Before he could reach the safety of the bunker, though, everything suddenly went silent.

“Stop, Blake, or I’ll shoot them all,” a man barked from behind him. Bellamy came to a halt. Panting for breath, he turned to see a group of bloodied and bruised Colonists approaching, guns raised and pointed right at him. The two Earthborns guarding Bellamy stepped in front of him and raised their spears. Bellamy clenched and unclenched his fists. His heart pounded so hard, it shook his whole body.

A Colonist in a guard’s uniform stepped to the front of the group. It was Burnett, Rhodes’s second-in-command. His eyes lit up when he saw Bellamy.

“Step aside,” Burnett commanded the two Earthborns standing between him and his prey.

“Not going to happen,” one of the men replied, shifting his club from one shoulder to the other.

“What does this boy mean to you?” Burnett growled. “Why would you die to protect him?”

“To keep Earth from being overrun by assholes like you,” the Earthborn said calmly. “Get out of here!” he called over his shoulder to Bellamy.

Bellamy backed slowly toward the door. More Colonists gathered behind Burnett, guns raised. Bellamy turned to run. He heard two sharp pops, then the dull thud as two bodies dropped to the ground. He gasped but stumbled forward. Just as he wrapped his fingers around the handle of the bunker door, a voice called after him.

“We have your sister.”

Bellamy froze. His chest constricted, as if Burnett’s words had formed a noose around his neck. “What are you going to do to her?” he asked as he turned around slowly, his voice strangled.

“For a boy so fixated on protecting his sister, it didn’t take much for you to leave her behind, did it?”

“She had a life there,” Bellamy said slowly, unsure if he was talking more to Burnett or to himself. “She was starting to know what it meant to be happy.”

Burnett smirked. “And now she knows what it means to be under arrest.”

White-hot anger surged through Bellamy’s veins. “She hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“Don’t worry. We haven’t hurt her… yet. But I suggest you come along with me, quietly. Or else I won’t be able to do anything to assure Ms. Blake’s safety.”

Bellamy winced at the image forming in his mind. Octavia shackled in the prison cabin, just like he’d been. Her tear-stained face gaunt and pale as she cried out for help, cried out for the brother who’d left her alone with the enemy after swearing to keep her safe.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Bellamy asked, stalling for time while he tried to figure out his next step.

Burnett raised an eyebrow, then turned and let out a shrill whistle. Moments later, he was answered by the stomp of boots and a muffled cry. Four guards appeared from behind the trees, dragging two figures between them. For the briefest moment, Bellamy was relieved to see that neither was Octavia.

But then a fresh wave of cold horror ran down his spine.

They had Clarke and Wells.

Each was flanked by two guards. Their hands were bound tightly behind their backs, and someone had placed gags over their mouths. Clarke’s eyes were darting back and forth wildly, wide and blazing with fear and fury. Wells was thrashing from side to side, desperately trying to escape his captors’ grip.

“So what I need you to do,” Burnett said, “is come with us. Otherwise, you’ll force us to do something we don’t want to do.” Like hell you don’t, you sadistic bastard, Bellamy thought.

His eyes locked on Clarke’s. They held each other’s gaze for a long moment. She shook her head ever so slightly, and he knew what she meant. Don’t do it. Don’t give yourself up for us.

But it was too late. Rhodes and Burnett had won. There was no way Bellamy was going to put Clarke and Wells in any more danger. They’d already risked far too much for him.

“Let them go,” Bellamy said as he dropped his bow and started walking, hands raised, toward Burnett. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

Burnett’s men lunged forward and grabbed Bellamy by the elbows, then quickly restrained his hands.

“I think we’ll take all of you,” Burnett said.

The guards shoved Bellamy next to Clarke and Wells. He could feel the warmth of Clarke’s body next to his, and he shifted his weight so their arms brushed together. Burnett signaled his men to move out, and they pushed Bellamy, Clarke, and Wells toward the path.

They walked single file, Bellamy behind Clarke and in front of Wells. Despite the awkwardness of walking with her hands bound, Clarke’s chin was held high and her shoulders were thrown back. She’s fearless, Bellamy thought, feeling a surge of admiration despite the grim circumstances. The weird thing was, Bellamy didn’t feel afraid either. He’d done the right thing. No one else was going to die on his behalf, and if that meant his final hours were fast approaching, then so be it. He would rather face a thousand bullets that night than spend another day wondering who else would end up suffering because of him.

He craned his head back to look at the stars glittering in the patches between the leaves. The years he’d spent living in space were starting to feel like a dream. This was his home now. This was where he belonged.

“Hope you’re enjoying the view,” Burnett called from behind him. “Your execution is set for dawn.”

This was where he was going to die.

CHAPTER 24