The Runaway Victor | Book II

Chapter Seventeen | The Nightlock

Quinn chose not to talk to one person at all the next day in the game making room. President Snow had given her a few days to make up her mind— he didn't expect the games would go too much longer. And she would say it during the interview with the game makers.

His threat that had come along with it had been direct, but still not specific. If he wanted to hurt her, he knew of ways he could. He could hurt her whenever he wanted if that's what he had to do.

Quinn jumped when the people around her began to applause. Clapping and all of that sort of stuff, at first Quinn looked around at them completely confused as to what they were cheering about. But when she looked up at the screen, she saw that only shadows of Katniss and Peeta were on top of the Cornucopia and the growling got more and more distant as a game maker drew the mutts away to get rid of them. Quinn had purposefully just zoned out, her stomach had been flipping and churning as she thought about Snow. But she hadn't wanted to really pay attention to the games.

Suddenly the man that had been stationed next to her reached his hand past her, and pressed a few buttons on her screen to raise up the sun— to give the two tributes light to jump down. Quinn felt a big weight get yanked up and off her shoulders— Katniss had won. She wouldn't have to be stuck there anymore, she could go back to Thirteen...

Suddenly the cheering stopped, and Seneca's voice filled the room. "It has been decided that all recent rule changes have been over turned. Only one of you can be crowned Victor—"

"What?!" Quinn asked sharply pushing herself back from her screen. "You can't do that-"

"-may the odds be ever in your favor." Seneca quickly finished it, then turning towards Quinn.

"Seneca, the Capitol loves both of them! You can't get rid of that rule—"

He sighed, "I have to, President Snows' orders."

"But—"

"Peeta, trust me. On three,"

Everyone turned their eyes towards the screen. The two tributes were maybe an inch, their hands were fumbling with each others hands. Katniss then took a small step back, and the two of them stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, before her lips began to form words. Then in the blink of an eye, both of them tipped their heads back, and the camera could barely catch a glimpse of dark purple berries, the same berried the red headed tribute had eaten just before she died.

Nightlock.

Seneca scrambled back over to his station, and laid his hand on the screen. "Wait!" his voice slid out as a frantic, perhaps even terrified voice of a man. He stared at the two of them on screen as they both looked up and around, alert— their jaws were locked and completely still. Letting the nightlock berries sit. "The Victors of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games, from District Twelve; Katniss Everdeen and...Peeta Melark."

Quinn stared at the two tributes in the arena and then up at Seneca. She could feel a ball of energy building up in her stomach, it wasn't bad...but it wasn't the sort of energy she was used to. She wasn't used to excitement. In that moment though, Quinn really realized something. She had told herself time and time again that she had figured it out— that she had accepted it.

She had thought she had accepted the fact that she had been sent to the Capitol to help a Radical Tribute win. She thought she had accepted the fact that Katniss was the person that District Thirteen needed to take down the Capitol once and for all. But she hadn't, not really. She hadn't really believed it, she hadn't believed that she was in the Capitol for a reason and what she was doing would either make or break the rebellion. She hadn't really been convinced Katniss was the right tribute, but now she knew she was right. She hadn't only volunteered, tugged at the heartstrings of the entire nation— she defied the Capitol. She won. She beat the Game makers at their own game.

She knew that the game makers had lost because they were all silent, besides a few whispers. And all Quinn could do was smile and sit there wanting to jump up and run somewhere— anywhere.

All because of the nightlock berries.