Author's Note: Hi everyone! This chapter was actually super fun to write because once I got into it; it became really exciting even though I know what's going to happen. The characters that I've made up feel quite real to me, and I try to get the emotions I feel when I write this across to you readers.
I hope you are all still enjoying it, there are not as much reviews anymore but there are lots of alerts on this so hopefully you are all still reading it! Just the fact that people are reading this makes me feel accomplished. Please review though, because that's even better.
Chapter Fourteen - Siren
Cato's POV
"Interested in company?" I purr as Grey resurfaces from the river. She shakes the water out of her hair and I swear it's happening in slow motion. Argh, why is she so attractive? Get your head in the game. I pull my gaze away from her and look away into the trees towards the direction of our camp instead. I had left Marvel napping and Clove throwing knives, she'd easily be able to protect them both if another tribute appeared.
My eyes are slowly drawn back Grey's dripping body. She's in her underwear and I can see her arena clothing draped neatly across a rock on the edge of the water. After a couple of seconds of ignoring me, she finally turns to look. She swims over to the edge of the bank where I'm standing with a slight smirk on her face. Thinking back to how frightened she used to look during training sessions back in the Capitol, I realise that since being in the arena she has become a lot more like us; strong, courageous careers.
"What are you doing here Cato? Come to watch me bathe, you creep?" Her eyes are full of laughter but she smartly stays low enough in the water so that the ripples in the water brush against her chin.
"Do I need a reason to come and see my friend?" I reply, making my voice drip with sarcasm. Grey picks up on it instantly and her reply is just as sarcastic.
"Friends? Oh I'm sorry; I thought we were allies with benefits." I growl at her flirtatiously and reach into the water, lifting her out like some beached mermaid. She protests for a moment but once her toes leave the water she wraps her legs around my waist.
Our lips press together for a moment in a steamy soaking kiss until Grey pulls away and asks about my hand. I groan and drop her a little roughly back into the river. She squeals as she hits the water but pulls herself back out to sit underneath me. I don't want to think about my hand, while training this morning against the tree I had to grit my teeth in order to hold the blade, but I admit it was much better than the agonising pain that had been present the night before.
I kneel down beside the water and start to unwrap the bandage. Grey crawls beside me and seems to have forgotten that's she's probably half naked on every screen in Panem. I look at her out of the corner of my eye and for a second she reminds me of the girls that used to shove themselves at me back in District 2. I push the thought out of my head, disgusted; Grey is nothing at all like those sluts. She's so down to earth and normal and unlike anyone I've ever met before. She has a heart and soul that just radiates light. I think my soul died a long time ago.
"Oh Cato, your hand looks way better! I can't believe it!" Grey's face breaks into a wide smile as she holds my hand in hers. There's a crusty scab over what used to be a gaping hole and I breathe out a sigh of relief that I didn't even know I was holding.
"I bet with another dose of that Capitol medicine you'll be good as new!" I can't hide the smile that spreads slowly across my face at the thought of being able to go after more tributes without being in pain. Suddenly, her face contorts into a grimace as if she's smelt something horrible.
"You seriously need a shower Cato, what have you been doing?" I don't bother answering, she knows I've been killing other tributes and it's not hard to imagine that I am probably followed by the gross smell of blood, sweat and dirt. She reaches up and tries to pull me into the water by my arena shirt, and I slip out of my clothing and dive in wearing only my boxer shorts. For a second we both tread water, not knowing what to do with each other in this new environment.
Then all of a sudden I have my arms around her and I'm kissing her. Our combined weights make us sink a little in the current, but it's okay because we give each other air. I force myself to open my eyes underwater and see Grey in my arms, her hair spreading in every direction like wispy seaweed. Her eyes are tightly shut and she's using her hands to feel my chest and hold onto me. She's like a mermaid, no wait, a siren. A mythological creature that I remember studying a long time ago back in District 2 at school before I had been forced to leave. Sirens sat on the rocks and lured fishermen to their death. Was Grey was making me lose sight of what I came here to do? I came here to win, and if I lost sight of that then I'd surely become weak. I only know how to push people away.
I push myself out of the water as quickly as I can, pulling my clothes onto my wet body without hesitation. Grey gets out too and does the same, redressing at the same speed as me while watching with wide eyes. She probably thinks I've heard someone after us, but little does she know that I'm actually running from her.
"Hey look, all clean. Sweet, gotta go, I'll see you back at camp." I say hurriedly, not bothering to put my boots on. I look around tensely, just waiting for someone to jump out of the trees because I've been putting my lust before my arena tactics. I must look crazy. Grey tries to grab my arm, but I shrug away from her and run back through the forest without looking back.
Grey's POV
Cato disappears before the feeling of his hands on my skin has faded. I stand there dumbfounded as river water drips down my legs. I can't understand Cato, one second he's kissing me and it's feeling amazing, and then suddenly he's just gone without an explanation. Normally I would be upset that just toying with my emotions, but in the Hunger Games relationships are so low priority that I barely even register that he's using me for his own lust. I think about following him but I decide against it, and instead I tie up my boots and start walking in the opposite direction from our camp.
"Psst!" I nearly jump a meter in the air from fright as I hear someone trying to signal me. For a second I think that it's Cato playing a practical joke, but when I follow the sound it leads me to a tree and when I look up I see a small face looking back. Rue!
As soon as she knows I've seen her she drops down from one of the lower branches, landing delicately beside me. We embrace each other and I'm so happy that's she's still alive. She's my only friend outside of the career alliance and sometimes I feel like she might be my only friend at all. I immediately regret not taking a back pack with me to swim because I realise that I have nothing at all to give her. She could be starving for all I know, while I eat like a queen.
"Are you okay Rue?" I say once we've parted, and she nods happily in reply.
