some semlance

o! ci%ility. &! he allowed his rage to reak !ree, his !ather would simply accuse ells o!

eing too irrational, too immature to understand the law.

'& know you’re angry with me,* the Chancellor said e!ore taking a sip o! water. '"ut &

can’t o%errule the %ote. That’s why we ha%e the Council, to keep one person !rom

ecoming too power!ul.* He glanced down at the chip !lashing in his watch, then looked

ack at ells. 'The :aia 4octrine is harsh enough as it is. e ha%e to hold on to

whate%er shred o! !reedom we ha%e le!t.*

'$o you’re saying that e%en i! Clarke is innocent, it’d e worth it to let her die in order to

keep democracy ali%e-*

The Chancellor !i+ed ells with a stare that, a !ew days ago, would’%e made him sinkinto his chair. '& elie%e innocent is a relati%e term here. There’s no denying she knew

aout the e+periments.*

'Rhodes !orced them to conduct those e+periments. He’s the one who should e

punishedI*

'That’s enough,* the Chancellor said in a %oice so cold, it almost e+tinguished ells’s

rage. '& re!use to listen to this heresy in my own home.*

ells was aout to launch an angry retort, ut he was interrupted y the sound o! the

doorell. His !ather silenced him with a !inal look as he opened the door and ushered in

the Jice Chancellor himsel!.

ells could arely contain his hatred as Rhodes ga%e him a curt nod in greeting. The

Jice Chancellor wore his usual sel!#satis!ied look as he !ollowed the Chancellor into his

study. A!ter they closed the door !irmly ehind them, ells stood up !rom the tale. He



knew he should go to his room and shut the door, like he always did when his !ather took

meetings in their home.

A !ew days ago, he might ha%e. A !ew days ago, he wouldn’t ha%e dared to ea%esdrop on

a pri%ate con%ersation. "ut now he didn’t care. He crept toward the door and pressed

himsel! against the wall.

'The dropships are ready,* Rhodes egan. 'There’s no reason to wait.* 'There are plenty

o! reasons to wait.* There was a note o! irritation in his !ather’s %oice, as i! they’d already

had this discussion many times. 'e’re still not sure i! the radiation le%els are sa!e.*

ells inhaled sharply, then !ro3e to keep his reath !rom disturing the silence outside

the study door.

'That’s why we’re emptying the detention center. hy not put the con%icts to good use-*

'E%en Con!ined children deser%e a chance at li!e, Rhodes. That’s why they’re gi%en a

retrial on their eighteenth irthday.*

The Jice Chancellor sco!!ed. '5ou know none o! them are going to e pardoned. e

can’t a!!ord to waste the resources. e’re running out o! time as it is.*

hat does he mean, running out o! time- ells wondered, ut e!ore he had a chance to

think it through, his !ather roke in.

'Those reports are grossly e+aggerated. e ha%e enough o+ygen !or another !ew years at

least.*

'And then what- 5ou’ll order the entire Colony onto the dropships and =ust hope !or the

est-*

'e’ll send the Con!ined =u%eniles in the detention center, like you suggested. "ut not

yet. 9ot until it’s our last resort. <nless the reach in sector C18 worsens, we’%e got a

little time le!t still. The !irst prisoners will e sent in a year.*

'&! that’s what you think is est.*

ells heard the Jice Chancellor rise !rom his chair, and in a !lash, he ran silently into his

room and collapsed onto the ed. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to make sense o!

what he’d heard. The Colony was on its last reath. They had only a !ew years le!t up in

space.



&t all clicked into place, why e%eryone was eing !ound guilty? There weren’t enough

resources on the ship to support its population. &t was a horri!ying thought, ut an e%en

more terrile reali3ation was making its way to the !ront o! his rain. Clarke’s irthday

was in si+ months. ells knew he’d ne%er con%ince his !ather to pardon her. "eing sent

to Earth would gi%e her a second chance. "ut they weren’t going to start the mission !or

another year. <nless he did something, Clarke was going to die.

