TWO YEARS LATER

I could hear his footsteps as I pulled my body through the snow and ice. There was only one thing on my mind as I ignored the throbbing gash in my stomach, and that was Clove. One more kill and I'd be back for her. One more kill and I could go back to Cato.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped, and I saw him come at me through my peripherals, ax raised. With one last grunt of effort, I threw my knife into his shoulder. As he fell, his ax dropped and I took it from the ground. Without hesitation, I buried the ax into his heaving chest.

The snow danced in the air as the ground became red with blood. My hands were stained, and no matter what I did, I could not wipe the reminder of the District 7 boy from my hands. I had taken his life. I had taken the lives of six people in that arena. Brothers, sisters, daughters, sons… all of them lost to the word because of me. They were all gone at my hand.

I collapsed into the snow.

"Ladies and gentlemen," yelled a voice across the arena. "Calida Harting, the Victor of the 72nd Hunger Games!"

I woke with a start, my head pounding and heart racing. My breathing was short and suddenly I felt my chest constricting. Everything around me was spinning and my vision was starting to go black. It was certain, I was going to die.

However, right at that second, Clove ran into my room and held me as close as she could. Whispering soft words of comfort, she brought me back to reality. My vision began to clear as I cried into her arms.

"I'm so broken," I whispered into her sweater. "I'm so broken. I'm so sorry."

"You're okay," she replied, "It's okay. I'm here. That's all that matters."

As soon as I could walk again, Clove led me out into the garden to tend to the flowers. Each poppy was fully in bloom, a soft red in comparison to the deep maroon of the blood in my dreams. I breathed in the scent of the flowers as Clove guided me to the bench.

"Two years ago, I would have never thought that it would have come to this," she said softly.

"Me too," I agreed. "And now, Cato's going into the games. I don't know what it'll be like for him, or if I'll even get to be there."
In District 2, the mentors for the Hunger Games were chosen after the reaping. Whoever would work best with the tribute and had a similar skill set was chosen for that year. There was no doubt that the mentors of this year would be Brutus and Sabyn if the top students at the Academy volunteered. Brutus was to mentor Cato, for he was the best with swords, and Sabyn was to mentor Hermia, for she had been her teacher all her life.

"Cali," Clove whispered. "What if I get chosen and Hermia can't volunteer? What if it's me and Cato in there?"

"That's nearly impossible," I said, with more conviction than I felt. Clove was a Victor's sister, making her chances of being reaped higher than ever. "It would never happen."

"But if it did-" she started, but I cut her off before she could finish.
"It won't happen."

All Clove did to respond was wrap her small arms around me and pull me into the tightest hug I'd had since I had come home. It was as if she was trying to transfer her fears of the games to me through the intensity of the hug, trying to relieve herself in the process.

"I figured I'd find you two out here," a voice called, startling both Clove and I. Cato stood a few paces away from the bench, looking awkward and bashful.

"Jesus, Cato, way to ruin a moment," Clove laughed. "Wait a little next time!"

"I'll remember that in the future," he said, a lazy smile gracing his handsome face. He walked toward the bench as Clove and I stood. Greeting me with a lazy kiss, he pushed my little sister away by her face.

"Okay, fine, I know where I'm not wanted," she joked, jogging away from us. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Cato and I laughed as we settled back onto the bench. "Let's hope she isn't doing anything," I said, growing disgusted at the thought. "I'm really not ready to be an aunt."

His laughter filled the air and my heart lifted in response. There was truly nothing like the sound of his true happiness, where there were no expectations weighing on it and he was truly free. Cato only ever laughed like that with me.

"Let's hope not," he replied, placing a small kiss to my nose. Growing more serious, he pressed his forehead to mine. "Everything could change today."

"As long as you come home to me, it will be fine," I replied, looking into his deep blue eyes. "Whether it be later today or in a few months, it'll all be okay once you return home."

"You know I will," he said. "I love you too much to leave."

With that, he kissed me more passionately, laying me back onto the bench. Things became heated as I tore off his shirt and felt his body against mine. He looked at me with questioning eyes, and I breathed the answer.

"Yes."

A few hours later, I was met outside my new home in Victor's Village by my fellow Victors who would then walk with me to the town square for the reaping. I missed helping Clove get ready and watching how Siena reacted to Clove's appearance every time. However, I learned that all that mattered was that Clove was safe from the games, which was the best gift I could ever receive.

Daria, the woman who had mentored me and taught me everything I knew, took my hand as we started to walk towards the town square.

"She'll be alright," she said softly, referring to Clove. My tense figure must have given me away, but she held tight to my hand, rubbing reassuring circles with her thumb on my palm.

We stayed that way until we reached the stage, all of us standing together behind the microphone and bowls of names. It did not take long for the mayor to give his usual speech and for Roxie to say her usual jittery words. My heart raced as she spoke the words I had heard so many times before.

"And the female tribute for District 2 is…" she said, putting her hand in the naming bowl and basking in the attention of the citizens. "Clove Harting."

The name was said, and I sucked in a silent breath as Daria pinched my arm, reminding me not to show any emotion. Anything shown could be used against me. I was supposed to be proud of her, not terrified that she could die. I plastered on a smile and bit back the tears that were filling my eyes. Hermia couldn't volunteer because Clove was sixteen. All I could do was hope that the same would happen for Cato so that he wouldn't have to compete against Clove.

As I prayed to any God that could be out there, Roxie's hand entered the male reaping bowl and pulled out a name. "Prius Jackson," she announced with a flourish.

No time was wasted before Cato's clear and strong voice shouted "I volunteer as tribute!"

After the reaping, while the tributes were saying goodbye, the mentors were decided. All the Victors were to meet in the grand hall of the Justice Building to choose who would best mentor the tributes.

"I refuse to mentor," Sabyn announced as soon as we were all quiet. "Hermia was my prodigy and I know nothing of Clove."

"I think it's obvious who needs to mentor Clove," said Enobaria with a huff. "Calida knows her best and will do everything to get her out alive. Having a sister mentor will be the best chance of our female tribute coming home."

"But won't that be a conflict of interest," Brutus growled. "She could sabotage Cato in the process."

"You obviously know nothing of her relationships to the tributes," Daria replied. "She loves Cato as she loves Clove. She will do whatever it takes to get one of them home."
"I feel the need to agree with Enobaria. I would like to mentor this year, and I think that I am the best candidate not in spite of my relationships with the tributes, but because of them. I know them better than any of you and I, therefore, have the best chance of bringing them home," I said as confidently as I could.

"Are you sure you can do this," Lyme, a middle-aged Victor, replied. "It's not going to be easy to lose one of them."

"I can do this," I said, and it was decided.

I would mentor Clove.