betaread by gkmoberg1
Kill of the Night by Gin Wigmore
The danger is I'm dangerous
And I might just tear you apart
Oh, ah, oh
I'm gonna catch ya
I'm gonna get ya, get ya
Oh, ah, oh
I wanna taste the way that you bleed, oh
You're my kill of the night
Chapter 22
"This is taking forever!" Cato complained, groaning dramatically as he flopped down beside his last remaining ally.
Winnow rolled her eyes for what must have been the hundredth time that day. She didn't bother raising her eyes from the net she had been working on since she had received the rope the day before. "I can only do this while it's light out, Cato. And we can't risk lighting a fire anymore,"
Cato let out a huff, crossing his arms over his chest. "So we are expected to go hungry and cold," he grumbled. They had run through the last of their supplies the night before, and had gone hungry since.
Winnow sighed loudly, standing and gathering up the few square feet of netting she had managed to weave together. She folded it up carefully and hid it in the brush. "What are you doing?" Cato questioned, propping himself onto his elbows.
"You're hungry. I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat before the sun sets," Winnow answered, arming herself with a few knives – one in her boot, one up her sleeve, and then picking up her trident.
Cato followed suit, standing and collecting his sword. "Do you know something I don't?" he asked carefully, his brows pulling down in confusion.
Winnow snorted, looking back to him with a grin on her lips. She closed the distance between them, brushing her lips against his cheek. "Don't I always, Two?" she teased.
Cato groaned out loud, lightly taking hold of her elbow. "I thought we were past that, Winnow. First-name basis, remember?" he whined, making the other tribute giggle.
Covering her mouth with her free hand, Winnow's eyes were filled with mischief that made her lover wary. "It's just a pet-name, Cato."
"And I'm not a pet," Cato reminded her. Winnow didn't bother responding, merely flashing him a playful look. "Alright, alright… if we're doing pet-names, what should I call you, then?" he mused.
Suddenly Winnow didn't seem so amused. "Cato…" she said warningly – starting off towards the Cornucopia and the clearing it sat in.
Cato followed easily, grinning widely. "What? Only you get to call me a pet-name? That doesn't seem fair." he retorted. Winnow glared back at him, coaxing a laugh from Cato. "Hmm… how about Snookums?" he suggested right away.
Winnow didn't dignify him with an answer, merely continuing further on ahead – forcing Cato to jog to keep up with her. "No for Snookums, then. Hm. How about Darling? Nah." he speculated.
"Cato!" Winnow huffed, only making her lover grin wider.
"But I think I've got it, now! How 'bout Winner? No, Winnie." Cato mused. Winnow paused, glancing back to him with a horrified expression. "I like Winnie," he said gleefully, his expression smug, smirking like the cat that had gotten the canary.
"Cato, no." Winnow said firmly.
Cato merely grinned in response, closing the distance between them. He ran his fingers from Winnow's shoulders to her wrists, hands closing around them to pull her in for a kiss. "Winnie." Cato whispered, dragging his lips across her cheek.
Winnow snorted, smacking him away from her. "Would you stop?" she complained, turning back towards the path.
"Never." Cato said teasingly, batting at the ponytail that swung in front of him. Winnow flashed him a dark look that promised retribution. "C'mon," he wheedled, "Can I call you Winnie?" Cato pleaded.
"Not if you expect me to respond." Winnow answered bluntly. Cato looked so gleeful at her words, she knew she must have said the wrong thing.
"That sounds like permission to me," he responded impishly, dodging a swat from Winnow.
The pair - the final two Careers - settled into a companionable silence for the rest of the trek. They had reached the tree-line dividing the forest from the clearing that held the Cornucopia and bordered the lake.
"There's food here? I'm pretty sure everything was blown up..." Cato said, his voice drifting towards contempt.
Winnow snorted and shook her head. "Most, but not all." she retorted, giving the surrounding area one last look of caution before running towards the lake - giving Cato no time to question her.