His only chance was to speed up the mission, to ha%e the !irst group sent right away.

A terri!ying plan egan to take shape, and his chest tightened in !ear as he reali3ed what

he would ha%e to do. "ut ells knew there was no other way. To sa%e the girl he lo%ed,

he’d ha%e to endanger the entire human race.

CHAPTER ((

"ellamy

"ellamy slid down the trunk o! the tree and sank to the ground, !eeling as hollow as the

urned#out shell o! the dropship. He’d een searching !or 6cta%ia !or hours, tearing

through the !orest and screaming her name until his throat was raw, ut the woods had

answered him with nothing ut maddening silence.

'Hey.* A weary %oice interrupted his thoughts. "ellamy turned to see ells walking

slowly toward him. $oot was smeared across his !ace, and the skin on his le!t !orearmwas adly scratched. 'Any luck-*

"ellamy shook his head. '&’m so sorry.* ells pressed his lips together and stared at a

spot on the ground =ust eyond "ellamy !or a long moment. '&! it’s any consolation, &

really don’t think she was here. e =ust searched the clearing pretty thoroughly. E%eryone

made it out in time e+ceptF* His %oice trailed o!!.

'& know,* "ellamy said uietly. '&’m really sorry, man. &’m sure you did your est.*

ells winced. '& don’t e%en know what that means anymore.* "ellamy looked at him in

con!usion, ut e!ore he had time to say anything, ells ga%e him a small smile.

'6cta%ia will turn up soon. 4on’t worry.* Then he turned and trudged ack into the

clearing, where a !ew people were si!ting through the ashes, looking !or anything that had

sur%i%ed the la3e.

&n the rosy dawn light, "ellamy could almost make himsel! elie%e that the horrors o! the



last !ew hours were nothing ut a nightmare. The !lames had long since died out, and

while much o! the grass had een urned away, the soil under!oot was damp. The !ire

hadn’t reached the trees, whose !lowers stretched out to greet the light, liss!ully unaware

o!/or unconcerned with/the tragedy elow. "ut that was the thing aout grie!, "ellamy

knew. 5ou couldn’t e+pect anyone else to share your su!!ering. 5ou had to carry your

pain alone.

He heard a !ew o! the kids arguing o%er what they thought had started the !ire? whether

the wind had carried a spark !rom their camp!ire to scorch the tents, or i! someone had

done something stupid.

"ut "ellamy didn’t gi%e a shit what had caused it. All he cared aout was 6cta%ia. Had

she gotten lost while running !or sa!ety, or had she le!t camp e!ore the !ire e%en started-

And i! so, why-

He rose shakily to his !eet, holding on to the tree trunk !or alance. He couldn’t stop to

rest, not now, when e%ery hour meant 6cta%ia might e in danger. 9ow that it was light,

he could search again. @arther this time. &t didn’t matter how long it took. He wouldn’t

stop mo%ing until he !ound her.

As "ellamy mo%ed deeper into the shade, he e+haled, relie%ed to e away !rom the

insultingly right sunlight. Relie%ed to e alone. "ut then his eyes landed on a !igure

winding its way toward him. He paused and suinted through the green#shadowed gloom.

&t was Clarke.

'Hey,* he asked hoarsely, his stomach twisting uneasily at the sight o! her pale, drawn

!ace. 'Are you okay-*

'Thalia’s dead-* $he said it more like a uestion, as though hoping he would assure her

that it wasn’t true.

"ellamy nodded slowly. '&’m sorry.* $he started to tremle, and he instincti%ely pulled

her into his arms. @or a long moment they =ust stood there, "ellamy holding Clarke’s

shaking !orm tight against him. '&’m so sorry,* he whispered into her hair.

@inally, Clarke straightened up and stepped ack with a sigh. Although tears were

running down her !ace, the rightness had returned to her eyes, and a hint o! color hat o!

cold snuck ack into her cheeks. 'here’s your sister-* she asked, wiping her nose with

the ack o! her hand.

