~ ✮ ✮ ~

chapter twenty-eight, Six Months

--

NOVA WAS BEING CARRIED BY JAHA IN THE ROOM where Azgeda warriors were at pretending she is Ontari's lifeless body. Nova felt her body go flat on a table and she was listening to what was going on around, so she knew when to come out of the cloth she is wrapped in.

Nova hears grunting and screaming, and they continue to talk while Nova held her knife tightly in her hand while lying in the sheet.

As the murmurs of conversation faded and the door clicked shut, Nova knew it was time. Using her blade, she meticulously cut through the cloth binding her. She sat up silently, her eyes scanning the dimly lit room. The healer was occupied with tending to the King, unaware of the imminent threat. Nova slipped out of the cloth, her movements as silent as a shadow.

Ahead, two guards stood by the door, their vigilance unwavering. Nova drew her sword with deliberate quietness and, without hesitation, sprinted towards them. As she closed the distance, she launched herself into the air, her sword slicing cleanly through the first guard's neck. His head rolled to the ground, a gruesome testament to her precision.

The second guard, shocked by the sudden attack, swung a punch at Nova. She deftly ducked, evading the blow, and swiftly rose to her feet. With a powerful kick, she sent the guard crashing against the door. Before he could recover, she thrust her sword through his neck, silencing him as blood pooled around his fallen body.

Nova's gaze shifted across the room, locking onto the healer, who was now fully aware of the danger. Seizing the crossbow from one of the dead guards, she loaded it with practiced ease. Taking aim, she released the bolt, watching as it flew straight and true, embedding itself between the healer's eyes. He collapsed instantly, his lifeless body crumpling to the floor.

After, she unlocks a door allowing Clarke and Abby inside. "Roan is on the table" Nova informs and Abby nods and looks around the room clearly astonished yet highly amused at Nova's handiwork and Clarke was used to Nova's skills and quickly entered and tended to Roan.

"You'll save him, right?" Nova asks and Abby sighs as she examines him. "We have to try" Abby states as her and Clarke get to work, and Nova stands by the window looking out in case they come back early.

While Nova looks down at the deliberation while Clarke and Abby work together to help Roan, she notices Echo and her people coming back. "You guys should hurry, now" Nova rushes as she continues to look down.

"I need more time" Abby warns and Nova sighs.

"Time is something we don't have right now" Nova states as she continues to keep watch.

"The bullet is pressing against his carotid. It's cutting off blood flow to his brain. As soon as I get it out, he should wake up" Abby says getting blood all over hands while she works hard to wake Roan up.

"Come on. Come on. Almost there" Abby pleads as she looks down at Roan.

"Got it" Abby says and Nova let's out a sigh of relief. "Good job. What now?" Nova asks as Abby shrugs her shoulders.

"Wait" Abby calls out, and Nova rolls her eyes as she looks at Roan's unconscious body.

Abby begins to check Roan's pulse and her face drops into a scared one, "His breathing is still too shallow" Abby announces and Clarke furrows her eyebrows. "You said his lungs were fine." Clarke states and Abby scoffs shaking her head.

"No. I said I thought so. It's possible a bone fragment could've lodged in the tissue" Abby responds going back to examining him.

"Listen, we gotta go. We have no time for this" Nova argues looking to Abby who continues working. "No. He needs more time" Abby begs and Nova slams her hand on the table.

"He's not waking up!" Nova shouts and looks to Clarke.

"Mom, if he doesn't wake up, we're all dead" Clarke says as she looks at her mom desperately trying her best. Nova hears footsteps in the distance and sighs. "They're here. We got to go" Nova says and Abby continues working.

"I have to close, or he will bleed out" Abby states and Nova groans in annoyance.

"We'll bleed out too if we don't leave!" Nova shouts softly, looking to Abby, knowing time is running out. Clarke helps Abby and shrugs her shoulders. "This is going to have to do" Clarke says and Nova nods her head and Abby and Clarke are finally prepared to leave so they run to the door but are met at the door by grounders and they are caught by Echo.

"They were trying to kill the king! Check him!" Echo shouts as grounders surround them and knock them to their feet. Echo steps to Nova and looks down at her. "I heard you were the one who killed my queen" Echo declares, and Nova shrugs.

"Looks like I did you a favor" Nova says and Echo raises her sword at Nova but is cut off by Roan coughing.

"My king." Echo says as she slowly lowers her sword away from Nova. "Roan, help us. Tell them we're friends" Clarke begs as she looks at Roan who coughs as he stands up.

"You shouldn't try to stand so soon" Abby declares and Roan puts his hand on the table to keep his balance. "Where is Ontari?" Roan questions.

