"THIS IS HOW THIS IS GOING to go." A man Peeta had never seen before snarled at him.

He'd been dragged out of his cells—no where near as harshly as Aella had been—right after the Peacekeepers had taken her and he'd been guided through the catacombs of the Tribute Centre to where a prep team readied him for an interview in the Presidential Palace with Caesar Flickerman.

It amazed him that the Tribute Centre and the Presidental Palace was connected underground. Made him wonder if the whole Capitol had been built similarly.

There was a lack of lighting where he went, however. Peacekeepers were using flashlights and large camera lights were being used to light up the room he was in and had gotten ready in. None of the overhead lights were on—not until they'd gotten to the Presidential Palace.

He had no idea what was going on. He hadn't seen Aella since she'd been dragged from her cell. The unfamiliar prep team hadn't uttered a single word to him and Peeta had learned the hard way not to question or even talk to them. Instead he had sat in silence while they fixed his limp hair and dusted makeup over his far too pasty skin and bruised face.

Bruised from the beating he'd taken for Aella two days prior.

He'd then followed the Peacekeepers—willingly—to where he sat with Caesar for their usual interviews.

He'd sat where he'd been instructed to and he'd waited. Waited until he heard the rustling of chains some few minutes later and saw two Peacekeepes drag Aella into the room after him.

It was hard to really see what had been done to her in those beatings when they were left in the dark all the time but under the light Peeta's stomach coiled in rage. Her face was black and blue. They hadn't even bothered with putting makeup on her. No amount of foundation and concealer could fix the bruising on her face.

Her left eye was bloodshot, stained purple and small cuts marred her cheekbone and temple. Her bottom lip was split deeply and her skin was so pale. Her once vibrant blue eyes were lifeless as they dragged her over to him and sat her down on the sofa beside him.

The worst part was that she hadn't been taken from the cells in over three days. He doubted the beating was fresh. The fact that those bruises and her bloodshot eye looked the way it did at three days old made him stop to think what it would've looked like if he'd seen it under the light the night she had first gotten them.

But her skin had been permanently tarnished with bruises since the day of her capture. It was nothing new. To see her without a bruise or a cut on her face or any part of her body for that matter was rare. Her whole body was covered in them and whatever prep team that had worked on her had struggled.

The Peacekeepers had dragged her in, pushed her on the sofa next to Peeta, chained her hands in front of her to her shackles on her feet with a short chain and walked away. Her greasy hair was limp and knotted and even out of that white gown and shorts they forced her into the clothes she wore swallowed her up. The high collar of her pristine white shirt wasn't even high enough to hide the black bruise on the side of her throat from them injecting her every single time.

Then a man had walked in and stood in front of them and Peeta felt Aella coil into his side at the sight of him in front of them. He wore a Peacekeeper uniform but wore no helmet, as if he were a Peacekeeper of high ranking. He was tall and built decently sized. He was completely bald but if Peeta had to guess he couldn't be any older than mid thirties. Freshly shaven but his eyes...

They were so brown they were practically black. A small chill spider-walked down Peeta's spine when he fixed his menacing gaze upon him. He felt his body curl inward. He shifted in the grey suit they'd forced him into and discreetly he reached for Aella's hand when he felt her body tremble against his. He wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed tightly.

He had never seen her look so dazed, so drugged before, but he faintly felt her squeeze his hand lightly in return. His breathing became a little easier at that.

"Thanks to your friends up in District Thirteen the Districts are fighting back." The man snarled at them both before he fixed his attention solely on Peeta, "Your job is to go on camera, read what's been written for you and order the Districts to stop. If you don't, if you falter, if you think it's a good idea to rebel this one here gets bullet through her skull. Do you understand me?"

Peeta merely nodded in response, his stomach coiling at the thought of Aella's life in his hands. The Peacekeepers stationed around the room rose their weapons into the air, five guns all pointed at him—at Aella.

"You're merely a distraction to District Thirteen while we prepare the bombs. Any stalling and we shoot her." The man said.

Peeta's heart stalled in his chest. Fear engulfed him. He knew he shouldn't ask but he couldn't stop himself from saying, "Bombs?"

The man gave him an evil smile, "We're going to blow your friends and that District their hiding in to the ground."

