Lethal Charm - THG [1]

EPILOGUE

In the years since the rebellion had come to an end, life had been a blur. Johanna found that a nation of self-determination had not been as fulfilling without Knox by her side.

She found herself constantly searching for her wherever she went, desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman who owned her heart but could never hold. The woman she'd begged not to leave her.

In the months of recovery from the greatest war the nation had ever endured, Johanna had moved to District 10 with Eli. Living in Knox's home with her father was the closest she could get and she held onto that as tight as she could.

She hadn't spoken to Katniss in years. Not since the betrayal. Despite the void in her life after losing Knox, Johanna did not have to capacity to forgive Katniss for breaking her promise to kill Snow. It hadn't been for her, she'd wanted it for Knox and Katniss smashed that when she shot Coin instead.

Annie and Finnick had returned to District 4, living blissful lives with their son—Knox Odair—and wrote to Johanna regularly and tried to be there the best they could but they'd never understand the pain of having everything you've ever loved ripped away from you when you were at your weakest.

She could tell that the guilt of not being able to save Knox ate at Finnick every day but he'd at least been there. He'd endured the horrors himself and had to live with those memories forever but Johanna had been sitting cosily at the compound in District 13, stealing pain medication for her selfish desires while her love was ripped apart by mutts.

A shiver ran down her spine at the image. The terror Knox must've felt in her last moments was gut-wrenching and it shook her to her core.

Her boots kicked up dust as she followed the dirt path up the small hill. The large tree atop the hill cast an odd-shaped shadow and shaded the glistening stone from the heat of the sun. When she reached the top, Johanna smiled sadly at the tidy grave. She took the wilted flowers from the base of the headstone and replaced them with a fresh bouquet, tossing the old ones down the hill onto the grass.

After placing a soft kiss on the top of the smooth stone, Johanna sat down on the grass beside it, leaning her shoulder against the cool surface.

Her chest rose and fell steadily as she breathed slowly through her pain and gently rested her head against the headstone, squeezing her eyes shut to block the tears.

The sun spilt through the cracks between the leaves, and iridescent shards of light pirouetted across the surface of the stone, highlighting the neat lettering across the face of it.

KNOX CODIE

2287-2312

Daughter. Girlfriend. Friend. Victor. Soldier.

A brave young woman who fought for the freedom of everyone around her until her dying breath. A memory to be cherished and honoured.

A/N Hi everyone.

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

Feel free to express your thoughts in the comments.

RIP Knox Codie, you will be missed greatly. However, this is not the end of her story, Lethal Charm's prequel, Dangerous Charm is in the works and might be just as painful as this book but it gives us all a chance to spend more time with Knox and get to know her better.

Lots of love -H