"A Phoenix must burn before it rises."
OR
In which two tributes not only find their way back to the Hunger Games, but back to each other.
Finnick Odair x Fem OC
Catching Fire
Book 1 in the 'Phoenix' series
Started...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Phoenix felt the sand shift under her feet before she sat down next to Katniss. "So, besides Cassian, Brutus, and Enobaria, who's left?" Katniss asks, struggling to keep track of who was still alive in the arena. "Maybe Chaff. Just those 4." Peeta replies, having not been able to shake the image of the man who had kissed Katniss during the tribute parade.
"They know they're outnumbered. I doubt they'll attack again." Finnick said, reminding them the Careers weren't foolish enough to risk another fight, especially after what had happened at the Cornucopia. "That means we're safe on the beach." Phoenix sighed, hoping their alliance could finally catch their breath for a moment.
Johanna sank deeper into her hip as she weighed the different options in her head. "So what do we do? Hunt them down?" She asked, wanting nothing more than for the Games to end as quickly as possible. The words barely left her mouth when a high-pitched scream suddenly tore through the jungle, cutting through the silence.
All six tributes snapped their heads towards the scream that was coming from deep in the jungle. It was unfamiliar to Phoenix, too high-pitched to belong to Enobaria, leaving her wondering who it belonged to. When she saw the others react to the sound as well, Phoenix knew it was not just in her head.
"Katniss, help me!" the voice cried out, louder this time. Phoenix's stomach dropped as she finally recognized the high-pitched cries. She had heard it during the reaping of the 74th Hunger Games. It was Primrose Everdeen, Katniss's younger sister. Phoenix's head snapped to look at Katniss, watching as the realization set in on her face. In that moment, everything clicked.
The GameMakers had released jabberjays into the arena.
Phoenix watched as Katniss sprang to her feet and bolted into the jungle, chasing the sound of Prim's cries. Without hesitation, Phoenix ran after her. Neither of them cared that they had abandoned their alliance, leaving Peeta and Finnick confused, worried, and a good distance away from them.
The girl from District 5 screamed Katniss's name again and again. Katniss grew more frantic with each cry, ignoring Phoenix's calls as she fired arrows into the air at the mutts. Phoenix was desperately trying to get her attention while forcing back the memories of her own traumatic experience with jabberjays.
Memories of her own Games flooded back as Phoenix ran behind Katniss. The pitch-black arena, the wails and cries of dying tributes in their final moments, and the blood that stained her ears as she pressed her hands against them, desperate to block out the sound. Night after night, the voices of dead tributes' final moments drove the living ones to madness. Yet the high-pitched screams of Primrose Everdeen calling for Katniss were so much more personal.
Watching Katniss begin to slow, Phoenix pushed ahead until she caught up. Slightly out of breath, she set her hands on Katniss's shoulder, making sure their eyes met. "Katniss, are you okay?" she asked, trying to steady her. Before Katniss could answer, another familiar voice echoed through the jungle.
