¹ THRONE ─ the hunger games

[ 020 ] in the dark and out of harm

"At least you can shoot right-handed, right?" Opal said in an attempt to be reassuring, while they trudged down the dirt path. Even though she was hiding her limp well, Iko could tell by the tension in her face and the slight falter in her breathing that her sprained ankle was a serious problem. Good. If Opal wasn't at her peak performance, then killing her when the time came wouldn't be a problem. (Though Iko knew the others thought the same about her and her mauled shoulder, too. But Iko trusted her mentors to draw in sponsors for her—she had to. At least someone in the Capitol had to like her, right?)

"Probably," Iko lied, the pain in her shoulder wavering her tone. Flicking a cautious glance at the sky, Iko raised her walkie-talkie and clicked the button on the side. A crackle of static burst through the whine of the bugs in the underbrush. "Ten, come in."

"I'm here," came the crepitated response on the other end.

"Are the supplies still secure?"

"Yes. But I need to show you something when you all get back."

"Good—"

"Do we have any medical supplies in there?" Alex interjected. Iko cut him a cool look. She would've preferred not to let Elias know about any of their injuries until they were back at camp. Call it cynical, but if Elias got the slightest inkling that any of them were critically injured, he might try to double-cross them, knowing they were in no shape to hunt him down and make a show of it. In such a crucial time as this, Iko didn't need an inconvenience caused by a tribute from a weaker district. Especially if he was sitting on all of their supplies.

"Just a sewing kit and some bandages. What happened out there?"

Alex opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Iko released the button and the walkie-talkie fell silent. He slanted Iko a deadpan look as she pocketed the device, but Iko didn't bother explaining. Alex needed to trust her decisions. Evander had said so himself—the only team that should matter was both of them. Not the Career pack, but the two of them.

When they finally made it back to camp, Iko stopped dead in her tracks.

"Where are our supplies?" Iko gritted out, stabbing emphasis into each word, as she glimpsed the empty space on the bank where their supplies once stood. An acidic feeling crept through her veins. Titus cocked his head, arching a brow at Elias expectantly, raising his rifle as though Elias might give him an answer he didn't like. Sage had run past them and dunked her head into the river, sagging against the sandy bank. Only Alex held onto his composure. Iko didn't understand how he could be this calm.

"That's just it. Hear me out," Elias said, holding up his hands in mock surrender, his eyes furtively darting towards her knives, then to the blood seeping through the bandage on her left shoulder. "While you guys were gone, I found something." He beckoned them, turning to the waterfall.

"This better be good," Sage grunted, following after him, Titus and Opal in tow.

Iko and Alex exchanged a meaningful look before doing the same. Elias led them to the base of the waterfall, where the water was a thunderous white noise, and Iko found it difficult to hear anything Elias was telling them over the deafening roar. Large rocks stuck out like a mismatched set of teeth from the riverbed, and the mist that clouded the air stuck to her skin like a smothering membrane. Finally, Iko spotted it. Elias pointed out a small gap between the water and the rock face it was cascading down. He darted through it, and so did they.

One hand firmly planted on her good arm, Alex kept Iko steady as they bounded over the slippery moss-covered rocks and disappeared through the slip of an entrance, emerging into a dimly lit cave where Elias had propped a torch against the wall, aiming it at the ceiling, that was just an inch above Alex's head. Just big enough for the six of them. A perfect hiding spot, deep enough to stay dry despite the mist kicked up by the waterfall, cool enough to fend off the persistent humidity, but not chilly enough to freeze to death. In the back, Iko spotted all of the crates nestled against the wall. Her lips curled, chest deflating as the anger fled her veins. No excuse to kill anyone today, she supposed.