Chapter 4

Meredith sat panting on the ground. Blood leaked from dozens of small cuts all over her body. She couldn't believe what she was facing, nothing hurt this fiend! Her armor was gone. She was too exhausted to continue, but she couldn't make herself quit. If they didn't figure out a way to kill this monster, they would all die.

Her eyes fell to the pile of ash.

Helpless rage filled her again. Esmerelda was her best friend and constant companion. They grew up together, trained together. Meredith couldn't believe she was gone.

"ESMERELDA!"

She spies Finnick cocking another bullet into his rifle. The results of his first shot hang suspended in mid air, the demon seemingly fascinated by the sight. Still no blood even though she could clearly see Finnick through the hole.

The rifle roars again, yellow fire spitting from his muzzle. Nothing happens, Finnick must've missed.

He never misses.

She sees him cock another shot. His eyes are red and tears flow freely.

"ESMERELDA!" He shouts again, raising the gun.

He squeezes the trigger to an audible click. He works the hammer back again and fires again.

Click.

Again. Click.

He yanks the bolt, thinking the rifle jammed, and the bullet clatters to the ground.

"Well that was a new one, I don't think I've ever been shot before. Not with a modern firearm at least.

"But please refrain from doing it again. There's no point."

Undeterred, Finnick loads another shell. He raises the rifle again, chest heaving in his rage. He pulls the trigger and the bullet booms out of the chamber.

Into his own back.

His chest explodes, ripping him in half and flinging pieces all over the grass. Hot blood sprays all over, some even reaching Meredith's face. She watches in horror as his body collapses onto itself. No blood pools beneath him, he was dead the instant the round hit.

"I told him not to." The demon sighs, "just goes to show that most people aren't that smart."

His hand comes into her view, holding one of Finnicks bullets. Each one was specially made with a high-impact tip. Designed to kill powerful demons. She didn't know how she knew, but that was the bullet Finnick just fired. The one that killed him.

He tosses it to the side, the thump it made louder then Meredith's racing heart. A rage she never felt before fills her, ice cold and razor sharp. Slowly, she gains her feet. Unknown strength fills her limbs, her fists clench and she doesn't bother reaching for the sword. It wouldn't do any good.

"Up again, are we? At least you have spirit, I can't tell you how many beings I've fought that give up after the first face-plant to the dirt. Its refreshing to find such rarity."

Meredith doesn't respond. She takes one step forward, then another.

"What, got another knife? Be my guest, I won't stop you. I'm rather enjoying myself. I haven't had any real entertainment in cen-"

Meredith's fist across his face shuts him up. Red light covers her arms as she swings again, connecting with the other side of his jaw. He rocks backward, one step, then two. Astonishment takes hold of him. He looks down at her in amazement, disbelieving what just happened. Warmth coats his lips, he brushes a fist over it and stares at his hand.

Gold blood.

Meredith slumps to the ground, more tired then she's ever been in her life. Her limbs twitch and shake, her breaths come shallow and too quick. She can't move, stuck staring at the sky. Deepest blue dotted with white clouds. How come she never noticed how beautiful the sky was? Her vision greys and goes black around the edges. She knows she's losing consciousness, which would mean her death.

She doesn't care, oblivion would be a welcome escape from this nightmare. She wonders if she'll feel pain when he kills her, she wonders if Esmerelda felt pain. She wonders if Finnick saw his heart explode or if he was already gone by then. Well she's about to see them, soon enough.

She can ask them herself.

"What the hell was that!" a beautiful face looms over her, anger evident. Surprise. Respect.

"What. The. Fuck. Was. That?" his face comes closer, there are little specks of blue in the red-hot color.

You have beautiful eyes, Meredith thinks to herself.

He jerks back. She must've said it out loud. She giggles in her delirium. Then laughs harder at her giggles. She stops when it becomes too hard to laugh. His face swims back into focus. Confusion and something else plainly writ on his chiseled features. The noon sun striking fire to his golden skin.

He is beautiful, she thinks to herself. This time making sure she doesn't say it out loud again. Her vision swims once more. This time, with no energy to stop it, she succumbs to its embrace and passes into darkness.