Dangerous Allies // Cato Hadley

Part 16: Nightlock

Eve watched the flames dance along the fire's logs late into the night. At the careers' camp there was no fear of being hunted down and killed for trying to keep warm.

She watched as Clove and Marvel slept peacefully beside the fire.

Her hand drifted to the spear by her side. It would be easy to kill them. She could get it done and over with in less than a minute.

"Don't make me kill you."

Eve's eyes darted to Cato's.

He was slouched against the side of the cornucopia, watching her through his eyebrows. The whites below his eyes looked far larger than usual and she shifted in the grass, feeling her hair raise on end.

She looked away from him and back to the spear that now rested on top of her thighs. "Don't act like you're not gonna do it any day now."

"Not yet." His deep voice rumbled as he tried to stay quiet, not wanting to wake the others. "We still need them."

"Once Katniss is dead I'll make quick work of it." He assured her.

She didn't like how he was talking. He seemed to have everyone's death planned out.

"Then what?"

He stayed quiet as his eyes bore into hers.

They both knew what would happen next. He would do what he promised that day in the elevator.

"Get some sleep." His voice was low as he spoke through the cold night air.

Eve laid down with a heavy heart. She was safe tonight, but that wouldn't last. It couldn't.

Cato watched her through the flames. He wanted to know what she was thinking.

Her eyes looked dim through the firelight. As if the light was slowly being drained from them. He hoped it wasn't the case. He enjoyed the few times he got to hear her laugh. Her real laugh. Not the act she put on for the capital.

She relaxed as her body drifted off to sleep. He liked how her face looked when it wasn't creased with worry.

But even in sleep her peace didn't last long. Soon Cato's light doze was interrupted by her huffing in her sleep.

He got up with the sole intention of shaking her awake, but paused when he squatted in front of her.

Her eyebrows were pushed together and her body was curled into a tight ball. Whether she was shaking from the cold or her nightmare, he wasn't sure.

He shrugged out of his jacket and laid it over her body. It covered her completely and she clung to it in her sleep.

A soft smile pricked at the sides of his mouth as she relaxed, small fingers clutching the red material.

Cato told himself he was happy because it shut her up and he could finally get some sleep. He didn't care if she was comfortable or not. He didn't care about anyone but himself.

*** *** ***

The next morning went as well as it could have sitting around the fire with a group of murderers.

"Ready to go hunting?" Marvel asked with a wicked grin.

"Always." Cato laughed, twirling his sword around his side. "Let's split up."

"I'll go west." Eve said, standing quickly to her feet.

"Oh, no you don't." Cato shook his head. "You're coming with me."