Song Suggestion: The Neighbourhood- "Wires" and Twenty One Pilots- "My Blood"
Thank You: downwego, 3vlee, Cat Beats, ShootingStar96 (for five wonderful reviews), Figsy, Alexxis T. Swan, Mistress-Cinder, StrawberryPeaches, and two guests!
A/N: We're nearing the final stretch of this story (about 7-8 more chapters)! From here on out, I'm pushing the updates closer together, so expect a new chapter every week!
A Poisoned Rose
"They're both asleep," Cato whispered, tiptoeing from the bassinets as if they were bombs. It had been eight weeks since their birth. Her body healed, except for the occasional twinges. The days and nights ran together, filled with screaming and spit up, painful feedings and blow out diaper changes. Cato was more hands on than she expected, usually grabbing them once home from his days leading the Circle. He rocked them to sleep and changed their diapers as if it was natural to him.
The twins rarely slept at the same time, despite Prim trying to keep them on the same schedule. Taking care of two babies was just as exhausting as she thought it would be. The weariness ran in her veins with her blood.
Cato raised the blanket and slid in beside her. He reached down and traced the outline of her breast under her nightgown. He gave her a lowered gaze, dark and asking.
"I'm not sure," Prim said
"The doctor gave you the all clear."
"You push two babies out of your body and see how you feel about putting something back in."
"We can go slow."
"No, not today."
The thought of sex made her whole body tense up in fear. They attempted it a week ago, but it hurt bad enough they stopped.
He gave a heavy sigh, showing a surprising amount of restraint compared to their past, as if afraid she'd slip through his fingers if he pressed too hard.
"Fine," he said, leaning back, obviously frustrated. He rubbed his hand down his face and gave a little groan. His arousal was evident under the blanket.
In the background, a night light glowed, showing off the expanse of his chest. His thick scar like a trench in the middle. The birthmark. The tiny new concave on the right side of his upper chest, where the tip of Gale's sword entered.
Prim leaned forward and pressed her lips to the scar Gale gave him. Cato groaned again, the sound like desperation.
"Please don't do that unless you want me to fuck you."
Prim answered by letting her teeth graze where her lips had been.
Cato let out a loud breath and placed his hand between her shoulders, running his hand down her spine. She concaved down with the touch, and he curved upwards to cup her ass, bunching the nightgown in his fist and pulling it up to pool around her stomach, leaving her bare. She wore nothing underneath, and he gave another groan at the sight.
"I'm serious. Keep doing that and I won't be responsible for my actions. It's been a forever since I've fucked, and I don't know how much restraint I possess."
"You never took another woman to bed?"
She hated herself for asking, not really wanting to know the answer.
He looked down at her.
"After seeing that first hacked message where you held hands with the slum rat, I decided I'd find someone new. That fucker leaned down and kissed your cheek, and you looked up as if you loved him, even after all he'd done to me. I wasn't prepared for the betrayal. It hurt more than I'll ever show you."
"Did you find someone?"
Prim tried not to be hurt by what he said. She blocked out the images of him with the Capitol women, knowing it hadn't been his choice to bed them. But the images were replaced in her head by shiny new girls, who gripped his golden hair in pleasure, who moaned under his calloused hands.
Prim wasn't usually insecure, but the baby weight clung to her stomach and hips. Stretch marks decorated the skin, and her body stretched and pulled into odd dimensions.
"The first girl didn't sound like you. I didn't even begin," he said. "The next I undressed, but I couldn't do this," he pressed his fingers down, dimpling the skin on her bottom. "I realized quick it was a lost cause, and I learned to take care of my frustration on my own. Which is why I'm asking you to not tease me. I've waited months, a few more weeks won't kill me."
In response, Prim kissed him again, letting her tongue come out to run along the dips and edges.
Cato drew in a breath through clenched teeth.
"Little bird," he warned, "I thought I just—"
"There's other ways you can fuck me."
His mouth snapped shut, and his eyes burned through her. He shivered and then glanced towards the ceiling.
She had never touched him this way, using her mouth. He never forced her, and she never offered.
Prim kissed her way down his chest, feeling confident until she reached her destination. She stared at his length, suddenly unsure how to proceed.
"You don't have to," Cato said softly. "We can wait until—"
She interrupted him by taking him into her mouth. He gave a loud groan and tangled his fingers in her hair. She started by going up and down, pushing as much as possible into her mouth, knowing her inexperience showed with her awkward movements. She let him go.