The blond simply jogged after her, sword tight in his hand as he glanced around warily. This was the last place Cato wanted to be - near the site of Clove's death, and where Winnow had nearly been done-in herself.
Winnow kept to the edges of the clearing - Cato on her heels often watching the edge of the wheat field for any sign of Thresh - until she reached the lake. She wasted no time in running straight up to the water, and started pulling up the rushes at the lake's edge.
Cato stayed back a couple paces watching for other tributes or predators - as well as wondering what the hell Winnow was up to. After only a few minutes, the dark-haired girl was walking back towards him, a backpack hitched on one shoulder.
"What is that?!" Cato questioned, stabbing a finger at the backpack.
Winnow smiled sheepishly. "Me thinking ahead?" she quipped.
Cato rolled his eyes – his expression uncertain. "And when did you think ahead, Winner?" he couldn't help but give a little grin at implementing one of the new nicknames he had produced for her, before sobering again to the issue at hand. "Before Three stockpiled the supplies and destroyed them?" he asked.
Winnow was quiet for a moment – her expression as hesitant as her partner's. "Yes." she admitted.
His jaw worked, and Cato ran a hand through his hair. "Why?" she shrugged, looking at her feet.
"Did you not trust me?" Cato asked.
Winnow could see a certain reluctance in his eyes – as if he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. "You were always the one I trusted the most, Cato." she began, searching for the right words.
His expression brightened at those few words. "So it was the others?" he inquired – eager to explain it away on them.
Winnow nodded, hesitantly. "The only one I partly trusted was Marvel. He was too… genuine to deceive me." she explained. "As for you, Cato… I didn't know until after the trackerjacker attack, that I could trust you without a doubt." Winnow confessed.
Cato nodded slowly. Of course, Winnow had been chilly and distrustful the first few days in the Arena – but he had attributed that to Kai's death and the suspicions surrounding it. Once she had returned from her first run-in with Thresh, he had been sure that everything had been wiped clean and she trusted him.
Winnow's brows furrowed at the pained look on the blond's face. "Come on, Cato! You can't say you've trusted me this whole time!" she exclaimed.
Cato scoffed, shaking his head. "I did, Winnow. Because you gave me your word and I knew you would keep it." he responded solemnly.
"How could you know that?!" she questioned incredulously.
"Because you're that type of person, Winnow! You keep your word! And you've never once lied to me!" Cato retorted, throwing his hands in the air. "Why are you questioning me anyway!? Do you want me to distrust you!?" he demanded.
Winnow swallowed, looking down at her feet. "Of course not." she murmured.
"Then give me the pack, and we'll go back to our camp." Cato ordered, holding out his hand. Winnow could see this was a test. The final test, she hoped, in showing Cato that she trusted him.
With a grunt, Winnow held out the backpack – letting Cato take it and put it on his back. "It was getting heavy anyways," she muttered – coaxing a laugh from him.
Cato smiled at her – his stormy gray eyes showing that all was forgiven – holding out his hand for her next. Winnow took it without hesitance and closed the distance between them, stepping up to press against him.
With one hand dangling her trident, the other curved around Cato's neck, Winnow drew him down towards her. With their lips a mere breath from each other, she spoke. "You know better than anyone how I can be, Cato. Don't let that ever mistake how you know I feel about you."
Cato's lips spread into a smile – one so genuine and happy that it made Winnow want to cry. How could someone as horrible as her ever make someone as wonderful as Cato fall in love with her?
He silenced her negative thoughts when he kissed her – chasing all thought away, really. Winnow clung to him for the precious few moments before he drew away. "We shouldn't stay out in the open like this," Cato said quietly – raising his head to look around.
Winnow sighed and nodded – allowing him to take her hand to lead her back towards the forest and their camp. Both tributes stayed vigilant – with their hands still linked and their free hands carrying their deadly weapons.
"This is heavy," Cato acknowledged as they reached their little camp, dropping the pack to the ground with a groan of relief.