'$he’s not here. &’%e een searching !or hours, ut it’s een too dark. &’m going out to



look !or her again.*

'ait.* Clarke reached into her pocket. '& !ound this in the woods. 6ut past the stream,

toward that giant rock !ormation.* $he placed something in "ellamy’s hand. He inhaled

audily as his !ingers closed around the !amiliar strip o! satin. &t was 6cta%ia’s red

rion.

'as it tied to a tree-* he asked !aintly, unsure what he hoped the answer would e.

'9o.* Clarke’s dirt#streaked !ace so!tened. '& saw it on the ground. &t must’%e !allen out

o! her hair at some point. $he was wearing it last night, wasn’t she-*

'& think so,* "ellamy replied, his rain !rantically racing !or snippets o! memory. '5es.

$he had it when she went to sleep.*

'6kay,* Clarke said with sudden !irmness. '$o that means she le!t the camp e!ore the

!ire started. 2ook,* she added, in answer to "ellamy’s uestioning look, 'there’s no ash

on it. 9o sign that it was anywhere near the !lames.*

'5ou may e right,* "ellamy said so!tly, ruing the rion etween his !ingers. '& =ust

don’t understand why she would ha%e le!t e!ore the !ire started.* He glanced ack up at

Clarke. 'eren’t you outside the in!irmary last night- 4id you notice anything-*

Clarke shook her head, her e+pression suddenly unreadale. '& stepped away !or a while,*

she said, her %oice tense. '&’m sorry.*

'9e%er mind,* "ellamy said. He slipped the rion into his pocket. '& ne%er got to

apologi3e. 5ou were right aout 6 all along. &’m sorry.* Clarke =ust nodded in

acknowledgment. 'Thanks !or telling me aout the rion. &’m going out to look !or her.*

He started to turn away, ut Clarke reached out to lay a hand on his wrist. '&’ll come with

you.*

'That’s nice o! you, ut & ha%e no idea how long &’ll e gone. This isn’t like when we

went out to !ind the medicine. &t might e a while.*

'&’m coming with you,* she repeated. Her %oice was !irm, and there was a !ire in her eyes

that made him hesitate to contradict her.

'Are you sure-* "ellamy raised an eyerow. '& dout ells will e happy to hear that.*



'He’s not going to hear it !rom me. e’re done.*

"ellamy’s rain u33ed with uestions that ne%er made it to his lips. '6kay, then.* He

took a step !orward and gestured !or her to !ollow. '"ut & should warn youF &’ll

proaly take o!! my shirt at some point.* He glanced o%er his shoulder and saw a smile

!licker across her !ace, so small it might ha%e een a trick o! the light !iltering through the

hea%y lea%es.

CHAPTER (8

:lass

The Colony was eerily uiet, e%en !or one in the morning. :lass didn’t see anyone else as

she dashed through the dark hallways, lit only y the dim glow o! the lue emergency

lights along the !loor.

$he’d slipped out a!ter her mother had !inally gone to ed, and now she tried to anish

the image o! her mothere waking up and !inding :lass gone. The hurt and horror that

would contort her delicate !eatures, =ust as they’d done countless times o%er the past two

years. :lass would ne%er !orgi%e hersel! !or the pain she’d caused her mother, ut she

didn’t ha%e a choice.

$he had to get to alden, and to 2uke.

$he paused on the landing to @ deck, straining her ears !or !ootsteps, ut she heardnothing e+cept the sound o! her own ragged reath. Either the guards were on patrol in

some other part o! Phoeni+, or they’d all een anished ack to alden and Arcadia,

where they wouldn’t steal any more o! the air that had een reser%ed !or Phoenician

lungs.

:lass darted down the un!amiliar corridor, straining her eyes !or the telltale sil%er gleam

o! an air %ent. 9early at the ottom o! the ship, @ deck was mostly de%oted to storage.

