It quickly falls off when Bellamy glares at my gods-blessed.
“Your word means nothing to me,” Bellamy snarls, and gods, I’ve never wanted to kill a man more. Before I can move, he spins around and glares at Skyler. “For all we know, this istheirfault. Don’t you think it’s suspicious that two suns-kissed people show up, and less than a month later, we’re under attack?”
Skyler nibbles on her lip. “I mean, it’s not great.”
“That’s my point. We can’t trust them!” Bellamy shouts.
Several people glance our way, and a group of mothers standing nearby herd their children away.
“That’s enough.” Skyler straightens, glaring at Bellamy. “Think of the children. You’re scaring them with your baseless accusations.”
“I’mscaring them? Me? They’re already frightened out of their minds. There are strangers in their midst.” He points at Wren and me, his finger trembling with barely contained anger. “My job is to safeguard those who are unable to fight and run the medic station. How can I do that with these two?—”
“Help!” A breathless cry of alarm interrupts Bellamy’s ranting, and we all turn towards the sound. “Help, we need help.”
Two rebels rush into the room. They’re covered in blood and dirt and supporting a bleeding man between them. A gash on the side of his head gushes crimson with every step, his clothes are torn and muddy, and if he had a weapon, it’s nowhere in sight.
A makeshift stretcher being carried by four people comes through the doorway next. Bloody fingers hang over the side, twitching.
“Burning suns,” Wren whispers.
I echo her sentiments, my stomach twisting. Even though I am no stranger to blood and death, it never gets any easier.
Bellamy steps towards the newcomers, shooting us a warning glare filled with threats of violence. “Stay back,” he warns. “Donot speak to anyone. Do not touch anything. Do not even fuckingmove.”
I understand where Bellamy is coming from. After all, he’s a soldier amid a taxing situation, and he has a lot going on. Wren and I are unknown factors, complications that he may not have planned for. If he were only addressing me, I would let his behavior slide, but he’s involved Wren, and I cannot let that stand.
“Don’t speak to her like that,” I snarl. “Wren hasn’t done anything wrong.”
He turns his anger-filled eyes towards me. “She shouldn’t be here. Neither of you should be. Your very presence is endangering us all.”
Skyler steps forward, placing her hand on his arm. “Bellamy?—”
“Enough,” he growls, shaking off her touch as another stretcher is carried into the space. “Keep them away from me so I can do my gods-damned job.”
Bellamy stomps past us, shouting orders as he approaches the wounded. People are already moving, pulling rolls of bandages and jars out of baskets as they set up a makeshift nursing station.
More people arrive from above. Those who are capable of walking do, but many are carried in. Reports start filtering in from the surface. Dozens of soldiers are attacking the mountain. Some say thirty, others report twice as many.
No matter the numerical discrepancies, everyone agrees on one thing: The soldiers are here for blood.
Wren’s face is pale, and her Mark is pulsing as she watches the injured file in. “This is the king’s doing, isn’t it?”
Skyler looks over, chewing on her lip for a moment before nodding. “It appears that way.”
“And it’s our fault,” Wren says. “Right?”
Skyler pauses, and I don’t need to be looking at her to know the answer. Of course this is our doing. Even though I thought I was careful and covered our tracks, I must’ve missed something and led my father’s soldiers here. There’s no way this is a coincidence.
“I mean...” the rebel starts, then trails off.
Wren turns to me. “Tell me the truth, Gabe. I’ve been lied to too many times in my life. Are these people hurt because of me?” Someone screams across the room, and Wren shudders.
I wish I could say this wasn’t our fault. I wish I could tell her this probably happens all the time.
But I can’t.
“It’s probable that we caused this,” I tell her slowly, hating every word coming out of my mouth. Her Mark flares, and I reach for her, but she shakes her head and steps away from me. Gods, that fucking hurts. “But I’m the one who brought us here. The fault rests solely on my shoulders.”
