A little break from the all the action, before everything gets chaotic.

Chapter 16

One Day Left

Caleb washed dishes in silence. Usually, the Prior siblings shared the chores of the household, but with Beatrice gone, the dishes fell on him.

Tomorrow was his last day before the reapings. If he was reaped, when he was reaped, who would do the dishes?

Caleb dried another dish and placed it in a stack of clean dishes. He should be worried about that, shouldn't he? Who would do the dishes, take care of his parents, do the chores. But whatever happened, his parents could survive. He wasn't so sure he could.

You're smart, Cara had told him. You can win this.

Caleb hoped she was right.

Gauis raised an eyebrow. "And what have you been doing these past weeks?"

"Oh, uh..." Merlin struggled to come up with an excuse. He probably should have thought of one already, but he had nothing. "I was... with a friend."

Gauis sighed. "Merlin. I was starting to worry."

"There's nothing to worry about," Merlin replied. "I promise."

Steve looked out his window, troubled.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

Nick Fury raised an eyebrow. "Would you?"

Steve sighed. "Probably not."

Fury leaned back in his chair. "There is someone I know who can help you. But it's a big favor, and one I've been hoping to save."

"Then I'll owe you," Steve replied.

"I guess you will." Fury studied him for a moment. "Tell me, what do you know of District 13?"

Hazel looked out the window of her barracks.

"We can leave again as soon the reapings are over," Nico said. He was sitting on her bed, the only other person in the room. "We'll have to find a third member."

Hazel nodded. "There's a week between the reaping and the games, right? We have plenty of time."

"I officially call the meeting in order," McGonagall announced. "Now, are we all up to date?"

The few member of the Order she could find all nodded their heads.

"Good," McGonagall said. She looked at each member around the table - Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Molly and Arthur Weasley and their oldest two sons Bill and Charlie, Nymphadora Tonks, Alabaster Moody, and Severus Snape.

"So what do we do?" Tonks asked.

"The plan is this."

"Anything?" Eve asked, peaking at the device in Flynn's hands.

"A little residual magic," Flynn said. "From the other end of the spell."

"But no clue as to what the source is."

Flynn shook his head.

They were on the side of the stage where the reapings the day after tomorrow would be held. No one paid them any mind - Eve, after all, was a victor and had many other reasons she might want to see the stage.

"Wait a minute," Flynn said. "I think I might have an idea."

"Yes?" Eve asked.

"The residual magic on the screen," Flynn said. "It's pretty strong. With these readings, it would have to be from a video."

"Are you sure?" Eve asked.

Flynn nodded. "What we need to is an exact time this all started. If we can determine what was being played..."

"But the reapings take place during different times," Eve pointed out.

"True," Flynn said. "But it wouldn't be impossible for each world's spell to start at a different time."

"Are you sure?" Eve asked.

Flynn nodded. "I'm sure."

Jasmine wasn't surprised that there were more peacekeepers around the orphanage.

"They don't want us leaving," she commented to Julian. "Not with the games so close."

Prof focused.

He was insane to think it would work, and he hoped it wouldn't, but he gave it a try anyways. He lifted his hand, focused on the wall, and made the wood crumble.

Shoot.

Rapunzel watched the sun set from her house right outside the Snugly Duckling.

"You've never seen the sun set?" She asked Esmeralda, who was sitting next to her.

Esmeralda shook her head. "Too much light pollution. It's beautiful."

Rapunzel nodded. "Just wait until you see the stars tonight."

Enna watched the fire crackle.

Tomorrow would be her last day before she was reaped, and Enna knew she would be reaped.

She reached in her pocket, finding the two items she had been given before parting. One was the electrical device Jacob had given her, the other a skull ring Nico had loaned her.

So that you'll remember you have people behind you, he had said.

Razo sat next to Enna, taking her out of her reverie.

"What are you thinking, Enna-Girl?"

Enna sighed. "About the games. What did you think I was thinking about?"

"I don't know, maybe the awful dinner we just had."

Enna shook her head. "I wish."

"There's nothing to be worried about," Razo said. "You're one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can survive, it's you."

"What about you?" Enna asked. Razo was one of the two male candidates, according to the gossip, and he couldn't know they both had a chance of survival.

Razo's smile faltered. "I guess we'll have to see."

Rachel probably should have asked Hercules permission to paint on his walls, but the other oracle intervened for her.

"So what's it a painting of?" Hercules grumbled.

Rachel shook her head. "I'm not sure. I saw it in a dream."

Whatever it was, it looked very... Norse. It was a dark-skinned woman circling on a white horse, her brown eyes piercing even in her painting.

"I believe you call that a Valkyrie," the Oracle suggested.

"But what does it mean?" Hercules asked.

"We will see," Rachel replied.

Britta felt hopeless.

Losing Steffan had hurt like nothing Britta had even known. Now, there was every chance she was going to die much the same way, probably by the friend of the same tribute who had killed Steffan. She felt trapped.

Britta shook the thoughts out of her head, remembering the words another tribute had said, when she was reaped after her brother died in the games.

It just means I'll have to win where he didn't. For him.

Just a week left for our heroes... what will they do?