The air %ent she’d crawled through a!ter she’d escaped the dropship had led to the @ deck

on alden. $he =ust hoped that the same applied on Phoeni+. $lowing to a walk, she

scanned the walls !or an opening, !eeling dread seep into her with each step. hat i!

she’d een wrong aout the layout- 6r perhaps the %ent had once connected alden and

Phoeni+, ut it had een !illed long ago-

Then a glint o! metal caught her eye, and the tension uilding in her chest was swept

away y e+citement and relie!. $he uickly rose onto her toes, reaching !or the edge o!

the grate, ut it was too high up. $he let out a !rustrated sigh and turned to sur%ey the



hallway. 9one o! the doors were marked, ut they didn’t seem to e protected y retina

scanners. $he graed the nearest handle and yanked. &t groaned open, re%ealing a dark

supply closet.

:lass’s eyes settled on a small arrel, which she rolled out into the hallway. $he stepped

on top, remo%ed the grate, and pulled hersel! up into the shadowy space.

:lass thought rie!ly o! her last crawl through an air sha!t, how the metal walls had

seemed to press in on her !rom all sides, and shi%ered, reaching !or her ack pocket. At

least this time she’d rought a !lasheam. $he directed the !eele eam o! light !orward,

ut there was nothing in sight e+cept the air sha!t, stretching endlessly ahead.

&t would end e%entually, :lass knew. $he =ust hoped she wouldn’t run out o! air e!ore

she got there. &! she had to die, she wanted it to e in 2uke’s arms.

The scene on alden was di!!erent than she’d e+pected. The lights seemed to e

!unctioning normally, and as she hurried toward 2uke’s !lat, :lass didn’t see any guards.

@or a moment, she !elt a rie! surge o! hope. Perhaps her mother had een wrong. The

panic on Phoeni+ was all a misunderstanding. "ut as she climed the stairs, she !elt a

strange tightness in her chest that only got worse when she paused to catch her reath.

Her eagerness to see 2uke might account !or her racing pulse, ut :lass knew she

couldn’t ignore the truth. 6+ygen was already running low on alden.

$he !orced hersel! to mo%e slowly as she turned onto 2uke’s !loor, reathing care!ul,

shallow reaths to keep her heart rate steady. The corridor was !ull o! adults speaking inlow %oices, shooting worried looks at the children scampering up and down the hall, so

e+cited to e out o! ed at such a late hour that they hardly noticed their laored reaths.

:lass wanted to tell the parents to keep the children calm and still to conser%e o+ygen,

ut that would only create more panic, and there was nothing they could do, anyway.

lass had arely started to knock on 2uke’s door e!ore he’d e!ore hepulled her inside and

into his arms. @or a moment, all she was aware o! was the warmth o! his ody and the

weight o! his emrace. "ut then he roke away, and she could see shock and concern

warring with the =oy in his eyes. 'hat are you doing here-* he asked, running his hand

along her cheek as i! needing more proo! that she wasn’t an illusion. He glanced toward

the closed door and lowered his %oice e!ore continuing. '&t’s not sa!e.*

'& know,* :lass said uietly, slipping her hand into his.

'& don’t know how you e%en got here, ut you need to go ack,* 2uke said, shaking his

head. '5ou ha%e a etter chance o! sur%i%ing on Phoeni+.*



'&’m not going ack without you.*

He led her o%er to the couch with a sigh and pulled her onto his lap. '2isten,* he said, as

he wrapped a strand o! her hair around his !inger, 'i! the guards catch us sneaking onto

Phoeni+, they’ll shoot me, and then they’ll proaly shoot you.* He closed his eyes,

wincing. 'This is what they’%e een training us !or, :lass. &t was ne%er said o%ertly,

utF we all had a sense something ig was coming, and we’%e een drilled on what to

do.* hen he opened his eyes again, they were !ull o! a cold !ury she’d ne%er seen in

them. He must’%e noticed the worry on her !ace, ecause his e+pression so!tened. '"ut

that’s not any o! your concern. 5ou’ll e !ine. And that’s all & care aout.*

'9o,* :lass said, startled y her own %ehemence. '& won’t e !ine.* 2uke !rowned and

opened his mouth to speak, ut :lass cut him o!!. '&t’ll kill me, knowing you’re down

here alone. &t’ll kill me,* she repeated, suddenly !rantic, gasping as she !ought !or air.'And i! & ha%e to die, & want it to e down here with you.*

