Lightning Only Strikes Once - Clexa

Chapter 35: Good Cop, Bad Cop: Grounder Style

"Are you okay?" Clarke says, reaching out to touch Lexa's shoulder. The dark line the thrown dagger cut has started slowly oozing black blood.

"It was not poisoned," Lexa assures her. "I sniffed the blade. I do not know any poisons with no scent at all."

"All right," Clarke says. "Good."

She holds her hand in front of her. It's smeared black now, because she touched Lexa. Covered in black. She blinks and for a split second she sees her hands drenched in Lexa's blood, covered in it; she sees Lexa before her, dying; Lexa leaving her all alone, Lexa dead through Clarke's actions and Clarke's choices and a bullet from Clarke's people's guns...

"Hei," Lexa says softly. "Hei, Clarke," she forces Clarke to look at her. "I am here Clarke. Look at me. I am here."

"But you weren't," Clarke says, and it comes out as nearly a sob. "You died, Lexa, you died in front of me."

"And you brought me back," Lexa says, certain and sure. "You went up to the top of the tower and you created a miracle, Clarke. You didn't just give me the rest of my life, you gave us all another chance to get this right. In the last version of this year Anya and Gustus died, this time they thrive. In the other world I never met Wells, this time he is my friend."

"That was the lightning."

"That was you, Clarke," Lexa says firmly. "I have climbed that tower many times and never been sent to the past. Something about you caused this. You turned back the clock, and now I am alive. Now nearly all of us are alive. You cannot blame yourself for the deaths you believe you caused yet fail to credit yourself for the lives you saved."

Clarke's breathing's back to normal now. "I love you, you know that?"

"You have informed me of it, ai hodnes," Lexa says, giving Clarke a brief smile. "Now. We must interrogate this branwada."

Clarke grabs a waterskin from the ground and splashes some of the meagre contents into the man's face. They've moved to the opposite end of the tent as Raven in deference to what Clarke suspects will be a severe hangover (of course, if Lexa ends up torturing the man Clarke doubts even Raven will be able to stay asleep), but haven't fetched anyone yet. If the assassins were sent by Nia, Clarke and Lexa need to decide how to respond before alerting the others. Same if he was sent by the Mountain (as unlikely as it seems) or one of the other clans.

He wakes, spitting and cursing, blinking his eyes as if in pain. Clarke realises from the smell that she just threw moonshine into his face. Still, it worked.

"Shof op," Lexa says in a fierce undertone. She raises the knife she cut the other's throat with. It gleams blood-red and silver in the light of the one candle Lexa has lit. Splatters of his blood still dot her face.

He quietens immediately, staring at it.

"I will not lie to you," Lexa says, almost casually. "You will die tonight. You tried to kill me and Clarke kom Skaikru." She flashes her teeth in what is most definitely not a smile. "But there are many ways for a man to die."

"Heda, " Clarke admonishes, then turns to the man. "Or... we could let you go."

"To return to his master with word of this?" Lexa looks unimpressed by the idea. "No."

"Jus nou drein jus daun," Clarke reminds her.

Lexa sighs. It is almost too regretful, making it obvious to Clarke at least that she's playing a role, deliberately seeming bloodthirsty. "But he will not tell us anything, Clarke kom Skaikru, I am sure of it. It will be easier to simply kill him -" She stresses the word Skaikru almost imperceptibly, Clarke suspects to make the man realise that Clarke is from a clan that might have more merciful beliefs.