Chapter 39

NARRATOR | Violet Chappelle, District 7

TIME | Day 7

TRIBUTES REMAINING | 13

I'm so furious that my entire body feels numb... the only thing I can feel is my thumping heartbeat.

How could I have been so stupid to let Verity take advantage of me like some sort of idiot? I needed her, and she knew it. I should've known to never trust a girl like her; someone who's willing to betray their own friends is just as willing to betray their enemies.

Verity's the reason we're in this mess. We were supposed to sweep in and decimate the others - I would kill Eddie, and Declan would pin down Ansel as Evelyn and Lucas took care of Ashlyn. It was a four-on-three fight; the others barely stood a chance. So how could we have lost? Declan is dead, and Evelyn will follow him soon enough. She hasn't stopped sobbing as we've dragged her through the woods, and she can hardly stand on her injured leg.

No more nice Violet - that has gotten me nowhere in here. I've spent so much time worrying about the other tributes and their families that I've let them take advantage of me... Well, I won't let that happen again. I've recaptured my emotions and locked them behind a steel door that nothing will breach. Verity will learn soon enough why she should've never pissed me off.

Rain begins to drizzle through the canopy above me, making my mood even worse. I'm unable to keep my anger inside as we finally settle down beneath the cover of a nearby tree.

"Tell me you didn't know about this," I hiss at Lucas, jabbing the tip of my sword at him. He looks terrified as usual - I know that Verity would never try to plot with someone so blindly loyal and brainless as Lucas, but I still can't rule out the possibility. "Tell me Verity didn't pull you aside and tell you any of this would happen. Lucas, if you were in on this, I swear-"

"How could I have known?" Lucas asks, his eyes widening as he steps back from me. "Verity's never said a word to me. If anyone would've known, it would be Evelyn. She was so eager to go, wasn't she?"

That's right - Evelyn was the one who pushed me so hard to call Verity. She was the one who said that it would be a good idea to eliminate the others.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now," I say, holding my blade over Evelyn's chest as she lays pathetically across the ground. A smile grows on my face to see her in such a vulnerable state. Could she really have betrayed me to Verity?

"Declan is dead, Violet," Evelyn sobs, her hands covering her face. "I would've never gone if I knew that he'd be in danger... Verity never said that Wyatt was with them. You're the only one she ever talked to."

I'm disappointed by how much I believe her - I want so badly to blame someone for this whole mess, but the blame truly falls on Verity. Evelyn wouldn't betray me, I know that - she's been my closest ally in this Arena, and she's the reason why I've stayed sane so far in the Games.

Still, despite that, I will have to let her go very soon. Evelyn will only be a burden with her injury, and her fighting skills are not impressive enough to justify healing her. If I need a meat shield later in the Games, I'll have Lucas regardless. Evelyn has outlasted her usefulness.

"Let's get you healed," I sigh, laying my sword on the ground next to Evelyn. I pull a bottle from my bag, hiding the label - this is some sort of edible paste that can be eaten in an emergency, but Evelyn doesn't need to know that. I know it's evil - I should be helping my friend - but these Games are not for selfless people. I will need the healing cream later, and Evelyn is a lost cause.

"I know you wouldn't betray me like that," I say, pulling Evelyn's hair from her sweaty face. "I'm sorry for screaming. It's just so frustrating. Verity dangled everything we wanted in our face and then pulled it away as soon as we reached for it."

"Not everything," Lucas reminds me. "I picked up the sapphire, remember? That's something that even Verity couldn't keep from us."

"Right," I exhale. At least there's that. "Almost forgot."

I extend my hand, beckoning for Lucas to pass me the bracelet, but he shakes his head.

"I should hold onto it until tomorrow," he says; I just stare at him, my mouth wide. This is the first time Lucas has ever resisted me... am I losing control of him, too?

"The others might be out looking for us," Lucas says, his eyes dark. "If they're looking for the sapphire, they'll be coming for me first. If they attack, I can lead them in a chase, and you'll be able to catch them from behind."

