I sadly didn't get any reviews for the last chapter but still I'd like to thank everyone for reading and it would mean very much to me if you'd review this week.


Natural Ally


Justin had suggested visiting the rooftop in the first place. I remembered scoffing at him and telling him that I would rather get a good night's sleep than hang out at a chilly roof terrace.
Only now, a year afterwards, did I visit the rooftop. I had not slept a bit. I could not - not in the room at Level Two that, in itself, would keep me up, and not with recent events in mind. There was no way I could step under the sceptic eyes of my tributes now. I had showered at least five times since last night, but had fled our level just before the two returned from training.
It was not that the man had been rough or obscene or anything like that. But it had still felt wrong. Of course it had. I had never met the man before!

I willed the tears back down. Starting to cry would only make things worse. They could force me into prostitution, but I would never let them think that they broke me. They would never break me.
But the tears were still threatening to come. What would my family say if they ever learnt of what I had agreed to do? I could imagine Aunt Olivia's disappointed expression and Basil's wide eyes when he understood things that he should not at his age...

"Trouble?"
This time I did not even turn around to look at Finnick. His voice did not seem as cheerful as it had yesterday. I wondered if he was plagued by similar thoughts.

"Loads and loads of it," I breathed.

"Sounds familiar," he said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as he sat down right next to me. "Was it very bad?"

"How do you even know?" I asked tiredly.

"I hear things," Finnick responded.

"Great," I said, staring at the roofs of the city, glistening in the afternoon sun. "Now, I'm not just a two-dollar whore, everybody's talking about me, too."

"Wouldn't say everybody," he tried to comfort me.

I finally turned to face him to find him watching me intently. "How do you do it?" I asked. "How do you live with this?"

He shrugged. "I just do. One day at time, year after year. One day, it'll get better."

"You think?" I asked.

"That's what Mags tells me - my mentor," he added at my confused look.

I nodded slightly at his explanation. For a moment, we sat together, neither of us saying a word. I did not know what to tell him, I did not even know Finnick. All I knew was that he understood - and that I pitied him, now, for what I knew he had to endure.

"Did you talk to Felix?" I inquired, causing Finnick to laugh.

"Told you - I don't have the patience to deal with him."

"I can understand that," I said dryly.

Again, we sat silently, staring at the city.

I wondered what would happen if anyone tried to jump from here. There was no way they would let any mentor or tribute up here if there was a chance that they could escape into death.

"I guess I can get your tributes into Final Six," I said abruptly. "I really don't see why not."

Finnick chuckled lightly. "Maybe we can work out a little more detail," he suggested. "Let's just say, my boy and your girl had some kind of Final Two agreement-"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I interrupted him, grinning. "I don't trust you further than I can throw you and that's not very far."

"Obviously," Finnick drawled. "You just think if you'd rather trust any of the others."

My grin dropped and I glared at him. "Nice try," I said. "But it didn't work."

No doubt did Felix and I have our quarrels but that did not mean I could not trust him with my tribute. I was anticipating One screwing us over, but what was I to expect after last year?
I would not let this pretty boy from Four make me mistrust my allies.

Shortly after, I entered our apartment at Level Two to find the whole team assembled around the television.

"There you are," Marcia chipped. "We thought you were gonna miss the Training Scores."

"Of course not," I lied smoothly. In all honesty, I had forgotten about the announcement completely; but there was no need to tell them that.

"Well, get over here," Amelia said. "They're just beginning."

She was right. They were just announcing the scores for District One - both high: the boy a 10 and the girl a 9.

"From District Two - Remus Barley. A 10!"

Remus nodded contently while Marcia pulled him into flimsy hug and Felix clapped him on the back.

"From District Two - Amelia Harper. A 10!"

I cheered, hugging Amelia myself. "Very good, very good," I sang, while Amelia pulled away to high-five with Remus.

The last two days flew by in a blur. It was my luck that while I did not have the time to search for sponsors, the sponsors were inviting me into their beds. It was surprisingly easy to convince them of sponsoring District Two.

Amelia and Remus did all right in their interviews, but they were both arrogant and stoic, just like they had presented themselves at the chariot rides.

That night was the first time that Amelia actually cracked. She stood in front of me, asking meekly, "Any last tips?"

I had to gather my thoughts for a few moments because of the change of perspective. This was what it really meant to be a mentor - a terrified girl turning to me for advice.

"Watch your back," I said. "You can trust Remus, but none of the others. Don't let them scream - and otherwise, I think you can handle yourself."

"You'll always be watching, right?" she asked gently.

"Of course I will," I said. "I'll do everything I can to help you."

I was in fact prepared to do just that. They brought the mentors into a separate control room close to the arena very early in the morning. A technology assistant instructed me on how to use my headset and the control display.

By now, my heart was pounding fast due to nervousness and my palms got sweaty. I remembered how last year, I had been eerily calm. Maybe because it had just been my life I had been responsible for back then. There was more at risk this time, even though I was not put in danger myself.