Winnow turned to him with a grin. "Well, that just means we're set for a few days. Food, medicine…" she informed him, gripping his jacket to tow him towards her for one swift peck.
Cato returned her look of glee with his own, turning to the pack and rummaging through it. He produced two packs of dehydrated food and tossed one to Winnow – who was pulling out the half-made net from the brush. She dropped the net immediately, catching the package and tearing it open quickly. "We're going to have to make it last," Cato said reluctantly – before he started devouring the dehydrated beef.
Winnow nodded, sitting at the base of a tree to begin eating. Cato soon joined her, pressing his shoulder against hers – as the afternoon breeze began to chill them. Soon their bellies were full and sated – and Winnow turned back to her net and Cato to his boredom. He could only sharpen his sword for so long before he took to complaining again.
After another half-hour of Cato's complaining, Winnow took action. "Here!" she said, thrusting a corner of the net at him. At the blond's bewildered expression, Winnow sighed. "If you're so bored, you can help me." she decided.
"I don't know how!" Cato protested.
"I'm going to show you how!" Winnow huffed in response. She walked him through the rather simple process and watched him as he attempted it on his own. "That's good, Cato. It doesn't have to be neat, just strong," she told him.
"And how do you know it's strong?" Cato asked. Winnow edged closer to him, and yanked on the knot he had just made with both hands.
"Like that," she demonstrated, glancing up at him. "It's strong." She returned to the corner of the net she had been working. Cato shot her a grin and looked back down to his hands. Winnow quietly blushed in delight. Her idea had successfully kept his mouth shut and his hands busy- she just hoped that would last.
"Why didn't they just give us a net?" Cato groaned after an hour or so of working on the net together.
Winnow rolled her eyes. "I suppose it would be too easy, then. They went out on a limb though, assuming I would know how." she speculated.
"Doesn't everyone from District Four know how to make nets?" Cato questioned, glancing up to Winnow with an inquisitive expression.
She shook her head. "Only those who actually work on the fishing ships and their families. My parents worked on the fishing ships, so I was making nets before I could walk."
Cato opened his mouth to say something else, but Winnow cut him off. "No, Cato, not everyone works on the boats. Just like every other district, there are people to be the teachers, doctors, lawyers and shop-owners. They don't have to know how to make nets. They just bought from those who did." she explained.
Cato stayed quiet and thoughtful after that, focusing on the net for a while. The knots he made weren't as neat as Winnow's, but he tested their strength every few minutes. He didn't want his work to produce a weak spot. The net came together much faster with both tributes working on it.
At dusk – the net was finally complete. They folded it up and stored it in one of the empty bags. "So… how will we catch him?" Cato asked afterwards, sitting at the base of a tree as Winnow settled next to him – two packs of food in her hands.
She handed him one of the food packs and opened her own, munching on a strip of dehydrated beef before answering. "I was thinking that, since we have extra rope, we can rig the net to catch a certain amount of weight. So if it's hidden under some brush – and Thresh runs across it, it will snap up and catch him," Winnow suggested.
Cato nodded, shoving a strip of jerky into his mouth as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tugging Winnow a little closer. "You know how to do that?" he asked.
She hesitated a moment before nodding. Cato tilted his head at her expectantly. "I've never done that, specifically. But I have an idea," she confessed.
"And that idea is?" Cato prodded.
Winnow sighed. "Well, if we weigh down the edges enough, it will hold if I run across it. But since Thresh weighs a lot more, it would snap up if he followed." she explained.
Cato frowned. "And that line of reasoning suggests you would be bait…" he said – a look of deep disapproval spreading over his features.
"Yes." Winnow answered simply.
"Then no." Cato refused just as concisely.
Winnow groaned dramatically. "Then how would we get him to the trap, Cato?" she questioned.
Cato shrugged. "I could lure him." he suggested.
