My heart pounds in my chest as we land in Five. This is real. This is happening.
"Hey," Jensen says, resting his hand on my shoulder. "It'll be okay."
"I just want to kill him so bad," I say through clenched teeth. "He took away everything. He took my parents, he took Finch, he took Atom, he took Ryder, he even took Neutro. I can't lose anyone else, Jensen. I can't."
I'm not sad now. No, now I'm mad. I'm burning with anger. I'm seeing red.
The hovercrafts land right outside of Town Square.
"Okay," I say into a headset, so everyone can hear me. "We're bombing the hydroelectric plant, then getting every last Five citizen out of this district. Got it?"
I hear a flurry of agreements, so everyone gets off the hovercrafts. However, I get off last.
Everyone is armored up and ready to fight, their guns loaded. I move to the front of the crowd and take a deep breath.
"People will die," I say, addressing everybody, "but their deaths won't be in vain. No matter what happens, you keep going. Don't look back."
I open up the Holo that Coin gave me, closely examining the streets.
"The hydroelectric plant...it's lit up," I announce. The blood drains from my face seconds later when I realize what's about to happen. This was a set-up. Of course it was.
"Del," Jensen says, worried. "Del, what is it?"
"Snow," I say quietly, my voice hoarse. I've been talking too much. "He's here."
Finnick can't find out. He'll panic. I pull out two knives and take a deep breath.
"Okay," I decide, calming my breathing. "Okay. Jensen, save the people. Tell them I'm here. They'll know it isn't a trap."
"And you?" he questions.
"I'm going to have a nice chat with Cornelius Snow."
•••••
My boots pad against the ground as I grip my knives. My knives, my brain, and my stealth. That's all I have. But it was enough to help me survive two arenas.
"Asphodel, where are you?" Finnick asks, his voice coming through the earpiece.
"If I want anyone to get out of here alive, I have to do this," I say sternly, ignoring his question.
"Asphodel Hecate Lethe, where are you?"
"Playing the whole name game, are we?" I ask, managing to get a laugh out of him. "But I'm paying someone a visit."
"Your brother?"
"After. But at the moment, I'm going home."
"I'm coming," he says instantly, still not happy I all but forced him to stay in the cockpit where he's the least likely to be hurt.
"I have to do this alone," I tell him. "I have to. This man murdered my mother, my father, and my brother. He murdered your family. Your mother, your father, your sisters, and your brother. I will kill him. Maybe not today, but I will."
"I have no doubts," Finnick says with a smile in his voice. "Just be careful, okay?"
"I will."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
I hang up the call, approaching my front door. I quietly open the door, stepping inside and leaving it open. I know where he will be. I creep up the stairs, coming to my study door. The sharp, hideous scent of roses hits my nose and I nearly stumble back from the force of it.
It invades my senses, bringing back ugly, bloody memories of my family's murders. I can hardly force myself to continue, but I do. I always do.
I open the door.
"Ms. Lethe," Snow says, turning to face me. "I see your voice has returned." I raise my knife, prepared to throw it. "Ah, no need for that," he says, feigning innocence.
"Why are you here?" I demand, angry. "You broke into my home to murder my family when I was fourteen. You murdered my mentor and all the victors from my district! Give me one good reason not to kill you right here, right now!"
The last sentence is yelled out, nearly a scream. My vision is blinding red. Everything is red. It's all I can see.
"You are a threat, Ms. Lethe. I told you exactly that years ago. Nonetheless, your mind is priceless. You are the smartest tribute the Games have ever seen.
"You are the one thing the Capitol cannot control. Your mind works differently, you see. Fear doesn't affect you the way it affects everybody else. Fear doesn't make you submit, it makes you rebel."
"And that's dangerous?"
"You could single-handedly bring down an entire nation." I raise my eyebrows at him. "Everdeen used berries. You don't need any help. You started a rebellion entirely on your own."
He plays a video and my eyes turn to the screen.
"Just give up!" Cole screams as he comes toward me, covered in blood.
"I will never give up," I say, deadly-calm.
A single, angry slash and my throat is slit. I see the shock on my face, the pain in my eyes and on my face as I try to scream out. I only bleed harder. I throw the axe I hold and it lodges in Cole's chest.
Snow stops the video and turns to me.
"You were meant to die."
"I only die on my own accord," I hiss. "There's only one person left alive that I would die for."
"Ah, yes," he chuckles. "Finnick Odair. Isn't he a bit old for a seventeen year old like yourself?"
"I grew up years in the arena," I deadpan. "I love him, and if you so much as threaten a single hair on his head, I will kill you. I'm not afraid to, so don't you dare think it's an empty threat." I cross my arms.
"I don't make promises I can't keep. Unlike you. You promised victors safety. Now, half of them are dead. All because you were afraid of a fourteen year old girl." I laugh coldly.
"Ironically, the girl meant to die is the first, and last of her kind. I will defend my district, my people until the day I die." It's dead-silent. "Get out of my house."
"What? You aren't going to kill me?"
"Oh, I plan to," I say darkly, a twisted smile on my face. "But I'm going to wait until the entire country can see you suffer." Then, before he can see it coming, I quickly swipe my knife across his throat. I press hard enough to make him bleed but I make sure I don't kill him quite yet. He stumbles back at the sensation. I smirk. "Now we match."
We've been playing a game of cat and mouse for years. The only difference is now, I'm the one on the prowl, and he's the one on the run.