'$hhh,* 2uke murmured, running his hand down the ack o! her head. '6kay, okay.* He

smiled sadly. 'The worst thing we can do is run out o! o+ygen arguing.*

'Are you a!raid-* :lass asked a!ter a long moment o! silence.

2uke turned ack to her and shook his head. '9o.* He placed his !inger under her chin

and tilted it up, so that she was looking straight into his eyes. '&’m ne%er a!raid when &’m

with you.* He leaned !orward and kissed her so!tly. $he shi%ered, his reath making herskin tingle.

:lass pulled away with a smile. '&sn’t this a waste o! o+ygen-*

'ust the opposite,* 2uke whispered, drawing her ack. 'e’re conser%ing it.* His mouth

!ound hers again, and she parted her lips as his kiss grew deeper.

:lass ran her hand up his arm, smiling as he shi%ered. ithout reaking away, she egan

to unutton his shirt, telling hersel! that his unusually rapid hearteat was a response to

her touch. Her lips mo%ed to his =aw, then trailed down his neck. $he paused at his chest.

There were numers tattooed on his ris. Two sets o! dates that made :lass’s stomach

churn.

'hat’s wrong-* 2uke asked, sitting up.

$he lowered her !inger toward the tattoo, then snatched it away, a!raid to touch the ink.



'hat’s that-*

'6h.* 2uke !rowned as he glanced down. '& thought & told you. & wanted something to

honor Carter.* His %oice grew distant. '&t’s his irthday and the day he was e+ecuted.*

:lass arely managed to suppress a shudder as she looked ack at the second set o!

numers. :lass didn’t need a tattoo to remind hersel! o! the day Carter had died. The date

was ra date wanded as clearly in her mind as it was on 2uke’s skin.

:lass groaned as she rought her knees up to her chest. The sheets on her cot were

twisted and damp with sweat. $he was desperate !or a drink, ut it’d e hours e!ore they

rought her dinner tray and her e%ening water allotment. $he thought longingly o! all the

years she’d spent liss!ully unaware that water was rationed elsewhere on the Colony.

There was a low eep, !ollowed y !ootsteps. :lass winced as she li!ted her throinghead !rom the pillow and saw a !igure in the door. &t wasn’t a guard. &t was the

Chancellor.

:lass drew hersel! into a seated position and pushed a strand o! damp hair away !rom her

!ace. $he raced !or a !lare o! !ury as she locked eyes with the man who’d ordered her

arrest, ut through the ha3e o! pain and e+haustion, she didn’t see the head o! the

Council. All she saw was the concerned !ace o! her est !riend’s !ather.

'Hello, :lass.* He gestured toward the other side o! the cot. ';ay &-*

$he nodded weakly.

The Chancellor sighed as he sat down. '&’m sorry aout what happened.* He looked more

haggard than she’d e%er seen him, worse e%en than when his wi!e was dying. '& ne%er

wanted to see you get hurt.*

ithout thinking, :lass rought her hand to her stomach. '&’m not the one who was

hurt.*

The Chancellor closed his eyes !or a moment while he rued his temples. He ne%er

showed !rustration or !atigue in pulic, ut :lass recogni3ed the e+pression !rom the !ew

times she’d seen him working in his study at home. '& hope you understand that & didn’t

ha%e a choice.* His %oice grew !irm. '& swore an oath to uphold the laws o! this Colony. &

don’t ha%e the lu+ury o! turning a lind eye =ust ecause the criminal in uestion happens

to e my son’s est !riend.*



'& understand that you need to elie%e that,* :lass said, her %oice hollow.