She scoffed. "No you couldn't, Cato! Thresh knows you would want revenge on him for killing Clove and taking your bag at the feast. He would be suspicious if you ran from him. He might not follow you." Winnow retorted.
"And you think you could get him to the trap?" Cato asked, frown deepening.
Winnow nodded emphatically. "Of course I could! Just by being female, he will consider me less threatening and less intelligent. When I run from him, he will think he can overpower me-"
"He can!" Cato interjected – only to be glared at for interrupting her.
"Thresh won't think I'm clever enough to have a trap waiting, have you waiting. He'll think I'm easy prey. He'll be wrong." Winnow continued.
"Will he?" Cato questioned in genuine concern. She turned towards him with a look of contempt – only to see the bared look of unease on his face.
Winnow gently cupped his face in her hands. "He will be so wrong, Cato, that he will rue the day he crossed us." she murmured comfortingly.
Cato let out an uncharacteristic giggle, making his lover look at him in confusion. "You said Rue!" he reminded her. Winnow smiled, shaking her head at him.
"You're just being silly now, Two." she said softly, leaning in closer to him.
Cato wrapped both arms around her, drawing her into the circle of his arms. "Only with you, Winnie." se teased – closing his eyes and tilting his head back to lean against the tree trunk.
"I really hate that name," Winnow grumbled, resting her head on his chest. The warm surface beneath her deaf ear vibrated – and from her other ear she could hear him chuckle.
"And I hate it when you call me Two," he responded, giving her a little squeeze. Winnow let out a little yelp at the squeeze before giggling quietly at him.
"When should we leave?" she asked suddenly – making the light feeling among them dissipate.
Cato's hold on her grew a little tighter. "Dawn would probably be best." he suggested.
Winnow nodded. "At dawn we'll leave." she agreed.
On their fifteenth day in the arena – with mid-morning's harsh light glaring down at them – Cato and Winnow stood on the right bank of the creek in the wheat fields. They had left their little camp behind for the last time just before dawn, and had moved slowly through the fields – to preserve the silent aspect of their approach.
Winnow tossed their pack of supplies across the creek – the lightened bag landing on the stony bank as Cato waited and watched. Then she started disrobing without saying a word – to her lover's obvious incredulity. "What are you doing, Winnow!?" he asked in a hushed tone.
"I don't want to get my clothes wet," she answered nonchalantly. "If I were you, I'd do the same," Winnow added, rolling up the bundle of clothes and shoes and cramming them into the pack on Cato's back.
"We have to cross?!" Cato groaned, dropping the pack to the ground and doing as Winnow suggested. Winnow stood on the rocky shore just before the water, looking back to Cato's near- bare form with an appreciative expression. "Now's not the time," he grumbled at her – dressed down to his underwear – bent over to stuff his clothing into the pack.
"I didn't say anything." Winnow said with a little smirk.
"You didn't have to." Cato retorted, taking a few steps to stand next to her. He pitched the pack across the creek – the stretched bag landing with a soft thud securely on the creek's bank.
"Do you know how to swim?" Winnow asked.
Cato shook his head. "I've never been in anything larger than a hot tub," he admitted.
"Alright. I'll help you," Winnow responded. She dove into the water effortlessly, and surfaced barely a moment later. "Jump in!" she called up to him.
"Just jump in?!" Cato questioned incredulously. Winnow flashed him a look that dared him to disobey her.
"Yes! You'll be fine!" she shouted comfortingly. Taking a deep breath, Cato jumped in – creating a huge splash that slapped Winnow clear in the face. He came up sputtering and flailing just a moment later and Winnow swam quickly towards him, putting an arm around his shoulders and helped him stay afloat. "Put your arm around my shoulder," she instructed, and he immediately complied.
"It – it's so cold!" Cato exclaimed as Winnow started to pull him towards the other shore – both were careful to hold their weapons away from the other.
"Yes, but doesn't it feel nice after hiking in the sun for hours?" his lover responded without looking at him, merely towing him towards the shore slowly – as she swam against the current.