"I don't know what I'm doing."
"You're doing fine. I'll teach you what feels good later, but right now it's been so long, I'm almost there."
She went back to work. On experiment, she swirled her tongue, and he gasped and bucked upward, so she continued the motion.
Cato grabbed the sides of her face, and she glanced up locking eyes as he took over and pushed in and out of her mouth. At first it was just the tip, but soon enough he went almost the entire length. Prim gagged but tried her best to prevent herself from pulling away.
"You're so beautiful," he gasped, and she almost believed him. "I'm about to cum," he said as warning. She refused to move. Instead, she allowed him to go deeper.
"Fuck!" he went in her mouth. It tasted strange and salty as she swallowed his orgasm.
She released him, resting her face against his thigh. His hand reached out and brushed her cheek.
"Thank you," he said, "I—"
The door burst open and Hannibal ambled in.
"You will not believe what just happened."
The babies began to cry at the sudden, loud intrusion, and Hannibal reared back and covered his eyes in horror.
"Gross," he yelled, "My eyeballs. They've been contaminated!"
Cato flung a blanket over Prim naked bottom, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment. Cato did not seem ashamed, only tugging on some boxers before walking over to the babies.
"That's why polite people knock before entering a room, dumbass."
"Do you have an industrial bleach laying around?" Hannibal asked, "I'm going to need to soak my brain in it for several hours… though I have to admit, Prim, your ass wasn't too bad of a sight. Very nice."
"If you mention Prim's ass again, I'll be sure you won't need bleach to forget."
"Understood."
Cato picked up both the screaming infants and walked over and plopped Max in Hannibal's arms.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Hannibal asked with a look of utter terror. He copied Cato's bouncing motion.
"Put him back to sleep, you complete fuckup. You woke him up, and this is punishment." Cato couldn't hide his annoyance. After several minutes, Rory calmed down, but Max still screamed.
"How come yours stopped and mine keeps going?"
Cato blinked his sleep-deprived eyes and held out a squishy object.
"Forgot the pacifier."
Hannibal shoved it in Max's mouth, and in a few more minutes, both the babies feel asleep in their arms.
"Now," Cato said, in a low voice, "Tell me what's so important that you barged in here like an idiot."
"Ace agreed to meet with us."
Cato looked surprised and then thoughtful.
"What's his motivation?"
Hannibal hesitated. He glanced at Prim.
"They know we have the Mockingjay."
The room tensed, Cato most of all. The cords along his arms and neck bunched. The only thing keeping his temper in check was little Rory asleep in his arms. Prim straightened in the bed, letting the blanket sag.
"What do they want with her?"
Hannibal shrugged. "It's Ace. Your guess is as good as mine."
Cato's face tilted downward, turning his face into shadows.
"He wants to satisfy his vendetta. What else would he want?" Cato said. "And he won't have it. We'll take the Capitol without them, but they'll be branded traitors and treated as such when the president falls."
"I think he just wants to speak with her."
Cato's hardness did not let up. If anything, the lines in his face turned to stone.
"Forgive me Prim." He walked over and placed the sleeping baby in her arms. "Duty calls." He leaned over and kissed her on the head. "I'll be back in several hours after I meet with the war council."
He stormed out of the room, but still had enough sense to close the door behind him softly.
Hannibal still stood with Max in his arms. Any other time and their positions would be awkward, with her still half-naked. But his face looked worried.
"We may be able to do it without District 1," Hannibal said. "But I don't think we can. They are a district full of soldiers, just like us. If we don't convince them to work with us, then they'll be working against us. It's too dangerous. We need them, and we need you."
Prim understood what he wanted, but there was a flaw in the plan.
"Cato won't let me go."
Hannibal gave a sad smile.
"When was the last time you did what he asked? He tells you to stay, and you run. He tells you to let someone die, and you jump in to save them. Being contrary to Cato is part of your makeup."
"Without District 1, we'll lose," Prim said, finally understanding what she had to do.
"Yes," Hannibal said, looking down at Max as if completely in love. "Cato doesn't like to admit it, but we'll fail without all the districts unifying as one. And if we fail, then our family fails as well. Snow will kill every single one of us, down to the tiny babe in my arms. He has never had mercy for children."
