FIRE ON FIRE ( cato hadley! )

chapter thirteen

——☆ FIRE ON FIRE
chapter thirteen: loss

ADRIAN REED WAS LYING face down on the ground, his body motionless, blood pooling beneath him. Lilia's breath hitched in her throat, and for a moment, the world around her had stopped. It couldn't be him. She stepped forward, inching closer to the body laying on the ground. That was his dark brown hair. Those were his hands. Those were his eyes.

That was him.

"Adrian!" she screamed, her voice breaking as she sprinted toward him.

She barely felt the ground beneath her feet, barely noticed the bodies surrounding her. All she could see was Adrian, her best friend, covered in blood, lying still.

"Adrian, no, please!" Lilia dropped to her knees beside him, her hands trembling as she reached out, hugging his body and flipping him on his back.

The sight before her was horrifying.

Touching his cold, hollow face, Lilia cried desperately, "Adrian, wake up!"

But Adrian didn't move. His eyes remained closed, his chest still. The warmth of his skin had already faded, leaving his lifeless body behind. She remembered their last words, "See you tomorrow."

"No..." Lilia whispered, tears streaming down her face.

She knew both of them wouldn't have survived the Games together. She knew one of them would have to die. But she wasn't prepared to lose him. Not yet, not now.

The other Careers stood nearby, watching the scene in silence. Their faces held no sense of remorse, no sense of sympathy. They just stood there, watching. But Lilia couldn't see them, couldn't feel anything except the searing pain of heartbreak and loss.

Adrian Reed was gone.

"Lilia, come on," Marvel finally spoke to the girl, inching towards her.

Raising a hand to the boy, the girl sharply snapped, "Stop."

There was no bringing him back, no reversing the events that had taken him from her.

"They have to collect the bodies," Marvel continued, ignoring her protest. "We have to move."

As the realization settled in, something inside Lilia snapped. Her tears slowed, her cries grew silent. Her grip on Adrian's body tightened, and then, slowly, she let him go, laying him gently on the ground.

Letting out a controlled breath, the girl stood up, feeling the weight of her grief shift into anger. Pure, brutal anger. It burned in her chest.

Lilia bent down and picked up her sword, and then the spear.

She turned slowly, her eyes scanning the faces of the Marvel, Cato, Glimmer, and Clove, who had all been watching her. The Careers stepped back, notably sensing a change in her. They weren't looking at the same girl who had entered the arena minutes ago.

"We'll go hunt for the others," Cato said, nodding toward the woods. "Glimmer, Clove, you stay here with the supplies."

Clove frowned, her eyes narrowing, "Why do we have to stay?"

"Because I said so," Cato snapped.

Glimmer exchanged a quick glance with Clove, then nodded, "Fine. But don't take too long."

Cato nodded, then turned to Lilia and Marvel, "Let's move out."

As Marvel, Cato, and Lilia moved away from the Cornucopia and into the forest, Cato could feel the tension stirring between them. Marvel was eager to kill, his eyes scanning the underbrush for any sign of movement. Lilia, on the other hand, was quieter, her focus more intense. He could tell she was still processing Adrian's death.

After a few minutes of silence, Marvel spoke up, almost jokingly, "You good, Lilia? Got any more tears left?"

Lilia shot him a cold look, "I'm fine."

Marvel chuckled, but Cato interrupted before he could say more.

"Enough," Cato said, voice sharp.

As they moved deeper into the trees, Cato found himself glancing at Lilia more often than he intended. He knew the others were planning to turn on her eventually. He'd overheard them whispering about it back at the Cornucopia. They saw her as a threat, especially now that she'd shown what she could do.

And maybe they were right.

But, something inside him sickened at the thought of betraying her. He didn't want that to happen. Not yet.

As they continued their search, Cato slowed his pace, falling in step beside Lilia. "Hey, you did good back there. At the Cornucopia."

Lilia glanced at him, "Well, I had good training partners."

Cato nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"Just remember," he said, his voice softening slightly, "don't let your guard down. Not for a second."

Lilia nodded, her expression serious, "I won't."

Marvel, walking ahead, turned back to them, "What are you two whispering about?"

"Nothing," Cato replied quickly. "Just stay focused, Marvel."

They continued on, the forest darkening around them. Cato kept his eyes forward, but his mind was racing. He didn't know what it was about Lilia Conway, but something in him wanted to keep her safe, to protect her from what he knew was coming.

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Back at the Cornucopia, Glimmer and Clove watched the forest, their eyes narrowing.

"What do you think will happen when she finds out you killed Adrian?" Glimmer asked quietly.

Clove shrugged, a cold smile playing at her lips, "She'll be dead by then. I'll make sure of it."

Glimmer nodded, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, "You'd better. Because if she figures it out before then..."

"She won't," Clove assured. "Trust me."