A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and support!

Chapter Eight

Katniss adjusted the bottom of her dress and looked at herself through the dusty window of the old butcher's shop. The building was abandoned long ago when the buisness was shut down for a health violation and the family had left 12 as soon as the place was shut. Since then, it's been empty.

She was meeting Peeta in an hour and she still wasn't sure what she going to do. Was she just going to come right out with it? Or was she going to ease him into it? Why was she finding this so difficult? Surely telling him the truth of what was happening was the easiest part . . . right?

Katniss took off down the street, her black high heels clinking against the pavement just like that girl last Friday night's did. A shiver ran through Katniss' spine as she remembered the newspaper report of the girl-who's name turned out to be Myra-'s death. Her bag swung two and fro on the crook of her elbow as she walked and she ran through various ways of telling her sire that she was a fledgling in her head. Not just any old fledgling, she reminded herself, a fledgling who's destiny was to kill him.

Taking a short cut down an old alleyway, Katniss was making great time. The walls of the alley darkened her path but she could still see clearly enough and was almost out the other end again when she was slammed against the wall.

Her head whacked the bricks behind her and her vision blackened at the edges. Two strong hands pushed back on her shoulders and she gasped in pain as they tightened.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Madge screamed.

Katniss' eyes flew open and her mouth dropped open in horror when she saw the state of her mentor. The girl's blond hair was matted and was falling in greasy tendrails down the sides of her dirty face. She reeked of OB postive (a fancy name given to the blood that tastes, smells and looks disgusting-mostly belonging to a body that's been dead for ages or old hobos and tramps) and her normally clear blue eyes were dark scarlet tinted around the edges with bold black.

"Going on a date?" Katniss replied, almost fearfully.

"No you weren't!" The blond growled. "You were going to tell him weren't you?!"

"No," Katniss lied. "Of course not."

Madge clenched her jaw. "You little liar," she hissed. "I know you're going to tell him. Glimmer heard you."

"Heard me what?!" Katniss exclaimed.

Madge rolled her eyes and shook Katniss by the shoulders. "Idiot! Don't you know that the Head of the Council can read people's thoughts? Especially fledglings?"

"Pff, of course I do . . ." Katniss frowned. She did not know that. If Glimmer could read her thoughts then she must have heard everything that passed through her mind when she asked her to bring them Peeta. Maybe that's how they all knew that she had some sort of affection for him . . . even if she wasn't even sure about that herself yet . . . "What are you still doing with the council anyway?!"

"They wouldn't free Finnick you imbeclie!" Madge said. "They didn't trust that you'd keep true to your word so they kept him. I've been spending the past five days trying to get him out! Obviously unsuccesfully." Katniss could already tell that. As best friends for years would, once together, Madge and Finnick were inseperable. It took some really strong force to rid them of each other's sides.

"I'm working on it!" Katniss said, trying to shrug her friend away. The blond's hands wouldn't budge. She was kept pressed against the wall.

"You've drew too much attention to youself," Madge said, her voice low. "You've attracted the attention of the Watcher."

"The who now?"

"The Watcher," Madge repeated through gritted teeth.

"I've never heard of a Watcher," Katniss said. "You're just making things up now. There is nothing in the book of Meredith about a-"

"It's not in the book!" Madge snapped. "That's what puts most people off. The Watcher only comes when something stirring catches her attention. Something she'd like to become involved in. Something she'd like to . . . mess with."

"Mess with?" Katniss asked. Her heart began to pound in a panic. Is that who that woman outside Peeta's window was? The Watcher?

"She's known for messing with the mortals," Madge explained, letting go of Katniss and stepping back. "She likes to make them into her own band of fledglings."

"Why don't the council stop her?"

"They don't care. It doesn't affect them personally, remember?"

Katniss nodded. She didn't like this. She didn't like it at all. "But doesn't a mortal have to give permisson before they're turned? How could she have found a big bunch of willing mortals?"

"She gives them this," Madge says, taking a small round glass vial out of her pocket. It was a stout, circular jar about the size of her thumb and had a golden rim around the sphere top. Inside was a dark red liquid that lapped up around the glass and filled it up half way.

"What is it?" Katniss asked, taking the vial into the palm of her hand.

"My blood," Madge shrugged.

"Your . . . what?"

"Okay, the Watcher doesn't use my blood in particular but it doesn't need to be mine. It can be hers, or any vampire's blood," Madge explained. "If a mortal consumes the blood of a vampire then they become like them for a sort period of time. Obviously they don't grow fangs and can't drink blood but they feel what we feel. Like the way we walk the streets at night and can feel every noise, every breeze, every star that shines in the sky. That magnificent feeling that makes us become so alive!"

"And you think the Watcher wants to do that to Peeta then?" Katniss asked.

"I don't think. I know. Especially since the Council want him. The Watcher will try to get there first."

"What happens after the effects of the blood wear off?" Katniss checked her watch. Half and hour until she had to meet Peeta.

"Most of the time they don't," Madge shrugged. "They become so disoreintated while under the spell of the blood that they practically end up begging to be turned because they want to feel the way we do forever. Most of the time they aren't disappointed and are turned into a fledgling."

"Why does the Watcher do that?" Katniss asked with a frown.

"For fun mostly," Madge replied. "She finds enjoyment in defying the Book of Meredith and irritating the Council. She especially enjoys turning mortal boys into fledglings. I'm tired of telling you what you can and can't do Katniss but I'd strongly suggest not telling Peeta what's going on around him. Seriously. You don't know what could happen."