Prim kept her eyes on her son, on the way his eyes flickered under the eyelids. She wondered what he dreamed about: colors, sounds, her touch? It was so simple. The complications of life arise when children recognize the dangers surrounding them, how almost anything can prove fatal, ripping them from the world. Losing innocence is simply losing faith that things will work out in the end. That the monsters are very real.
"We can't lose," Prim agreed.
Two Weeks Later
The ship jerked around her, and she crouched low to the ground, trying to steady herself. The walls of a wooden box fenced her in on all sides. The jerking stopped, and Prim knew they landed in District 1. The soldiers scurried around her. She heard the click of boots on metal and the fidgeting of weapons. They came for negotiations but prepared for battle.
Cato gave orders to his men. He did not know she was curled only a few feet from him. He thought she was tucked safe in District 2's command mountain with their sons. Instead, the twins rested in Hannibal's apartments with Katla watching over them. It went against every instinct to leave them. Her breasts already ached and leaked from the missed feedings, but she needed to be here.
"Alright men," Cato said, "We've been through this before, but I'm going to repeat it for the idiots. Keep your formations. Don't allow anyone to get between us and the ship or else our escape route will be fucked. They think we have the Mockingjay. When they figure out we've lied, they may still want to negotiate, or they may decide they're pissed enough to retaliate. We need to be prepared for both. Understood?"
"Understood," The twenty soldiers bellowed back in unison. It echoed in her ears.
"Hannibal," Cato said, "Stay behind, just in case."
"Aye Aye, Captain."
Prim imagined Cato's eyes rolling upwards.
The hydraulics popped and groaned as the door opened and landed heavy against the ground. The metal of the ship's floor rattled as the soldiers marched down the steps and away.
They landed on the outskirts of the district. Ace, the District's chosen tribute had Jace not gone, capitalized on the rebellion and claimed himself the leader of District 1, after killing all the peacekeepers and several older victors to claim the title. The Capitol did not have the resources to monitor the infighting. Instead, they tried to woo them to their side with money and influence. Ace had stated he wanted nothing to do with the rebellion or Cato, but for some reason, once he heard District 2 possessed the Mockingjay, he was willing to entertain a meeting.
The top to the box began to rattle and popped off, revealing the unusually serious face of Hannibal. His curls fell into his face as he helped her up, and he tucked the strands behind his ears as a nervous habit.
"Here." He held a ball of clothes in his hands. "Dress in these."
When she unraveled it, she saw the mask and outfit of a District 2 soldier.
He turned to give her privacy, and she quickly put on the clothes. They swallowed her frame, drowning her in black.
Once she was done, Hannibal turned around and snorted, holding back a bigger laugh.
"Shut up," Prim said and placed the helmet on her head. It was too big, as well. "Couldn't you have found a uniform that fit me?"
"They don't make shrimp size, Primmy." He looked her over. "The disguise won't last long. Your massive knockers will give you away before they realize you're miniature."
She swatted at his chest.
"Hey," he said, "I'm serious. If Cato finds you, he'll kill me in some inhumane way, so you need to be fast."
"I know," Prim said, checking off the tasks on her fingers. "Find where the meeting is held. Infiltrate and throw off my helmet so Ace can see me before Cato does. It's not too complicated." She paused. "You said he only wanted to talk, right?"
Hannibal nodded, but he suddenly didn't seem so sure himself. He reached out and pulled her into a hug.
"Be careful. I wouldn't be sending you into the wolf den without thinking it was the only way."
He let her go and pulled a handgun out of his pocket and placed it in her hands. It was the smallest gun she ever saw, and it easily fit in her pocket.
"Use this if everything else fails," He said. "I know you've never shot it, but its more powerful than it looks. Oh, and I almost forgot… how's this for fancy Capitol inventions?" He stuck a small black button on her helmet. "It'll help you get inside the negotiations, but it only works for a few hours."
"Where did you get it?"
"Stole it, of course. It's another thing Cato will be furious about."
He pressed the button, and her body vanished. She moved her arm and realized her armor now showed a picture of whatever was behind her, despite movement. If someone looked hard enough, they'd still notice she was there, but it would make her task easier.
"Smart," she said and then she frowned. "Let's hope that Cato can forgive us."
"Yeah, I'd prefer to keep my head attached to my body, so try not to die, okay?"
"Okay."
A Few Minutes Later
Prim crept down the ship's boarding ramp, expecting to run into District 2 soldiers in the near distance, per Cato's orders. But nobody was there.
She straightened, no longer trying to hide.
