Ebony POV
I pull my long curly brown hair into a ponytail as I face my trainer, Isa. "How'd I do?" I ask her. Though Isa has incredibly long legs, I tower over her at 5'10". I'm used to it.
"You've definitely improved, Ebony." Isa wipes the glistening sweat from our bout off of her forehead. "I think that you're ready." Isa is a former victor of the Games. She agreed to train a small and select group of children for the Hunger Games, all hand-picked by Isa herself. It's unspoken but true that I am the best one here – and everybody knows it. "You better get going, Ebony. Don't wanna be late for the Reaping – especially if you're gonna win it this year."
I laugh. "See you in the Victor's Village!" I yell over my shoulder, scooping up my gym bag and heading home.
I walk to the cozy little cottage that I share with my sister, Belladonna, and my fiancé, Lucas. As I open the large wooden door, Belladonna leaps up from the loveseat that she was sitting on. "Let's go! We're gonna be late for my first Reaping!" Belladonna is just like our mother – very punctual.
"Good to see you too, Don." I let out a laugh that can only be heard around my family.
Lucas, hearing the sound of my voice, steps out of our room, buttoning a button on his dress shirt. "Hey hun." I kiss him, causing Belladonna to wrinkle her nose in mock disgust. "How was Training?"
"You know, the usual..." I begin. "Kick Lara's butt at knife throwing, pin Leif to the ground, yet again..." Lucas knows that I am especially cocky during Training, and this year, he also knows that I am going to win. And, being voted Most Likely Victor in our Training group doesn't help my ego one bit.
Don comes from behind me and practically shoves me into my room. "Change!" she demands.
"Fine, Belladonna, I'll change. Jeez," I add, for good measure. Once in my room, I peel off my sweaty Training clothes and select one of my mother's old dresses, a lovely flowy golden one that matches my eyes perfectly. I take a second to comb my dark curls into perfect ringlets, apply some clear lip gloss, and walk out of our room.
Lucas takes my hand as we walk out of our home and onto the street, my crazy sister bounding ahead of us, hoping to catch a glimpse of the boy she likes, leaving us giggling. The Darknight family is off to the Reaping.
Erik POV
Leif begs for mercy as I pin him to the floor in the park outside of our neighborhood, and I pull my fist away from his face. I am just practicing, anyways. I retie my chin-length black hair into a ponytail and sneer at my 'friend'. He is such a pussy that I don't know why I bother.
"Oh come on. Man up already!" I can't believe that Leif somehow made Isa's exclusive Training team and I didn't. Oh, well, who needs stupid Isa when you have my brains.
"C'mon Erik, lay off. I've already been pinned by Ebony today, and she pins hard." Leif shudders at the memory of Darknight shoving him to wooden floor of the Training Gym.
"You let that puny Darknight chick pin you to the ground? How lame is that?" I laugh again.
"Whatever, man. I'm going home." Leif says. I pull my knee off of his chest and turn towards my house.
"Bye, see you at the Reaping." I say over my shoulder. I walk the short distance to my large home. My father is one of the greatest doctors in District Two, so of course we live in comfort.
As I walk through the double doors, I see my father in the kitchen. It is sometimes strange to see such a muscular man in a kitchen cooking, but when you realize how big of a wimp he is, you get over it.
"How was your morning?" My father asks, kindly.
"I was preparing for the Games that you were too chicken to volunteer for, how about you?" I don't even try to mask the pure disgust in my voice, matching the pure disgust rising up in my heart. I never try to be kind – there's no room for kindness in a victor's heart.
My father flinches and ignores me; just the way I prefer it. Who needs to talk when you can work out a strategy for the Games? I sure don't. "I'm going to change."
I stalk up the white stairs and down the white hallway to my room. On top of being an amazing doctor my father is also an OCD freak. I make sure to rub some dirt and dried blood on the immaculately white wall next to my father's door. Just to annoy him. I throw on a pair of jeans with the least amount of dirt on them, and a blue shirt with a small smear of blood on the collar, from when I beat up Jase Vernon. I race down the stairs and make sure to slam the door as I leave to go to the square.
