Six of Crows characters in the Hunger Games

The Interviews

Inej

Inej's hair hung around her face in dark waves, her eyes lined with kohl. She wore loose trousers that were pulled in around the ankles, made of a midnight blue with stars embroidered across them. She wore a matching top, cropped so that a centimeter of her stomach showed in between. On her head was a crown of silver, adorned with sapphires. Her nails had looked similar - blue with stars. In any other situation, Inej would have worried about her attire, but she was much too nervous now. She would be going last of all the crows. They needed sponsors, and if she failed, then all of them could drown. Fear comes when something's about to happen.

Too nervous to watch Kaz, but too unable to look away for fear something would go wrong. Kaz was obviously becoming the Dirty Hands so feared on the streets. But then something happened. Caesar asked the final question,

"We all saw the way you looked at Inej Ghafa when she came out on the chariot. Is she just an ally, or something more?" Inej fully expected another I protect my investments type sentence. What she was not expecting was,

"An ally, of course. And... something more, too." Inej stared at him. Was he really saying that? No, Kaz wouldn't, not before millions of people. He didn't mean it. It was just a part of the plan, as always. Now, his act shy made sense. She would come across as someone shy, but talented. Someone who might be able to calm the monster. It was depressing how close to the truth they were.

The rest of the interviews passed in a blur of anxiety. When, finally, it was her turn, she almost collapsed on her way up to the stage. 

"Good evening, Miss Ghafa. Now, firstly, may we have a response to Mr Brekker?" This was the bit she had been fearing. She had no idea how to answer. So now, in a split second decision, she told the truth.

"I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I could, like I do understand him. Other times, he seems completely alien. I honestly can't say if I love him. I care about him, though, very much." It felt so odd, being asked such personal questions, answering truthfully. Anyone could use that against her. Why wasn't she just lying?

"I hope you work that out, I really do." Right. Is that before or after I die in your arena?  "So now, on a more practical note, what will your main tactic be in the arena?" Kaz hadn't told her. Even if he had, telling would get them killed. She could do this. Be small. Be shy.

"Ummm.... I don't really know. Try not to die, I suppose." Caesar sighed, like he actually cared. 

"Well I wish you good luck in that. Thank you, Inej Ghafa!"

Inej couldn't sleep. Tomorrow, the games began. And Kaz barely had a plan. The first day, that was all. She couldn't blame him, not when none of them knew the terrain, the other contestant's abilities, anything. Not when they had Rollins and Van Eck to contend with. Though, as Kaz said, a man who hadn't spent a day in the barrel probably wouldn't pose too much of a problem. Maybe she should go for a walk. It wasn't as if she'd get any sleep - even if she did stay. Pulling on a long wool grey cardigan over her nightgown, she set off. 

Inej decided to take the lift (an invention where at the press of a button, she could shoot up or down, to wherever she wanted to go) to the roof. She had intended a walk, but didn't want this little piece of magic stolen from her just yet. To her surprise, Kaz was in there.

"Hello, Kaz."

"Hello, Wraith."

Inej floated in, and they waited in comfortable silence as the lift took them up towards the roof. When they arrived, they walked together towards the edge of the roof, and Inej settled down to watch the view. 

"We could die tomorrow. After all that thinking and planning, we could just be killed." Inej hadn't realised until now how much it scared her. Even in the ice court, they had information. Had a solid plan. "Does it bother you that Rollins is here?" She never would have asked such a personal question before the ice court. But somehow, something between them had changed. Inej didn't know if it was a good thing, didn't even know what the change was. But something between them had changed.  

"No. Yes. I don't know."

"You're not going to go off, or change the plan, like in the ice court, are you?" He had every right to, but if he did, it would put her in danger. Put all of them in danger.

"So what if I do?" He was defending himself, now. "It's not your place to tell me what to do."

"No. It isn't. But, do you know that last time, if you hadn't gone off, you'd have known that they put the incinerator on the afternoon. We might have been able to plan around it. Instead, do you know what happened? I nearly died. If it hadn't started raining, I would be dead. Do you even care?" She was angry now, and didn't even know why. It wasn't at Kaz, not really. It was at that feeling of helplessness, all those people who had called her little and insignificant. 

"I didn't mean that - not really. I'm just worried."

"No. You're right. I put all of you in danger because I got too carried away." Inej was almost too scared to talk - Kaz had never talked to her like this before. He had never apologized like his, said what he really meant.

"You know we're allowed tokens from our district?" Kaz asked. She nodded. Then, to her surprise, he showed her a necklace - silver, with a miniature version of one of her knives (Sankt Petyr) on the end. Slowly, she drew her hair back from her neck, inviting him to put it on her. He drew a breath, and she realised he wasn't wearing his gloves. Why had he come up here?  Very slowly, he looped the necklace around her neck, and did the clasp up. She turned to face him, scared to break the spell. Scared that he'd walk away, leave her. But when the sun rose, they watched it together.