CHAPTER TWELVE
"Let the conclave begin..."
——

Nova left Clarke's room to take a breather and when she came back Octavia was also coming back. They both stopped on each side of the door and Octavia sighed and went in first making Nova go in second. They both see Clarke looking over Polis.

Nova slowly shuts the door behind her confused on what happened with Lexa. " She told you you could stay, didn't she?" Octavia questions immediately making Clarke turn around still speechless. "What did you say?" Nova questions starting to believe Octavia is right.

"Nothing" Clarke answers with a shrug. "Clarke, we both know that Pike won't obey the blockade. We need to stop him before more of our people get killed" Octavia speaks up.

"What if I could do more for them by just staying here?" Clarke suggests and Nova crosses her arm starting to think that Clarke has to leave in order or save her people. "You can't, Clarke! We don't have time for this! Look. We need you. The kill order goes into effect at dawn. You have an hour to say your goodbyes. If you're not there, you're not the person I thought you were" Octavia says before she walks out the room. Nova looks up at Clarke and slowly steps towards her.

"What should I do?" Clarke asks and Nova sighs. "Leave. You should leave. Octavia's right, they need you and you can't do anything for them by staying here" Nova answers honestly and Clarke sighs.

"Will you go with me? If I leave.. will you go with me?" Clarke asks and Nova opens her mouth to talk but nothing comes out. "I- Yes, If it makes you go and save them. I'll go with you no matter what Lexa has to say about it" Nova says and Clarke nods her head with a smile on her face.

"I'll go tell Lexa" Clarke says walking past Nova but then stops when she gets to the door and walks back over to Nova, grabbing both sides of her face gently and kisses her lips softly and passionately. Nova places her hands on Clarke's arms and sinks into the kiss.

Clarke slowly pulls away from the kiss and smiles. "I love you too" Clarke says making Nova smile and shake her head jokingly. "Go talk to Lexa. I'll be waiting" Nova says and Clarke nods walking out the room.

Nova grabs her weapons and makes sure there secure on her body and makes her way out of the polis tower to meet up with Octavia and was surprised to see Indra.

"Oh, Indra, how are you doing?" Nova asks and Indra nods her head "I'm fine. Where's Clarke?" Indra asks getting straight to the point. Nova looms behind her at the polis tower and sighs "She went to talk to Lexa and tell her she's leaving" Nova answers and Octavia sighs.

"She's not coming" Octavia mumbled and Nova turns her head back to face them. "Don't give up just yet. Let's just wait it out" Nova suggests and Octavia shakes her head. "The blockade starts at dawn we don't have time to wait it out" Octavia says looking around.

"Then give her a chance" Nova says and Octavia turns around and looks to Nova. "We leave in 10 minutes. If she's not here by then I'm leaving without her and you should too" Octavia says walking back over to Indra.

Nova turns around and faces the polis tower and lets out a sigh. "Come on, Clarke" Nova breathed out softly looking around.

5 minutes went by and she still hasn't came. "We have to go Nova" Octavia warned and Nova sighed. "Just- Let me go get her" Nova says rushing back up to the polis tower.

She finally finds Lexa's bedroom but doesn't see Lexa in it she sees. Iris, Titus, Clarke and... Murphy arguing outside of it. "What the.. hell is going on?!" Nova shrieks sees Iris hold a gun.

"Nova— Wait wait!" Clarke shouts as she sees Titus pull out his gun hesitantly and turn it towards Nova. Nova slowly puts her hands up and looks to a worried Clarke.

"Iris! Iris! What is this about?" Nova shouts looking over to Iris pointing the gun at Clarke. "It's about you! It's about power! So, I'm sorry it had to come to this. Truly I am" Iris chuckles mischievously and continues to point the gun at Clarke while Titus points his gun at Nova.

"Look. We're leaving right now. Octavia is waiting for us. Just let us take... Murphy and we'll go" Nova says still confused where Murphy came from. "Wish I could. Lexa would never execute her duty while she was alive" Iris says referring to Clarke.

"Hey! Titus think. She is gonna know it was you. She'll know it was both of you" Clarke shouts and Iris scoffs. "All I have to is put on an act like i've been doing all my life and she won't know a single thing" Iris states and Titus shakes while he holds the gun towards Nova.

