Victor by Night | Finnick Odair

Calm Before the Storm : 12

Chapter Twelve

The moment we step off the elevator, I feel as though my entire world stops. Finnick grips my waist and smashes his lips with mine, in an undeniably strong kiss.

When he pulls away, his hand rests on my cheek and his forehead is placed on mine, "There isn't much time, so tell me. Is there anything I have to apologize for?"

"Nothing," I say. It was a monumental moment in my life: my first kiss. And right now, I can't imagine it being with anyone else, and I can't find myself regretting it.

But then reality hits me, and I'm swept away in the guilt burning in my stomach.

Somewhere, very far off, is a place called District 5, where my mother will have to deal with the fallout from this night. Just a brief hovercraft ride away is an arena where, tomorrow, Finnick and I and the other tributes will face our own form of punishment.

But even if all of us meet terrible ends, something happened on that stage tonight that can't be undone. We victors staged our own uprising, and maybe, just maybe, the Capitol won't be able to contain this one.

We wait for the others to return, but when the elevator opens, only Eero appears. "It's madness out there. Everyone's been sent home and they've canceled the recap of the interviews on television."

Finnick and I hurry to the window and try to make sense of the commotion far below us on the streets. "What are they saying?" Finnick asks. "Are they asking the president to stop the Games?"

"I don't think they know themselves what to ask. The whole situation is unprecedented. Even the idea of opposing the Capitol's agenda is a source of confusion for the people here," says Eero. "But there's no way Snow would cancel the Games. You know that, right?"

I do. Of course, he could never back down now. The only option left to him is to strike back, and strike back hard. "The others went home?" I ask.

"They were ordered to. I don't know how much luck they're having getting through the mob," says Eero.

"Then I'll never see Danno again," I say. I didn't see him on the morning of the Games last year. "Please give him my thanks... More than that. Really make it special. It's Danno, after all," I say. "Tell him how appreciative Gerard and I are and how he was the best escort ever and tell him ... tell him we send our love."

For a while we just stand there in silence, delaying the inevitable. Then Eero says it. "I guess this is where we say our good-byes as well."

"Any last words of advice?" I ask.

"Stay alive," Eero says gruffly. That's almost an old joke to me now. He gives me a quick embrace, and I can tell it's all he can stand. "Go to bed. You need your rest."

I know I should say a whole bunch of things to Eero, but I can't think of anything he doesn't already know, really, and my throat is so tight I doubt anything would come out, anyway.

"You take care, Eero," Finnick says.

"Take care of our girl," he nods.

We cross the room, but in the doorway, Eero's voice stops us. "Sagitarra, when you're in the arena," he begins. Then he pauses. He's scowling in a way that makes me sure I've already disappointed him.

"What?" I ask defensively.

"You just remember who the enemy is, and don't allow the others to forget," Eero tells me. "That's all. Now go on. Get out of here."

We walk down the hallway. Finnick wants to stop by his room to shower off the makeup and meet me in a few minutes, but I won't let him. I'm certain that if a door shuts between us, it will lock and I'll have to spend the night without him. Besides, I have a shower in my room. I refuse to let go of his hand.

Do we sleep? I don't know. We spend the night holding each other, in some halfway land between dreams and waking. Not talking. Both afraid to disturb the other in the hope that we'll be able to store up a few precious minutes of rest. Because we will need every ounce of strength tomorrow in the Quell.

Who knows what we'll encounter in the Games?