His !ace hardened. 'Are you ready to tell me the name o! the !ather-*

'hy should & do that- $o you can lock him up in here with me-*

'"ecause it’s the law.* The Chancellor rose to his !eet and took a !ew steps toward her.

'"ecause it’s not !air that the !ather not e punished eually. And ecause it won’t take

my in%estigators long to go through the retina scanner records and !igure out where

you’%e een spending your time. e’re going to !ind him either way. "ut i! you help us,

you’ll ha%e a much etter chance o! eing pardoned at your retrial.*

Their eyes met, and :lass turned away !rom him, wincing as she imagined 2uke eing

dragged away in the middle o! the night, the terror on his !ace as he egged the guards to

tell him what was going on. ould they tell him the truth, allowing =ust enough time !orthe pain to register e!ore they plunged the needle into his chest- 6r would he die

elie%ing he’d een the %ictim o! a terrile mistake-

$he couldn’the could let that happen.

"ut the Chancellor was right. The Council wouldn’t stop until they’d !ound the accessory

to her crime. E%entually, one o! the guards would trace :lass’s mo%ements to alden, to

2uke’s !loor/maye e%en to his !lat.

$lowly, she turned ack to the Chancellor, knowing what she had to do. hen she !inallyspoke, her %oice was as cold as a death sentence.

'The !ather was Carter ace.*

There was a loud creaking noise in the hallway. $he sat up, straining her ears in the

darkness. $he !elt a coil o! panic tighten around her chest. &t sounded almost like the ship

was moaning.

'6h my god,* 2uke whispered, rising uickly to his !eet. The sound came again,

!ollowed y a rumling that shook the walls. '2et’s go.*

The corridor was still !ull o! people, although now e%en the children had !allen silent. The

lights egan to !licker. 2uke held :lass’s hand tightly as he wo%e through the crowd

toward his neighor. Her !ace was gra%e as she whispered something to 2uke that :lass

couldn’t hear, though :lass could tell !rom her e+pression that it was nothing good. Then

another !igure materiali3ed ne+t to them, and :lass inhaled sharply.



&t was Camille. Her eyes narrowed as they settled on :lass.

:lass turned away, unale to look at Camille right now. $he couldn’t help !eeling guilty

aout how things had turned out. $he wouldn’t lame the other girl !or hating her.

A group o! children was huddled on the !loor ne+t to their parents, who talked in low,

worried tones. 6ne o! the little girl’s lips had a luish cast, and the oy whose hand she

was clutching was struggling !or reath.

The lights sputtered one more time, then went out. A series o! gasps rose up in the thick,

sudden darkness. <nlike Phoeni+, alden didn’t ha%e any emergency lights.

2uke wrapped his arm around :lass’s waist and drew her closer to him. 'e’re going to

e okay,* he whispered in her ear.

"ut then another %oice reached through the shadows. Camille had snuck o%er and was

now standing on :lass’s other side. 'Are you going to tell him, or should &-* she said, too

uietly !or 2uke to hear.

:lass turned to her, startled, ut she couldn’t make out the e+pression on Camille’s !ace.

'hat are you talking aout-*

'He deser%es to know the truth. That his !riend died ecause o! you.*

:lass shuddered, and e%en though she couldn’t see Camille smile, she could hear it in her

%oice.

'& know your secret. & know what you did to Carter.*

CHAPTER (

Clarke

They had een walking !or hours, making widening concentric circles through the woods,

trying to co%er e%ery inch o! terrain. The acks o! Clarke’s legs were urning, ut she

relished the sensationB the physical pain was a welcome distraction !rom her thoughts.

The !lames engul!ing the sides o! the in!irmary tentF ells’s arms like handcu!!s around

herF the sickening crack as the walls collapsed.

'Hey, look o%er here.* Clarke turned to see "ellamy kneeling on the ground near the spot



where she’d disco%ered 6cta%ia’s rion, staring intently at what appeared to e

!ootprints in the dirt. $he was no tracker, ut the marks o! struggle were easy to read.

hoe%er had le!t the prints hadn’t een on a pleasant stroll through the woods.