"Yeah, She'll think it was him. Skaikru weapon in the hands of a Skaikru thief. She might be angry enough to declare war!" Titus screams and Nova takes one small step. Clarke begins to run over to Nova but Titus and Iris shoot at Clarke multiple times but misses.

"No!" Nova screams as she starts running over t Clarke until Lexa's bedroom door opens. Clarke and Nova try to make a run through the door, when Lexa appears and a shot is fired. Both Clarke and Nova stop and looks to Lexa.

"Lexa..." Nova looks to Lexa who has a bullet hole through her shirt and black blood drips onto the floor. "Oh.." Clarke breaths out as her and Nova run to Lexa and catch her before she falls.

"Let's get her to the bed!" Nova shouts and Clarke nods her head as Murphy comes to help carry Lexa to her bed. "I need something to stop the bleeding! You'll be okay. Just lie still, okay? Lie still" Clarke says as Nova looks around the room.

Nova sighs and continues to look around the room when Titus opens a kit from his dress. "She's losing too much blood" Clarke says and Nova turns to look at Titus.

"What the hell is that? Titus, what are you doing?" Nova questions angrily. Nova sees Iris slowly walk into the room in shock. "Get out! Get the hell out!" Nova shouts and walks towards Iris.

"I-I'm sorry. She wasn't supposed to- to- to walk out okay? It was meant for Clarke" Iris argues and Nova pushes Iris away. "Even worse!" Nova shrieks looking to Iris.

"Let me apologize!" Iris shouts and Nova scoffs. "Apologize? No! You don't get to apologize. What you can do is leave because I or Clarke or anyone never want to see you again!" Nova screams backing Iris out of the room.

"Your forgetting. When Lexa's dead they'll need another commander" Iris says getting in Nova's face before Nova pushes Iris out of the room and slams the door in her face.

Nova walks over to Clarke who applies pressure on Lexa's wound. "My spirit will live on" Lexa whispers and Nova sighs. "Come on, Lexa" Nova sighs ripping her sheets and applying it on her wound to stop the bleeding.

"There's nothing you can do now. The next Commander will protect you both" Lexa mumbles and Nova shakes her head. "Lexa, we don't want the next commander" Nova states honestly and Clarke nods her head heavily breathing.

"We want you so you have to live for your people" Clarke states and Lexa looks like she's on her last legs and Nova notices but doesn't stop trying to help her.

Titus begins to do a ritual with Lexa's blood but that doesn't stop Nova and Clarke from trying to help her. Murphy stands away shocked at the site. "My fight is over" Lexa mumbles as her eyes fill with tears. "No, No it's not" Clarke shakes her head oblivious.

"You were right, Clarke. Life is about more than just surviving" Lexa says putting a smile on her face. "In peace may you leave the shore" Nova starts and looks over to Clarke. "In love may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels until our final journey on the ground" Clarke adds on and Nova takes a deep breath.

"May we meet again" Clarke and Nova say in unison as Lexa slowly slips away and her face drops into a lifeless one. Nova and Clarke couldn't help but feel horrible about everything.

"I must complete the ritual. Please. The Commander's spirit must be passed on. This is my purpose. You must allow me to complete the task. It is what the Commander wanted" Titus states as Murphy slowly steps beside Nova. "We should go, okay?" Murphy suggests and Nova looks over at him then looks him up and down and grabs Clarke's shoulders and slowly pulls her away.

"What are you doing?" Clarke asks as Titus turns over Lexa to reveal an infinity symbol on her neck. Nova and Clarke watch with confusion as Murphy watches with slight fear. "The sacred symbol" Murphy mumbles grabbing Nova's attention as they all look at the sacred symbol.

Titus reveals on slit in Lexa's neck, Titus takes a knife and reopens the scar. "What are you doing? Oh my god" Nova questions in complete shock. This thing with long legs gets out of Lexa's neck. Titus takes it.

"It's an A.I." Murphy states and Titus looks back at him. "Wrong. It's the spirit of the Commander" Titus says turning back to Lexa. Titus places the chip inside a box and picks up Lexa. Titus calls upon the guards in Trigesdasleng. Guards appear and open the door.

"Let the conclave begin. The Commander is dead" Titus says with slight sadness in his voice. "May her spirit choose wisely" Titus says walking out the room and Nova and Clarke look in complete shock. Guards lock Murphy and Clarke inside room. Murphy, Clarke and Nova rush to the door trying to open the door.

"Titus! Hey!" They all shout banging on the door hoping someone will hear them.