Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

xxiii. wrenching

twenty-three - wrenching

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how am i not dead already? my heart has stopped. i no longer feel the beating in my chest, the blood circulating through my veins. am i even breathing?

bliss gives me no time to think about it. in one quick movement, she swings her axe toward my face. i drop to the ground on instinct and use the same tactic i did for carly– swiping my feet under her legs. bliss stumbles and crashes to the ground with a grunt.

matthias seizes the chance. he kicks the axe out of her hand, moving it inches out of her reach. he holds her down as she struggles from beneath him, lithe body thrashing in his iron grip. "thalia, whatever you're going to do" – a strangled gasp interrupts his speech as bliss manages to land a blow to his stomach – "do it now!"

i scramble to my feet and raise my knife. bliss's enraged eyes meet mine for a second before she shoves matthias off of her with inhuman strength. he rolls backward and immediately gets back on his feet, swaying a bit.

bliss retrieves her weapon and smirks. "thought you could get rid of me that easily, huh, twelve?"

my lips curl into a snarl. "what did i tell you about calling me that?"

the fight is unfair. bliss's new speed and strength, along with the fact that her skin is like steel, amount to the two of us. she's too powerful. we can't win with both of us coming out alive in the end.

bliss lunges forward with a battle cry and swings her axe toward my midsection. ice-cold terror courses through my veins for a fleeting moment at how close she had been to hitting my wound. my hands are getting sweaty and my knives feel like they're slipping, forcing me to clench onto them tighter so they don't fall.

matthias charges at her with his sword. she pivots at the last second and the tip of her weapon slices his bicep open. he grits his teeth and ignores the blood trickling down from his arm, slashing out and creating a shallow gash on her abdomen.

i trade my knives for a ring dagger. this one has a circle at the end that i can put my index finger through and makes it easier to hold. my arm zooms forward, aimed at bliss's throat, but she knocks me backward and my arm bends the wrong way for a second. i cry out, gripping my elbow. the pain vanishes once i see that matthias is trying his hardest to take bliss down, but every slash of his sword is no match for her axe and quick movements.

somehow, she is able to jam her elbow directly in the middle of his chest. as he topples backward, he brings his sword down and slices a long gash along bliss's forearm. matthias lies on the ground, clutching his throat. strangled gasps escape his chapped lips. he has had the air knocked out of him.

"looks like your warrior princess isn't coming to your rescue, huh?" bliss taunts, not even seeming to notice that blood is gushing from the wound on her arm or midsection. she stands above him, axe slung over her shoulder carelessly.

matthias is still choking. his frightened eyes meet mine for a millisecond before he kicks his foot out hard, connecting it with bliss's shin. he pushes himself to the side and rolls as she falls forward.

she isn't down for long. i've just started to push myself to a standing position, as well as matthias, when she jumps to her feet. i resist the urge to groan. can't she just die already?

matthias puts his hand against the trunk of a tree for support as he vainly attempts to catch his breath. he coughs violently and i can see his eyes watering. he doesn't seem to notice bliss sneaking up behind him.

"no!" i shout as bliss raises her axe. it all goes in slow motion. i remove the ring dagger from my finger and launch it at her, but she dodges it and uses the momentum to bring her closer to matthias. my feet are carrying me toward her before i can tell them to. the sharp blade comes closer to his back. i won't get there in time.