Mockingjay's Redemption (Book Two in the Mockingjay's Daughter Series)

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

I am out the house and running towards the woods before I can even begin to comprehend my father's statement. The Capitol has Skylar...His words vibrate through my head, bouncing off and making it so that I cannot think straight. Before I know it, my body is wracked with sobs. Muscular arms wrap around my waist and before I think, I bring back my elbow, then release it. 

"Ow."

Caleb jerks me around, so that we are face to face. He wipes my tears from my face, resulting in a new round of tears from me. I fall to the ground and he does the same. He holds me until I feel like my eyes cannot produce any more tears. We sit on the forest floor, him holding me and me trying to hold on to my life. 

                                                                                       *******

We walk back in silence, our hands entwined. I dread the moment we walk through that door and into the presence of my parents. I shouldn't think that, but I do. I should miss them, but right now, I just wish things were how they were before. Caleb opens the door and I walk in. 

My parents are sitting in the exact same stop as before. I sit next to them. My father begins to pet my hair and my mother takes my hand.

"Tell me how it happened," I say.

"It happened ten days ago," Father says. "We were asleep in our room in the Penthouse when we heard a loud crash. I jumped out of bed to see Peacekeepers guarding our door. Your mother tried to get passed them, but they threw her down and knocked her out."

I noticed the white bandage on my mother's forehead. She was touching it unconciously.

"I looked over one Peacekeeper's shoulder to see them dragging your brother from his room. He has unconcious and bleeding from his head. I tried to follow but they overpowered me. There was nothing we could do.

"I have some spies in the Capitol and we've heard some rumors about how he is. Ivy, honey, they're not good."

My breath caught and I heard myself ask, "Is he alive?"

My father looked at my mother. He took her hand and then rested his hand on my cheek. 

"From what we've heard, yes. He's still alive."

I let out a deep breath. "We need to go get him."

Father nodded. "There's something else you need to know."

"What?"

"We're planning for war."

"War?" I asked. "Why war?"

"A rebel spy found Capitol plans to bomb the Districts," Father said. "He was caught and killed. But not before word got to us."

Silence followed. 

"The Capitol knows that we are planning an attack."

"Oh, no. No, no, no. This can't be happening."

"And they're using Skylar as incentive for us to keep peace. If we promise not to attack, we get Skylar. But rebel leaders believe that we should overthrow the Capitol and put one of the District leaders in charge."

When my father's declaration registered in my head, I became dizzy. I heard Caleb cry out before my world faded to black.