When Songbirds Fly | Bellamy Blake

Chapter Ten: Confessions

TW// Violence, murder, suggestive language and actions (no actual smut)

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I wake up gasping for air. That's all I'm aware of at first — the need to breathe.

Then, I feel the hand forcing my head back. But my reflection isn't there any more.

Something cold presses against the side of my head. A loud ka-chink seems to echo right through my skull.

'Didn't expect that,' a voice chuckles. I recognise it, my eyes widening when I realise that Dax — one of the older kids — has a gun held to my head. 'Guess your girlfriend's been lying to us all, Blake. What do you think about that?'

Sure enough, I see Bellamy lying on the ground a couple of feet away. His eyes are wide, his face glowing with a silvery sheen in the pale moonlight.

'What... the hell... is going on?'

'You and your friends lost it. I'll make this quick, I don't have much time. Gotta kill Blake, but I was already planning on a little revenge of my own. Even if you didn't start that coup, you were still involved somehow. My father deserves vengeance.'

A gun cocks behind us. I'm shoved forwards, my arms too weak to catch myself before I hit the mud.

Sitting up, I see Clarke and Dax in a stand-off, guns aimed directly at each other. 'Put it down, Dax.'

'Should've stayed down there, Clarke. I tried not to kill you, but here you are, and Shumway said no witnesses.'

'What is he talking about?'

Bellamy still lies on the floor, staring up at Dax with a dazed look on his face. His voice is strangely quiet. 'Shumway set it up. He gave me the gun to shoot the Chancellor.'

My thoughts are still reeling, the new information feeling like more than I can bear at one time. I start to wonder if I should get up and stop Dax, but my limbs feel like they're weighed down by bricks.

'Walk away now, and I won't kill you.'

'Put it down,' she repeats, emphasising each word with gritted teeth and a clenched jaw.

'Your choice.'

She pulls the trigger.

Click.

I watch — too in shock to move — as she tosses the gun aside and dives behind a tree for cover.

Crack. Crack. Ka-chink.

Bellamy lunges forwards, tackling the boy to the ground. They begin to wrestle, landing furious blows as they roll across the mud. A particularly strong punch leaves Bellamy dazed, his head lolling back as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

I stagger towards them, my arm twisting around Dax's throat from behind. His arms start to flail as I drag him away from Bellamy, desperately trying to pry my arm from his neck.

My foot catches on a loose rock. Tumbling back, my grip falters.

I try to reach out as soon as Dax brings his arm back to punch me. I catch his fist, my weary legs kicking out as he tries to lean over me. They're forced down by his own.