Chapter 6

                                    

                                          
            
                          
Chapter 6
                          
"Wake up, wake up, wake up! Today is the final day of training!" Candlet peeps with her Capitol accent. I get out of bed instantly and put my training clothes on. Sore. My insides and outsides are sore from yesterday. No one can know.
                          
Today I decide to braid my hair in a braid Zander's mom showed me. She called it a fishbone braid. After I'm done getting ready I go out to breakfast. 
                          
"What is the individual training like?" I ask sitting beside Densper.
                          
"Well, you'll have all morning to fit in whatever else you need to train for. After lunch, they'll start calling you in one by one. First Densper, then you. I want you both to do what you've exceled at. From what Densper tells me, Althaea, you're good at pretty much anything in weaponry."
                          
 It never occurred to me that Densper and Kurio would bring me up in conversation. I never even thought about the fact that Densper would watch me during training past the first day. I haven't paid a single bit of attention to him.
                          
 "Good luck you two." 
                          
Densper and I get up from the table at the same time. He pulls me into the sitting room.
                          
"You okay?" he asks.
                          
"Yeah. Why?" I ask cautiously. Who even knows where this conversation is going to go. 
                          
"It's hard to miss you wincing every breath you take. It's a little distracting, actually."
                          
I thought I was being so careful to hide my pain. How am I supposed to tell him I'm okay when he can see that I'm not? I didn't plan a story for this. I don't know what to tell him.
                          
"I'm okay."
                          
Densper leans down to match his lips with my left ear. "When he left early this morning, he asked me to keep an eye you. He said something about a really close call last night." His voice is so low I'm not even sure I heard him right.
                          
"What?"
                          
He smirks. "Yeah. You heard me right."
                          
"I don't..." Why would he say anything to anyone? No one else was supposed to know about what happened last night, least of all Densper. 
                          
"This is who you're aligned with. You can't trust him. I'm still willing to take you on as an ally."
                          
With a deep breath I try to figure out who I'm more upset with, Densper or Talon. I just don't get why...
                          
"No. I'll straighten this thing out."
                          
I storm away and hunt down Kurio. I have a lot of questions swarming about those two fighting so hard for my loyalty in the Games. Talon is losing my trust and Densper is selfishly using that to his advantage.
                          
I find him not too far off discussing something quietly with Candlet. I clear my throat to make them aware of my presence. Rude, yes. But I have bigger problems.
                          
"Manners," Candlet gasps in disgust. Saw that coming...
                          
"Kurio, may I speak with you alone?"
                          
"What seems to be the problem, dear?"
                          
"Um..." I stay silent, briefly glancing at Candlet. She would judge me. She wouldn't understand. At least Kurio has lived in my district long enough to know I'm full of quirks. 
                          
"Candlet, would you mind giving us a few moments?" I ask as sweetly as possible in attempt to make up for my interruption.
                          
"Well, yes I mind. We were in the middle of—"