Secrets of the Sea | Finnick Odair

- chapter 23 -

CORDELIA

"Let me get this straight, while Mags was teaching me the ins and outs of getting Sponsors, you almost broke every rule?"

Since the private sessions were today Finnick had taken her to a private room to train in.

"Key word, almost." She reminded. Throwing a knife at a target from across the room, it sailed and hit her target. "Why haven't we been using this room before now?" Finnick rolled his eyes.

"These rooms aren't open for the tributes until the final training day, which also just so happens to be the same day as the private sessions." Passing her another knife, Cordelia threw again, aiming for a different target. "It forces tributes to be in the main center, helps the trainers keep track of everyone, and guarantees they do the compulsory trainings." Again her aim was true, hitting her target dead on. Cordelia hummed and held her hand out for another knife. Finnick wasted no time passing one off to her. She let it balance on her finger, before throwing it up, catching it, and aiming at her original target.

With a soft thump, her knife embedded itself beside the previous knife she had thrown.

"What was that just then?"

"What was what?" Finnick gestured to her hand with his.

"That little hand thing, with your finger and the knife." He tried the same move, his attempt falling with a clatter on the ground. "Because I sure as hell didn't teach you that." Cordelia thought about it slightly. Finnick was right, he hadn't taught her that. In fact, she couldn't remember doing that before, ever.

"I don't know." Picking up Finnick's failed attempt Cordelia balanced it on her finger again, watching as it settled into her, only moving slightly with each breath she took. Racking her brain she tried to think where she had seen it before. "Maybe the tribute center?" That was the only other place she had seen people with knives, and they knew how to use them.

"Didn't you say you didn't touch the knives?"

"Truthfully I didn't, at one point I really, really wanted to, but I stopped myself." Staring at the perfectly balanced knife Cordelia continued. "I think watching the trainer and some of the other tributes rubbed off on me. I was just thinking about what you told me, back in District Four. About how knives are way more common in the arena and I'd be way more likely to come across one naturally. Knowing that, seeing who can use knives would be beneficial, it would help me assess threats. Knives can be small and hidden." She nodded her head at the targets behind her. "If they can do anything like this, then I want to know who to keep away from."

Finnick smiled, and handed her the rest of the knives he held, Cordelia took them and let them fly. They both looked at the targets from across the room. All killing hits. Finnick's smile morphed into a smirk.

"I am such a good teacher."

...

˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡ °.𓆞 ·˙

...

"I can't Finnick." Cordelia cried. Bending to reach her level, Finnick put his hands on her face and wiped the falling tears from her cheeks.

"Hey, hey, look at me. Delia-" With her vision blurred it was a struggle. "Cordelia," Finnick implored, "Calm down."

Despite his words, Cordelia couldn't focus. Everything was going so well, but as soon as Avoxes had brought in new targets she'd broken down. They'd brought in new targets, mannequins shaped like each tribute. In an instant, she had dropped to the floor. With all this training one-on-one with Finnick Cordelia had pushed the reality down. The games started soon, and she would be forced into situations where she would have to kill. Unfortunately, the Avoxes had come at the worst time. When she'd finally been able to practice with knives again, after the past three days of not being able to even touch them.