'&t looks like someone was running, or in a !ight,* Clarke said so!tly. $he re!rained !rom

!inishing the sentence? almost like someone had een dragged away. They’d assumed

6cta%ia had run awayF ut what i! she’d een taken-

$he could read the same terrile line o! uestioning on "ellamy’s !urrowed row, and

knelt down eside him. '$he can’t e !ar,* Clarke said, meaning it. 'e’ll !ind her.*

'Thank you.* "ellamy nodded as he rose, and they continued walking. '&’mF &’m glad

you’re here with me.*

They trudged on !or what !elt like hours, the sun rising and then sinking in the sky. Astheir circles grew wider, Clarke could tell they were approaching the edge o! the !orest.

Through the outlines o! the trees she saw a clearing and paused. There were more trees,

ut these looked di!!erent !rom the ones in the woods. They had massi%e, gnarled trunks

and thick lims co%ered with a canopy o! green lea%es. The ranches sagged with round,

red !ruit. Apples.

Clarke approached the apple trees, "ellamy close ehind her. 'That’s strange,* she said

slowly. 'The trees are spaced so e%enly. &t almost looks like an orchard.* $he walked o%er

to the closest one. '"ut could it really ha%e sur%i%ed all these years-*

Although the tree loomed o%er her, the lowest ranch was !airly close to the ground.

$tanding on her toes, it was easy !or Clarke to stretch up and pluck an apple. $he twisted

around and tossed it to "ellamy e!ore reaching !or another one.

Clarke held the apple up to her !ace. They grew !ruit in the solar !ields on the ship, ut

those apples looked nothing like these. The skin wasn’t =ust redB it had threads o! pink

and white running through it, and it ga%e o!! a scent unlike anything she had smelled

e!ore. $he took a ite and gasped as =uice egan running down her chin. How could

something taste sweet and tart at the same time- @or =ust a moment, Clarke allowed

hersel! to !orget e%erything that had happened on Earth and let the sensation o%ertake her.

'Are you thinking what &’m thinking-* "ellamy asked, and Clarke looked o%er. hile

she’d een usy eating, he’d egun using !allen ranches to measure the distance

etween the trees.

To e honest, & wasn’t thinking anything eyond how good this tastes,* Clarke admitted,



!eeling the hint o! a smile curl her lips. "ut "ellamy didn’t laugh or tease her. He =ust

kept staring at the per!ectly spaced trees.

'These didn’t sur%i%e the Cataclysm, and they didn’t =ust grow like this,* he said slowly,

his %oice !illed with wonder and dread. "e!ore he’d e%en !inished, Clarke knew what he

was going to say. Her chest tightened with !ear. '$omeone planted them.*

CHAPTER (

ells

'&s this etter-*

ells turned and saw Asher, the Arcadian oy, pointing to the log he’d een chopping.

The grass was co%ered with wood sha%ings and pieces tha t had een discarded a!ter !alsestarts/ut this one actually looked promising.

'4e!initely.* ells nodded and crouched down ne+t to the log, running his !ingers o%er

the groo%es Asher had car%ed into the wood. 'ust make sure they’re all appro+imately

the same depth, or else the logs won’t lock into place.* As ells stood up, :raham

walked y, carrying a shred o! melted tarp toward the growing mound o! sal%aged

supplies in the middle o! the clearing. ells stood a little taller, racing !or a sco!! or

snide remark, ut :raham kept his eyes !orward and continued on without a word.

The !ire had destroyed their tents, ut most o! the tools had een spared, and themedicine, too. &t had een ells’s idea to try to uild permanent wood structures. &t was a

thousand times more di!!icult than it sounded in ooks, ut they were slowly !iguring it

out.

