Renata jumped when Averie shook her awake and was hardly able to hold her eyes open as she began to pack up her things.
"It's down to four now. The boy from seven went last night…Breakfast? I'm afraid that you'll have to eat it on the go, we aren't the only ones wanting to get a head start," Averie murmured, motioning down the slope.
Only by squinting could she see that a person was moving towards them. She swallowed and was pulled to her feet. "Kain?"
"I think so. Come on, let's get moving."
Renata followed Averie, her heart pounding nervously against her chest. This was it. They were being followed by the one person who was bent on killing her, with nowhere else to go or hide. She gripped the hilt of her knife tighter as they ascended the steep slope, the sun coming up quicker than any of the past days. Every so often, she would glance behind her and see that Kain was still a ways off from them, not hurrying in making his advance on them.
Averie seemed intent on helping her take him out. Even so, could both girls hold their ground against the obviously stronger tribute? If the viewers were starving for some action, they would get it soon.
The girls gasped as there came a low rumble from beneath their feet and they toppled to the snowy ground. After a moment, it went away and they stood up, shrugging to one another.
Finnick murmured quietly as he kissed the woman beside him awake. "Good morning," he purred, stroking her collarbone with his fingers. "Did you sleep well?"
Marielle smiled and nodded, her cheeks pink. "I had the most curious dream…there was a knock on the door and when I answered it, you were there. You pulled me into your arms and kissed me and we…well," her cheeks darkened and she looked away from his amused gaze, laughing shyly.
"I don't think that was a dream, darling…it sounds an awful lot like what happened last night," he murmured, burying his face in her neck and planting several feather-light kisses to her skin. "Can you ever forgive me for exploding at you yesterday? I was so worried about my tribute that-"
She shook her head and put her fingertips to his lips. "I understand, love," she whispered and leaned up to kiss him. "You care about her and want to make sure she comes out alright. I couldn't imagine mentoring anyone. Especially the young ones, you know? Because do they really have a chance against people who have been training their entire lives? It isn't fair," she murmured, running her fingers through his tousled hair.
"It isn't," Finnick said softly, closing his eyes at her gentle touch. "But that's life, right?"
Marielle shrugged and let her hand fall. "I suppose so."
He nodded and smiled, brushing her hair back. "Will I see you again?" he asked, his voice in a whisper as he grazed his lips over her soft ones.
"I hope so. I hope your girl comes out as victor. I'd hate to see you upset again," Marielle sat up as he got out of bed and dressed himself.
Finnick softened and chewed on his lip as he pulled his shirt on. He crossed over to her and took her hand in his, raising it up to his lips. "Thank you, Marielle. Until next time, my darling?" He kissed her hand softly and then gave her lips a long, tender kiss before pulling away and heading for the door.
As he walked down the streets of the Capitol, he noticed that people seemed to be more enthusiastic than other mornings. Crowds of people were up chanting and shouting in excitement. He caught someone's conversation involving what they believed the finale would be and how since another person had died, today would have to be the day that the Gamemakers let everything loose. He swallowed back the lump in his throat and moved as quickly as he could to his normal viewing balcony. If today was the finale, then he knew there would be little he could do to help. There usually wasn't time to send any gifts, or give aid…all he could do was watch. Finnick settled into his seat and he sat forward, his eyes studying each screen as he waited for the real show to begin.
"Please," Renata breathed, reaching out for Averie. Her leg felt like it was on fire from all the climbing they had done without any stopping. She gasped as her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, panting heavily.
"Renata, you can't stop!" Averie gasped, kneeling down beside her. "Look! Look, we're almost there, and then we can stop, I promise! Get up!"
Tears leapt to her eyes and she shook her head. She was so exhausted, and so very much in pain. "I c-can't!" she cried, shaking her head again and choking out a small sob. Her shoulders shook as she fought to hold herself up and she looked up at Averie with pleading blue eyes. "You go on…you can win. I'll distract Kain for you. Please, just leave me, don't let him go home." She surprised herself at how hateful she sounded, so quick to want Kain dead. It made her stomach hurt.
The young woman pursed her lips and looked at the redhead for a long moment before she silently stood up and walked away from her.
Renata laid face down on the ground and cried, the sound echoing around the empty arena. Kain couldn't have been far behind her, and she knew he was probably running towards her now that she was so vulnerable. She had tried to hang on, but it was so hard! The arena had worn her down and left her this exhausted, empty body. It seemed nicer to die than to endure anything more by the hands of the Capitol. Although, Kain was not keen on mercy, so he would probably drag out her death as long as he could.
Her cheek began to sting with the frigidness of the snow and she sniffled, not even bothering to wipe the mucus dripping from her nose. She frowned when suddenly the tremors in the ground began again, feeling much different and much stronger this time. They became so powerful that Renata dug her hands into the ground to attempt to keep herself steady, and only upon hearing a scream did she look up.
