Chapter 43: Ch. 43 – Birth of the Black Fire Demon

"Do you have any idea what you are doing, O? Did you even think this through?" Bellamy growled quietly in the Skaikru building.

"No, Bell, like everything that I have done since we landed on this stupid planet, there is no thought behind my actions!" I snapped back sarcastically. "Yes, I've thought this through! The only reason why Raven wouldn't be dead yet is because Lexa wants to use her to control me! You know what we are facing in another month, and she still did this! The only way that all of us will survive now is with Nia... that or I just let Lexa kill me."

"You're killing Raven by doing this," Finn accused.

"Actually, this is my best chance at saving her. When Nia calls for a vote of no confidence, she can bring up the actions that Lexa has made against me, so if she is still alive, the ambassadors won't let Lexa do anything else to her. I'm a hero to the Grounders for taking down Mount Weather, after all, and I have done nothing but what has been asked of me."

That changed his expression as my words sank in, but he still asked, "Then why have you been sleeping with that Azgeda woman?"

"Do you think Nia would have made me the offer, if she didn't think that she could control me? If I can't kill Lexa in our duel, Azgeda will be in a lot of trouble and a war will start, so this isn't something that she can do casually."

"And what will happen if you do kill Lexa?" Bellamy asked.

"She wanted me to take over the leadership position of our people, but I refused and asked to stay in Troit, working for her to build things for her kingdom. The rest of you will be free to return to Arkadia and Mount Weather and even come visit me if you choose to. If Raven is alive, I just ask that you guys take her back with you and keep her safe," I replied with a sigh.

"You've been awfully quiet there, princess," Bellamy said.

"Octavia has already made the decision. There really isn't anything that I can say at this point that will change her mind," Clarke sighed.

It was the night before the summit of the Thirteen Clans, and we had set up camp about a mile outside of Polis so that Lexa and I would not be able to sense each other. The truth was, though, I already could since she was hiding somewhere around a thousand feet away. There was a lingering presence to the southwest at the edge of my perception, so I guessed it was her.

Our plans had gone just as we had hoped. Nia was calling a secret meeting of the ambassadors to call for a vote of no confidence in Lexa, and I would be her champion. As Nia is explaining her traitorous plot, Lexa would arrive in the center of the meeting and kill Nia while I restrained the Azgeda people safely, showing that I am actually loyal to Lexa. Then, while everyone was still in shock from Nia being killed, Lexa would reveal Praimfaya, so that the ambassadors will carry the message to their leaders. It all sounded great in theory, but as the moment of truth grew closer, I could not help but worry about what could happen.

"Octavia, Kane has arrived," Echo called from outside the building.

"Come on... Like it or not, the decision has been made, and you guys have to be present for the meeting," I said, standing up from my cot.

None of them replied, but they still followed me out of the small room. Echo led us over to where the ambassadors were gathering, and I could see Kane, Byrne, and a couple of other Guardsmen. I thanked her then led my little group over to Kane, who gave me a complicated expression. He knew the plan for tonight, but it was clear that it still bothered him.

"Good to see you too, Chancellor," I remarked with a weak smile.

"I'm happy to see you, Octavia. I just wish it was under different circumstances," Kane replied, holding out an arm.

My smile turned genuine since I could tell that he was not questioning me, but rather just worried about me. Things had been hard for me while we were in Azgeda. Finn and my relationship had been destroyed, and Bellamy's and mine was strained to the point of breaking. Clarke was harder to read because she knew more, but she also knew that she needed to play along. Seeing Kane still believing in me nearly brought me to tears, but I kept my cool.

"Have you seen her?" I asked.

"No... it's been over a month," Kane replied, but we both knew that he was lying.

"If things turn out well, keep her in Mount Weather. I'm going to stay in Azgeda after things calm down. Queen Nia has no problem with working with you, so just take care of our people."

Kane frowned, but I could tell he was going along with the plan. We talked for a while longer until all of the ambassadors appeared. I gave him a nod as Echo and Ontari walked up, then I headed over to Nia's side while those two stayed with Skaikru. Roan is standing at her right while I take the place on her left which causes the ambassadors to quiet because of the meaning behind the action.

