第96章

  clove jams her fist into my windpipe, very effectively cut-
  ting off my voice. but her head’s whipping from side to side,
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  and i know for a moment she’s at least considering i’m telling
  the truth. since no peeta appears to save me, she turns back to
  me.
  “liar,” she says with a grin. “he’s nearly dead. cato knows
  where he cut him. you’ve probably got him strapped up in
  some tree while you try to keep his heart going. what’s in the
  pretty little backpack? that medicine for lover boy? too bad
  he’ll never get it.”
  clove opens her jacket. it’s lined with an impressive array
  of knives. she carefully selects an almost dainty-looking num-
  ber with a cruel, curved blade. “i promised cato if he let me
  have you, i’d give the audience a good show.”
  i’m struggling now in an effort to unseat her, but it’s no use.
  she’s too heavy and her lock on me too tight.
  “forget it, district twelve. we’re going to kill you. just like
  we did your pathetic little ally . . . what was her name? the
  one who hopped around in the trees? rue? well, first rue,
  then you, and then i think we’ll just let nature take care of
  lover boy. how does that sound?” clove asks. “now, where to
  start?”
  she carelessly wipes away the blood from my wound with
  her jacket sleeve. for a moment, she surveys my face, tilting it
  from side to side as if it’s a block of wood and she’s deciding
  exactly what pattern to carve on it. i attempt to bite her hand,
  but she grabs the hair on the top of my head, forcing me back
  to the ground. “i think . . .” she almost purrs. “i think we’ll start
  with your mouth.” i clamp my teeth together as she teasingly
  traces the outline of my lips with the tip of the blade.
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  i won’t close my eyes. the comment about rue has filled
  me with fury, enough fury i think to die with some dignity. as
  my last act of defiance, i will stare her down as long as i can
  see, which will probably not be an extended period of time,
  but i will stare her down, i will not cry out. i will die, in my
  own small way, undefeated.
  “yes, i don’t think you’ll have much use for your lips any-
  more. want to blow lover boy one last kiss?” she asks, i work
  up a mouthful of blood and saliva and spit it in her face. she
  flushes with rage. “all right then. let’s get started.”
  i brace myself for the agony that’s sure to follow. but as i
  feel the tip open the first cut at my lip, some great form yanks
  clove from my body and then she’s screaming. i’m too
  stunned at first, too unable to process what has happened. has
  peeta somehow come to my rescue? have the gamemakers
  sent in some wild animal to add to the fun? has a hovercraft
  inexplicably plucked her into the air?
  but when i push myself up on my numb arms, i see it’s
  none of the above. clove is dangling a foot off the ground, im-
  prisoned in thresh’s arms. i let out a gasp, seeing him like
  that, towering over me, holding clove like a rag doll. i remem-
  ber him as big, but he seems more massive, more powerful
  than i even recall. if anything, he seems to have gained weight
  in the arena. he flips clove around and flings her onto the
  ground.
  when he shouts, i jump, never having heard him speak
  above a mutter. “what’d you do to that little girl? you kill
  her?”
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  clove is scrambling backward on all fours, like a frantic in-
  sect, too shocked to even call for cato. “no!