Where did they go? And why did they not hear any scuffle or sound?
Something didn't feel right.
Prim walked off the ramp, the land flat and rough, filled with scrubby plants and a rocky terrain. The Earth under her feet cracked, thirsting for water. The northern boundaries of District 1 held forests, but they built their city on the southern part, which was ugly and desolate.
The city glimmered in the distance like a mirage in the desert. Not having any place else to go, she began her trek towards the hub of District 1.
Twenty Minutes Later
The city teemed with life, a crowd of ants swarming their hill. Most of the citizens seemed to be out in the streets, walking towards something. Prim decided to follow the crowd. She walked out of reach, hopping behind low bushes and swinging around trees. Occasionally, someone would narrow their eyes at her, as if seeing something peculiar, but they just shook their heads and kept going forward.
The crowd stopped towards the center of the city. In front of her was a stage with several wooden beams. Every District had something similar—a place to execute and torture people publicly.
Today the gallows were occupied by District 2 soldiers with nooses around their necks. In the center was Cato. The other soldiers had black strips taped over their lips, but Cato's remained free. A massive male, almost as big as Jace, stood next to him with a sneer. His thick blond hair trailed down his back, looking like a lion's mane. Cato only looked back with his own stoic sneer, jaw clenching when someone from the crowd spit at him.
She recognized him from long ago. Ace: Jacen's chosen tribute, someone she would have faced in the arena if Jace hadn't picked up the baton. His older brother was Marvel, and she remembered Cato telling her not to reveal she was Katniss' sister, because he still held a grudge.
Was that what this was about? A grudge? Prim understood in a small way. Afterall, her sister died too, and she hated Cato for a long time because of it, only stopping when he forced her to enter his orbit.
She tried to recall what else she knew about him but only remembered Cato's insults.
"District 1 favors brawn; I tend to favor intelligence. Ace may be a big brute, but he's stupid, which gets you killed quick."
If Ace was so stupid, how did he manage to become the leader? Toppling a district as ruthless as theirs, including peacekeepers and older victors, required more than brawn. So either Cato's assessment was wrong, and Ace was smarter than he appeared, or something didn't add up.
Prim edged around the crowd, almost knocking into a trash can.
Hannibal's plan was already fucked. He thought the meeting would be indoors, away from prying ears. Instead they attacked their soldiers right out the gate, as if they never cared to discuss terms in the first place.
Prim managed to get towards the front, standing in front of a butcher store, close enough to see and hear, but still separated from the mob.
Ace turned towards the crowd, and a sudden hush fell upon the citizens.
"The terms were simple— bring the Mockingjay or do not come at all." Ace's voice boomed across the crowd. "They insult us by not only leaving her behind but lying to us about it."
"She's not important to the end goal," Cato answered in a clam voice. "Work with us, and you'll be free."
"With you?" Ace frowned. "Our spies already told us about the deal you cut with Coin. You take half the districts, the capitol, and the Mockingjay." The crowd hummed with outrage. "So which half will we fall under? Which master will be bow to?"
"Neither," Cato said. "If you work with us, you can be a free city-state, ruling itself. You're—"
Ace's hand stuck his face. Blood sprayed with the force behind it. Cato spit on the ground and looked a little dazed, nose off-center.
"You talk too much. Pretty words, but they are lies. If you take control, you won't give it up. I think we should go ahead and hang you." He turned to the crowd. "What do you think?" The crowd roared back their approval, jostling each other, reminding Prim of the horde of roaches.
"If you kill me, my brothers will raze this district to the ground," Cato said, too calm for Prim's liking.
Ace just smirked at him, ignoring the threat.
"After I kill you, I'll be sure and make a deal with Snow." He tapped his finger to his chin. "Maybe I'll demand your district in the bargain. Hmm, and then maybe I'll even sweeten the deal by asking for the Mockingjay as a bed slave. I've been looking for a new Manato, and I'm curious how sweet her cunt is. It must be like honey if it managed to capture your attention. Not to mention, having her crying for mercy and then begging me for my thick cock would satisfy my vendetta against her family in delicious ways."
Cato lost his calm demeanor and slammed himself forward, the noose biting into his neck until his face turned red. Ace laughed and kicked him back in place with a giant boot.
"Not yet, Carthage," Ace said. "The noose will tighten soon enough without you jumping to conclusions."
Cato seethed but seemed to realize the sense behind the warning for he stood proud after, tilting his jaw into the air, showing the crowd exactly what he thought of them.