'ellsI* A girl !rom alden ran o%er. 'How are we going to hang the hammocks- Eli3a

says they’re going to hang !rom the roo! eams, ut those aren’t going to e ready !or

days, right- Also, & was thinking/*

'&’ll come o%er in a !ew minutes, okay-* ells said, cutting her o!!. A look o! hurt !litted

across her round !ace. '&’m sure you and Eli3a are doing a great =o,* he added, gi%ing

her a small smile. '&’ll e right there.*

$he nodded and dashed away, darting around a pile o! melted tent rods that still looked

too hot to touch.

ells glanced o%er his shoulder, then started walking toward the tree line. He needed a



moment to himsel!, to think. He mo%ed slowly, the hea%iness in his chest seeming to seep

into his lims, making e%ery step laorious and pain!ul. At the edge o! the !orest, he

paused, reathing the cooler air deep into his lungs, and closed his eyes. This was where

he’d kissed Clarke !or the %ery !irst time on Earth/and !or what was surely the last time

in his li!e.

He thought he’d already e+perienced the most terrile kind o! pain possile/knowing

that Clarke hated him, that she couldn’t stand the sight o! him. "ut he’d een wrong.

atching her lea%e with "ellamy had nearly killed him. $he hadn’t e%en looked his way

when she’d come to collect what was le!t o! her gear. $he’d =ust nodded silently at the

rest o! the group e!ore !ollowing "ellamy into the !orest.

&! only she knew what he’d really done to e with her on Earth. He’d risked e%erything.

And it was all !or nothing.

9one o! the guards ga%e ells more than a cursory glance as he raised his eyes to the

retina scanner, then strode through the doors. Entry to sector C18 was highly restricted,

ut his o!!icer’s uni!orm, purpose!ul walk, and well#known !ace guaranteed access to

pretty much any part o! the Colony. He’d ne%er taken ad%antage o! his status, until now.

A!ter he’d heard his !ather’s con%ersation with the Jice Chancellor, something inside o!

ells had snapped.

His plan was reckless and stupid and incredily sel!ish, ut he didn’t care. He had to

make sure Clarke was sent to Earth instead o! the e+ecution chamer.

ells =ogged down the empty, narrow staircase, lit only y !aint emergency lights. There

was no reason !or anyone to %isit the airlock e+cept !or routine checks, and ells had

already hacked into the maintenance !iles to check the schedule. He would e totally

alone.

The airlock in C18 was original to the ship. And despite the engineers’ e!!orters’ es to

keep it in top condition, a!ter three hundred years o! !acing the e+treme temperatures and

<J rays o! space, it had started to deteriorate. There were tiny cracks along the edge and

shiny suares where newer material had o%iously een patched o%er the airlock.

ells reached ehind him !or the pliers he’d tucked into the waistand o! his pants. &t

would e !ine, he told himsel!, his arms shaking. They were all going to e e%acuated

soon, anyway. He was =ust speeding up the process. 5et in the ack o! his mind, he knew

that there weren’t enough dropships !or e%eryone. And he had no idea what would happen

when it came time to use them.



"ut that was his !ather’s concern, not his.

He reached out and egan to pry up the !limsy edge o! the airlock, wincing when he

heard the !aint hiss. Then he turned and raced ack toward the stairs, trying to ignore the

horror welling up in his stomach. He could arely stand to think o! what he’d done, ut as

he hurried down the stairs, he told himsel! he’d done what he had to do.

ells rose wearily to his !eet. &t was getting dark, and there was still a lot o! work to do

on the new cains. They needed to !inish at least some o! the shelters e!ore the ne+t

storm. As he approached camp, wondering i! Clarke had taken enough lankets with her,

i! she would e warm when the temperature dropped, Asher came up eside him and

launched into another line o! uestioning. He held one o! the trimmed logs and seemed to

want ells’s opinion on the si3e and cut.

ells was too asored in his own thoughts to hear what Asher was saying. As theywalked side y side toward the tents, he could see the oy’s mouth mo%ing, ut the words

ne%er made it to ells’s ears.

'2i t * ll d t t ll A h it ld it til i t th

The 100 by Kass Morgan

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Transcript of The 100 by Kass Morgan