Dangerous Affection- The Hunger Games- A Cato Love Story

Chapter 17: Alliances Fall

Chapter 17- Alliances Fall

"What are you talking about?" I ask Cato, his idea sounding impossible in my mind.

"You heard me." Cato says.

I look at him for a moment. "That's insane."

He shrugs. "Not really. It could work. I just need a bit of time to figure out just what we have to do."

I shake my head. "Just... Good luck with that." I look up at the sky, and see it darkening. When it was morning only moments ago, it seemed like the Gamemakers have other ideas. My mind immediately jumps to Sadie and Lucas, and I stand up with a start.

Cato sighs. "Really Angel? They survived without you for a while. I think they can make it for just a night. Or longer." He smirks.

I feel heat flush my face. "Are you going to take me back there, or should I start heading back myself?"

Cato studies me for a moment, judging how set I was on this. "Can't have anything happen to you. I'm coming."

We make our way down the mountain, and sprint across the open field towards the woods. We break down to a light jog, and soon we are less than a mile from where I left Sadie and Lucas. I'm itching to get back to them.

Of course, nothing can be the way I want it too, and when I hear Lucas's and Sadie's screams pierce the quiet evening, I'm already off and running.

"Alexandra! Don't! Come back!" I barely hear Cato scream at me, racing to try and keep up. I don't even slow a bit. I had already claimed them as my responsibility, and I am letting them down.

I get there to find Catcher and Clove attacking Lucas and Sadie. Catcher has Lucas held on the ground, making him watch while Clove has a knife at Sadie's throat. No one could hear anything above Lucas's stream of insults and threats, and Clove looks up in time to see me.

A worried look crosses her face, and she swiftly slides the knife along Sadie's throat. An arrow is notched and fired before I even process what just occurred. As I stumble over to where Sadie is now lying face down in the dirt, and off to the side I see an arrow sticking out of Clove's chest, directly where her heart is.

A second it took to kill her, but I was a second too late.

I try not to focus on the fact that two cannons fire, signaling Clove and Sadie's deaths. As I kneel beside Sadie, I begin to turn her over, but am stopped by Lucas's choking sob tells me that it would be too much for him. I leave her lying in a pool of her own blood.

Catcher has run off, but I can make him out through the trees. I step over to Clove and see the knife lying on the ground beside her. I pick it up, and decide it's time for a little fun.

Cato comes up behind me, sword drawn. I look at him, and then to the sword. "Give it to me."

"What?" Cato looks at me confused.

"I said give it to me! Catcher is getting away!"

He's doesn't question me, handing over his weapon.

I go off the way Catcher ran, and can find where he went crashing through the woods easily. Soon I can see him again, his frantic face flashing into view every time he looked back at me.

"Stand and fight, you coward!" I yell at him. He runs a few more yards, before realizing the world is watching him, and he's running from a girl. He stops, and spins around to face me.

Seeing the sword in my hand, Catcher draws his. "Ha... You think you can beat me, little girl? I've trained for this day!"

"Trained? Last time I checked, that was frowned upon," I remind him, getting closer.

"Frowned upon? Sweetie, you can't get anywhere in life following the rules."

"I've made it this far." I remind him.

"And this is as far as you're going to make it." Catcher claims, and lunges.

Swords clash, and soon Catcher goes from offense to defense. It's all he can do to block my sword, and even then he can't block them all. He's got a deep gash on his arm, and is forced to switch hands. I can tell he's barely practiced with his less dominant hand, and I over take him easily. I see Lucas running up behind Catcher, Cato close behind. I let down my guard for an instant, but it was enough time for Catcher to give me the same deep wound to match his own. The humor in his eyes makes me forget about the pain long enough to swing the blade into his skull.

Catcher drops to the ground, dead in an instant. A cannon fires. I drop down on my knees beside him, clutching my arm. The wound started at my left shoulder, and went down, veering off towards the inside of my arm. Cato and Lucas run up to me then, and help me to my feet.

"Damn Angel. That was some fight you had going there."

If I could slap him, I would.

"Shut-up! Can't you see she's hurt?" Lucas yells at Cato. I look at him in surprise, and manage a small smile. "Come on, Alexandra."

They help me back to our little campsite, and we find Clove and Sadie's bodies gone. They couldn't remove the blood stains out of the dirt, though, and I can easily picture Sadie's limp, lifeless body lying there. I hope she gets a proper funeral.

Cato is cutting off my sleeve, and tying it around the wound when Lucas speaks up.

"Alexandra, you can't let the Games get to you," he whispers softly.

I look over to him. "What are you talking about? I did what I had to do. He tried to kill you... And he and Clove killed Sadie." I add at the end.

Lucas shakes his head. "I know that Alexandra, but you didn't see yourself! All it took was an arrow to the heart or skull or whatever, but the Games have turned you into a savage just like the rest. You were and are an amazing person, and you can't let the Capitol change you. Don'y you get it...? You don't really win if they change who you are. I'd rather die in here as myself then let those rich and snobby freaks change me into something I'm not... Wouldn't you?"

I let his words sink in. I didn't expect a boy like him to think so... Deeply. But even though it strikes me as odd, he wasn't any less right. I don't want to change, especially at the Capitol's hands. I look at my little group, Lucas obviously still shaken up over Sadie, but still able to teach a lesson or two, and I glance to my left at Cato, who is still trying to make sure I don't bleed out. His eyes roll up to meet mine, and the corner of his mouth tilts up ever so slightly before he looks back at what he is doing. Right then, I decide to put all my faith into whatever plan Cato comes up with.

It hits me that we are the only ones left, but then I remember Ryder and the girl from Five- Elias. I haven't seen either of them since the start, and they haven't caused any problems that I know of.

Something tells me that won't last for long.