Prim's insides froze and then burned, as the anger took over, filling her up. The monster took its place. She raised the tiny gun in her right hand, pointing it at Ace.
Could she do it? Could she kill him? She killed Jace without the bloodshed on her hands, but this time it would stain dark.
Her finger tightened on the trigger.
The press of cold metal to her temple stopped her.
"If you shoot that gun, Mockingjay, it will blow up the entire stage, Carthage included. That's no ordinary weapon you hold. It's called the Whistler, and unless you want to be blamed for mass casualties, you'll hand it over."
Prim hesitated and lowered her gun. It was said in such a matter-of-fact tone, she believed him.
"There's a smart girl."
The man reached for the gun. She tried to hold on, but after a pathetic tug-of-war, it popped from her hold and into his. Prim turned and viewed him as he placed the gun in the inside of a dress coat pocket, still pointing his own gun at her head.
He was handsome in a conventional sense, in the way wealthy people tend to be, with brown hair combed and slicked in a style that reminded her of the Gamemakers. He wore sunglasses and an expensive tailored suit. Whoever he was, he had money and he wore it shamelessly.
"How can you see me?"
He tapped his sunglasses.
"The camouflage is impressive. Too bad I already knew District 2 had the technology stashed away, and that you'd most likely use it. I'm wearing the tech that sees through it."
"But how did you know I'd be camouflaged in the first place?"
"I knew Cato would deny my request, and I knew you'd accept it. I used a paralyzing gas on Cato and his soldiers when they arrived, and after seeing you weren't there, I figured you were going to try and sneak in. There's only one way to do that. I'm pleased you followed my script."
"Who the fuck are you?"
Prim fumed at being so predictable as to fall into someone's trap for her.
He pulled up his sunglasses, and Prim gasped, stepping backwards. Ruby's brother stared back at her. There was no denying the relation. They shared the same sharp, intelligent hazel eyes and the same curving lips. He had tattoos as well, snaking across most of his exposed skin. A rose took up his right cheek, mimicking his sister.
"Sorry, I'm being impolite. My name is Lux Rose." He did not hold out his hand to shake.
The grief crashed into Prim, almost drowning her. She usually managed to subdue the trauma, but seeing Ruby's brother brought it like a tsunami, powerful and unexpected.
"What do you want from me?" She gasped.
"Justice," he snarled.
He reached out and pressed the button on her helmet. The camouflage vanished instantly.
"Take it off," he nudged her helmet, and she obeyed him, sliding it off her head.
"It's a poor disguise. It looks as if you're wearing a blanket."
"They don't make my size," she huffed in exasperation. She blamed Hannibal for his stupid plan and stupid disguise.
He looked her up and down, concentrating on her face with an odd expression.
"Up you go," he pressed the cold metal to her cheek, forcing her to take a step towards the stage.
"Who are you to order me around with a gun to my head?" Prim answered, trying her best not to sound terrified. "I was invited here to talk. You're showing bad manners."
He took a menacing step towards her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and pressed her against the brick wall of the butcher shop. Several people glanced their way, but no one intervened, and all but a few averted their eyes.
"Who am I?" He mocked, lips close to her face. "You think my sister was in the games by chance? You think it was luck of the draw they called out Ruby Rose, the daughter of Ardor Rose? Nearly every name on that ballet was rigged as a punishment. Her most of all."
Prim figured Ruby was a part of an elite family, given that she went through training, but she never realized she came from one the most prominent families in the whole of Panem, even surpassing most of the Capitol citizens. Her father, Ardor Rose, was a genius and created most of the tech gadgets for the Capitol. Even she had heard of him. Prim wondered why her brain never made the connection.
He knew of the whistler and of the button camouflage because his father invented them.
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Nothing and everything," he said, and he twisted her, holding her close to his body. He wasn't overly large, but he was strong and there was no way she could wiggle away. "We have some debts to settle. Now stop asking question and walk on stage."
Prim's feet took step by step, scaling the stairs, until she looked out on the crowd. When Cato saw them, with Lux's arm around her waist, wearing an oversized uniform with a gun to the temple, he took a step backward. Prim watched his varied expressions as he realized she disobeyed him and was once more in danger. His mask dropped for a moment, showing her his sudden spike of fear and compounding rage. His whole face lowered, and his eyes narrowed in hatred, telling Prim that even if they survived this, she'd be punished.
