𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐒 | hunger games ✓

chapter 23

━━･❪ 🌸 ❫ ･━━

The air was immediately choked with screams and the clang of metal-on-metal. Daphne sprang for the first Career she could spot upon charging straight into the fray of the fight, knives flashing, her face twisted in a ferocious sneer.

Her target was a lean boy only a couple inches taller than her. He yelped as Daphne flung herself onto him, knocking him off his feet. The two of them went tumbling on the hard cobblestones, the boy's head taking the brunt of the impact. His weapon, a metal spear, was knocked from his grasp. Almost immediately, he struck upwards, flinging Daphne off of him like a ragdoll.

Pain laced Daphne's elbow as she landed hard on the ground, one of her knives clattering out of her hand. She hastily scooped it up, launching to her feet as Azalea came up from behind the Career. She wrapped her rope around his throat, his eyes bugging in surprise.

All he had to do was ram his elbow backwards into Azalea's stomach and she fell with a yelp. She balled up on the ground, clutching her stomach. The Career loosened the rope around his neck and tossed it to the side. Daphne, meanwhile, had lunged for his spear, throwing it as far as she could, nearly wrenching her shoulder in the process. The spear sailed all the way to the other side of the courtyard, skittering into an alleyway, far out of reach.

Daphne didn't waste a moment. She swung for the Career with her knives, aiming at the space between his collarbones that wasn't covered by the metal breastplate he wore.

The Career could fight just as well unarmed, which Daphne shouldn't have been surprised. He'd probably been training to fight his entire life. He grabbed Daphne's wrist mid-strike, smacking the knife clean out of her grasp.

Daphne thought back to her lessons with Pavel, as well as Theia all those nights ago. She hooked a foot around the Career's ankles. His eyes flashed with alarm as he stumbled, but he didn't release Daphne's wrist. But Daphne was lucky to have two arms. She stabbed forward with her other hand.

The Career shifted last minute as he recovered his balance, sending Daphne's knife sparking off his breastplate. He easily disarmed her then. Before she knew it, Daphne had been shoved violently backwards. Her temple slammed into the cobblestones, rattling her skull and momentarily making her vision swim.

The Career wasted no time. He lunged forward, wrapping his hands around Daphne's throat. Daphne tried to curse, tried to spit in his face as her neck spasmed in protest.

Damn it, right when my throat was just recovered. She grimaced and kicked upwards, but he was kneeling on her legs, trapping them in place.

Meanwhile, Azalea had vomited on the ground, but she'd pulled herself to her feet. Once again, she attacked from behind, wrapping her rope around the Career's neck and jerking him backwards. He gave a strangled howl as Azalea dragged him off of Daphne with pure strength, too surprised to do much.

In the precious seconds that followed, Daphne had snatched one of her knives lying on the ground within arm's reach. She sprang to her feet. A snarl was on her face as she plunged the knife straight in between the Career's collarbones.

Blood splashed onto Daphne's face. The Career's eyes were locked in a state of bewilderment, his mouth agape as he slowly looked down to the knife protruding from the base of his throat. Daphne's hands shook as she yanked out her knife. He slid to his knees, then collapsed onto his side. Red froth bubbled at his mouth.

For a few heartbeats, Daphne stared down in horror. Her fingers tightened around her knife, whose hilt was now slippery with blood.

Azalea curled her rope around her arm and promptly punched Daphne on the shoulder.