"Dead, sire, killed by them" Echo informs him. "We couldn't save her, but we did what we came here to do. Now I need you to honor your promise to protect my people" Clarke defends and Roan scoffs, "Yeah. That was before your people shot me and killed my commander" Roan says and Nova rolls her eyes.

"They just saved your life" Nova argues. "Roan, your people are hungry for you to lead them. Do so now as your mother would have. Kill Wanehda. Take her power. And rule over everything" Echo interrupts and Nova looks between Roan and Clarke.

Roan sighs and clears his throat. "Lock them up" Roan orders and grounders stand Abby, Clarke and Nova to their feet.

"What? Roan-" Echo begins, "Lock them up! And it's King Roan" Roan demands, and Nova, Clarke, and Abby are dragged to a prison cell where Iris, Fio, Bellamy, Octavia, Kane are locked away in as well.

Nova sits next to Fio and Iris while Clarke sits down next to her with their wrist tied behind them. "I'm sorry" Clarke says and Nova turns and looks to her. "For what?"

"Getting us caught. I knew we should've left earlier" Clarke blames and Nova shakes her head.

"No, it would've happened to anyone. Don't blame yourself" Nova says as she leans her head against the wall and lets out a sigh but her peace is quickly disturb as Echo and few other grounders enter the cell.

"Wanheda to your feet" The grounder demands as Clarke slowly stands to her feet and Nova stands to her feet as well to defend Clarke. "Where's the king? Hey, I need to see Roan" Clarke wonders as the grounders walk over and gets covered with a bag and taken out of the cell.

"Hey! What the hell!" Nova screams as she lunges towards the grounder but is kicked in her stomach and knocked to the ground. "Nova!" Iris shouts as she goes over to Nova and because her hands are tied out in front of her, she turns Nova on her back and tends to her.

________

NOVA AND THE REST OF THE GROUP were out of the cell and taken outside to hear Roan's speech on the stage while Clarke stands near him.

"I know you've all come here for an execution, but no one else will die here today. The City of Light has fallen...and there is no commander left to rule us. Until another night blood ascends, I - King Roan of Azgeda, eldest son of Nia, Grandson of Theo-- am Caretaker of the throne and keeper of the Flame" Roan begins his speech and Nova listens in and catches Iris staring at her, but Nova quickly looks away and focuses on the speech.

"You're a king not a priest! This is blasphemy" Someone calls out in the crowd.

"Not blasphemy. Order! Until another ascends, Azgeda honors and will defend the coalition of the last true commander--Lexa Kom Trikru, including the 13th clan. Let it be known that an attack against Skaikru is an attack against us all" Roan says calming down the loud people in the crowd and ordering them to listen.

After Roan's speech was over, Echo pulled Nova, Clarke, Bellamy, Octavia, Kane and Abby aside to talk to them about the deal. "With this deal, you'll be safe in any of our lands. You think we'll ever be able to trust each other again?" Echo asks but she looks likes she doesn't mean a single word she is saying.

"I say we can try, but no promises" Nova declares with her head held high. "Then I welcome back to the coalition" Echo says looking over to Clarke who sends her a nod before Echo walks off.

"We'll do our best to keep the king on his throne" Kane reassures and Clarke nods her head, "And find a way to beat the radiation" Clarke adds.

"If either of you screw this up, we die. No pressure" Octavia warns, putting all the pressure onto them and Bellamy sighs. "This is serious, O. If anyone finds out why Roan helped us, it'll be every clan for itself. The king will fall, and they'll come after us" Bellamy warns Octavia who isn't listening to a word he says and walks off, Nova noticing Bellamy and Octavia's relationship has gone downhill since Lincoln died.

"It's getting dark. Let's do this" Clarke says and Nova clears her throat and nods while they walk towards the exit. Bellamy and Clarke back out the exit while Abby, Nova and Kane stay in the Polis area.

Nova steps towards Clarke and pulls her into a hug.

"May we meet again" Clarke whispers and Nova nods her head.

"We will" Nova says as she pulls away from the hug and looks Clarke in the eyes before Clarke places her lips on Novas and kisses her slowly then pulls away.

"I have to go save the world" Clarke jokes, the words behind the joke serious, and Nova smiles as they pull away from each other. Bellamy and Nova share nod as him and Clarke turn around and walk off out of Polis while Nova, Kane and Abby stay in Polis.

"The youth inherited the Earth" Kane states as he wraps his arm around Abby. "And we have six months to save it" Nova adds on as she leaves Kane and Abby alone and she walks further into Polis, missing Clarke by the second.