"Sorry," she whispered to him, as Lux flung her around.
The crowd stomped several times, flinging one fist into the air, District 1's version of a salute. Cato's spies were misinformed. Ace wasn't the leader of District 1; he was the muscle. The real leader was smarter, carrying a true reason to hate her.
"The Mockingjay decided to pay us a visit," Lux told the crowd.
The crowd pulsed forward. They weren't hard to read. She was responsible for both of their tributes' deaths. She doubted they grieved Jace. Even Careers had a limit to monstrous behavior, and he surpassed it. But Ruby? The daughter of their treasured Ardor Rose? She must have been a darling. And Prim had refused to save her at the end. The fear inside her tripled, overriding her usual anxiety of being in front of a crowd.
"There are many of you who blame Primrose Everdeen for the death of my sister." The crowd stomped and roared their agreement. "She had the chance to fell Jacen Hartline, and instead, she placed the knife to his throat and pulled away, betraying my sister." He waited until the crowd calmed down and then he gave a shove to Prim's chest, pushing her backwards into the arms of a burly guard. He watched her with another odd expression, as the guard pressed her into a wooden pillar. They brought out ropes and tied her against it.
"You're putting me on trial," Prim said, realizing at the last minute what was happening.
"Exactly," he said, throwing out both his arms, as if a king in this world. "Ruby belonged to this District, and they will decide your fate."
"But this isn't fair," Prim yelled out, struggling against the bonds holding her in place. "It was the games!"
"Nothing is fair," he said. "For example, in this trial you're already guilty."
Prim gave a low scream and attempted to struggle until she got control of her anger and allowed herself to think rationally.
Lux turned to the crowd with a beatific smile. He pulled out a ceremonial knife, encrusted with various jewels, curved, and wicked sharp.
The punishment is death, her mind understood a beat too late.
"Start talking, Primrose Everdeen. Prove your innocence." Lux's eyes twinkled, as if he knew something she didn't.
"You say I didn't save her, but I did. Her burn almost killed her. I had to petition Panem for the medicine to heal her." Prim sucked in a breath, determined not to let her emotions get a hold of her now. Not when she needed to be level-headed. "Tell me District 1… why did it take until I pleaded for her life for you to save her? Would you have let her die? If so, then you are just as culpable for her death as I am."
The crowd burst into noise.
"Well, fought, Mockingjay," Lux said. "But you're only on trial for her final moments. Stay focused. Why didn't you save Ruby?"
Prim took a long time to answer. She waited until the crowd calmed down, and she gathered her thoughts. Lux was right—it was pointless to try to prove herself innocent of the crime. They already made up their minds. She just needed to convince them not to kill her.
"You're right. I'm guilty. At the time, I wasn't cracked enough to help her. I wasn't strong enough to slay the beast. Go ahead… take your revenge. Slit my throat. But my death won't break your chains. You'll still be slaves to the capitol, sending your children to die for a madman."
The knife in his hand glinted in his hand the same time as his eyes.
"And you think you can free us, lead us into the land of promise?"
"Haven't I already?" Prim answered softly.
The crowd roared, but Lux brought his hands up to signal quiet.
"Let her explain. Let her tell us how she's saved us." He sneered as he said it.
"Without the rebellion I helped fan, you wouldn't have been able to overthrow your peacekeepers and kill the Capitol sympathizers among your ranks."
"You did none of those things." Lux said. "We took back what was ours." The crowd roared and raised varied weapons in the air in agreement.
"Yes," Prim agreed, moving against her bonds. "But I created the environment. It's easy to blame me for your pain. Jace is the true villain, but I'm the only one here to put on trial, the easiest target, the only person to blame. So go ahead and blame me, but without unifying, we'll come at Snow fractured, and he'll find the cracks and exploit them. He won't target you until the end, and when he does, he'll break you like the rest."
The crowd murmured. They glanced at each other. She sensed the blood lust began to cool.
Lux walked forward and placed the dagger at her throat. The cold metal bit against flesh. Prim's mind scrambled on what to do.
"Last chance, Mockingjay… tell me why I should spare you."
A few feet away, Cato struggled against his noose. Pressing himself tight against it until his face turned purple. He roared, until the noise strangled.
"Because," Prim began, softly, searching his face, hating to deal the blow, "Ruby owed me a blood debt, and she fulfilled it. I couldn't save her… but I did avenge her, even though I didn't have to. I killed Jace, and in doing so, she would owe me again."