"Yeah," Cato confirmed in surprise, looking down to Winnow and her determined expression. He started kicking his feet, hoping to help her out – and was surprised to see how far they got so quickly when he pitched in.
After what felt like forever, but was really only a minute or two, Winnow shoved Cato forward onto the shore. In surprise, Cato got up quickly and turned back to offer Winnow a hand.
He found her balanced on the rock right behind him, chin resting on her hands. "No, no, turn around again. Please, Cato." Winnow teased – making him blush.
"You're getting far too cheeky for my liking, Winner," Cato chastised when she finally took his hand and allowed him to pull Winnow to her feet. He yelped and jumped when she took a handful of his rear and squeezed.
"I think you like it," Winnow pestered him, pressing a quick kiss to his mouth before pulling away. She headed towards their pack, pulling out Cato's clothes first and tossing them towards him.
"Can't we dry off?" Cato asked – even as he started dressing while Winnow did.
"We don't have time. We need to set up the net and find Thresh." she responded as she slipped her t-shirt on over her wet under-shirt, and then sat to pull her socks and boots on. Cato groaned as he followed suit.
"Do you know where we should set up?" Cato asked, moving awkwardly with his wet boxers under his dampening pants. He hid their pack of food and medicine in the rushes.
"Yeah," Winnow answered, picking up the pack and holding it out to Cato. Then she bent to grab her trident and his sword at the same time – Winnow offered his weapon to Cato hilt-first – which meant pointing the blade at herself.
At the look of surprise on her lover's features, Winnow managed a half-smile. "Let's go. There's a tree ahead that's big enough." she instructed, heading into the wheat. Cato followed her closely – completely vigilant of everything that surrounded him.
Only a short distance from the creek, a large tree sprouted amongst the wheat stalks. Cato and Winnow set to spreading out the net on the ground, moving the felled wheat to the side, and rigging it to the tree. After that – the pair were careful to keep off the net.
They weighed down the corners with rocks – Cato had to make plenty of trips back and forth to the creek's shore - until the net was sufficiently covered with enough rock. Winnow stepped onto an edge carefully, testing for any reaction.
When the net didn't seem to move at all, Winnow moved forward, stepping clear onto the net – a huge grin spreading over her face when it didn't. She moved back to Cato's side – looking up at him expectantly. "What?" he asked finally – not liking the smug look on her features.
"Test it, Cato." Winnow requested.
Cato shook his head wildly. "No way, Winner!" he refused.
"Come on!" she pleaded. "You and Thresh are nearly the same size. We need to make sure that we didn't weight the net down too much," Winnow explained.
Cato sighed, taking a tentative step forward. "You'll be able to re-rig it?" he asked and Winnow nodded. "You'll get me down right away, right?"
"Yes, Cato." Winnow answered, trying to hold in her amusement at the mere thought of Cato being held up in the net.
Cato let out another deep sigh and stepped onto the net – and nothing happened. He took another step towards the center – and then the whole thing snapped upwards and Cato went flying into the air. The rig held the net containing Winnow's lover about four feet in the air – struggling and cursing like a fiend. "Stop struggling! You might weaken the net!" Winnow exclaimed, starting towards him.
"Then get me down!" Cato said through gritted teeth – his body bent awkwardly by the netting. He glared down at Winnow with a rather nasty expression. She couldn't help but giggle at him – making Cato struggle more as if throwing a tantrum. "Winnow! Get. Me. Down!"
"I'll get you down. In exchange for a kiss," Winnow teased, moving towards the net and poking Cato in the back.
"You can't reach my lips," Cato grumbled – immediately stilling as he felt Winnow underneath him. He wouldn't risk hurting her as he flailed around in the net.
"Alright," Winnow sighed. "I guess you'll have to owe me one." she conceded dramatically, crossing to the tree and kicking the stake that held the whole thing.
