|Thirty-Six| Reunited With Blood

                                    

                                          
Alyssa followed Clarke into the Ark and into one of the small rooms where Lincoln was being held. Immediately, she noticed past Octavia's soft, soothing, comforting words, a soft jangle of metal from Lincolns hands was still audible. The young girl tilted her head to the side and frowned. Clarke followed her gaze, her blue eyes landing on the belts holding Lincolns hands down.
                          
"Hey, he's not a Reaper anymore. He doesn't need to be restrained." She shook her head and knitted her brows together. Abby looked down from her spot in the corner of the room and pursed her lips.
                          
"Yes, I do." Lincoln sighed, catching his breath after a short coughing fit. Octavia side-stepped over beside Alyssa and bit her lip, giving her best friend a knowing, stressed look.
                          
"Just tell us, is there a chance for peace?" Abby asked, her face almost twisted in impatience.
                          
"Did she leave riders behind?" Lincoln asked, his dark brown eyes glazed over as he struggled to keep them open.
                          
"Two. Just outside the gate." Abby confirmed. Lincoln sighed heavily.
                          
"They're waiting for Finn." His words seemed to strike something deep inside Alyssa and she couldn't help but squirm. "You don't have much time to decide."
                          
"She can't expect us to willingly hand over one of our own people. Would she do that?" Octavia asked, raising her dark, thin brows and stepping closer to him. 
                          
"She won't let the rest of her people die to protect a murderer. If you don't hand him over, she will kill everyone in this camp," he told them, his eyes darting between each person in the room. Alyssa shifted her weight onto one leg and crossed her arms over her chest.
                          
"There has to be another offer." Abby shook her head, clearly stressed she has to be the one to make the final decision.
                          
"Finn took 18 lives." Alyssa flinched. A gentle hand landed on her forearm causing her to look up, meeting the gentle green eyes of Octavia. She gave her a soft smile before looking back to Lincoln. "The commander is just asking for one, take the deal."
                          
"How could you say that?" Alyssa asked softly, her voice withholding no malice. "Finn was the first person to come to you to offer peace! He's your friend." She noticed the slight flash of sadness overwhelm him before his face turned emotionless once again.
                          
"He murdered my village. I know you care about him, but I know that shocks you so much to the point you don't know if you can protect him." Lincoln's voice was soft but strong. Convincing. Because he was right, in a sense. "Some of the dead were my friends too."
                          
"But that wasn't Finn." Clarke retorted, her face pleading. Alyssa knew they'd lost this fight and it only caused her to slump into the wall, her eyes holding something more than sadness. "You know that's not who he is."
                          
"It is now. We've all got a monster inside us, Clarke. We're all responsible for what it does when we let it out." A crippling fear stretched out across Alyssa's body, forcing her to straighten.
                          
"What will they do to him?" She asked so softly her voice was barely audible. 
                          
"Fire. He killed the innocent, it starts with fire." Alyssa's jaw clenched, her mouth growing dry.
                          
"Starts?" Clarke choked out, her eyes glazing over in unshed tears.
                          
"They'll take his hands. His tongue. His eyes. Anyone who grieves will have a turn with a knife. Sunrise, the commander will handle it with her sword." A shiver ran down Alyssa's spine as Octavia looked down. "But I've never known anyone to survive to the sword. He killed 18. He will suffer the pain of 18 deaths. Then we can have peace."