Trigger Warnings: Death, Blood

Cato pulls the sword from Tasmin's chest, slick with blood. Her mouth gapes and her eyes land on me accusingly as she falls backwards onto the floor.

Cato's mouth twists cruelly, "Twelve down and eleven to go!"

Clove's the first to cheer, and I add my voice to hers. Cato waves his arms in the air, as if doing a dance of victory, as Clove checks the ground for weapons.

Her mouth puckers in distaste, "There's nothing."

And oddly no cannon yet. I glance at Tasmin. Clove's up on her feet already, taking the sword from Cato and wiping his sword. She's too preoccupied to notice the slight rise and fall of Tasmin's chest. How much blood can someone lose before they die? Will Tasmin be able to survive on her own like this?

"She was definitely an idiot then," Cato says, "Better clear out so they can get the body before it starts stinking."

This is the best I can do for her. I turn and walk away, moving quickly as I lead the others away from Tasmin. My eyes fall on the trap that we saw earlier. Katniss has to be around here somewhere.

"What?" I hear Cato say behind me. There's a note of concern in his voice, and I turn to find that Clove has stopped walking.

"Shouldn't we have heard the cannon by now?"

Shit.

"I'd say yes," I speak as loud as I can. If she can move, then she'll know we're still close. Give her a second chance to run, "Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately."

Clove turns her dark eyes on me, and raises an eyebrow, "Unless she isn't dead."

"She's dead," Cato growls, "I stuck her myself."

"Then where's the cannon?" Clove demands.

"Someone should go back," Marvel says uncertainly, "Make sure the job's done."

He shrinks back as Cato glowers in his direction, but Clove moves to his side in silent support, "Yeah, we don't want to have to track her down twice."

"I said she's dead!" Cato shouts.

"So where's the cannon?" Clove tilts her head, challenging. They hold each other's gaze.

Cato drops his eyes first, defeated. I move to place a hand on his shoulder, "Cato's the leader, Clove. We should trust him on this one. I do."

Clove sends a withering look in my direction. Then, just as she's about to speak, a voice says, "We're wasting time! I'll go and finish her and let's move on."

We all turn to stare at him in shock. Peeta Mellark. His blue eyes, scared but fierce, as he meets our eyes. What's his play here? To help Tasmin escape?

No, that will only lay suspicion on him. He must mean to kill her. To eliminate another obstacle between Katniss and her victory, whilst also gaining him Cato's favour. Well played. But what am I supposed to do now?

"Go on then, Lover Boy," Cato says softly, "See for yourself."

In silence, Peeta turns and walks back to Tasmin's campfire.

I wait for his footsteps to die away, and then I murmur, doing my best to sound bored, "Why don't we kill him now and get it over with?"

"Let him tag along," Cato says, "What's the harm? And he's handy with that knife."

Clove looks over at me, and I raise an eyebrow. She looks as displeased as I am.

"Besides," Marvel adds, shuffling his feet, "He's our best chance of finding her."

"Why?" I scoff, rolling my eyes, "You think she brought into that sappy romance stuff?"

"She might have," Marvel retorts, more confident now, "Seemed pretty simple-minded to me. Every time I think about her spinning around in that dress, I want to puke."

"Wish me knew how she got that eleven." Clove sighs.

"Bet you Lover Boy knows." Cato says pointedly.

Loud footsteps announce Peeta's return, and Cato glares at him, "Was she dead?"

"No, but she is now." He says mildly. Sure enough, Tasmin's cannon fires. "Ready to move enough?"

Clove stalks past me, followed by Cato and Marvel. I hang back, and turn to see the hovercraft to pick up Tasmin's dead body. I can't believe she's gone already. It was only yesterday that she was standing in a pretty dress waiting for her interview.

I brush the tear that has fallen onto my cheek, and see that Peeta has also stayed, watching. I push my expression into one of disdain, "I still can't believe you had that in you. Thought you were a weakling through and through."

"There wasn't much for me to do," He admits quietly, falling into step beside me and we walk away, "Cato did the worst of it. I just held her hand and talked to her, and then I put her out of her misery."

His honesty startles me. "Put her out of her misery, how?"

He grimaces, "I held the knife. She nodded to me, and then I...I cut her throat."

I close my eyes, trying not to visualise Tasmin's last moments. "Quick, then."

"Quick," He agrees.

We walk in silence, whilst ahead of us, Marvel laughs at something that Clove's said.

"Were you close?" Peeta asks.

"What?"

"You didn't want her to die. You cared." His words are matter of fact, not a challenge, and I yet a feel him probing me. Wanting to know my secrets.

