Author's Note

I do not own the Hunger Games.

Etheria Arquette, 17

It was a relief to be back with Luminescence, though Etheria was less trusting of the boy he'd brought with him. Andreas. She tried her best to be polite, and make small talk as Luminescence whispered with Iridescence and spoke to Ares.

Jealousy twisted in Etheria's gut. She should have had what they had. Why didn't she? Had she and her brothers not deserved happiness?

Though she supposed this wasn't really happiness. Radiance was dead, and Phoenix had exploded. They'd lost the same amount of siblings as she had.

"They look close," said Andreas as they watched the three.

"Yeah," Etheria whispered.

"You know them well?"

She shook her head. "Not really. We met in The Game."

"And you trust them?" Andreas asked.

"I think so."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why trust them? They're siblings. And the girl even looks more attached to that other boy than to you."

Etheria flinched and gripped her hammer a little tighter. "They wouldn't. I've been with Luminescence all this time."

Except back then they'd had Radiance, who had actually seemed to like her. Did Luminescence and Iridescence like her? She wasn't sure.

"Look at the three of them! They'll stab you in the back as soon as they can. They're probably planning it already."

Etheria's hands shook. She knew the siblings hated her, Luminescence had barely tolerated her tagging along with Radiance, but she liked to believe she was a good person and had given them no reason to betray her.

She stood and turned away. "Leave me alone."

Andreas just wanted to taunt her. Like everyone.

Andreas laughed. "Keep going if you want to play along and get your throat cut while you sleep."

"Well, what do you think I should do?" Etheria asked. Most people were smarter than her; maybe Andreas had some ideas on how to smooth things over.

"Oh, that's easy. Either you need to run, or you need to get rid of them before they get rid of you."

Etheria shook her head. "I– I can't. I'm useless."

And more than that. The Sterlings were siblings, and appeared to have taken Ares in in a way they hadn't with her. She shouldn't be surprised. Why would anyone do that for her?

Andreas shrugged. "Then I wish you the best of luck."

Emeria Delilah Echavoque, 15

The sound of shouting and fighting echoed across the arena. Emeria froze, snatching an arrow from her quiver. Marcellina stopped at her side, drawing in a sharp breath.

"Who do you think it is?"

There were few of them left in the arena now. Fewer still that might start a fight that sounded as fierce as that. One part of it had to be those District kids.

Emeria glanced at her bow. Usually she had only entered combat when it found her, but this situation was hardly usual. And this would be an opportunity to get rid of some of the biggest threats in this arena.

"This counts as combat finding us," she decided at last, and changed direction towards the sound of the fight. Marcellina followed more hesitantly behind her.

The closer they got, the more she could make out voices and the sounds of shouting, along with the clashing of weapons.

Emeria slowed as they neared the fought, raising her hand like she would to stop–

But Marcellina wasn't Silverie.

Emeria pressed a hand to her chest and mouthed, "Wait a moment."

That would give them some time to investigate who else was involved in this fight. While Zephyr was still out there somewhere, so too was Luminita. Emeria wondered if she'd save Luminita. She decided she probably would.

They crouched there and listened to the shouting and fighting for a moment. It seemed to primarily be between a boy and two girls, though another boy gave his input on several occasions and Emeria recognised Vivaldi's voice with a start.

"You knew the deal, Enki!" shouted one of the girls.

"I know, but–"

"I knew it was a mistake choosing him while he was so young," said the second girl.

"This has nothing to do with my age! I just won't let you hurt him!"

"And what do you think you can do to protect him?" asked the first girl.

"I don't need protecting! I can look after myself!" snapped Vivaldi.

"Stay out of this, you!"

"You're discussing whether to murder me; it's my business!"

"Vivaldi, please–"

"Ugh! We should have done something about it when you started seeing that Capital-born scumbag!"

"Vivaldi's not like that! And I don't think all other Capitalites are either! Look at this Game! The Captain needed the contagion to start clearing out half the players!"

"We just needed to speed things up a bit! Maybe we should have been better at our jobs."

Their jobs? Their jobs? Was that what this was to them?

"You were successful enough," said a bitter, familiar voice, and Emeria froze in place.

Marcellina caught her eye and shook her head, mouthing, "No."

"You killed my sister," Zephyr said.

Emeria stood and motioned for Marcellina to circle round. They could snipe the losers when they ran.