Cato and the net went crashing to the ground in one glorious thump. He thrashed around wildly for a few moments – until Winnow came over and helped him get out by pulling the net off of him. Cato glared at Winnow for a long moment before simply moving to help her reset the trap.
Quickly and silently, the trap was reset and then the pair concealed the net by covering it with the felled wheat as well as any brush they could find. Once done and finally set, Winnow approached Cato with her trident held out to him.
Cato took the weapon with a confused expression. "It's too heavy. I'm going to need to be fast, and this can't distract me. I want you to hold on to it," Winnow explained.
"You'll be unarmed," he said – the frown on his features deepening.
Winnow shook her head. "I have plenty of knives." she informed him – flashing him an uncertain smile. "Go down to the creek, Cato." she requested.
Cato shook his head. "No, I'll wait here." he refused quickly.
Winnow shook her head as well. "No, Cato. You can't be here. If Thresh even catches a whiff of you, he'll bolt. The creek is close and in hearing distance… if anything goes wrong, you'll be close enough to get to me," she explained.
His expression was pained as he dropped the weapons to the ground and pulled Winnow to him in a tight embrace. "Don't let him even touch you," Cato ordered – his ironclad grip keeping her crushed to him.
"I'll try," she said softly – careful not to promise. "Go," Winnow told him.
Cato loosened his grip on her and drew away for just a moment, before he yanked her back to him for a soul-searing kiss. "I love you." he said suddenly – the sentiments of his words saying don't leave and come back just as much as the words he'd actually said out loud.
Winnow pressed her lips to his softly, pulling back a mere inch. "As I love you." she murmured - trust me.
Cato nodded after a moment, bending to pick-up their two weapons and disappearing towards the creek – looking back towards her frequently. Once Winnow was sure he was gone, she edged around the net carefully to try not and disturb it, and headed towards where she had met Thresh once before.
She remembered how fast – and quiet – he was. She had only noticed his presence moments before he had tackled her the first time they had met – and the second time – maybe Winnow wasn't the best judge on his discretion after being rendered half-deaf.
Winnow made it farther out into the wheat than she expected – farther from her trap and from Cato – before she saw the ripple in the wheat around her.
"I gave you one, Four." Thresh said darkly, emerging from the wheat – unarmed.
Winnow palmed a knife in each hand, grip tightening on each weapon. "But you promised me two." She spat – before she turned on her heel and ran.
She could hear him running behind her – closer than she would like. She could feel the ground vibrating from his heavy steps more than she could really hear them. Winnow was a fast runner – but she wasn't as good for long distances.
And the longer she ran and gasped for breath – the more Thresh began to close in on her. Winnow's heart was beating so quickly – panting hard and legs working to try and get farther ahead.
It was as her trap came into sight that Winnow could feel Thresh's own wheezing breaths on her neck – and it was a mere yard from the trap that Thresh gripped her ponytail and pulled her down hard.
Then he was on her – straddling and pinning her down as he pummeled anything he could get his fists on. Winnow curled into a ball, absorbing most of the hits that way – but one too many punches to the ribs had her coughing up blood and trying to figure out how to get him off her.
She couldn't scream – couldn't call for help before Thresh was trapped, or all would be lost. The moment she called for Cato would be the moment Thresh ran. Another harsh blow shattered her cheekbone and coaxed a whimper of pain through her unwilling lips.
An idea struck her – and she continued to struggle until Thresh hit her once more. And then Winnow went limp. She could feel Thresh pause for just a moment, and then he hit her once more for good measure. She let her eyes flutter closed.
Thresh sat atop her, his breathing heavy and labored. After a moment, Winnow felt his weight leave her – and it was oh-so-tempting to just stay there and give up. Her whole body ached like it had been run over by a truck. Twice.
But she couldn't wait too long – or he would realize the cannon hadn't fired. She peeked up at him quickly – seeing Thresh looking away from her, rubbing his knuckles. He was looking at the trap! Oh, Winnow couldn't allow him to notice it!