Felix, Cashmere and Gloss were standing together at the buffet and I walked over to join them.

"There you are," Cashmere smiled. "Nervous?"

"Hardly," I said, hoping not to display any of my symptoms.

"I know I was," Gloss commented. "Then again, my sister here was in there, so..."
Cashmere gently stroked her brother's arm before she stalked off to her seat. Gloss and Felix turned back to the buffet while I looked after her. I did not even want to imagine what it would be like to have my cousins in the Games... my mind immediately produced a picture of Ligeia, so vibrant and joyful, falling in the arena. The idea of how limb her body would be as she was lifted up by the hovercraft sent a cold shiver through my body.

"Oh, look," Felix said at that moment. "Why do they still let Mags mentor?"

I turned my head slightly and saw Finnick and his fellow mentor, the elderly Mags, enter the room. Finnick smirked at me and I nodded at him in greeting.

"I really don't know," Gloss said. "Not that it matters."

Frowning, I looked over at him. "But we're allying with her tribute."

"Are we?" Gloss said with a slight smile. "I had the impression we aren't."

"What?" I asked. "We talked about this-"

"Maybe we forgot to tell you," Felix offered coldly. "We made a last minute change of plans."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I looked back and forth between them. "No. No, you didn't."

"We kicked Four out," Gloss informed me. "They'll only be holding us back. It's more merciful to kill them off quickly."

"We promised them," I argued heatedly. "We can't just go back on our word!"

Felix shrugged tiredly before popping a grape into his mouth. I glared at him and he sauntered of closely followed by Gloss, who was carrying a plate full of food.
I kept standing there, frozen, unable to decide what to do now. It was too late, I realized that. Even if I warned Finnick and Mags right now, that would not change anything for we could not reach our tributes now. The Careers would slaughter Four's tributes without a second thought.

"Morning," Finnick chirped into my ear and I flinched violently. "No need to be so jumpy."

"I need to tell you something," I blurted out.

Finnick grinned at me. "Go ahead, gorgeous."

"They kicked you out of the alliance."

Finnick's eyes widened suddenly. "You kicked me out without telling me?"

"I only just learnt," I told him. "They didn't tell me."

He took a deep, steadying breath before he looked over to where Felix was chatting with the two drunkards from Eleven and Twelve. I had watched Finnick's games and yet I had never seen him look quite so murderous.

"The sad thing is," he said. "That was a jab at you, not at me."

I swallowed hard as I realized that he was right. This was probably One's way to get back at me for last year.

"I'm sorry," I told him. "I really am."

"I'm telling Mags," he said offhandedly and then stalked off.

I pulled a face, glaring over at Felix and Gloss, who were laughing together. I could not believe that they had actually done this. I would have never trusted the two from One, but I had trusted Felix enough to think that he would not screw me over. I realized now how wrong I had been.

"Mentors please take your seats. Games will launch in two minutes. Repeat: Games will launch in two minutes."

The announcer's voice echoed through the room and the different little groups dissolved as all the mentors took their seats. I walked over and sat down next to Felix without even looking at him.

"Four's tributes would have never made it, anyway," he hissed at me, though. "So get over yourself."

"We'll see," I said. "We'll see exactly who will make it."

"Attention, mentors," the voice echoed again as the displays in front of us came to life. "Games will be launched in one minute."

I saw her now. Amelia was standing on her pedestal, the girl from Seven on her right and the boy from Ten on her left. Remus was standing at the other side of the circle, with the girl from Four right next to him.
The countdown ticked and with each passing second, my heart pounded faster. Ten seconds... hopefully they'd kill them mercifully... seven seconds... I tried to tell myself that Amelia had a good chance to make it... four seconds... what if she didn't? Three, two, one.
The gong sounded and all the tributes bolted from the plates. I saw Amelia rushing towards the Cornucopia, and, much to my dismay, I spotted both tributes from Four running in the same direction.

And then, the first tributes had reached the weapons. It was Remus who had grabbed the first sword and with a long, clean swipe, he cut the head of Four's boy right off. Blood splattered everywhere while his head landed on the ground with a dull thud.
I wanted to look at Finnick, to assure him off my sympathy, but I was too worried that in the short time that I would not pay attention, something might happen to Amelia.
She had grabbed a spear and rammed it into the stomach of Three's girl.

The tributes died like flies. I could not even keep track of who Amelia killed and who was slain by the others. It lasted over an hour and the whole time I was at the edge of my seat. It felt like every muscle had tightened in my body.
Finally, the remaining tributes had run off and the Careers gathered around the Cornucopia. The voice announced that sponsor gifts could be delivered now and at once, the remaining mentors ordered supplies into the arena. While Felix ordered medicine, I finally felt brave enough to look at Finnick. I was actually surprised that he was still here. I raised my eyebrows at him and he smirked at me.

"Told you," he said. "Annie's tougher than she looks. She got away."

He gestured to his screen and I saw his tribute rushing through the arena's forest.