For a moment, I can feel a familiar sense of fear flare up within me. I can see it now - Ansel, Wyatt, and Ashlyn, hot on our tracks and ready to kill. I killed their friend, just like I did to Safira... even Ansel will want me dead now.

I push my paranoia down as I consider Lucas' plan. It's so genius I wish I'd thought of it - when did Lucas become so strategic? "That makes sense," I sigh. "Well, you can keep it for now, then. Tomorrow night, I'll take it back for the sponsor gift."

"That's not healing cream," Evelyn interrupts from beneath me, peering down at the bottle in my hand. "Violet, are you sure-"

"Yes, this will make it feel better, I promise," I say, annoyed. Why can't Evelyn just lie down and shut up?

"D-Declan told me the healing creams are always in blue bottles," Evelyn says, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "He always said that, before he died..."

"Declan didn't train for years to do this," I remind her forcefully, pressing against her wound with my fingers and hearing a groan in response. "I know what I'm doing."

"Lucas, come on," Evelyn pleads, turning to our ally. "Didn't Declan always say that the healing supplies were blue?"

For a moment, the only sound in our camp is the sound of falling rain against the grass around us. Lucas stares down at Evelyn, and I can sense the tension between them. Really, it doesn't matter what Lucas says to Evelyn, because I won't back down. Either way, this will be an important indicator. Is he on my side, and is he willing to lie on my behalf?

"Violet's right," Lucas says, still staring down at Evelyn. "I've never heard Declan say that."

Evelyn's body deflates beneath me, and I can see all of the energy leaving her body. She knows that this is it - she's done for. Her fate is in my hands, and there's nothing she can do about it. Doesn't she realize, though, that this is how it's been all along? I've always been in control from the moment we met, and I always will be.

My ears pick up a faint sound in the distance, and I feel my hair stand on end. "Do you hear that?" I ask, turning around to face the Arena. Behind me, Lucas climbs cautiously to his feet.

"Hear what?" Evelyn asks. "Violet, don't leave me-"

I reach down, pushing the palm of my hand against Evelyn's mouth. There it is again - that sound. It sounds like some sort of animal, so it's not Ansel and his crew.

I hear the sound one more time, and I'm able to identify the approaching animals. "Wolves," I mutter, springing into action. Wolves are never found in the Arena unless they're here to kill; the Gamemakers must be looking for blood tonight.

"We have to get to higher ground," I hiss, grabbing my bag as Lucas does the same.

"Wait, help me up," Evelyn cries, trying and failing to stand on her own. I watch as she tries to kneel on her injured leg, but it collapses beneath her and she falls to the ground with a grunt.

I glance at Lucas - if we leave Evelyn behind, will he think that I could do the same to him? Will I lose his trust if we abandon our ally like this?

I see the look in Lucas' eyes and I know we're on the same page. It almost looks like he's begging me to leave her behind... I nod in confirmation, and we're on our way.

"Wait, Violet," Evelyn calls, rolling over to see us sprinting away. "Violet, come back!"

Evelyn's screams follow Lucas and me through the woods as we run. She'll be dead soon enough... at least the wolves will take care of her so I don't have to. Evelyn was a friend to me, sure, but I knew that I would have to let her go eventually.

I'll have to hold onto Lucas as tightly as I can - two of my three lifelines have been used in one day, and there are plenty of tributes left in this Arena who want me dead. Ansel, Judah, Verity... all of them will be after me, but I won't give them the satisfaction of seeing me fall. There's a reason why I've lasted so long, and there's a reason why Declan and Evelyn will both be dead soon enough. In the Hunger Games, power is life, and with the sapphire within my grasp, I hold all of the power in my hands.

A/N - The tables have definitely turned for poor Evelyn! This chapter is a big turning point for Violet's character and her relationships with her allies (which is pretty much just Lucas at this point). Next chapter we'll get to see Noctiluna's wolf muttations up close!

~S