The Hunger Games: The Violent Hour

:The Hunger Games: The Violent Hour: (15) Descendant

Chapter Fifteen

"So she's okay," I say, taking a deep breath and looking at my brother. He pushes himself off the wall outside of the room my mother is in.

"She is?" he asks, a brief smiling lighting up his face. I nod and we both start making our way to our rooms. "Dad..." he starts.

"He said he'll be there tonight," I tell him curtly, not wanting to listen to any of his whining.

"But he's still in the hospital, Iris," Rye whispers as an Avox passes us. We're both quiet, and nod briefly to the attendant. He gives us a sorry look.

"He said he'll be there, all right?" I snap at him. His face looks hurt and I quickly try to compensate. "If there's one thing our parents have never failed on is promises. So don't worry."

"They're the interviews. I've never been more scared in my entire life," Rye says with a frown.

I chuckle. "Even more than when we found out we were going into the Games?"

He gulps some air and then responds, "Yes."

"Even more than when we found out Haymitch was probably going to be our only mentor?" I ask.

He pauses before answering. "Okay, maybe that beats the interviews."

We both laugh. I see my room, and I start slowing down. "Hey, he got both of our parents out of the arena alive."

"Twice," Rye says. "But that was more than thirty years ago."

"So? He's still the same person," I say.

"I guess." We arrive at my door. "But we're not prepared like everybody else."

"Okay, so we had to spend most of our time in a hospital rather than training or meeting with our stylists," I mumble.

"And we had to skip out on the opening ceremonies," Rye adds.

"And that," I agree. "But we're the children of the two most famous people in Panem." I cross my arms. "The two people responsible for our freedom."

"What freedom?" Rye says. "Look where we are now. And in that war, many people were killed. Many the relatives of the people that live today. There has to be some contempt for that."

"Yes, but it wasn't their fault-"

"Iris, our mother is the person responsible for the war," Rye whispers angrily.

"She didn't-"