Poison And Promises

Night came fast.

Too fast.

The others still weren't back.

I sat by the fire, restless, eyes fixed on the trees until Octavia's voice cut through the camp.

"There they are!"

I jumped to my feet and ran.

Bellamy was half-carrying Murphy. Blood streaked down Murphy's leg.

"What happened?" I dropped to my knees beside him.

"We were attacked," Bellamy said, breathless.

"Attacked by what?" I pulled the shredded fabric from Murphy's leg. The wound was deep, ugly.

"I need boiled water. And clean cloth—now!" I barked, and Bellamy ran.

Murphy tried to grin. "Can't leave me alone for five minutes, huh?"

"Apparently not," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

When Bellamy returned, I cleaned the wound. The blood was too dark, too thick. "Was it a spear?"

He nodded. "They came out of nowhere."

Murphy hissed as I rinsed the cut.

"There's something else," Bellamy said quietly. "We lost Jasper."

Cold settled in my stomach.

"Is he—?"

"We don't know. They dragged him off," Clarke's voice said behind me.

I looked up, meeting her eyes. "Then we find him tomorrow."

Then I bent back to Murphy, tying off the bandage.

"In a few weeks, you'll be walking fine again," I told him, forcing a smile.

Bellamy helped him to his feet. "Come on. Let's get you inside."

"I caught a deer," I called after them, smirking. "So yeah — we have dinner."

Bellamy paused at the fire. "A lot of bracelets here," he muttered.

"People get hungry," I said simply. "Octavia's idea."

He laughed, and I followed them to the dropship.

Inside, Murphy grimaced, teeth clenched.

"It burns," he said.

I frowned, touched a finger to the blood, then brushed it against my tongue.

The taste hit like acid. I spat immediately.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked.

"My mother could taste for poison," I said. "And this—this is poison."

His face paled. "Can we fix it?"

"I'll talk to Clarke," I said. "She's the only one who might know how."

He nodded weakly. "Be careful."

I left, taking a spear loaded with meat. Bellamy met me halfway.

"It's bad," I said quietly. "He's poisoned. I need Clarke."

He nodded toward the fire where she stood.

"Clarke," I said, voice hard. "We need to talk."

She turned, startled. "What—?"

I handed her the spear. "You want to help? Then eat. But only this once."

Her eyes narrowed. "What's going on?"

"Those grounders' spears were poisoned. If we don't find an antidote, Murphy dies."

Shock replaced anger. She nodded quickly. "Let me see him."

We went back inside. Murphy tried to sit up when he saw her.

She studied the wound, then the blood. "You're right. It's venom."

She exhaled. "We'll need certain berries. Finn and I can find them before dark."

"Good," I said, then softer: "Thank you."

She hesitated, surprised, then nodded. "We'll save him."

When she left, Murphy's voice broke the silence. "You trust her?"

I gave him a crooked smile. "No. But she's useful."

He smiled weakly, placing his hand over mine.

"Thanks for helping me. No one's ever done that before... not since—"

I touched his cheek gently. "Whatever happens, I've got you."

I leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

He flushed, and I stood. "Try to sleep. Someone will check on you."

As I left, Bellamy looked up from the fire.

"She's looking for a cure?"

"She is. We leave at dawn."

He nodded. "You've done good, Kate."

"Just keep someone with Murphy. If it gets worse, wake me."

He nodded again. "I promise."

I slipped into my tent, the sounds of the camp fading into night