Lux's face and body hardened. The knife faltered as he blinked fast, holding back his emotions behind iron doors.
"It's time for the verdict," he said. "Scream for guilty."
Screams erupted from the crowd.
"Stomp for innocence."
The world seemed to shake with the power of stomping feet. It vibrated her bones, and it surprised her. She managed to convince them. Most of them, at least.
But one look at Lux told her it wasn't enough. His lips curled into a secret smile, eyes flicking over her features. The crowd went silent, as if holding their collective breath for his answer.
"Guilty," he yelled, still looking at her, as if she was the only person in existence.
Some of the crowd gasped, some of them cheered.
Prim sucked in a sob and waited for the slice of metal. She remembered the feel of it biting up her wrist, the slow decline, as if falling asleep. As deaths went, it wasn't the worst way to go. She assumed it would be quick.
But the fire and pain never came. Lux's face became hard. His knife went down and snapped the ropes binding her to the wooden pole. When the last one broke away, she fell forward, and Lux caught her around the waist. He twisted them, with her still in his hold so they both faced the crowd.
"She's guilty," he said again, "She's so powerless she couldn't stab Jace when given an opportunity. But yet…" his hands tightened on her waist. "But yet she was able to smile at Jace as he died, a man who terrorized our district and its people for many years. Played his fear against him and still walked away alive… My sister found her worthy enough to follow. A choice between wrong and smart." He paused. The crowd turned deathly silent, except the random baby screaming. Lux pushed her forward. She stumbled and then stood alone, facing her accusers with a straight spine. "The same choice confronts us today. Primrose Everdeen, the weakest among us, is brave enough to stand against Snow… are we?"
The crowd thundered, much louder than anything before. Many of the men and women raised weapons in the air again.
Lux walked next to her, kneeled and offered his jewel-encrusted knife with a smile telling her everything turned out exactly the way he planned.
"I'll work with you," he whispered and threw an icy look in Cato's direction. "Not for you. Remind Carthage of that unless he wants the wolves at his throat."
Ace came next. He did not look happy to do it, but he ripped a giant sword from the sheath on his back and kneeled, offering up his sword in the same manner as Lux, giving a sneer as he did it.
The rest of the remaining victors and elite fighters did the same and soon the whole crowd followed, whether they screamed or stomped, kneeling on the dirty ground, presenting their weapons.
Then they all stood as one, placed three fingers to their mouths and into the air.
Prim took a step back, astonished.
"What just happened?"
Lux Rose stood up and slipped an arm back around Prim's waist, twisting his head to give a taunting smirk at Cato. Prim dared not turn and see what expression she'd find on the man she loved. She assumed it was deadly calm, a beast pacing the cage.
"They hated you before today," Lux leaned over and whispered in her ear, "And now, Mockingjay," the word rolled on his tongue, "I've given you a formidable army."
One Hour Later
They knocked out Cato with a tranquilizer, unwilling to risk his anger once released from his bounds.
Lux followed them to their ship, watching as Circle soldiers loaded him. It took four massive soldiers to complete the task. Once the body disappeared into the silver body of the ship, Prim turned back to Lux, studying his face. He looked pleased, kicking dust up with the toe of his boot, hands in his pockets.
"You two make an odd couple," he said. "It was a pleasure to see you make him squirm a bit during the games. I've always hated that cocky motherfucker, no offense. It was refreshing to see him human enough to tremble like the rest of us."
"It seems everything worked out according to your plan," Prim said with a bitter edge.
"It did," he nodded.
He planned the whole thing: the trial, the verdict, the snapping bonds. He seemed to understand his people, and her to some degree, at least enough to manipulate everyone into the outcome he desired with no one realizing he pulled the strings.
"Why go through all the trouble?"
"It's only logical. You can't be free without us, and we can't be free without you. I've known it for a long time, but my district was a powder keg, and if I would have joined you when you first asked, my district would have revolted. They wanted someone's blood, at least the majority did, and you fit their desires. They needed a trial, they needed to be convinced. I found a way to achieve both."
"You put a knife to my throat."
Lux smirked, still looking as if he understood better than she did. She had a sudden urge to swipe the self-satisfied look off his face.
