But instead of the glint of metal, her eyes settled on a series of shapes that sent her heart rushing into her throat.
Three large stones stuck out of the ground. They might’ve once been straight, but now two were tilted toward each other, while a third teetered precariously away from the group. They were approximately the same size, and there was no mistaking that they’d been placed there on purpose. Even from a distance, Clarke could make out crude markings on the stones—letters, hastily carved with inadequate tools. Or, Clarke realized as she deciphered the shapes, carved by someone shaking with fear and grief.
REST IN PEACE.
Clarke had never heard the words spoken aloud, but she could feel them in her chest, as if the memory was stored somewhere inside her bones. Her hand reached out for Bellamy’s, but her fingers grasped nothing but air.
She turned and saw him crouching in front of one of the markers. She walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder. “They’re graves,” he said quietly, without looking at her.
“There really was another mission, then. Sasha was telling the truth.”
Bellamy nodded and ran a finger along the stone. “It’s nice, you know, having a place to visit the people you’ve lost. I wish we had something like that on the Colony, something more personal than the Remembrance Wall.”
“Who would you have wanted to visit?” Clarke asked quietly, wondering if there was any way he could know that Lilly had died.
“Just… friends. People I never got to say good-bye to.” Bellamy rose to his feet with a sigh, then wrapped his arm around Clarke.
She leaned in to him, then turned her attention back to the graves. “Do you think they died in the crash? Or later, after whatever happened with the Earthborns?”
“I’m not sure. Why?”
“I just wish we’d come down sooner. Maybe we could’ve done something to help them.”
Bellamy gave her a squeeze. “You can’t save everyone, Clarke,” he said quietly.
You have no idea, she thought.
CHAPTER 14
Wells
“Careful,” Wells called out as he watched one of the younger boys reach toward the fire. “Use the stick.”
“I got it,” he said, carefully removing the corn from the red-hot stones Wells had piled on top of the flames, the way Sasha had told him to.
The corn had, quite literally, been a lifesaver. Now instead of furtive whispers and weary complaints, the camp was filled with the sound of crackling flames and reinvigorated chatter. Everyone sat around the fire, gnawing at the strange but welcome food.
After returning with as much as they could carry, Wells and Sasha had grabbed two empty water containers and headed back to the orchard for more. By the time they’d staggered back, smiling and weary from their efforts, Wells had almost forgotten that Sasha was their prisoner. He’d felt exceedingly awkward when, after thanking her for her help, he’d had to sneak her back to the infirmary cabin. Luckily, Clarke had been gone, and the sick people asleep, so no one saw him apologizing to Sasha as he retied her hands.
You caught her spying on you, he reminded himself as he watched a group of girls challenge some Walden boys to a corncob-throwing contest. Wells started to protest—Sasha had warned them not to leave the cobs in the clearing, lest they attract unwelcome animal visitors—but he swallowed the words. He’d have an easier time sneaking some food to Sasha if he didn’t make a scene.
Wells gingerly plucked a few cobs from the embers, stretching out his shirt so he could carry them without burning his hands, then headed back to the infirmary cabin.
“Hey,” he whispered as he moved quietly toward her cot. “I brought you one.” He handed her one of the corncobs, which had cooled enough to touch, then placed the others next to Molly, Felix, and Tamsin so they’d have something to eat when they woke up. It was becoming hard to find volunteers to bring food and water to the sick people. Rumors about their illness were spreading, and now it was rare for anyone besides Clarke, Wells, Bellamy, Priya, and Eric to set foot inside the infirmary cabin.
“Thanks,” Sasha said, shooting a wary glance toward the door before taking a small bite of the corn.
“How is it?” Wells asked, returning to sit on the edge of her cot. “Better than the protein paste?”
She smiled. “Yes, definitely better. Although still pretty bland. Why didn’t you season them with those pepper leaves like I told you?”
“I figured the corn was suspicious enough. Revealing some fancy cooking tricks might’ve caused more trouble than it was worth.”
He expected her to tease him about his culinary skills, but instead her face grew serious. “They really don’t trust me, do they?” There was an edge to her voice as she shifted on the cot. “What can I do to convince you all that I had nothing to do with the attacks?”
“It’ll just take some time,” Wells said, though he still wasn’t entirely sure whether he believed her. He knew Sasha was kind and rational, but that certainly didn’t mean her people—her father—weren’t capable of violence. If, somehow, the Colony were threatened by some hitherto unimagined enemy, Wells’s father wouldn’t have thought twice before launching an attack.
The door opened and Kendall walked in. Wells jumped to his feet as Kendall stared at them, an inscrutable look on her face. “Sorry to disturb you,” she said, glancing between Wells and Sasha. “I was just coming to take a quick nap. I didn’t get much sleep last night, obviously.”
“It’s fine,” Wells said. He gestured toward the empty cots. “There’s plenty of room.” Apparently, Kendall wasn’t worried about catching the mysterious illness.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll try one of the other cabins.” She gave Wells one more lingering look before she turned around and walked back into the clearing.
“See? No one even wants to be in the same room as me. They all think I’m a murderer.”
Wells glanced over at Tamsin, whose heavily bandaged leg might as well have been emblazoned with a warning about the Earthborns. To say nothing of the newly dug grave in the cemetery. Until Sasha could prove that there really was a rogue band of Earthborns, people who had nothing to do with her, it’d be impossible for the hundred to see her as anything but a threat. “Do you want to go for a walk?” he said suddenly. “It’s silly for you to be locked in here all day.”