Careers Don't Love

Chapter Seven

Katniss POV

It's a trick.

It has to be. 

Cato is still looking steadily at me, dark blue eyes searching my face for an answer.

What he receives is a question.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"You want to make it back home to your sister, don't you? Join us. No one will dare to touch you when you're with us. Trust me."

That's just the thing - should I trust him?

Then I remember the kindness he showed me the previous night, the way he held me in his arms and stroked my hair and I realize that there's another side to Cato that maybe he's just never shown to anyone.

"I'll...I'll think about it," I say.

Cato's eyes show a flash of hurt before settling on steely anger. "I'd just like to remind you, Fire Girl, that I saved your life last night. And yet, you don't trust me, do you?"

I struggle to find the words to explain. "How do I know that you're not setting me up?" I blurt. "You could be drawing me in and towards the end, you'd kill me. There's only one victor in this."

My eyes flick toward the blonde from district one and Cato's partner Clove.

Clove's face is partly amused and partly annoyed. She raises an eyebrow at me and I flush, my gaze moving on to Blondie.

She's clearly infuriated, her green eyes alight with malice and anger, fixated firmly on me. If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under.

"Don't worry about them. They'll listen to me. I won't let them hurt you." I look up to see that Cato's been observing me. His eyes are reassuring. I don't know what to think.

"I'll....I'll let you know tomorrow."

I can see that Cato's not quite satisfied by this answer but he accepts it all the same. He nods curtly and turns away.

Peeta comes up to me, a curious expression on his face. "What did he want?"

I shrug. I don't really want to tell Peeta what Cato asked me. "He...wanted me to join the Careers."

Peeta's expression changes immediately. "Why would he ask you to join him? It must be a trap."

Despite the fact that this was what I was thinking myself, Peeta's comment irks me. "What? You think I'm not strong enough to join the Careers?"

He backtracks instantly. "No! I mean - I've seen what you can do with a bow and arrows, Katniss. I know you're just as good as the Careers. I just don't trust them, you know?"

And I do know. Do I really want to trust these people, only to get a knife in the back later?

***

"Yes." Haymitch nods. "Its a good idea."

Peeta looks flabbergasted. "Haymitch, let's think about this - "

Haymitch cuts him off instantly. "From what I've heard, 2 seems to have taken a liking to you, Katniss. Turning him down at this point would not be a good idea. You could make him hate you, and if that happens your odds are considerably lower."

I swallow, trying not to let Haymitch's words daunt me.

"But they could kill her," Peeta argues.