"Ambassadors, I thank you all for coming out here despite the late hour, but as I said in my message, this is a matter for the entire Coalition. All of you know of Natfaya, Slayer of the Mountain, who has been repaying the debt of blood that her people caused to mine, by order of Heda. Despite this going against our customs, I agreed because it was the Will of Heda and Skaikru had no choice but to abandon their former home. Natfaya has done nothing but follow Heda's command, yet she has imprisoned her lover and placed numerous other restrictions on the Skaikru people.

"We have all known Heda to be a capable leader, but this sudden shift in her personality has raised my suspicions. We have never seen her attack an individual before, but the first time that she does, it is against another who has the same power that she has kept hidden from us? How many like of those like her has she removed before we learned of their existence? How much sooner could the Mountain have been destroyed if Lexa hadn't been so concerned with maintaining her position of power over us?

"I ask that you join with Azgeda when I call for a vote of no confidence in Lexa at the summit. Octavia kom Skaikru will be my champion and is the only person who has the chance to defeat her, but Lexa knows this as well. This summit is nothing more than a way for her to assassinate Natfaya because she is growing too strong, too fast. Their powers allow them to sense each other and their strength, and during the time that Natfaya has been in my kingdom, she has caught signs that Lexa has been watching her! If we do not act now, we will never have the chance to do so in the future!" Nia ranted to the crowd.

I was barely listening to her as the majority of my focus was devoted to stretching out my Earth Domain to engulf the entire meeting area and pick out the Azgeda members that were scattered throughout. What little I had to spare was locked onto Echo who had a method to call Lexa here at the right moment, so I was waiting for her signal because I had yet another trick that I would need pull off. She tapped a spot on her right hip three times which meant that now was the time to act.

Using my power, I extinguished a dozen torches with a twist of my wrist so that only two were remaining burning, the one next to Nia and another on the other side of the circle. There was a large eruption of mana from the center of the circle, but I shoved that out of my mind as I commanded the Earth to swallow the Azgeda members one by one.

"Heda!" someone shouted.

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"For Costia," Lexa said as she released the arrow from her already drawn bow.

Screaming erupted, but I only focused on grabbing as many people as I could with only a vague intuition of what was happening around me. Lexa's arrow struck Nia in the heart before she could react to what had happened. Raven, who had come with Lexa, pulled out her dual pistols and aimed them at the ambassadors while she placed her back against Lexa.

Unfortunately, Ontari and Echo were right next to Skaikru, standing among my friends, so I had to trust in Echo to take care of them while I was rooted in place. She shoved Clarke back into the Guardsmen as soon as the lights went out, but before she could do the same to Bellamy, Byrne tackled her to the ground. That is what allowed Ontari to draw a pair of daggers and slash at both Bellamy and Finn before Kane pulled out his hidden pistol. It was the sound of a gunshot that woke me up from my trance like focus.

"OCTAVIA!!!" Clarke screamed.

Blinking as I returned to the world around me, I realized why she had screamed for me. Both Bellamy and Finn were clutching at their necks with blood seeping through their fingers. My body reacted without any conscious input, and I was suddenly next to them, teleporting across the distance like I had done when Jasper had been hit by the spear when I had first come to this place. I dropped to my knees instantly and placed a hand on each of their chests.

I tried to channel my healing power into both of them at the same time, but as soon as the golden glow formed in my hands, it would vanish when it started to enter their bodies. Clarke and Kane were also trying to apply pressure to the wounds, but both boys were quickly turning pale.

"Work!" I screamed with frustration as tears started falling from my eyes.

I never saw her approach because I had been so focused, but a familiar hand picked up mine that was on Finn and placed it on Bellamy. Instantly, my healing power started draining my energy, but I still looked up to see that it had been Raven who moved my hand. There were tears falling from her eyes as well, but she gave me a resolute smile.

I tried to move back to Finn when I had closed Bellamy's wound enough, but it was already too late. Clarke was balling as she held his head in her lap. Staring down at his body, I could feel my powers bubbling up with my anger. I could save thousands of unnamed people by preventing a war, but it was those around me that kept paying the price.