Averie was running back towards her, and behind her was a sea of snow cascading down the slope right towards her. "Get up! Run!" she screamed over the roar of the avalanche.
She forced herself up off the ground and began to move back down the slope as quickly as she could, panting heavily as she forced herself to run faster. Kain had turned on his heel and fled, and a cannon boomed suddenly, announcing the death of Xavier. In a matter of seconds, Averie was running along beside her, fear evident in her wide eyes. The avalanche was at the girls' ankles and it swept them both off their feet, carrying them down the slope at a pace faster than their fleeing had been. Renata cried out in pain as she was tossed and turned, using her arms to try and keep herself upright. She could see Averie fighting to do the same and terror gripped her heart as the young woman disappeared from sight all together. The snow seemed to suck at her body, trying to pull her down to great depths and keep her there. She flailed her arms and kicked her legs with as much strength as she could muster, gasping for breath when the snow stopped carrying her altogether. There was snow covering her head and she knew she was stuck, but not how deep below the surface she was. A cannon sounded and Renata swallowed. Had it been Averie, or Kain? Even so, that meant that there were only two left surviving. And if they didn't get a victor soon, she knew that the Gamemakers would bring out something even worse than an avalanche.
Renata slowly began to try and move her arms, whimpering at the pain in her shoulder. Her pack had been ripped off of her shoulders in the event and now she had nothing to use when she found who awaited her above. She spit a little and then grinned when it ran down her chin. She was right-side up, thank God. Using her arms in a swimming motion, she began to try and dig her way out to the surface, gasping when sunlight suddenly came pouring in and momentarily blinded her. She opened her eyes when a shadow cast over her and her heart stopped as she saw Kain bending over the hole and peering down at her.
"There you are, Rini. I was afraid that the last cannon had been you… You look stuck, do you need some help?" he grinned in excitement, a certain glimmer of bloodlust in his eyes.
She remained silent as he knelt down and began to dig her out of the snow, reaching her in no time at all and then he slipped his hands under her armpits and lifted her out onto the surface with ease. Her blue eyes were wide as he stood up and towered over her, looking even more frightening than he had when she'd last seen him. That seemed like an entire life ago now.
"Kain," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. It had come down to the two of them, and there was no way she could defeat him when she had no weapon to use.
"Shhh," he murmured, taking a step toward her and looking down into her eyes. She thought for a moment that he was going to lean down and kiss her, but he instead kicked her hurt leg right out from under her and she fell to the ground with a loud wail of pain. He was on top of her in a second; reaching for a deadly looking knife he had kept on his belt.
Renata struggled underneath him, trying to get him off of her, but he had her shoulders pinned down. Remembering when she trained with Finnick, she leaned up and brushed her lips against his, thinking maybe it would work a second time. The hilt of his knife met her temple and she saw stars for a moment, blinking them away weakly. "Please," she whispered, not knowing exactly why she was begging to be spared. It was no use. Kain would kill her and go home a hero, like he had always dreamed of.
"I can't decide where to start," Kain murmured, dragging the blade across her paled cheek and drawing blood. "An artist needs his inspiration," he imitated Caesar's words during Renata's interview and a cold smirk pulled up his lips when she blurted out a pathetic cry. "Shh, don't cry. I'm giving you a new look is all, Rini. How do you think they'd like you with no ears? All your fingers and toes hacked off?"
Renata whimpered and she turned her head away from him, tears mixing with the blood on her cheek. She blinked and saw a thick needle sticking out of the surface of the snow. It couldn't be…
"Or wait," Kain muttered, turning her head back so he could look at her again. He grinned and nodded. "I'll bring back a souvenir for your dear dad…" He held down her head with his arm and brought the knife directly above her right eye. "Stop moving," he spat, bringing it down closer and closer.
Renata tried to get out of his firm hold, but it was no use. She screamed louder than she ever had before in her life as he began to cut her eye from her socket, feeling a pain like never before course through her. She couldn't move even if she tried and Kain was moving incredibly slow, making sure she would experience as much pain as possible. Tears and blood streamed down her cheeks as he made careful work to get her eye out intact. She couldn't endure his torture. Even if she was still alive after he took out one eye, she couldn't go through anything else. She wanted to die; she wanted the pain to be over. She screamed again and again as he stuck the end of his knife into her eye and began to tug it from the socket, vomiting all over the both of them as he severed the nerve.
As a last chance effort, she reached out towards the ice pick sticking out from the snow and grabbed it. It came out of the snow easily and with one swift, hard movement, she thrust the needle right through Kain's neck, feeling his warm blood spurt out and mix with the blood on her face.
His own brown eyes were wide with surprise and his arms fell weakly to his sides, looking at Renata for what seemed like an eternity before he fell off of her and made a choked sound before breathing his very last breath.
Renata could barely register the sound of the cannon sounding and then someone's voice speaking. She closed her eyes and finally went unconscious, the snow around her stained with her and Kain's blood.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present the winner of the 73rd Hunger Games…"