Winnow rose painfully and quietly – one hand held to her ribs – and she took a step closer to him. It was as Thresh turned towards her that Winnow jerked forward quickly – despite her pain – and shoved him hard.
Thresh stumbled back and fell onto the net – which flung him up in the air, trapping him. Winnow grinned up at the struggling and screaming tribute – showing off a mouthful of bloodstained teeth. "YOU BITCH! YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCH!" Thresh shouted, thrashing wildly in the net.
"I'm not the stupid one." Winnow retorted, spitting out a gob of blood that gathered in her mouth.
"Winnow!" Cato shouted, bursting through the wheat shafts – both his sword and her trident in his hands. The first thing he noted was Thresh hanging in the nets – Cato smirked – while Thresh looked down at him with a threat in his eyes.
Cato crossed to Winnow – who was unsteady on her feet. He handed her her trident, giving her something to lean on. He cradled her face with one hand – his eyes darkening and a frown sealing his features at the sight of her mangled face. "I told you it was a bad idea." he reminded her.
Winnow shrugged, spitting again. Cato frowned at the sight of blood on the ground. "He's in the net, isn't he?" she said, her words becoming garbled by the swelling on her left cheekbone.
Cato shook his head at her. "Yeah, but I didn't want your face to be beaten in." he responded.
"He was faster than I thought." She said simply.
Cato turned to look at Thresh – a bloodthirsty expression crossing his features. The dark-skinned boy stopped struggling, glaring at the killer pair. "You know you can't win together, right? You have to be from the same district." Thresh remarked.
A pained look flashed across Cato's face. Winnow simply looked away – walking shakily a few feet to sink down at the base of the tree Thresh's net hung from. "We know." Cato answered quickly – glancing to the battered, bruised and broken young woman he was in love with.
"Then what's the point of all this, Cato? You can't possibly win." Thresh questioned.
"We're not going down without shedding a little blood," Winnow interjected harshly.
Cato turned a grin towards her. "That's right." he confirmed.
"What are you going to do with me?" Thresh asked.
"Kill you, of course." Cato answered with a vicious grin. He moved forward to use his sword – but Winnow stopped him with a rough cough. The hacking noise immediately shifted the blond's concern from his enemy to his lover.
"Use my trident." she said. "You could cut the net and free him with the sword."
Thresh started struggling again as Cato lowered his sword – sheathing it across his back – and then picked up Winnow's trident. With a quick jab, Cato speared Thresh in the side with it – and moved back, yanking out the weapon. The dark-skinned boy cried out and thrashed again in the ropes – which held firm.
"Finish him." Winnow requested after a few moments of watching the dark-skinned boy bleed – realizing that Cato had no intention of actually killing him.
Cato shook his head. "He'll die slow."
Thresh had stopped struggling – laying still in the net. "Be merciful, Cato. Yes, he has to die. It doesn't mean he has to suffer." Winnow said.
"But that's the point of these games, Winnow!" Cato exclaimed. "They want us to suffer! He hasn't suffered! He's been resting, getting fat and just laying around here! Then he kills Clove – beats her head in with a rock!" he ranted.
"It was a quick death." Winnow tried to justify.
"Do you think he would have given you a quick death, Winnow? Look at what he did to you! He would have just let you suffer and then die!" Cato retorted quickly enough.
Blood was spilling through the net. The greedy, dusty ground beneath them soaked up every drop of Thresh's blood. Winnow shook her head, falling silent.
After a moment, Cato settled next to her, trident crossed over his lap. They didn't speak – didn't look at each other – and just watched Thresh bleed to death slowly.
Cannon-fire cracked through the air – confirming what they already knew. Thresh was dead.
Last chapter was disappointing, review wise. I get so excited when I post a chapter - waiting anxiously to hear from all of you - my readers. Especially when I had a wonderful response to the chapter before. Please review for me - we have three chapters left before this story ends and the next installment begins.
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