Aella's hand squeezed Peeta's again and he saw her head move out the corner of his eyes. She took the man's attention and he stepped closer to her, bending over to meet her eye level and reached forward to pinch her cheeks. The smile on his face twisted Peeta's stomach when he barred his teeth and said, "This one knows not to say a word, don't you? Knows all she has to do is sit there and look pretty. Just her face is enough of a statement—enough of a distraction. Especially for lover boy back home. Isn't that right, Ella?"

Peeta felt her tremble beside him. He could hardly move for fear but to his greatest surprise Aella spat at the man in front of her and it hit him square in the face. Peeta couldn't fathom it, how her life was literally hanging in the balance and it wasn't enough to scare her into submission. How she still had enough left inside of her to fight. She wasn't afraid of them, he realised, not like he was. He only wished he had half of the strength that she had.

The man wiped at his face carefully while Aella continued to stare at him in utter hatred, "Go to hell." She snapped at him and her voice was nothing more than a broken whisper.

Peeta barely saw the hand that flew toward her. He only heard the connecting slap as the Peacekeeper back handed her—striking her over her already bruised cheek.

He straightened to his full height and glowered down at her with such fury in his eyes before he said with such promise, "We'll finish this later."

The man walked away but Peeta could see and feel the loaded guns still pointing to them. In front of him a team of men assembled the cameras, positioning them directly opposite him. They fixed the lighting, determined to shine the most of it over him and leave Aella in his shadow. A hidden threat, he wondered.

He squeezed Aella's hand again and felt her respond. He didn't dare look at her, too afraid of what the Peacekeepers watching them might do but he leaned as far back in his seat as he could and whispered her name. He just needed something—anything to ease his unbearable anxiety. He strained his ears for something, for anything, and very faintly heard her say, "I am a survivor."

He loosed a heavy breath—as heavy as he could—in the tight collar he wore and began to recite to himself, my name is Peeta Mellark, I won the seventy-fourth Hunger Games. My name is Peeta Mellark, I—

"They have Palex, Peeta." He heard her hoarse voice tremble. He thought he was hearing things until she said again with equal quietness, "I thought they had killed him the day I arrived like they did Cayenne and Flax. All this time he's been here. They told me they'd kill him if I said anything. I—I can't risk it. What if they have Finnick, too?"

Because they still didn't know. Aella still hadn't regained any of her memory of what had happened that fateful day in District Eight. She had a vague recollection of the bombing, of a young child with dirty blonde hair hugging her. Sometimes she thought she remembered walking through the decimated streets with Finnick but she couldn't tell what was a dream or what was reality. Especially after she awoke when they'd injected tracker jacker venom into her.

"It's okay." Peeta whispered as quietly as she had, "It's okay."

The tremble in her hands spoke all the words she could not; no, it's not okay.

He was half inclined to agree with her.

•    •    •

"Finnick."

Seated at the dining table for his last meal of the day Finnick looked over his shoulder to see Boggs approaching him. Katniss lingered behind, a placid expression on her face.

"You're both wanted in command." Boggs explained briefly.

Finnick merely nodded and put his knife and fork down. His heart skipped a beat, especially after what Plutarch and Coin had told him earlier. He wasn't expecting to be called with news so soon... and with Katniss, as well.

He rose to his feet and glanced between Clio and Daniel. He swallowed when he saw the hope in their eyes and he said a silent prayer that whatever he was about to find out would be something good. He needed it to be something good...

"See you later."

Clio reached out and grasped his hand eagerly and said in a pleading voice, "Tell us if there's any news."

He nodded in response. He wanted to remain hopeful but he was struggling. He'd been in this place far too many times to count. More times than he cared to admit, really, and each time Coin and Heavensbee told him there was nothing it hurt more and more. He didn't want to feel that hurt, the inevitable disappointment that was about to come. He couldn't feel it if he didn't have any hope, or so he told himself.

The chances of getting her back alive were lessening every single day. He'd already accepted if he did get her back it wasn't going to be the Aella he kissed goodbye that day.

He and Katniss walked side by side through the halls, Boggs a few feet in front of them when Katniss said, "Any idea what this is about?"

Finnick shook his head softly, "None." He said before looking at her and asking, "Did they release the footage from Twelve?"

"Yeah, they told me so." She replied, "Said all the Districts had seen it."

Finnick pursed his lips, hands tucked deeply into his pockets his fingers found the small rope he kept on him wherever he went, "I wonder if it's something to do with that."

"Maybe." Katniss replied meekly, "Another rebellion?"

