No Peace for the Wicked

“Oh, great, I was hoping you were dead,” Galen said coldly.

“Of course you were,” I said.

“Huh,” said Carmella, “At least we took out two.”

“Two?” I asked, thinking of Ren.

“Yeah, smartie,” she said, “Two died.”

“Yes, but you said ‘took out’. You didn’t take out Ren, nor did any of us standing here.”

“The more dead the better!” she hissed. “And we could’ve all gotten away fine if you hadn’t gone ‘oh crap’!”

Anger boiled up inside of me. Who does she think she is? “Well, why don’t I leave, would you like THAT?”

“Yes!” she shrieked. “As a matter of fact, I would! You--you killed Maaden!”


“Haven’t I told you?!” I said, and I was so angry . . . “I NEVER KILLED MAADEN!”

“YES YOU DID YOU LIAR!” she said, red with anger, looking as if to kill. “DON’T YOU DARE SAY--SAY HIS NAME!!”

“Carmella!” Galen said, but I was sure no one really heard him. It was until he tackled her, and Makaya tackled me.

“I know you didn’t do anything wrong,” she said, “And I’m sure of it, Kyjuan admitted it himself, but this is for your own, and her, good.”

I felt very drowsy when I woke up. I immediately starting talking to Makaya. “There are four of us left, Makaya,” I said. “Why didn’t you just kill one of us? I mean, just 7 more to go, you know, after us.”

“I couldn’t do that . . . not unless it was the end, or you were trying to kill me.” I could see the kindness, and I knew, for now, that she didn’t mean all of this . . . The killings . . .

“Were you very enthusiastic about . . . the games?”

“No,” she said, “I was certainly different, and everyone knew that about me. They called me soft.”

“Oh,” I said. “Did--Were you surprised about Walin dying at this time?”

“No,” she said, no expression on her face that I could see. “He was young . . . he won two years ago, at twelve years of age. There are people like me, who are older and more athletic . . . It was be an extremely hard chance for it to happen.”

“I’m sure it is,” I said, “But there’s another fact--Think, he won against all of the others too.”

“Yes, but look at all of us. A young group.”

I couldn’t deny that. I just couldn’t. “I wish I knew him better, you know?” she said. “Just, well, before he died . . . Anyway, I need to wake up Galen.”

“We’re hunting today, Galen! Get up! You know, Kyjuan!” 


Galen was awake now. “Wonderful. Him.”

“Stop crying about it,” she snapped, “If we don’t take him out he could kill us all, you wouldn’t like that, would you?”

Carmella was awake from all of that. “You two--” she stuttered, looking at Galen and Makaya. “You knocked me out! You lying, filthy, ma--”

“It was for your own good, Carmella!”

“You could’ve killed me for all I know!”

“But I--we didn’t, did we?”

She shook her head in a look of disappointment she hadn’t won the little “fight.” I was completely sure that she was going to blame ME for something.

She didn’t, though. We all got ready to hunt Kyjuan, and left. “Surely they wouldn’t be at their last spot,” said Galen.

“I suppose not,” Makaya answered, “But we’d better check.”

That was when things got nasty. They really must’ve been expecting us to come, because there was an ambush. I was knocked to the ground by Tadlin, who has been trying to kill me. I quickly knocked him off, and began fighting. He was so fierce it was difficult. I was scratched up, bleeding, as well as he was. Until I heard the boom of the cannon. Tadlin, only for a second, stopped. I knocked him well-out when he did.

We fled after that. I followed Makaya and Carmella. “Where’s Galen?” I asked.

“He’s dead!” Carmella hissed at me, at once. “Killed by Para.” I could tell she’d been scratched up as well; there were a lot of marks all over her indicating battle. Makaya, on the other hand, looking fine.

“I thought we had an advantage,” said Makaya. “But they took it away . . . what a clever idea . . .”

“Galen, the only SENSIBLE person left, has been killed and you’re saying ‘what a clever idea’?!”

“Carmella, I--”

“Excuses! NO MORE FOR ME!!! I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU FILTHY, LYING, SAVAGES IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO!”

And Carmella simply left, leaving us in shock.