"I'm fine, this place is full of berries that we have back in District 11 and the stream has fresh water flowing through it!" I try and hold down a blush at the thought of the water quality after Cato and I had swum in it but Rue doesn't seem to notice my embarrassment and she ploughs on through, giving me a recount of what had happened since the beginning of the games. It's refreshing to see such a bright and excited face, and I know if I had gotten so far into the games on my own I'd be pretty ecstatic too.
"I saw you with Cato." She says suddenly, but she poses it like a question and my thoughts stop abruptly.
"Oh, uh, I'm in his alliance." I try and say without blushing. Saying this to Rue makes me feel like a coward, I'm the one hiding behind big strong careers while she is on her own. I don't ask where her district partner is.
"I know, silly," She bounces around with a strange look on her face and I don't understand until she continues, "Why did he kiss you and then run away?" Oh gosh. She saw our kiss. This gets better and better. I stumble over my words for a few sentences, trying to explain as she looks at me sneakily with one eyebrow raised. After going through various answers, I eventually just sigh and mutter "I don't know." Rue seems particularly pleased that she's gotten me to this point and she dances around on her toes saying "You liiiiike him, you like Cato!" I stand there awkwardly in the middle of her celebration, wondering what the Capitol thinks of this. They are probably laughing and "aww"ing about how adorable the little District 11 girl is and I don't really blame them.
"Okay okay." I say in defeat, but I can't stop myself from smiling. It's so relieving having Rue to talk with, she isn't like Cato who is constantly swapping between his conflicting interests. For a second I think that maybe the careers will let her into the alliance, but then the realisation that this is a game kicks in and I know that if they find Rue, they'll kill her. They don't have a choice.
Rue picks some berries for the two of us and we have a meal together, sitting against a large tree. The sun is directly above us, and although the Gamemakers could be trying to confuse us, I figure that it probably is around midday anyway. It's been a long time since Cato went back to camp and I know that I should probably go back to him or else he'll come looking for me. Or maybe not, after what happened at the river…
Rue tells me about her life in 11. I get the idea that although the games frighten her; she gets time to play here, something she doesn't get to do back home. That fact makes me sad. She works in the fields from 8 to 5 picking the fruit at the top of trees, but if the Peacekeepers think she's misbehaving then they won't hold back on their punishment. I gasp at the idea of someone hurting such an innocent child, but she says it so easily and even shows me one of her scars she got from falling out of a tree, that I think it must have happened often. I have no scars to show her in response but I tell her about my home by the ocean instead, and her eyes have gone as wide as saucers by the end of it. I take the sea for granted, District 4 is the only one on the coast but I always expect everyone else to have experienced the same things that I have. Some people probably live and die without ever seeing big crashing waves.
Suddenly, there's a sound of rustling in the trees and it catches our attention. Stupidly I brush it off, thinking that it's Cato or one of the career tributes.
"Stop being annoying Cato, we know it's you." I call out in the direction of the sound. Rue grips my arm fearfully; she knows that no matter who it is, she'll be in danger. But surely Cato would give her a head start, right? For me? I can just imagine his emotions conflicting with his nature as I plead for him to let Rue go, but then eventually he would say "I didn't see anything, okay?" and let Rue run.
But when the figure walks out into the clearing I catch a glimpse of black hair and I realise that I have made a huge mistake. How could I have forgotten? Spens.
"Are you sure it's Cato?" He purrs out of the corner of his mouth, and I flinch away from him as he moves closer. I try and push Rue up while staying in front of her; if I can keep Spens's attention on me then maybe she can get to safety. After all, Spens wants Cato and I, and I won't be any fun to kill if Cato's not here to watch. The fact that I can think of his true intentions disgusts me, and I try to push the thought out of my head. Spens is absolutely crazy.
"I notice your pretty boyfriend isn't here to save you Grey." Don't let him get to you. "For all you know, I've already slit their throats. He called out for you in his last second though, before the light left his eyes. He knew you were next. He was a good contender, lots of sponsors. Very skilled, such a shame his emotions got in the way." My legs start feeling a little wobbly but I try to stay cold, I know he's bluffing and I have to act strong in order to seal Rue's freedom. "But guess what, I'm going to kill this little girl here in front of you first." No… I can't control myself, and I leap at Spens with my hands going towards his throat. He laughs and easily deflects me, obviously one step ahead. I'm unarmed and it only takes a second before he punches me in the gut, leaving me hunched on the ground wheezing for air. I try to kick at him blindly, and I actually connect with his knee, causing him to swear. He kicks sharply at my stomach and looms over me, using his body to hold me down. I'm forced to turn my head sideways when he pulls a knife from his belt and holds it against my neck. I can see Rue standing to the side, looking shaken and frightened. I want to tell her to run but if I remind Spens he might just kill her.
Spens presses his knife deeper and it bites into the skin on my neck. He's looking directly at me even though I'm trying to look away from him. His breath smells like blood, like he's been with raw meat recently. I try and tell myself that it's an animal rather than a tribute.
"You know what?" He says, his eyes glistening with what can only be described as insanity, "I'm not going to kill you right now, I want your boyfriend to see you die." He's completely contradicting himself, but we both know he was only trying to scare me before. I don't say anything and instead stare back at him with cold eyes.
"Scream for him." Spens hisses at me, but I keep my mouth clamped shut.
"Do it." He growls, getting angry. I don't say anything; I don't want to sabotage Cato. Then Spens remembers my weak point and he says his last phrase with a smile, making it all the more menacing.
"Scream out for Cato, or I'll kill her." And the fact that he points his knife directly at Rue without even looking tells me that this has been his plan all along.
Rue freezes and I know that I've got no choice. With tears in my eyes threatening to spill over, I scream.
"Cato! Ca-to!"