Finnick sucked on his tooth, "The dam in District Five blew before dinner, I know that." He said and shrugged, "Probably want to sent us out there for propaganda."

Boggs directed them past the conference rooms they usually were guided to and continued on up a flight of stairs at the end of the hallway. Katniss and Finnick exchanged curious glances and a feeling of unease washed over Finnick. He didn't know where Boggs was guiding them but he had a feeling it wasn't good.

"Is this about District Five?" Finnick asked him as they climbed the stairs.

The man didn't turn back but he heard him say, "Afraid I can't say."

Finnick felt physically sick hearing those words.

"What happened?"

Boggs stopped in front of a closed door, hand on the handle and turned back to them as they followed him. His face was frustratingly calm, "Just go in and see for yourselves."

He opened the door before he gave Finnick a chance to really register it. Boggs motioned them in first and Peeta Mellark's voice echoed loud enough for Katniss to run in first. Finnick followed her, the narrow hallway opening up to a control centre. The walls were lined with computers and people seated before them all working, mounted to the wall opposite them was a big television screen, two faces Finnick hadn't seen in so long on screen.

"Tonight, we've received reports of derailed trains, of granaries on fire, and of a savage attack on the hydroelectric dam in District Five." Peeta said in address to Panem.

Finnick's long strides came to a slow halt when he looked at the woman on screen sat next to Peeta. He barely paid Peeta any heed. All he could focus on was Aella. His knees buckled underneath him and he crashed to the ground—unable to register the pain of colliding with the hard surface. Tears rose to his eyes—hot and angry while he stared at her face.

Not even in either Games had he ever seen her so battered, so bruised. Total fear and rage consumed him in a flurry of emotion. All he could do was stare in pure and total shock. Her once vibrant blue eyes were lifeless and glazed—as if she had been drugged to within an inch of her life. He supposed after her last official interview for the Capitol it was highly likely. Her skin was death white, so much so that the already harsh black and purple bruises against her skin looked much worse. The underneaths of her eyes were heavy and stained purple, almost like she had been awake for days. Her left eye was bloodshot and slightly swollen and her lip was split deeply.

That was just her face. He could scarcely make out a deep bruise on the side of her throat.

"Ella." He breathed—whispered into the phantom wind.

He didn't have the strength to rise to his feet. He felt Katniss' presence beside him, no doubt examining Peeta within an inch of his life also.

"I'm begging for restraint and decency." Peeta went on to plead.

In front of them, Coin and Heavensbee and Beetee were hunched together over a table. Behind them, Haymitch and Gale stood as still as statues.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled horse manure to bring you..."

Their faces disappeared from the screen, replaced by footage of Finnick and Katniss walking through District Twelve. The song Katniss had sung for them by the lake played over.

"That's it. That's our footage." Coin said quickly.

"Beetee's in."

Finnick dragged himself back up to his feet, standing beside Katniss while they watched the screen together in confusion. The footage continued, overrided once by the Capitol to bring focus back to Aella and Peeta. Both of them were focused on something past the camera, a screen no doubt that they saw the footage on. Finnick watched Aella's eyes slide back to the camera, saw her mouth his name as silver lined her eyes. His heart clenched as he read her expression, the hidden message behind her eyes—her silent begging. Her lips moved faintly again.

Save me, Fin.

"Katniss?" Peeta mumbled, tears welling in his eyes.

"He sees it. They see our propo." Coin said quickly as everyone around in the control centre stopped to watch.

"Katniss, are you there?" Peeta spoke, their footage fading out into Capitol feed again.

Finnick continued to watch Aella's lips as he walked forward slowly like a zombie.

"Katniss?"

"Peeta, please continue." Caesar Flickerman said, though he wasn't in the angle, "You were telling us about these savage attacks."

"Say something, Ella." Finnick mumbled to himself though he was close enough to Haymitch and Gale for them to hear him, "Why won't you say anything?"

He never thought he'd see her cry in public—especially not on live television but she did. He watched the first tear slide down her face slowly followed by the second and then the third. Peeta glanced sideways to her, eyes still wide and unfocused, and he watched her for a few seconds before he looked back to the camera like she did. Finnick held his breath, his hand to his chest right over his heart as he swore he saw sheer and utter relief wash over her face.

"Peeta?" Caesar beckoned again.