"I think I'll make that descision on my own thank you very much," Katniss replied.

"Be careful Katniss," Madge warned as Katniss turned her back and walked off to the end of the alley. "You could put him in even more danger!"

Ignoring her, Katniss decided to head to the bakery and see if Peeta was there. If he was then they could walk to Trinket's together. She suddenly didn't want him walking the streets at night on his own. Anyone could get him out in the open . . .

Why was she so protective all of a sudden?

Katniss grinded to a halt across the road from the bakery. In front of the store was Peeta, locking up for the night, with a familar blond beside him. Her hair was hanging loose around her shoulders and she had something clasped tightly in her right hand. As she turned to walk down the street with him as he headed in the direction of the resturant, Katniss caught a glimpse of bright blue eyes.

The same eyes from last night.

She was the Watcher.

Katniss watched as they walked down the road side by side. The Watcher seemed to be speaking at a rapid pace and Peeta was nodding along with her, barely keeping up with what she was saying. Katniss couldn't hear what the woman was saying but by her expression she could tell she was being deadly serious.

And, quick as a flash, the Watcher took his hand and pressed something into it: The thing she had held tight in her right hand. Then, as if that's all she intended to do, the Watcher ran off across the road and slipped between two buildings.

Katniss looked at her watch again. Twenty minutes. Ducking behind a garden fence so that Peeta didn't see her, she crawled along the length of the fence before bolting across the road and squeezing in between the same two buildings as the Watcher. She thought she would have to chase the blond but as soon as she got through, the woman was standing in the middle of the small slither of space, her back to Katniss.

"I thought you'd follow me," she stated.

"Oh did you now?" Katniss replied.

"Yes"- the woman turned her head and looked at her over her shoulder before smiling-"I did." She turned fully around and her smile widened, showing off two rows of pearly white teeth. "I'm the Watcher, but you can call me Delly."

"Delly?"

"Cartwright," Delly elbortated. "No need to introduce yourself Katniss Everdeen, I've been watching you for a while now."

"Is that why they call you 'The Watcher' maybe?" Katniss said with mock surprise. Delly laughed.

"Yes, it is," she answered.

Approaching the Watcher slowly, Katniss tugged nervously on the end of her braid and asked, "What is it you want with him?"

Delly feigned confusion and pursed her scarlet lips. "With who?" she asked.

"Don't play dumb with me," Katniss snapped. "The boy, you just gave him something, what is it you want with him?"

"Oh him!" Delly exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Why, he's quite an enigma wouldn't you say? Has-what is it?-three parties that need him for something he isn't aware of?"

"Three?"

"The council and their greedy hearts who want to have some AB negative for themselves, me who doesn't want to let such potential to go to waste and you who is still conflicted on what you want from the boy," Delly answered, counting each one off with her fingers. "I want such a boy on my side of things. Hopefully the blood will convince him that I'm the right choice. Of course, if that doesn't work, there are . . . other ways . . ."

Katniss swallowed. "Leave him alone," she growled. "He is my sire, he belongs to me."

"Never knew you'd be the sort of person who'd be territorial," Delly replied. "I'm not sure whether to feel proud or threatened."

"Oh feel threatened," Katniss warned. "I've waited too long for this than to have it ripped from me by a prissy blond." Delly laughed again.

"Oh Miss Everdeen, how you do make me laugh," she chuckled. "You don't seem to understand. For all you know, Peeta Mellark could be consuming my blood right now. You wouldn't be able to stop him then, would you?"

No, she wouldn't.

Katniss bit the inside of her cheek and before she knew it, she had slapped the Watcher.

It was an impulse really when she'd raised her hand and slapped the girl across the cheek but she immediately regretted it. The smile had melted off Delly's face and her eyes darkened. "You really shouldn't have done that," she growled. Katniss heard a hiss and she felt immediately sick as Delly bared her fangs at her.

Katniss had never been in a fledgling on vampire fight before, heck she hadn't even been in a fledgling on fledgling fight before, but she seemed to feel like she knew what to do when Delly lunged at her. Her fangs sprouted as anger washed over her and she jumped right back to meet her half way.

Slamming against the Watcher felt like banging into a steel wall. Katniss was knocked backwards and she yelped as her back hit into the side of one of the buildings. Delly jumped at her but Katniss was prepared this time and swiped her leg underneath the blond's feet, sending her flying to the ground. An urge suddenly overcame her. The want to be the person who beat the Watcher. To be the one who freed the vampire world of the burden that was Delly Cartwright.

In a fit of rage, Katniss screamed and bit into Delly's arm. The girl screamed back as blood ran down her arm, kneeing her in the stomach. Biting back a shriek of pain, Katniss' knees buckled out from underneath her. Determined to win, she dragged Delly down to the ground with her.

When she ripped her teeth out, she spat the girl's blood out, not wanting to swallow. Delly punched her in the jaw, the blood from her arm splattering everywhere. Katniss was about ready to let all hell run loose when something cut her off.

"Katniss?"

She looked up, remainants of Delly's blood dripping down her chin, to see Peeta standing in the slit between the buildings, staring at her in shock.

"Peeta!" Katniss gasped, cupping her hand over her mouth to cover the blood and pushing Delly away from her. "I can explain!"

"I really hope so," Peeta replied.

"I can, I swear!"

This was going to be interesting.

A/N: The mortals consuming vampire blood idea came from this old vampire series called 'Moonlight.' It's pretty good. They only made one series though sadly.

Please R&R :D