He's right. Considering we're in a fight to the death, it's normal for people to die. I only had two conversations with Tasmin, and she was a last minute addition to my plans, but they were enough. Enough for me to form a connection with a girl, and cry as her body is carried into the sky.

"We had plans."

And I leave it at that. Because what more can I say?

                                                                                       ***

Back at our camp, Marina isn't alone. Alvis, the boy from District 3 is standing beside her, fiddling with a piece of metal whilst energetically nodding. As Marina sees us approach, he darts behind her.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Alvis."

She pushes the dark-haired boy out to stand beside her, but the kid shrinks back to his hiding place as Cato stalks towards them both.

"Found another weakling to replace your District partner?" Cato sneers.

She ignores him, instead looking at me and Clove, "He knows a way to protect our food."

Alvis pokes his head out from behind her, "With mines."

"Explain," Cato growls.

And so Alvis does. The mines can be deactivated and placed under our food, and then re-activated so that if anyone tries to take them, it will be blown to bits. Of course, they'll be safe routes to the food, and he'll deactivate and activate the mines in different patterns each day so that no intruders can be sure of a safe route.

Well that all sounds great, but how am I supposed to get food to Finch now?

Cato declares it a sound plan, whilst Clove scowls. She must realise like I do that only Alvis will be aware of how to get to the food. In short: kill Alvis and we'll starve.

Cato sets Marvel and Marina on watch and tells the rest of us to get some sleep. He's either a total idiot or blindly arrogant. Has he forgotten that he's killed Marina's district partner this morning or just doesn't care?

I decide to lie awake in the darkness, and fight against sleep as I listen out. There's nothing for some minutes and then:

"Marina!" Marvel's voice.

There's silence, and I wonder if she's killed him, but then I hear: "Go to sleep, Marvel. I'll do watch on my own."

"You sure?" He asks, but I see his shape outside heading back to his tent. There's the sound of a zip and then quiet.

Stillness falls. I roll over onto my front, careful not to wake Clove on the other side of the tent, and cautiously unzip my tent.

Even in the darkness, I can the glint of Marina's trident. She stands facing Cato's tent. Loud snores come from the tent on the other side. Either that's Peeta making a lot of noise or Marvel's already asleep. Regardless, Marina uses it as a cover and starts stealing towards Cato's tent.

I glance a look at Clove. Her back is to me, her breathing loud and even. I slip out from my tent, slowly zipping it up behind me.

Marina is at Cato's tent now, trident held steadily in her right hand whilst she unzips Cato's tent with her left. I sneak behind her and press a hand to her mouth, yanking the trident from her surprised grip. We tumble onto the ground, the concrete grazing my left arm and leg.

I drop the trident to the ground and kick it away from us. She pushes me hard and bites down onto my mother hand. I bite back a yell and grab her arms pinning them to her side, before straddling her hands and legs with all my weight. She struggles, ineffective. I clamp my hands around her shoulders and lean in close.

"I'm not going to kill you," I whisper, "So I'd appreciate it if you didn't scream."

She stares up at me, her mouth agape. "Since when could you fight?" She hisses.

"I can't let you kill Cato," I tell her, "Not yet."

Her eyes harden with fury, "Killing that monster will do us all a favour."

Her breath reeks and she continues to squirm. I tighten my grip.

"No it wouldn't," I say fiercely, "It won't avenge Murdoch. And it certainly won't make your girlfriend happy back at home."

"How did you-"

"I saw the Reaping and I remember what you said on the rooftop. Murdoch was Ariel's brother. You swore to protect him. You can't do that now."

"So let me kill Cato," She snarls.

"Do that and his cannon will go off. Marvel and Peeta will wake up. And so will Clove. After that, you'll only have seconds to live."

"So be it," She snaps, her struggles more fierce now.

"And give Ariel two coffins to cry over instead of one?"

She freezes and I know that my blow has landed. Then she murmurs bitterly, "You've thought this through." She frowns and then she adds, "So I kill them both at the same time. Clove and Cato."

The image of Cato and Clove lying side by side with Marina trying to stab them both at the same time is ludicrous, but still I glance towards Cato's tent. No movement but that doesn't mean he's not listening.

"Not yet," I whisper, shifting to put my mouth closer to her ear, "Wait until the big players are gone. The girl from Twelve. The boy from Eleven. Then strike."

She frowns in thought and then her eyes narrow, "You serpent. You planned this from the start, didn't you? What else did you work out? The romance?"

"No," I laugh quietly, "It seems he's well and truly fallen for me. So you see, it's useful to keep him around."

"Until Katniss and Thresh are dead," Marina murmurs. So she does know their names. I thought most of the Careers didn't bother.

I carefully step off her and stand up, outstretching a hand for her to take, "So...allies?"

She grips my hand and allows me to pull her onto her feet.