"Yeah." He whispered hoarsely and took a composing breath before saying, "The attack on the dam was a callous and inhuman act of destruction..." Their footage interrupted the feed again, "Think about it. How will this end? What will be left? No one can survive this. No one is safe now. Not here in the Capitol. Not in any of the districts..."

He paused and conflict scattered through his silver lined eyes. Peeta was too on edge as he sat forward in his chair compared to Aella who barely looked like she hadn't the strength to even keep her chin up. His pause wasn't deliberate and he glanced back to Aella desperately seeking something. They met each other's gaze and everyone watching saw a deep bond that had formed between them in the long weeks they'd been in the Capitol. A lone tear slipped from Peeta's eyes as Aella nodded her head silently, as if giving her blessing, and she mouthed the words, it's okay.

Peeta swallowed deeply and held her gaze for what felt like the final moment between them before he loosed a heavy breath and looked back to the camera, "They're coming, Katniss. They're gonna kill everyone. And in District Thirteen you'll be dead by morning—"

And just like that they were gone but not before they had seen a flash of Peacekeepers appear behind them both. Saw them each move to force Peeta and Aella apart. Heard her raw, soul-shattering scream to get back to him. Saw the flash of metal and shackles around her wrists. Heard the unmistakable sound of a gun firing. In the flash of seconds all they had seen had gone—Aella and Peeta with it—and all that remained was Panem's national flag.

"He's warning us. That was a warning." Haymitch said.

"Yes, it was." Boggs nodded.

"He's going to kill her." Finnick breathed in terror before he turned to those around him, "That's why Peeta was looking at her. They were using her as bait to keep him in line."

And if that were true, Aella might just very well of sacrificed herself so Peeta could warn them. He didn't want to think about it. Didn't want to consider the possibility that she was so sick and tired that accepting her death was worth him sending out a warning to protect them.

"We have to get him out before they kill him." Katniss said hurriedly off the back of Finnick.

"Is there anything in the air?" Coin asked one of her officials, standing before a radar screen.

"Nothing on doppler, ma'am."

She turned back to them, "They were in the mansion. He could have overheard something."

"Possibly." Heavensbee nodded.

Finnick shook his head though and he looked to them, "Or they told them." He said, "Told them as a threat knowing Peeta wouldn't say anything because they were using Aella."

A solemn expression tugged on Beetee's face as he nodded, "That would explain why he looked back at her. She was giving her consent for him to betray the Capitol."

"And we heard a gun fire before the video ended." Boggs said flatly, "She could already be dead."

Dead. He didn't want to think about that. Didn't let his brain consider the possibility. It was almost enough to bring him to his knees again.

President Coin glanced to those in the control room and announced, "It's time for an air raid drill."

Over the buzzing in his ears the drill sounded—loud and deafening—but he couldn't bring himself to move. Couldn't think about anything but her.

•     •     •

Peeta had never seen Aella unleash such hell in all his time of knowing her. It was like all her training, all her knowledge and all her fight had come back to her all at once. He hadn't even seen her fight like how she did then when they were in the Hunger Games together. The switch in her mind flipped—her eyes grew cold—and she roared in fury.

The bullet aimed for her skull had narrowly avoided her when she lunged out of the way. It imbedded itself in the top of the cushioned sofa they were sat on instead.

One moment, the Peacekeeper who had lunged for her was grabbing her arm, the next she was on his back, hands on his head and she twisted his neck. He fell to the ground in a heap by Peeta's feet. Still on the sofa, chains stretched as far as she could get them she grabbed his gun and shot down the two Peacekeepers standing opposite them without even flinching.

She was fighting for her life, Peeta realised. Fighting like this because he knew she knew deep down she wasn't going to make it out alive after this one. He watched her give them hell—deliver what little justice they deserved before she knew they'd inevitably get their hands on her again or shoot her down. She did it all with killing calmness on her face—not an ounce of fear visible in those icy blue eyes.

Peeta sprung to his feet and fought. If she could do it, so could he. He channelled everything she had told him and he joined her in unleashing hell on the Peacekeepers who had made it their mission to make their lives hell.

Aella was quickly overpowered as three Peacekeepers, plus the same high ranking man who liked to conduct his own torture on her, pounced on her. She managed to kick one of them in the face and his nose crunched under her boot. The sickening crunch brought a vicious smile to her face and she snarled at those who wrestled to get the gun out of her hands. There was only one bullet left in the chamber—four Peacekeepers laid dead around the room.

