A Knife in the Dark | ✓

Twenty Three

I couldn't share my epiphany with Jake and Saylee. I couldn't do that to them. So I remained silent, bit my tongue, and held back the tears.

I was in the middle of a nightmare, long lost now, when I was shaken awake by Jake. "Atala," he sounded excited. "Atala! Get up!"

"What?" I moaned, blinking at him, my hair tangled in my eyes. I brushed it away.

"They just made an announcement." The years of stress that he'd gained since the Reaping seemed to have melted away. "There can be two Victors if they're from the same district."

"What?" I sat straight up, suddenly very awake. That was not expected. That was not going along with my newfound knowledge. Two Victors? Cato and Clove had a chance to get out together!

The camera was on them as Jake filled me in. They were hugging tightly, and Clove was smiling and laughing as Cato spun her around. They seemed like themselves again, and of course, they were alone. They were the only Careers left.

"We can get out of here together!" Clove sounded relieved. "My god, Cato, we don't have to worry now!"

He set her down and ruffled her hair as he'd done a million times before, and I watched the carefree smile I was used to darken once more. "Not quite." He said. "We still have four other tributes to deal with." His eyes fell on the trees in the distance.

Clove followed his gaze, and then she grabbed his jacket, drawing his attention back to her. "We'll deal with him first thing." She assured him fiercely. "We're getting out of here, Cato. We're close."

He stared down at her for a minute, then shook his head. "You're not coming with me." He said. "I'm leaving at dawn." He turned and moved towards their small setup of supplies, grabbing a backpack and starting to stuff it full of certain things. I was proud to watch him stuff in a first aid kit and an impressive collection of small weapons, as well as some materials for traps.

"Wait, what?" Clove's eyes were wide. "Oh, no way in hell are you going after him without me."

"It's too dangerous." He snapped. "Thresh is bigger than me. You'll be no match for him."

"Let me help you. You can't take him alone."

"I'm perfectly capable of handling him, thanks." Cato growled. "I'll only be gone a few hours."

"You're not going anywhere. We're not splitting up." She was glaring at his back. "In case you've forgotten, both Twelves are still out there."

"They're harmless." He laughed. "And in case you've forgotten, only one of them is capable of fighting. You'll be fine. They won't even bother coming and searching--Katniss has got to keep an eye on Loverboy. I hear his health these days is...declining."

The camera changed scenes, revealing Katniss, searching through the darkness. I rested back against the pillows once more, and the Games melted into my dreams.

✗

When I woke once more, Jake had made breakfast, and Katniss had found Peeta. She was caring for him, trying to handle his fever, but it wasn't going away. They were hidden in a cave somewhere in the arena.

As I tentatively ate a few blueberries and watched Katniss caring for Peeta, it occurred to me that they were the ones meant to win, not Cato and Clove. The rule had been made for Katniss and Peeta, not Cato and Clove. Of course, I knew that theories of Cato and Clove were swirling the Capitol (Clove's mother had been so kind as to bring us a magazine straight from the Capitol with Cato and Clove on the cover, questioning the possibility of a second set of star-crossed lovers in the Games. Jake had snorted and tossed it into the trash).

As we were watching, Katniss leaned forward and kissed Peeta. Saylee rolled her eyes, and Jake shook his head. There was the familiar beeping of a sponsor gift, and Katniss raced up out of the cave to retrieve it.

"That's all so fake." Saylee grumbled. "I don't think she even likes him."

"Probably not." Jake snorted. "I mean, they go into the Games and suddenly he announces that he's in love with her? She'd even looked pissed."

"They're the ones the Capitol wants to win." I said. "Cato and Clove need to get rid of them, fast."

"They need to handle Thresh first." Jake said. "Katniss and Peeta might be more popular, but Thresh isn't incapacitated. And because Rue's dead, he's going to go after them soon. He really cared for that little girl."

We fell silent, pondering it. Who was more dangerous--the girl with the arrows, who had a little sister at home she needed to return to, or the strong boy whose district partner had been murdered by an ally of Cato and Clove's?