The Hunger Games - Peeta Mellark (1)

}12{ - Hidden Snares

Livia's eyes flickered to the group still very caught up in the argument before she glanced back up at Katniss.

Livia brought a finger to her lips to signal to be quite, before playing it off as she itched her nose.

She glanced at Peeta wondering if he was really going to leave her with them.

Only Cato picked up on this and placed a hand on Livia's shoulder causing her to straightened up, "Go on then, lover boy. See for yourself."

Peeta's eyes landed on Cato's hand before walking back to the campfire.

And Livia couldn't help but notice the hint of jealousy in Cato's voice that made her limbs lock.

"Why don't we just kill him now and get it over with?" Glimmer exclaimed in a hushed voice.

It took all Livia had not to hiss at her.

"Let him tag along. What's the harm? He's handy with that knife", Cato jeered, "Besides, he's our best chance of us finding her."

'Her' being the girl strapped to a tree barely ten yards ahead of them.

But what they didn't know couldn't hurt them.

The sound of Peeta returning silenced them.

"Was she dead?" Cato asked.

"No. But she is now." Peeta said, and with that the cannon fired, "Ready to move on?"

They set off just as dawn began to break, and birdsong filled the air.

As they continued on through the woods, Peeta resumed his spot beside Livia.

Livia's thoughts were too loud and the ability to speak was lost on her.

The sun rose in the sky and even through the canopy it seemed overly bright.

They headed through the wooded area, heading in a circle back to the camp.

Peeta had sagged behind the group and as Livia turned ever-so-slightly to check on him, she stepped in the wrong place.

She yelped as a wire secured around her ankle and she was airborne.

The thin wire sliced through her skin and she winced as it continued to brush against the wound.

The blood dripped down her leg- or maybe up- as she hung upside down.

She was probably ten feet above the ground.

Glimmer snickered but one look from Cato and she was silent.

"Can you cut it?" Peeta quizzed.

Livia tried to catch up with what had just happened, she pulled her head up and spotted the copper material.

"I think." She muttered, her voice shaky.

She slipped a disc from her belt and pulled herself up to the string enough to begin sawing through it.

Once she'd sliced through the copper cover the rest cut like butter.

Her clouded mind hadn't considered what would happen when she wasn't being held up by the wire until she was free-falling.