𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐄 ▸ HUNGER GAMES [ 1 ]

TWENTY ONE

"Just leave him. He'll be dead by the time we walk ten metres." Says Cato, preparing to move deeper into the woods. "Come on."

"You're really liking this idea of not properly killing tributes this week, aren't you?" I joke, thinking of our encounter a couple of nights back. It's so silly to think of now, that we even argued over whether to go back and check if the girl was dead.

"If they're gonna die anyway then what does it matter?" Cato rebukes, sniggering.

I huff and roll my eyes at him. "It means we're wasting time waiting for a cannon, just give me that." Irritated, I reach across the space between us to pull the sword from his belt, and drive it straight through the bloody wound in the boy's back. One final strangled yelp bubbles from his throat, and the sound of the cannon echoes across the arena.

"There, now we can move on." I declare with finality. I wipe the blade on the grass and hold it back out to him. He takes it without a word, mouth slightly open and icy blue eyes held wide in awe. I start off into the trees without him, but I hear him mutter something under his breath as he slides the sword back into his belt. I'm suddenly wishing for Glimmer and her expert hearing – she figured out his unclear words in the training centre, after all. But the thought of her brings an unwelcome pang of hurt to my chest which I try to dispel as quickly as possible.

"Come on, Cato. You don't want to be picked up by that hovercraft as well, do you." I call over my shoulder.

But Cato is ready with a counter fit for the Academy. "I don't know why you're worrying about me, you're the one who looks like death right now." He quips. When I spin on my heels to glare him down, he's smirking at me, lip caught between his teeth. If he wasn't so beautiful I might want to kill him. Even with the Tracker Jacker sting colouring his cheek rosy pink, the sight of him is testing my restraint.

But however much I want him to back me up into the nearest tree and kiss me until I can't think straight, it can't happen. It will never happen again. This is why he is teasing me – because long before we stood up on that stage with Tallulah, before he pulled me by the hand across the rooftop garden of the training centre. Before the odds were not in our favour, we were just two kids forever trying to beat each other.

It's the only normal thing we have left now.

So instead of tangling into his arms to loose myself in the feeling of his lips on mine, I fix him with a condescending smile, brows raised. "Careful Hadley." A tiny gasp escapes my lips as I realise how long its been since I last called him that. I'm suddenly terrified, wondering if he'll take it badly. So much has happened in the time since I stopped using his family name.

But Cato just sighs quietly, laughing to himself as he holds out a hand. "In all seriousness, we really should get out of here before they bring that hovercraft in."

Sighing in pure relief, I reach out to close my fingers around his and allow him to lead us back to camp. Damn it. Damn it all.

° ° ° ° 

The news of another downed tribute brightens the mood over lunch. We delve into another bag of supplies from the pyramid and settle down beside the fire pit, happily munching our way through a whole pack of dried beef, tins of bean stew and a couple of apples. The death of the boy in the woods will mean the crowds in the Capitol are satiated for at least a day, meaning we can relax without fear of the Gamemakers' wrath.