"Allies," She smiles, but her eyes are sad.

                                                                               ***

Finch and I sit in the lowest branch of a tree and watch the sun's tip emerge into view. The golden light hits the Cornucopia and begins to chase away the darkness.

"That's where Alvis will build the mines," I point.

Finch nods, swinging her legs back and forth. "And the food will be in a pyramid?"

"Yeah."

"And will change every day," She muses.

I nod but then pause, "I didn't mention that."

"You didn't?" She asks innocently, "Must have overheard you talking. I have your berries." She reaches into her pocket.

I stare at the camp. Alvis is out of his tent, chatting earnestly to Marina. The easiness of his body language is strange. Almost as if...

"You're in an alliance," I murmur.

Finch shifts on the branch, "What?"

I smile, "I did wonder why Electra was chatting to you before the Interview."

"Jealous, Princess?" Her voice is light but she doesn't smile.

"You, Ash, and the District 3 and 4 tributes...did you plan to use the mines to blow us all up? You did, didn't you?"

Silence falls and then she sighs, "You can't fault a girl for having a back-up plan, can you?"

It hurts but I can't. After all, my back-up plan was Tasmin. And now she's dead.

"I didn't think you did alliances," I note, "And yet here you are in two different ones."

"We weren't in an alliance. Not really," Finch admits, "It was Electra who held us all together. She approached us and told us it was all possible. But now she's dead, I don't think Alvis can pull it off. He doesn't have her experience. The best he'll do is a minefield that'll make it incredibly hard to get food."

"I'll find a way to get you food."

She raises an eyebrow, "We're still allies then?"

"As long as you don't try and blow me up, I don't see why not."

She studies me and then huffs, "You're strange, you know that right?"

Freak, they used to call me in District One. Most people would ignore me in fear of what secrets I might blurt out. One girl hated me and humiliated me in public, and in an act of idiocy I volunteered for her.

Do you know why Finch? Because I care, even though I try so hard to look ruthless and strong and above it all. I couldn't help Tasmin. She died cursing me and pleading for mercy. I won't let that happen to you. So I'll keep you alive even if it will damn well screw me over.

But of course I don't say any of this to Finch. Not with the audience watching us; the Capitol sponsors wary of weaknesses.

So instead I shrug, spread my hands impassively, and wink, "What can I say? I like to keep my options open."

Finch smiles. Not a slight curl of her lips this time, but a fuller one exposing teeth, "Here. The berries."

In her outstretched hand, are red berries, large and round.

"What are they?"

"Guess," She grins.

I take one carefully from her hand, the purple juice of the berry staining my fingers as I try and remember the berries Finch had sorted during training, "Byrony?"

"Close," She huffs, disappointed, "Byronx. Incredibly poisonous. They cause stomach cramps and kill you within ten minutes."

I glance away from the berry to meet her gaze, "And you know this, how?"

"The District Twelve pair were at the berries stand for quite a while during training. And the Fire Girl was showing off. Byronx was one of them."

"And you're sure she's right because...?"

There's a pause as Finch takes the berry from me, and then she says quietly, "Have you noticed the way she walks?"

I frown. All I can remember are her beautiful dresses, the sure way she held herself and the bold way she stares. "No."

"Thought so," Finch smiles, "In a way, that's the point. She's a bit like me."

"She's not silent like you," I say warily.

"No, but she's quiet. So quiet that you don't even notice it. Not unless you're well versed in the art yourself," There's a proud tug of her lips.

"So she's like you..." I leave the sentence hanging, but we both know what I'm suggesting: a thief. 

"Not exactly. But consider it. She's muscular, silent on her feet and well fed."

"Didn't realise you were checking her out too," I mutter.

"And she knows her berries. And got an Eleven in training," Finch continues, "There's only one explanation." She leans in closer, dropping her voice even though there's no one about, "She's a hunter."

As if she wasn't already dangerous enough.

"And her choice of weapon?" I murmur.

Finch's eyes drop to the bow in my hand. Of course. Finch is right- there's no other explanation. The trap I saw when we were going to Tasmin's campfire- was she holed up in a tree watching, waiting to take us all out?

I shiver, and cast a backwards glance to the rest of the woods, "Well, she'll be right in her element here then."

"I've seen the girl from District Eleven while I've been foraging," Finch murmurs, "And the boy from Ten. But I think Fire Girl is further in the woods," She glances towards me and holds me gaze, "I know you wanted to hold off killing your allies until Katniss and Thresh were dead. You might want to hurry that up. Katniss is a threat." 

"I know," I sigh. 

Everyone is a threat, even the girl sitting next to me. But who can I trust long enough to keep alive, and who do I prioritise killing?