Broken Promises

chapter 20

As soon as the words escape her lips, she knows they’re true. Adrenaline courses through her and she’s paralyzed with fear. Gray. Twinkle. Calla. Lux.  All of them haunt her with every breath she takes. Her memory feels fogged like she’s forgotten a vital piece of information. Oh right, Lux and Twinkle are dead, thanks to her. Satisfaction slips down her throat like warm tea. Athena killed them. All she needs to do is kill Calla and Gray and the rest will be easy. The satisfaction stops dead in its tracks at the back of her throat. She tries swallowing the lump that has formed. The rest isn’t going to be easy. In fact, killing Calla and Gray is the least of her problems. She feels him next to her, his arm still tightly holding onto her waist, his eyes still intensively burning into her flesh.  He’s been watching her this whole time. She turns slightly as his luminescent green eyes seem enlightened with feeling. His lips curve slightly. She’s made the decision in her head already but right now is when she’s actually admitting it to herself. She loves him and could never see him die. That’s why she’s going to die instead.

Jason stares at her. Her grey eyes search for a focus point anywhere but his eyes. He cups her chin and gently tilts it towards him. She’s thinking about something that she doesn’t care to share. He hopes she’s not thinking of the same topic that’s been eating away at him since even before the games started.

Every night before the reaping, he would pray to the Heavens that Athena never got chosen. For years, it seemed his prayers worked and he’d never have to bear the torture of watching the love of his life fight to her death in a battle arena against other children. He would never be able to stomach it. Then, on the day of the reaping when Peaches Appleton called out Athena’s name he knew that whoever would be chosen as the male, he’d take their place. It was a stroke of luck when his name was called and from then on he has given his life to these games because he’s never getting out of this arena.

Athena’s small voice stops his next breath sickeningly in its tracks.

                “What did you just say?” Hopefully he didn’t hear her correctly.

                “I said I’m going to die so you can win and go home.” She looks up at him expectantly, waiting to hear his response.

                “Athena, you actually think I’m going to let that happen? Do you even understand how much I love you! I’d never be the same if you left my side!” His voice rises and echoes around the arena. Athena’s face reddens and she begins playing with her hands.

                “It’s just that…I don’t want to see you die.” Her voice is soft and delicate as she tries to faze him from the matter at hand with her performed innocence.

                “Athena, stop that. You know how cute you look when you do that.” Jason stares longingly as she takes her plump bottom lip between her teeth and stares up at him. Ugh, she’s doing it again. He needs to focus if he’s ever going to win an argument against her. She’s just too adorable to resist. He tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear and trails his fingertips over the soft skin on her cheek. Wow, look at how much willpower you have Jason, impressive. She gently presses his large palm to the smooth, cold surface of her cheek. His hand falls dead at his side when she announces what she plans do next.