The chapter is a bit short but I have only had about an hour a day to work on it so I thought I'd go ahead and post what I had. Only a few chapters remaining guys! Don't forget to review and I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 25
For the first time in days, I was untied and given clothes. The dress I wore was obnoxious and itchy, but I didn't complain; I luxuriated in its warmth.
"For your wrists, madam." Phillip said as he opened the familiar jar of ointment. I gently rubbed the sticky goo onto the deep cuts that finally seemed to be healing.
Phillip straightened out the dress in the back and adjusted the fabric to lay on my shoulders properly. He was very kind and gentle; I desperately wanted to know his story. What was he doing in a place like this, with a man like Snow?
"Where is Zinnia? I asked quietly. I wasn't sure if I should have asked the question or not. He spoke of her once, perhaps I could get more information now.
"Safe, madam." He said hesitantly looking over his shoulder and then into my eyes. We were being watched but it was clear he wanted to give me more information.
He finished firming out the wrinkles in the fabric then helped me into my shoes. They felt foreign and uncomfortable. I would have much rather stayed barefoot. If I managed to make an escape, I would've had to lose the shoes first.
"I believe you are ready, madam." He said quietly. "I'm do beg your pardon, however, I must blindfold you now."
"Why? I asked. I felt it an odd thing to do.
"To prevent you from locating the exits and making your escape." I nodded my head and allowed him to tie the clean cloth over my eyes. He did it gently and kept it loose.
"A smart girl like you, I'm sure, has already thought to memorize the walk anyways." He seemed to hint quietly. I seemed to react well to his comment, for, I could hear the smile in his voice. "We will be leaving now, through the door across the room." He emphasized.
Who was this man and why did he seem to want to help me? My thoughts went wild until we were out the door into a well lit room. Even with my blindfold on, I had to squint. The brightness bled through the fabric and the light was painful to my eyes.
Phillip guided me through the long passageways. One, two, three…twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three…I counted silently in my head. Left turn, one, two, three…We continued like this for three more turns. My blindfold was loose enough I could move my head a certain way and get a view of my surroundings. A couple hallways we weren't following had doors at the end. I wasn't sure if those were exits, but I wished I could thank Phillip for tying my blindfold so loosely.
When we finally reached Snow's door, Phillip knocked three times and we waited for Snow to call us in.
As soon as he opened the door, I knew it was Snow's personal quarters. My nose burned from the stench of the roses and blood. My stomach churned and I held my breath trying to maintain my head.
Phillip gently removed the blindfold and placed the cloth in a satchel that was clipped to his belt.
The room was much darker than the hallways. It seemed to be lit with candles and a burning fire in the distant hearth.
Snow did not turn to greet us, his eyes were on the crackling logs, but he gave Phillip instructions to leave.
I stood in the middle of the room for a time before Snow acknowledged me.
"Please, take a seat." He pointed to the table full of delicacies. I instantly started salivating and my stomach became fully aware I was in close proximity of a feast.
I hesitantly took a seat at the table and he took his. He sat across from me; even in the candlelight he looked wicked. There was no good in that man at all.
"Please, help yourself." He waved his hands over the elaborate meal that sat before us.
I was hesitant at first, but quickly filled my plate and took my first bite of roasted chicken leg. When I had devoured that, I filled my plate with potatoes, steamed broccoli, bread, and rice. I ate like a wild beast who hadn't eaten for weeks, but Snow didn't seem to take displeasure in my offensiveness.
"You are not worried I poisoned this meal?" He asked with his fingers under his chin. I shook my head and took another bite from a chicken leg.
"If you wanted me dead, you would have done it by now." I replied between chews.
"Ah, smart as always." He said taking his first bite. He ate so properly. I had never seen someone eat so perfectly. It was almost fascinating until I remembered whom I was watching. I continued to ravage my plate until he finally spoke again.
"Perhaps I am not feeding you well enough." He said ticking at his brain.
"You feed me more now than you ever did when I was a child." I said boldly.
He smirked and continued with his dinner. "You are very direct, Miss. Everdeen." He said with a smile. "I gave you what you and your family what you needed to supply me with coal."
"Yes, conveniently in the form of tesserae, so I had a larger chance to go into the games." I said unforgiving.
"I did what I had to do; you did what you had to." He said smugly. "Had I known you would be the demise of my existence, however, I would have given it to you for free just to keep you out of the games." His eyes furrowed. "Underestimating you was the biggest mistake of my life."
"Yes, and not killing you the first time was mine." I furrowed in return.
He let out a tiny laugh and finished chewing. "No, my dear, that was the first time you did what I wanted you to do."
"Next time, I will kill you." I said assertively.
"That is where you are wrong, Katniss. This time, I kill you." His words took me by surprise but I maintained my composure. Snow would never lie to me, so I now knew his long term plan was my extermination; but I still had no idea what he wanted with my daughter.
"And why is it you want my daughter?" I finally braved to hear the words.
His smile stretched from ear to ear and his face glowed. It was clear I wasn't going to like what he had to say but I knew I would have to control myself; otherwise, I would show him weakness.
"She will be groomed to be the President's wife."
My blood boiled and I gripped the knife in my hand, contemplating if I could aim well enough to kill him from here. I had learned a few tricks from Gale while hunting; it was possible I could kill him if I hit him in the perfect spot. How could he be so sick as to think I would allow him to marry Zinnia? How did he think he could survive long enough for her to come of age.
"Please put down the knife before I remove it from your hand, Miss. Everdeen." He said sternly, yet calmly.
My grip gradually loosened but my eyes never looked away from the man I should have killed long ago.
"I will never let that happen." I said as a matter-of-factly. His face only turned into a grin, which infuriated me even more. "You'll never live to see her teens; I'll kill you before she's one." This time his grin turned to a frown and he leaned in curiously.
"You are right about one thing, Miss. Everdeen. I will not live to see her teens." He sat back into his seat and continued. "But my son will." He grinned from ear to ear as he took in my shocked face. I couldn't hide it, she was my true weakness. Anything that had to do with her, I couldn't hold back my emotions; and he knew it.
"You don't have a son. We would have known about him." I said sternly.
"On the contrary; I have many children. I had many wives, even." He said calmly. "Did you honestly think I wasn't going to leave Panem without an heir?"
I was so confused. How did he have children and wives without the whole country knowing about them? Was he bluffing?
"We would have known. The country would have known." I said.
He leaned in once again. "Many did know. Did you forget I controlled the airwaves and news? I only reported what was relevant to the country. My personal life had nothing to do with it."
"Why do you want Zinnia to marry your son?" I finally asked. "The country would know it was a scam." I stopped to see if he had a reaction; but nothing. "Do you think they don't know it was you that kidnapped me?"
He only chuckled at my words and it infuriated me. "Ah, yes. But she will be groomed to be in love with my son. She is only a baby, she won't know of her mother and father and the trouble they had caused." His eyes furrowed as he looked upon me. "She will only know what I tell her. I'm her guardian now." He smirked maliciously.
"You forget one, tiny, detail; Snow." I looked at him as hard as I could.
"Oh? And what is that, Miss. Everdeen?" He said conniving.
"I promised to kill you before her first birthday and I plan to do just that." I was pleased to see the fear in his eyes; his grin had turned into a loathsome grimace.
"Not this time, my dear."