I noticed the archers too late, they already had us surrounded and trapped. I dodged the first but I was ensnared. I eluded them as best I could, ensuring that Raven stayed out of their direct striking range, but what I didn't see was Bulldog, the third highest-ranking commander, coming at me from behind, intending to stab me.

Raven lunged herself at him.  Caught off guard, he stumbled and threw her off him. Raven landed with a painful thump, the sound followed by her muffled cry of pain. I twirled and caught him with my own knife, rendering him unconscious and out of the games. I then took hold of Raven's arms and tried to get her to her feet, but she couldn't stand. I gathered in her my arms and dashed out as fast as I can: my muscles burning and Raven's breathing worsening.

A cliff was up ahead, the waterfall, the water would be ice-cold, but...

You can't jump you'll freeze to death!

I stopped and peered down. I frantically scanned my surroundings. There was no other place to go.

Maybe I can scale it down. I thought to myself, my breathing intensifying, adrenaline thick in my veins.

With Raven?! My brain argued.

Shut brain! I really don't want to hear it.

I looked down at Raven in my arms, her face was pale as if she might pass out at any minute. I held her chin gently in mine, she flinched at the contact. It was as if she'd thought I'd strike her again. I had always hated myself, but never like I did then. I didn't want her to fear me.

I gave her a tender smile, not caring who was watching. Let Erebus rot! I have been his lap dog for years and what had that gotten me? Nothing but agony.

"It's alright Raven," I whispered. She cocked her head.

"How?" She demanded. 

I can hear them closing in on us. I put her on the floor and spun around to give her my back. 

"Quick, hop on. We'll have to scale down." 

Thankfully, for once in her life, she didn't argue. She wrapped her arms around my neck and shoulders, her legs around my abdomen. 

"Tryna choke me?" I teased her as I began scaling down. She tensed up. "You scared of heights?" She shook her head. 

"No." Her voice sounded steadier. I could fell her shifting slightly to look down, only to proceed to bury her face in the crock of my neck. "But I really don't want to fall." She said breathlessly, her warm breath on my neck. My face heated up for some reason as if I was blushing. I was suddenly too aware of our bodies pressed tight together, her face buried in my neck. 

Focus! 

How?!

An arrow flying right next to my head snapped me back to reality. Another one hit the rock I was using to scale down causing me to lose my hold. I cursed, Raven's hold tightened. I looked down and noticed something. 

Here goes nothing... 

"Please, don't let go," Raven whispered in my ear. 

But I did exactly that. I let go. Raven screamed in my ear, causing it to bleed, I counted the feet as I fell down, accelerating: preparing. 

One, two... four... six... now! I got a hold of the rock formation, pleading with it, not to fall apart. It didn't. Raven frightfully opened her eyes, as I scaled up and got in the tiny cave. At first, I thought it was an opening, but as I climbed in I realised it was a tunnel. 

I laid Raven down next to me and got hold of my arrows. 

This is a perfect position for defending. There is no way they'll be able to get us in here. 

Raven was getting paler, but her breathing was evening out. I glanced at her concerned. 

"You alright?" She shook her head, then groaned.

"I think the bastard broke my ankle!" She groaned cursing Bulldog. I arched an eyebrow.

"You're the idiot who lunged herself at him!"

"You would've died had I not done that!" I would've indeed. 

None of the assassins came in after us,  they knew better. I inched closer to Raven picking her up in my arms again and going deeper into the cave. 

"I can't see anything." She said. I took off my shades and placed them on my head.

"I can," I responded.

"How?"

"Birth defection." I shrugged, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and propped herself up slightly as if to take a look at my eyes. Her face was a mask of disbelief.

"You serious?" Her voice was incredulous.

"Why would I lie about that?" She didn't answer, as she adorably pursed her lips, contemplating. I reached an intersection, though one of them was only fit for crawling.

I dropped to my knees and tried to look in, at the same time, trying to keep Raven off the wet floor. It wasn't easy and had Skrymer not forced me into gymnastics classes as a boy, I wouldn't have been able to do it. As it was, I saw that there was some sort of button in there and out of suicidal curiosity, I pressed it. A rumbling sounded and I stepped aside, cradling her closer to my chest as I watched the rocks shift to show an old, rusted out room.

"Oh..." I mocked. Raven spun her head frantically.

"What was that?!" She asked. 

"Magic door," I said. She popped me on the back of the head. "Hey!" I scowled down at her, though she couldn't tell. "I wouldn't strike the person carrying me if I were you." She went rigid in my arms, as that fear crossed her features. 

See what an asshole you are! I cradled her closer as I entered the lights abruptly came on, groaning I closed my eyes.

Had she seem them?! I reached for my shades, but they weren't there. 

Shit...deep shit...

"Black?" I didn't respond. Her hand reached up to finger my eyes. I tensed up. If she was afraid of me and hated me before... I could feel her shifting her head slightly as if she cocked it. "You have such long lashes for a boy." She said. I frowned.

"Maybe..."

"Does the light hurt your eyes? Do you need your shades to open them?" I didn't respond. She shook my shoulder frantically. "Black! Black, what is that?!" My eyes flew open immediately, but it was empty and as I inspected Raven I saw her mischievous smirk. "So that's what your eyes look like!" 

I was incredulous. What was she insane? Blind? Both? Did she not seen the defection?! Did she somehow miss the blood red colour of them?! The black slits instead of the irises?! They were hideous! But she didn't comment on that at all. Instead, she smiled then giggled.

"Hah, you look like a cat! All you're missing are the ears and the tail!"

I placed her down on the table and I took her boot, her ankle was terribly swollen. I scouted about for anything I could use to bandage and brace her ankle. Bored, I guess she started playing like the home cat she was. 

"Oh, look Black! There's a button."

"I wouldn't-" Whatever guilt I felt for her... vanished!

 As I was fried with electricity into unconsciousness.

Told you, you should've let her die! See what happens when you ignore common sense?!

===

I woke to fierce throbbing everywhere. My teeth hurt, my tongue hurt, my head hurt, hell even my fingernails hurt. 

I hate you! I thought to myself as I came awake to Dragonfly's and Raven's faces right above mine, bickering. 

Oh, great we lost! Thank you very much! 

"Black?! Are you alright?!" Dragon's frantic tone sounded like bloody sirens ringing in my ear. My pillow moved, then I realized I was sleeping in his lap. 

"Ugh..." I groaned. "Talk softer!" I growled. 

"Black! Black!" Raven all but jumped in my lap, like a hyperactive cat! 

"What?!" I growled. "We lost 'cause of you!" 

"No, we didn't!" She shook her head emphatically. "I won!" Dragon growled at her. 

"Touch him, you bitch and I'll kill you!" 

"Jealous are we?" 

"Of..."

"Please, stop! Please..." I groaned at them. Dragonfly literally picked me up and got to my room in the barracks. 

"And stay out!" My ear began bleeding as I groaned pleading with him to keep his voice down. 

"What happened?!"

"Bitch electrified us all! Everyone, except herself, was electrified and dropped like little flies! So, Erebus laughed his ass off and declared her winner!" He grumbled like a pissed off toddler who just lost his game.

"So we won?" I asked. Dragon growled at me, then sighed in disgust. 

"Yes, we won!" He said pissed.

"Good." It was all I cared about. 

"Can I please kill her?" Dragon pleaded. I rolled my eyes at him. 

"Not yet. She still has to piss me off one more time."