Saturn [BELLAMY BLAKE BOOK 1]

28... there's something off about this place

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Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ivy had made it her plan to be a model Mount Weather citizen after her little meeting with Cage Wallace and Dr. Tsing. She knew that if she was going to get another shot at leaving the place, that she was going to have to throw the trail off her and make them think that she was finally integrated into their society. That meant ending her food strike and eating the dinner that had been prepared that night. Beef and vegetable stew was on the menu and Ivy couldn't deny that the moment she got her first bite of real, flavorful food, it was absolute euphoria.

It was nothing like anything she'd ever had before. She'd been vegan pretty much her whole life on the Ark and when they'd come to the ground, it was all about sustenance for survival, not pleasure. It was the first time in her life that she'd experienced what food was actually supposed to be. It was almost enough to change her mind about leaving. Keyword: almost.

Clarke's submission to Mount Weather's societal expectations hadn't gone unnoticed by Ivy, either. Just like her, she'd shown her own surprise and appreciation for dinner and even dressed up for the occasion in a blazer that Ivy knew she'd never wear if she was acting out of her own free will. It made Ivy wonder what kind of conversation Clarke had after they'd been caught and how drastically different they must've been for her to change like this so suddenly. Was it genuine or was it an act?

Ivy intended to find out for herself the next morning in the dorm. She needed to know if Clarke was still on her side. It was going to make all the difference in Ivy's ability to escape. She couldn't do it alone and if she had somehow lost Clarke to her cause, she needed to turn it back to her because she was not going to let her get brainwashed like everyone else. Ivy was breaking out, no matter what Cage had told her. They couldn't punish her if they couldn't find her, and that would be unlikely in the stretch of woods outside of the mountain. All she had to do was just get there.

Jumping down from the top bunk she had taken temporary claim over, Ivy walked over to where Clarke lay on her bunk with a case of art supplies that had to be from Dante. Why had he given them to her? Is that how he'd bought her trust? Ivy didn't know. They could do whatever they wanted to try and get her to accept them, but they were going to have to do a lot more than that.

Without even bothering to take a look as to what she was even drawing, Ivy raised her brows. "Please don't tell me you actually trust them now? What could Dante have possibly said to you that made you turn your back against our friends? Or was it his little welcoming gift that won you over?"

Opening her mouth to speak, Clarke started, "Ivy--"

"No, let me finish." Ivy held her hand up to stop the blonde girl from uttering another word. "This place isn't what you think. While you were getting sweet talked into buying all this crap, I was getting recruited by Dante's son to be their little lab experiment."