"You were under no real danger. Remind Cato of that when he wakes. I'd rather he not come for my head." He must have seen the way she twisted her lips to the side in doubt. "Look, you were as innocent as lamb up there. Did you hear how loud the world shook when I asked them to stomp? It was your courage that changed their minds. We see a lot of it in this district, but not as often in a girl who I could lift up and snap in two."
"I thought you hated me!"
He took two steps forward, grabbed both sides of her face, tilted it upwards, and crashed his lips in to hers. Prim reeled back in shock, scrambling out of his hold. He let her go. She brushed her lips with her sleeves.
"What was that for?"
Lux panted, his arms by his side, as if unsure what to do with them.
"For being Ruby's ally when she had none. I hoped after you survived the nightmares and she was healed that—well, it doesn't matter. You gave her hope in the dark, and I don't think I can ever repay you for that."
"But I betrayed her!" Her voice cracked. The kiss felt like forgiveness and burned through her. "You found me guilty."
He lunged for her again, pressing his lips hard into hers, as if sucking out her soul with the force. This time when she tried to shove him away, he didn't let go. He only pulled away when her world went dizzy.
"That's for killing that fucker Jace." He still held her cheeks and searched her eyes. The rose crinkled as he smiled. "He was the scariest person I'd ever met. Made my skin crawl. We all knew what he did for years, but no one had the guts to stop him. I watched him murder my sister... I thought you'd be next. I thought Carthage would fall too. And then I'd have to welcome that monster back as if he—as if he didn't…" He brushed his fingers softly against her skin. "But surprise, surprise, little Primrose knew just what to do… and you didn't just kill him. You fucking destroyed him. He pissed his pants and cried at the end. Did you know that?" He bent down and placed one last kiss on her lips. This time as soft as a butterfly. "I'm afraid I'd do stupid fucking things if you just ask. Ruby may not be able to pay back her debt for vengeance, but I'm taking her place."
"You make it sound as if I wasn't scared," Prim answered, stepping away from him, in case he tried to kiss her again. "I was terrified."
"What's bravery without fear?" Lux put his hands back in his pockets. "We've all been afraid forever. It's in our DNA now. Even Cato trembles. But it will end soon. I feel it in the air. You'll need to be brave again, and this time I'll be there to stand beside you."
Prim nodded, swallowing. Her throat felt full and scratchy, holding back her emotions. She never realized how much she needed forgiveness until it was given.
Prim tilted her head in thanks, understanding that without him they wouldn't have convinced District 1 to forget their distrust to join the fight.
Prim turned to enter the ship, but Lux's voice stopped her.
"I do have one more burning question," he tilted his head. "He said you made him bleed twice. He said you broke his nose. Something must have happened before the games."
Prim nodded.
"Jace kidnapped me to piss off Cato and almost raped me." Prim said bluntly, and Lux flinched.
"What stopped him?"
"A lamp to the face."
Lux tipped his head back and loud so hard it sounded like a howl.
"What I would have given to witness that. I wish I could resurrect the fucker just to humiliate him." He gave a lop-sided smile, eyes shining like stars. "You're just full of surprises. But that's not all to the story. How did you survive breaking his nose? A man like Jace would repay an offense like that with severe pain."
"Cato saved me. He had a tracker on me and arrived before anything truly damaging happened."
The sun behind them dipped down, splashing the world with a warm, blinding light. She had been away from the twins for nearly an entire day, and her whole body ached and protested the separation. The sooner she got back to District 2 the better.
"Ah," Lux said, as if suddenly understanding a mystery. "That's why he fell for you. He got to be a hero for once in his life. He never got to before. I'm sure he found it addicting."
"Are you saying it wasn't my winning personality?"
"Actually, it was probably your tits that did him in." He waggled his eyebrows and Prim rolled her eyes, breaking into her own smile. Lux Rose was like his name: prickly and pretty to look at. She remembered Snow's reflection so long ago
"A rose is often underestimated. They are beautiful, yes, but poisoned in their own way."
Underestimated, indeed. Prim would need to make sure to keep him firmly on their side. He would make a formidable enemy.
"Farewell, Lux Rose," Prim walked onto the ship's boarding ramp.
"Farewell, Mockingjay," he said, "And remember… you know where I am if you ever get tired of Carthage." He winked, and Prim blushed, not sure if she took him seriously.
Prim walked onto the ship and into Hannibal's tight hug and apologies. She worried her bottom lip as she attempted to console him. After all, everything turned out alright in the end.
But Cato wouldn't stay asleep forever, and when he woke up, there would be hell to pay.