darkened horizons- finnick odair

eleven | disturbia

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Katniss jumped down from the branch she was on, her boots crunching into the earth below. She let out a breath, eyes flickering back up to the sky. Her arrow had penetrated the barrier encasing the arena, but it hadn't done anything else. She lowered her gaze to Peeta, Finnick, and Cass— the three of them already looking to her for the verdict.

"The forcefield..." She explained, gesturing to it. "It's a dome. We're at the edge of the arena. I couldn't find any signs of freshwater."

"It's gonna be dark soon." Finnick pointed out. "We'll be safe with our backs protected. We should set up camp. Take turns sleeping. I can take first watch."

Katniss scoffed. "Not a chance."

His trident slammed into the dirt as he stood up, wholly piqued by her skepticism. "Honey, that thing I did back there for Peeta? That was called 'saving his life.' If I wanted to kill either of you, I would've done it by now."

She didn't say anything, simply turning to Cass.

Her brow raised, disbelief crossing her face. She let out a short laugh and shook her head. "Don't start with me, Princess. Finnick's right. I had a clear shot of your fiance in the initial bloodbath and I had a damn clear shot of you when Finnick was busy making out with him. We've all had our chances, but we haven't taken them." She took a step forward, incredulously shrugging her shoulders. "We trust you; now it's your turn."

Without another word, Cass brushed past her, Finnick following. Sooner or later, Katniss would have to trust them. Even if she didn't realize it yet, both of them would protect her at any cost.

Darkness quickly fell, rapidly staining the sky a deep indigo. Stars entangled themselves in the night sky, twinkling above them. They were contrived by the Capitol, but they were still stunning. And seeing them almost made her forget about the fact that she was in an arena fighting to survive.

Peeta was resting, lying somewhere nearby while the other three kept watch. It wasn't about making sure they were safe, but more about the fact that none of them could sleep. It wasn't something that was easy, considering where they were and what they were doing.

"You should get some rest." Finnick murmured, his voice strikingly loud against the soft sounds of the jungle.

"I'm not tired." Cass responded, toying with one of her knives. The blade twirled in her fingertips, her gaze utterly captivated by the slight glimmer of the black steel glinting back to her.

Katniss glanced at the two, eyeing them. She knew they used to be together, but the way they acted? It was almost as if they'd never broken up or fallen out of love. As if they were still the Capitol's most favorite couple— just with all the layers and dramatics stripped away.

Finnick lifted his head, instantly noticing her stare. "How's Peeta?" He asked, letting out a breath.

"He's okay, I think." Katniss answered, eyes flickering back to the foliage in front of them. "Just dehydrated like the rest of us."

As if on cue, the Panem anthem blared through the speakers and the sky lit up, faces of the dead filling their vision. Person after person flickered in the sky, one of which Cass had killed to save Peeta. She inhaled sharply, dropping her gaze as it ended, silence once again engulfing them.

"Eight." Katniss counted.

An electronic beeping sounded through the treeline, causing the trio to glance up. A package was floating down from the sky, a sponsor gracing them with a gift. Katniss hastily got up, making her way to the package. Cass and Finnick were right behind her, eyes glued to the steel capsule.