Ebony POV
I wait anxiously in the group of eighteen-year-olds, informing them not to volunteer because it is my year. Soon, our district escort, Crete Mervin, looking like a tiger with his striped skin and jet-black hair, strides onto the stage after the mayor sits in his seat. Two huge glass balls, made in the Capitol to look like the ones in every other district, stand ominously on either side of the large stage. One holds the name of the girl that I will volunteer for. The other holds the name of the boy that I will have to kill.
"No dawdling, folks, so let's meet our lovely girl tribute!" Crete exclaims joyfully. He reaches a mutated hand with possibly real claws built onto each finger. He scrapes out a small piece of paper. "Kina Dawson!"
"I volunteer!" I shoot my hand in the air as high as I can, not even second-guessing my plan. I run up to the stage and stand between Crete and the Reaping Ball, as if to stop him from drawing out another name. "My name is Ebony Darknight and I volunteer as tribute."
"Well, I see that I was prophetic in saying our lovely girl tribute. You certainly are a pretty thing..." I wince internally as Crete looks me over, up my legs, over my hips and small waist, and then they finally rest on the big diamond ring resting on my ring finger. I twirl it to show him that I am engaged. He sickens me, as do all of the rainbow-people of the Capitol. "Onto the boys!" Crete says, a little bit of disappointment creeping into his voice. "Ri –" Crete is cut off by a snakelike voice cutting through the whispers of the crowd.
"I volunteer!" The snake voice says again, and I recognize the form of Erik Roberts pushing through the crowd roughly.
"Dear me," Crete looks like he is about to wet himself with excitement, "Two volunteers! District Two certainly has the bravest tributes!"
Or the stupidest, I think darkly.
Crete says a few more things, then motions for Erik and I to shake hands. I grip his hand, which is disturbingly oily, and vow never to trust this person. I can see the same thought mirrored in his creepy green eyes.
Erik POV
A pair of Peacekeepers usher me and the stupid Darknight girl into a reception area, with a privacy divider splitting the room in half. I choose the nicer side, and give Ebony the one that's less furnished. Of course though, I'm not going to accept any visitors, because for one: I'll be back soon so why bother and two: the only person that would come is my father, who I don't want to look at let alone talk to. Instead, I settle with eavesdropping on Darknight.
Ebony POV
"Hey honey," I say as Lucas sits on the worn couch across from me, the sheer terror and despair in his eyes ruining his brave façade. He pulls me in for a kiss, and I want to freeze that moment forever, to never ever have to let go of my kind, gentle, strong, wonderful, amazing fiancé. But then Don rushes in sobbing.
"You have to win! I don't think that I'd ever be able to stand just bugging Lucas, he's not as much fun to bug as you." Belladonna says, only half-joking. I smile, pulling them into a hug.
"No matter what happens, Ebony Darknight, I will never ever forget you!" Lucas calls as the Peacekeepers escort him out of the door.
Erik POV
While Darknight and I wait for the Peacekeepers to escort us to the train I go over my options. I could kill her at the beginning when she doesn't expect it. I could hunt her down in the arena, but that would waste too muh time. Or, I could ally with her and ruthlessly stab her in the back, literally. I smile at my cruelty and plop down next to my competition.
"I'm smarter than you give me credit for, ya know." I begin.
"Why are you even talking to me. Admit it, you can't wait to cut my heart out and display it on a stick."
Whoa, this girl is like physcic or something! I give her one of my best smiles, expecting her to give in, but she flinches away from me. "Allies?"
"With you? I'm not stupid. I'll take going solo, thanks." Ebony stands up as the Peacekeepers walk in and she rushes away from me and into the bullet train waiting for us.
If she were against anyone else but me, she might actually stand a chance, I think, grinning.