The room is dim, jade standing guard at my back until the door cracks open. Mom and dad slip inside, tense, shoulders drawn tight.

"It's a risk meeting like this. What's wrong?" Mom asks first

"They got into the lab. They know everything." I tell them

Dad stiffens.
"Do they know about you?" He asked

"Not yet. But that doesn't matter now. Because my host wasn't the only nightblood." I smile

"Nightblood?" Dad echoed, confused.

"That's what they call it. It's pretty cool, huh? Anyway- they have more." I reply

His eyes narrow.
"How many more?" He asked

"I don't know. At least one. But there are bound to be others. If not down here then up on their ship. So what do you say we skip the hand wringing and we do what we all know needs to be done before they can leave? Because that's what they're about to do." I say

"So convince them not to." Dad says smoothly

"Russel" mom warns, voice low.

"I will not lower myself to their level." I snap

"Josephine you already have" mom murmurs

"Josie" dad says sharply, a warning and an anchor all at once.

"Dad, I'm tired. I want to sleep in my own bed, wear my own clothes." I pleaded

"And you will. Right after you find out exactly how many of these so called nightbloods they have. If you're right, then we can resurrect the others. And it won't matter we jumped the line for you." He said

"Or that you killed Kaylee" mom adds, almost bitterly.

"After she killed me. Fine, fine, but I hope you know this doesn't end well. Either they find out who I am and kill me before burning this sanctum to the ground, or we body snatch more of them and kill the rest so they don't burn sanctum to the ground. This is what happens when you try to make an omelet without breaking any eggs." I push off the table and walk out.

Later, I slip into the tavern, joining the others clustered at a table.

"Mom, you realize staying says we're okay with what they're doing." Madi argues, small but fierce.

"Yeah? And what the alternative? Go back to space? Sleep for another 100 years on our way to a planet even less likely to support life?" Murphy fires back

"Build our own compound. We won't last out there on our own. Emori, echo, and Raven will be back in the morning. They'll know everything we need to build a radiation shield. After that it's just hard work." Bellamy says

"Over how many lifetimes? No seriously how many eclipses? How many swarms? How many territories attacks?" Murphy snapped again

"I agree with Murphy. I don't like who they are either, but we need them to survive." I say, leaning in.

"They're murderers. Raising people to give up their bodies, brainwashing them into believing they're gods." Jordan cuts in

"He's right. It's a perversion of everything Becca pramheda believed. The flame was about passing wisdom on to the next line, not keeping it all to yourself." Gaia says

"Yeah, well, no offense, but Becca wasn't a god either. She was a scientist who made herself a nightblood in the lab the same way Abby did to Clarke." Murphy says

But I'm only half-listening. My mind hums. Clarke. Madi. Both nightbloods. And Abby- she can make more. Host and demand. We could live forever.

The thought sinks deep, delicious and terrifying.

I'm staring, lost in it, when Jordan suddenly stands, eyes on Delilah. Bellamy shoots up after him, the others following. The room stirs with chaos.

Perfect distraction.

I slip out, brushing past jade.
"Jackpot. Follow me" I said

"Diana!" Bellamy's voice cuts sharp. I turn, schooling my face.

"Everything ok?" I ask

"Get rid of her. I need to talk to you alone. Now please." He said, in that weird grounder language. I freeze, trying to figure it out.

"Give us a minute." I tell jade. She doesn't budge.

"Fine. We'll go in here." I gesture, stepping into a side room. He follows, shutting the door behind us.

The air shifts. My pulse quickens.

"Where were you going?" He asks, voice low.

"To see Abby. What's wrong?" I tilt my head, feigning innocence.

His eyes bore into mine.
"How are we on different sides of this?" He asks

"I know how they survive seems harsh. But from what I've seen, these people are happy. Their world works. We destroyed ours. This isn't about us. So we can judge them, but not ourselves?" I say

"You know I judge myself everyday. I want to know the difference between us and them." His voice cracks with something raw. Then he switches to the grounder language.

"I've seen the faces of the people I've killed when I dream- I know you do too. But they see them in the mirror." He said

The phrase hooks me. Wrong. Unfamiliar. My brain buzzes.

"I'm sorry- Can you repeat that last phrase? It sounds like 'flashpa' means 'flashback'. So was it dream?" I ask, curiosity spilling out before I can stop it.

His eyes go wide. Too wide.

Then- slam. His hands on my mouth, my back hits the wall hard.

"Who are you?" He demanded, teeth bared.

My fingers fumble the needle in my sleeve, jab it into his neck before he can choke the truth out of me. His bode goes slack, eyes rolling, breath ragged.

I kneel over him.
"Josephine Lightbourne. Nice to meet you" I said, with a bright smile.