Kindling the Spark

Strike Three

17: Strike Three

Gale POV

On the screens, I can see Katniss and her allies recovering from the jabberjays. I slowly realise that my name was coming up there as well, not quite as often as Prim's, but often. I wonder how the Capitol chose which voices they would use. Do they have a way of finding out how much people love each other? I know that they have a lot of technology, more than any of us not in a career District could dream of. Except District Three I suppose, as they make the technology.

I switch screens to a close-up of Haymitch. There were almost no jabberjay calls to him, nor to Johanna either. Do they have no one left that they love or even care for? I guess I knew that Haymitch didn't, he lives alone, has no family and is often too drunk to think about anyone else. Johanna though? Maybe that's why she seems to hate Katniss so much. Why she seems to hate everyone who still has some sort of life left apart from revenge and the rebellion.

"Gale?" Annie asks, prodding my arm. "They're OK, aren't they? Johanna didn't hurt Finnick too badly, did she? This is all my fault," she says, clutching her head in her arms.

"How is this your fault?" I ask her. "You just sat here. There was nothing you could have done for him. The Capitol sent the jabberjays, not you. Don't blame yourself just because your voice was in there. Mine was as well."

"No, it's my fault because I'm his weakness. His only weakness- mine was the only voice he heard. I'm useless as a mentor, useless as a victor and I'm just a burden to him. I should have died in the Games."

"No, you shouldn't have," I insist. "Trust me, what you are to Finnick is not a weakness. Having others you care for and who care for you is not weak. You're the only one Finnick has left, if it weren't for you he would have probably turned to drink and drugs long ago. Like Haymitch did, if he had someone to ground him he probably wouldn't have done that."

"Johanna didn't turn to drugs," Annie counters. "And that doesn't stop me from being a weakness as well, and useless as a mentor. I can't even watch any of the fight scenes without reliving my own Games. I can't give him help when he needs it. I wish I'd just let someone else be his mentor now. I was so selfish."

"Johanna chose revenge to keep her going. It isn't necessarily better. And wanting to be here to help Finnick was not selfish of you." Illogical, yes, I think. But not selfish. "It's only human that you want to protect him. You love him after all, anyone could see it. Even the Capitolites who have no concept of love could see it."

"You don't get it," Annie sighs. "You aren't a weakness to Katniss. She isn't a weakness to you. You both make each other stronger, you wouldn't work on your own. You don't know what it's like to know that your love is strong in every way and you are the only weakness they have."

I open my mouth to respond, but she cuts me off.

"Finnick is the only one who matters in our relationship. He's the one who can fight, he's the one who everyone loves. He's the one who knows all the secrets. And what am I? Just a mad girl from his District who he was unlucky enough to fall in love with. I couldn't even win my Games on my own."

"You didn't have allies.."

"Outside the arena I did. Do you know what that flood cost? No? Finnick had to sleep with the Head Gamemaker's daughter for that, and use all of the blackmail information he has from other sources."

Her words stop me short. Sure, I knew that Finnick was a sex symbol, that practically everyone in the Capitol was in love with him because he was pretty and could kill with a trident, but I didn't know that he slept with Capitolites for money. If they even give him money. I doubt he's allowed to refuse.