"Now I know why they call you the Huntress." The high ranking Peacekeeper said slightly breathlessly as he grabbed her legs and held them. Aella had long since named him Baldy—never once learning his true name and she had called him such to his face on more than one occasion, "Someone get me that tranq!" He ordered as his three comrades struggled to keep her down.

"Fuck you, Baldy." She snarled in response, "If it weren't for these chains you'd be dead with your friends."

"I don't doubt it, Ella." He teased, striking the nerve he knew was raw, "But luckily for me we keep your crazy ass shackled whenever your out."

She thrashed again, kicking her legs as best as she could to shake him off but she was tiring quick. The sedative they'd given her prior to the interview was beginning to settle back in. Her adrenaline was wearing thin. She heard Peeta shouting and watched two Peacekeepers pulling him out the room, shackles of his own now fastened around his wrists and he rioted.

"Peeta!" She screamed as she bucked her hips to try and shake the Peacekeepers off her, "Get off me—Peeta, no. Where are you taking him!"

Already out the door she heard him shout back, "Aella!"

She thrust her fists up, pulling her legs back. Baldy went flying as she punched one of the Peacekeepers holding her arms down in the nose. He fell back and she managed to get herself sat up and on to her knees before something flashed in the corner of her eyes. A voice said something—a warning of some sort—before the butt of the gun they'd wrestled out of her hands hit her temple and she fell into the darkening abyss.

She awoke with a loud gasp, her heart slamming against her chest. Low green light barely illuminated the room around her and she lifted her head to look around albeit with great difficulty. Her temple was throbbing and she vaguely registered something thick running down her face slowly. She looked down seeing she was again back in that white shaft and shorts but felt a breeze on her back. She didn't recognise the room she was in, could hardly make anything out for her blurry vision.

She made to move her arms, wherever they were, but felt them shackled apart. She glanced to her left and saw her swollen and bruised wrist shackled to a wooden post, the same with her right. Sat on her knees, her feet were also shackled to the floor. She had no idea what was happening, no idea what hell they were about to unleash on her but she was glad she managed to fight back that last bit. She wouldn't of dreamt of it if she knew there was a chance Finnick was in danger but seeing him in that propo video lifted an unbelievable weight off her shoulders.

She was ready and she'd said as much to Peeta when he'd met her gaze and silently asked for her consent to warn them of the bombing. She was so ready, in the same way Cayenne had been when she'd looked at her those days, those weeks, those months ago—because, really, she had no idea just how long had passed—and begged her silently for her death.

"How noble of you," Baldy said from somewhere behind her. His callous voice sent a shiver down her spine as he said, "to put your life on the line like that so Mellark could warn your friends in Thirteen."

Why wouldn't she? Finnick was safe. He had to live. He couldn't die now, not when they were making so much progress in the rebellion. Not when so many Districts were fighting back. And District Five blowing up the dam... god, she couldn't wrap her broken mind around it. The dam that supplied the power to the entirety of Panem. It would take hours to get that sort of energy re-calibrated—to fix the mass destruction they had caused. No wonder they'd had to use spotlights for their interview. It explained why now the only light they had was that of the fire exit—they were still without power.

"I didn't know you were so desperate to die." Baldy said, finally appearing in her line of vision, "You could have just asked, you know? I'd of been more than happy to oblige." He bent down in front of her, bracing his hands on his knees before he reached out and traced a finger down her cheek. She made to bite him, fingers inches away from catching his hand but ultimately missed.

Fury wrapped his ugly features and he grabbed her hair in his hand, pulling her head back sharply and towering over her. She yelped in pain before clenching her teeth together and breathing heavily. He lowered his head even closer to her, his hot breath fanning over his face as he dropped his voice and said, "But I'm not going to kill you."

Her stomach coiled when she saw the promise shining in his eyes. Her throat bobbed.

"I've made it my mission to break you now. However long it takes, you won't return to those cells until you're nothing but a broken girl in a body, deemed clinically insane."

She trembled—either in fear or anger or maybe both, she didn't know.

"Maybe then I'll kill you." He pondered, "Maybe I'll just keep you all for myself. What do you think?" He said before his eyes gleamed evilly and his lips curved into a sadistic grin, "You can't exactly fight back when you're broken."

She knew the meaning behind his words. Felt the vomit rise up into her throat. The memories—raw and fresh once again clawed their way to the forefront of her mind and she shuddered.

