Lethal Charm - THG [1]

01

Knox Codie did not view herself as a Hunger Games winner. Nobody ever wins the games, you can only survive and she happened to be unfortunate enough to have survived her games.

She had been fifteen years old when she was reaped for the 67th annual Hunger Games. She had survived because she was clever, and also very strong for a girl her age as she would usually help her father with the livestock on the farm.

In the bloodbath, she had grabbed what she could from the cornucopia and got out of there as quick as she could, taking out a few tributes that had picked her as their target.

During her games, she realized quite quickly, that she could not wait around and let someone kill her. She started to search for the other tributes one by one until she was the last one left.

Oh, how she regretted that now.

The life of a victor, she would soon learn, was not a life of lavish luxury like she was made to believe all her life, but a life of misery and pain.

As soon as her Victory Tour ended and she turned sixteen, she was approached by President Snow and he revealed to her what kind of life awaited her and told her that if she did not comply she would be punished in the cruellest of ways. Knox knew better than to not take him seriously, she heard what happened when Haymitch Abernathy defied President and she did not want to end up in the same boat.

This leads to where she is now, at a party in the Capitol with a drink in her hand. The party was in honour of the newest Victors—yes Victors, not Victor—Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, at President Snow's mansion.

She had been invited—ordered—to the Capitol by President Snow for 'business' meaning she would not be enjoying herself during her stay, not that she'd expected to, and rather making other people enjoy themselves. Knox was largely popular amongst the Capitol men and women and was often brought out to the Capitol for big lavish parties so that people could have the pleasure of her company.

She walked idly through the crowds of people, sipping her drink while surveying the many faces around the lavish garden, some familiar, some not and many were looking at her in the same way that they always did, watching eagerly like she was a shiny new toy that they couldn't wait to play with and show off to everyone and anyone that would listen.

Her drink was almost empty, she sighed and made her way towards the bar for a refill. She was supposed to be meeting a woman named Celia Velka but she had yet to see her anywhere, Knox was hoping that she would come and find her and save her the trouble of searching the many faces at the party that, for the most part, all looked the same to her.

She placed her empty glass on the bar and lightly rapped her knuckles on the wooden surface, "Can I get another whiskey please?" she asked the bartender who took her empty glass and nodded.

"Make that two," said a familiar voice beside her. She turned her head to look at him, "Haymitch."

"Knox, how wonderful it is to see you." He said sarcastically.

"Sure Haymitch," she replied, "what do you want?"

"Have you met the new victors yet? No? Didn't think so, but that doesn't matter. I have something important to discuss with you," Haymitch said.

"Fire away."

The bartender slid her glass over to her and she nodded in thanks and Haymitch took the other.

"Not here, it's a bit of a sensitive subject, not for prying ears."

Knox nodded, she knew what that meant. "Well in that case we'll have to talk another time, I'm busy." She reached into one of the inner pockets of her burgundy suit jacket and pulled out a small card with a name and picture on it, "Have you seen her anywhere?" She asked as she handed him the card.