Luminita Summerfield, 17

What would Sorcha have done, Luminita thought absent-mindedly as she meandered through the graveyard. It felt strange to actually be able to see this part of the arena around her, and the place felt significantly less oppressive without the layer of fog smothering everything under it.

Well, the answer to that question was easy. Sorcha would have found the most dangerous thing to run towards, antagonise it, and then run away screaming.

Luminita wasn't going to do that.

But what was she going to do?

Marcellina was still out there somewhere. She could look for her, and then she'd have an ally again.

So too were Emeria and Zephyr.

Maybe she should look for Zephyr. He was Celeste's brother, maybe she'd left him with instructions–

No.

No, that was stupid. They'd followed Celeste's stupid plan, they'd stupidly failed, and she'd be stupid to keep trying to chase it.

Ahead of her, the bright trees of the poison meadows were looming high. But they didn't smell sweet, as they had when Luminita ventured into them with her alliance early during the Games.

Half her alliance was dead now.

Instead, the trees smelled…

Well, dead.

The stench clogged her lungs and slithered across her skin, filthy and corrupting. She froze, staring at them. Were they infected by the same thing that had taken Sorcha? She hadn't noticed a smell with Sorcha – but then she'd been too busy trying to talk sense into her.

There was a crackle from somewhere at the edge of the treeline. Luminita took a step back.

And an arrow flew from the treeline, landing several feet to her right.

And exploding.

It went up with an awful shuddering boom, ripping through the air with a rush of heat. Luminita was thrown from her feet and landed several metres away, rolling across the black grass. For a moment, Luminita saw Celeste's face and the calmness in her eyes.

She had known she was going to die.

A figure emerged from the trees, taller than her, a boy with a faceful of piercings and black liquid dripping from his mouth and eyes.

Like Sorcha.

Infected.

"Stay away from me!" she stammered.

The boy only nocked another arrow.

Do you want to know how you die?

Luminita knew how she lived.

She rolled to her feet and ran.

Enki Saguaro, 17

"You need to go!" he called over his shoulder to Vivaldi.

Vivaldi shook his head and drew his epee. He looked terrified, his face paper white, but his eyes were stony and determined. "I'm not leaving you."

"Vivaldi–"

"I'm not leaving you!" he snapped again.

The younger boy – Zephyr, Enki had learned his name was Zephyr – had backed himself up against Vivaldi, his knife in hand. He glanced round at Vivaldi. "If he's saying we can go–"

"You can go. I'm not going anywhere." Vivaldi looked up at Enki, his eyes burning with passion. "I love you. It doesn't matter where you really come from or who you are or what your name really is. I know who you are inside."

"How sweet!" shouted Maiya, and sent another of her throwing axes hurtling in their direction. "We'll aim for you first then, Capital scum!"

"No!" Enki shouted, raising his whip. "Vivaldi– You need to run! I'll be fine, my pod won't kill me, remember! Yours will!"

And Zephyr must have seen the logic in that, even if Vivaldi didn't, because he grabbed Vivaldi's wrist and pulled him back.

"I'll find you!" Vivaldi shouted over his shoulder.

And here was Enki thinking he was the dramatic one.

Tabitha rushed at him, her sword in hand, but Maiya diverted to the side. She must be aiming for Vivaldi. Fuck.

Enki sidestepped Tabitha and half-turned to snap his whip out at Maiya. It caught her around the waist, bringing her armour down a single point. He drew back to take another strike, but Tabitha chose that moment to come at him with her sword. He blocked it with the handle of his whip and then swung it at her as a blunt instrument.

Vivaldi screamed, and Enki spun round to find him and Vivaldi facing another two girls, both with weapons in their hands, one a bow, the other throwing knives.

He swore.

Maiya laughed. "Your life or your lover's, Enki?"

"I didn't know!" Zephyr shouted at the newcomers.

"You were her brother! We trusted you!"

Fuck, what had he missed? Something, clearly.

Enki began to run.

The girl fired.

Zephyr had no armour.

And Vivaldi was Vivaldi.

He'd grown stronger playing this Game.

Enki had a brief moment of irrational pride as he watched his boyfriend jump in front of the smaller boy. Zephyr ducked down behind him.

The arrow flew over his head.

Vivaldi was gone.

Author's Note

Oh my goodness, I have been waiting to get to this point for so long.

Vivaldi Perlman, 16. Placed fourteenth. Disappeared by mysterious force.