"Ah yes." He nodded to himself, seeing her response, "I think I'll go for that option."

Aella glared up at him and if her look was anything to go by he'd of been six feet under before he could rise to his feet. She wanted nothing more in that moment than to kill the bastard in front of her, the bastard that had delighted in causing her so much physical pain alongside that sick and twisted doctor. She spat in his face again and he recoiled. Lethal calmness washed over his face and he loosened her hair and rose to his feet while cleaning his face.

"You really, really, shouldn't have done that." He warned her, stepping away.

She followed him with her eyes, watched him walk away from her. Her brows furrowed, pulling together when he stopped before something—no, not something. Someone. Her heart stopped dead in her chest when she recognised the face, the body.

Palex...

He was barely recognisable, only the swirling tattoo down the right side of his head and neck was how she identified him. The right side of his face was entirely swollen. His eye swollen shut. Lips bust. His face was a picture of purple bruises. He didn't even look alive.

She pulled on her chains and anchored her body forward only to coil back at the searing pain in her forearm. She screamed his name, pleaded him to wake up but he didn't respond.

"You were out longer than I expected." Baldy said to her as he looked at her over his shoulder. He grinned in evil amusement and shrugged nonchalantly, "I was bored."

He turned back to Palex and slapped him across the face and he shot awake. Only his left eye opened and it ran over Aella quickly before he mumbled some incoherent words she couldn't make any sense over.

"Palex." She said and broke into a fit of sobs seeing his bony body. He was just a skeleton opposite her—chained in mirror image to her. There was nothing left of him and it came crashing down on her that it was all her fault, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry." She sobbed.

Palex mumbled something else again that had her furrowing her brows.

"I think what Palex here is trying to say is something along the lines of 'I forgive you'." Baldy said, "Am I right, Palex?"

The man looked up to him with a hateful glare and didn't respond.

Aella loosed a breath of confusion, "W-what?"

"We cut out his tongue." Baldy said so simply.

Aella stumbled over her breath as her eyes widened. She had no idea what to say. Pure shock just consumed her whole as she stared at Palex. His eyes softened in a way she knew was him telling her that it was true.

"He betrayed his President." Baldy said, "It was part of his punishment... and now I'm here to finish it."

She really, truly, did not want to know what his punishment was but she knew she had to ask.

"What is it?"

His eyes gleamed, "Death." He said, "And you're going to watch."

She sobbed again and met Palex's gaze but he only nodded his head once at her the same way Cayenne had, the same way she had done to Peeta however long ago. He was ready and he was reassuring her that he had made peace with it.

Still, it would absolutely kill her to watch it. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, anything to not have to watch.

"I had a feeling you'd do that." Baldy hummed.

She vaguely heard the sound of a whip whooshing before it reigned down on her bare back. It sliced across her shoulders, deep and harsh and she screamed so loud her ears rang. Her tears fell into a puddle on the floor beneath her and when she bowed her head again a second lash followed.

"Every time you look away you receive a lashing." Baldy explained over her soft sobs, "Every time you close your eyes you receive a lashing. It will continue until either you pass out from pain, at that point I'll stop and wait for you to wake up before carrying on, or Palex dies."

She shook her head but she managed to stop the plea that was seconds away from rolling off her tongue. She would not beg them to stop—beg him for mercy because that would mean he was winning. She wouldn't. She was better than that.

She was Aella Barnes, she had survived the Hunger Games twice.

She didn't even know she'd closed her eyes but the third lash was harder than the first two and it stuck precisely over the first. She screamed again until her voice broke.

"As much as I enjoy listening to you screaming Aella, this is going to take a while and I don't want to finish with a headache." Baldy said. He nodded at someone behind her and not a second later did she feel someone pulling her head back and forcing her mouth open. Some kind of bit was shoved between her teeth and fastened tightly behind her head, pinching her cheeks together. Panic rose in her gut and she focused her gaze on Palex's.

Breathe, he seemed to be saying to her, it's okay.

She dipped her chin once, a small nod to tell him she understood.

My name is Aella Barnes, she recited, I survived the Hunger Games twice. My name is Aella Barnes, I am from District Five. My name is—

Baldy slammed his fist into Palex's face and Aella's muffled screams echoed across the room at the impact.

•    •    •

A/N; I love Palex but I love torturing my OCs even more...

The next chapter will be released on Monday. We've only a few to go before we finish Mockingjay, part 1.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's much better than the previous one!