Chapter 10
In Polis Kane and Abby were trying to deal with angry parents and citizens who wanted them to do something to get the children back instead of nothing. They wanted the army assembled to get them back but as Kane kept informing them an army was useless when you didn't know where to send it. They assured the people that they had sent someone after someone who could help and that at the moment all they could do was wait which of course wasn't sitting well with a lot of people. In the end it was Indra, Polis' battle commander and Lexa's second in command who convinced the people that Kane was right and calmed them down.
Meanwhile in A.L.I.E.'s lighthouse Clarke was trying to figure out what her end game was while Monty and Raven tried finding a way out. The lighthouse was pretty advanced technologically from the rest of their world but since Raven and Monty were the best when it came to mechanics and engineering she had no doubt they'd figure something out.
"How is it you have shadow magic? We were told it was extinct." Clarke asks A.L.I.E. when she comes to check on them.
"Not extinct just dormant. You see magic in any form once manifested can't become extinct, it simply lies dormant from disuse until needed again. Your leaders have made you foolish and weak by allowing you to believe magic can be extinct. The only way to kill the magic is to kill the user and even then the magic is simply absorbed back into the earth to be used again."
"I knew they were lying to us. I knew there was no way to kill a magical power when we're taught that magic is everywhere and in everything. It just didn't make sense." Octavia chimes in.
"So why is there no one else alive who possess the ability of shadow magic except you?" Clarke questions.
"Well Mrs. Griffin, that would be my fault but it was on her orders. You see the world had to be cleansed of shadow magic so that she was the only one left with it which would make it easier for her to take over."
"Wait, the purge was real? I mean it really happened? I thought it was a myth, a story told to scare children away from shadow magic and those with it." Miller states in disbelief.
"The purge was very real, Nathan and some of your parents took part in it. Unwillingly of course and I expected more of a fight from some of them but others didn't disappoint. Take your father for example Mrs. Blake, he put up one hell of a fight and nearly got away but in the end he fell just like the others." Jaha informs them with a wicked and condescending grin on his face.
"You knew my father? Wait, that means he didn't leave us, did he? I could of, we could of, you son of a bitch!" Octavia yells picking up the tray of food and hurling it through the bars at Jaha's head nearly hitting him but he simply laughs at her.
"Just like your father. I wonder if your brother is anything like his." He states off handedly as his and A.L.I.E.'s attention is turned to Lexa who speaks next.
"Gustus was right about you. I always thought he was being paranoid when he forbid me to go to The Ark with The Elite but he didn't want me near you. Him and Anya both saw you for exactly what you were."
"Yes and they were part of the force that put me to sleep for nearly 15 years. If it wasn't for Thelonious I wouldn't be alive. He was able to give me enough warning so that I was able to cocoon myself in shadows and make them think they'd killed me."
"You were planning on coming back sooner, weren't you? But something happened and you couldn't, right?" Monty says.
"Things didn't go exactly as planned, no and we had to improvise. Thelonious was supposed to remain in power but he was essentially thrown out of office."
"That was your father's doing, Clarke." Jaha interrupts.
"The plan was that while he remained in power he would inform me of the strongest in each type of elemental magic so that they could feed me. My magic isn't what it used to be and the cocoon took more out of me than I anticipated." A.L.I.E. continues ignoring Jaha's remark.
"You're dying, aren't you? That's what you meant by feed you, isn't it? You're not strong enough for the magic you possess. You've never been strong enough which was why you needed Jaha's help in getting us." Raven deduces.
"Told you she was smart."
"You think that by stealing our magic that you'll be strong enough to contain yours but you're wrong. You're weak and you've always been weak which is why you're dying. Magic needs someone strong and it doesn't matter how many of us you drain, you'll always need more because your mind and body are weak." Raven taunts and just as she's about to say something else a tendril of shadows comes flying towards her, pinning her to the wall by her neck.
"You will do well to keep your mouth shut! I am stronger than you'll ever be and maybe it's time I remind you of that." She says smiling deviously at Raven.
She snaps her fingers and shadows engulf all of them. When the shadows fade a few seconds later, they're all unconscious.
"Make them relive their greatest fears over and over again until I tell you otherwise. They need to know who really holds the power here and I don't have to remind you to keep them alive, do I?"
"Of course not. They'll know fear but I'll ensure they remain alive." Jaha assures A.L.I.E.
She smiles at him as she leaves him to his work but her smile fades when she's out of sight. She couldn't deny the fact that the mechanic's words got under her skin but she couldn't let it get to her too much or she'd lose focus which would surely lead to her death. She had come too far to not get what she wanted. She was certain their power would be enough to sustain her but she headed to her room to run the numbers again just in case.