Black flames appeared on my body but I kept trying to wrangle them back as I dug my nails into the dirt. Unfortunately, that only served to transfer my unraveling powers to the earth and started shaking the ground around us. When even the air started to vibrate, I knew that I had to leave now, or I would hurt a lot of innocent people.

"I need to go, NOW!" I yelled as I threw myself to my feet.

Lexa could easily sense the instability in my mana, so she suggested, "A river to the northwest, less than a mile away."

I did not stop as soon as I was on my feet and I took off in a run, using my mana to increase my speed further. Everything behind me faded away from my perception quickly, but the image of Finn dead in Clarke's arms was still burning in my mind. Despite my best effort to contain my powers, I was spreading fire along my dash to the river.

Emotions and stress could affect my power over the elements, but this was something on a different level compared to anything in the story where my powers originated from. My sensitivity to the elements was constantly increasing at an alarming rate and, combined with my emotional instability, there was little I could do to stop my powers from lashing out. Nothing I could do would stop me from seeing him dead in Clarke's arms as my mind overlayed Lincoln's death in mine.

I let out an unnatural scream of hatred and anger as my body exploded into a black flaming inferno, yet I still had enough strength to throw myself into the river that I had just reached. The water tried to extinguish my flames, but everywhere it touched was turned instantly to steam. There was no way for me to see my current appearance, but Raven would tell me about it much later.

Traces of black flames clung all over my body, but there were places that had congealed to an almost solid state, giving me a devilish appearance. Two large, curved horns sprouted from my forehead that seemed to shine with the flickering, black flames. On my back, a set of giant black batwings, that were as tall as I was, wrapped around my body, protecting me from the current of the river. I was in some kind of trance as the transformation started to slowly spread out from the two defined spots. Inch by inch, my armor was being consumed by the dark fire, but the flames were rebuilding it in a new fashion.

"Rebecca!" a distant voice shouted.

My mind was in a daze, but there was something about that voice that I remembered. I opened my eyes with difficulty and things were blurry, but there was something rushing towards me. Lifting my arms, I suddenly realized that there were some kind of black bracers on my forearms. While I pondered the changes, the figure threw itself at me which caused a shift in the color of the fire from black to white.

Unfortunately, the black fire was the only thing keeping the river back, so we were hit by a wall of water a moment later. We clung together as we were carried down the current. Water was the element that I had the least amount of practice with at this point, but I was still in my transformed state so I could manipulate the water to bring us to the surface and over to the bank.

I stumbled as my feet touched the ground again, but the other person kept ahold of me and dragged me out of the water. My transformation ended at the same time and the burden that it had placed on my body and reserves hit me all at once. I spat out a mouthful of blood as it also poured from my eyes, ears, and nose. Pain, unlike anything I had felt before, ripped through my mind and body, making me as limp as a puppet with its strings cut.

The person who had saved me from the water was still around, but the pain blocked out most of my senses. I was not unconscious, but conscious also did not quite fit my state either. My eyes were open, and I could see, but I took in nothing of what was around me. I just laid there, unable to move or think. A soothing, coldness pierced the veil of pain that had engulfed my body. Slowly, it pushed the feeling away and my mind was free again.

Looking down at me was Lexa who was bleeding from both of her eyes, but she gave me a relieved smile when she saw my clarity return. She moved aside which allowed Raven to come into my view. She was crying and immediately wrapped her arms around my neck, but it only made me remember what had happened. She chose Bellamy for me because he was my brother, but the truth was that I had been just as close to Finn as I had been to him. She had sacrificed the closest person to her for me, and it was not even for the relationship that she believed existed.

"Rebecca, stop! You won't survive going into a rage again, and I don't have enough mana left to give you," Lexa warned, sensing me destabilize again.

The shock of hearing my name being said so casually was enough to freeze me for a moment as I stammered, "What... did you... call me?"

"I know, Rebecca. Katye told me while we were on Becca's Island. Finn's death... Finn's death is not your fault. I know you feel like it was your fault, but I can't lose you too. I love you," Raven said as she sat up and tried to get her own emotions under control.

"Why? I just bring death," I replied, turning my eyes to the night sky.

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