Katniss' feet took flight and the girl threw her arms around her old friend's neck.
"They told us you were dead, they told me you were dead!" she exclaimed with tears in her eyes. Cinna gently pulled her away, to look her in the eyes.
"They told me that too" he said. Something in his tone frightened Katniss: this was not the Cinna she had met a year and a half ago. She separated from him and took a step back. The stylist's eyes swept over everyone present, then rested on Katniss.
"However, I woke up one week ago" he said "just in time to see the new president announce the 76th Hunger Games.
He sat back in his chair, continuing to scan the Winners.
"No one explained anything to me" he continued "No one told me the meaning of this huge shit " Katniss shuddered "I had to wait until this morning, I had to see Jendy being chosen as a tribute to understand what a failure my work was!
"She wasn't supposed to be chosen" Haymitch tried to intervene./
"What does that have to do with it?!" exploded Cinna "Millions of people didn't die to see the mistakes of seventy-six years ago repeated! Portia didn't die for this!
Silence fell. Peeta's hands were shaking.
"Yes" said the stylist "I was told this part of the story. They told me with pride, even how you bombed my city and my people!
"Your people" snarled Johanna "They enjoyed seeing kids killing each other.
"Then you're not much different from them, are you?" said Cinna in a low, threatening voice. He stood up.
"Now excuse me" he said "but please take me to Effie's, since it looks like we'll be watching these Hunger Games together.
As he headed towards the door, he looked at Katniss.
"Congratulations, fire girl" he said sarcastically, then reached Plutarch who motioned to a guard to take the other into custody.
When the designer was gone, there was silence in the room.
"We found him in a deep coma in a stasis case about a month ago" explained Plutarch to no one in particular "He wasn't sure if he was going to survive, so we didn't report it to you.
At these words Katniss left the room, followed by a worried Haymitch and an irate Johanna. Peeta, on the other hand, remained staring at the chair where Cinna previously sat, a tear rolling down his cheek.
"When we told him about the individual votes" the former Headgamemaker told him "he insisted on speaking with you as soon as possible.
"With me?" asked the boy.
"That's right" Plutarch answered and left.
Peeta was left alone.
\\\\\
The majestic doors of the old Training Center opened to the eyes of the tributes. Helios arched an eyebrow. He looked at two little girls to his right, holding hands. Lyssa looked back.
"Are you Effie Trinket's niece?" he asked in a low voice, while they were being escorted inside the building.
"Yes" Lyssa answered, without looking at him "And you are the son of Magdalene Flitchart? The Headgamemaker of the seventieth and seventy-first Hunger Games?
"Guessed" mumbled the little boy darkly. Jendy also turned to look at him.
"I've never seen you" Helios told her.
"I'm Cinna and Portia Kellaghen's niece" Jendy said.
Helios' frown became more pronounced.
"Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's stylists?" he asked again.
The other one nodded.
"It's not about the uncles- she mumbled.
Lyssa looked at her astonished.
"My father was a Gamemaker and my mother was a stylist" Jendy continued.
They didn't say anything more until they were in front of the elevators.
"See you tomorrow, Lyssa granddaughter of Effie Trinket and Jendy granddaughter of Cinna and Portia Kellaghen" Helios greeted them.
"See you tomorrow Helios son Magdalene Flitchart" replied Lyssa.
The boy made a grimace between amused and sarcastic.
"Well, we might as well call ourselves that, right?" he said "It's all a matter of kinship anyway
He walked away to take the elevator next to that of the two girls. He almost tripped over two wide feet.
"Sorry" Lyod murmured tiredly, helping him to rearrange himself.
Helios shrugged his shoulders.
"Helios son of Magdalene Flitchart" he introduced himself with a smirk and held out his hand.
Lyod snorted with amusement.
"Lyod son of Percival Templeshmit" he did in turn, shaking the hand that had been brought to him./
The elevator doors closed.
\\\\\
"I have a small child at home, please don't bring him here!" a tiny woman was pleading. Two soldiers in gray uniforms looked at each other and one of them nodded. A croaky voice spat from his earpiece.
"Room 309Q" he said nodding toward the woman. Her companion took her firmly by the arm and led her down the corridor of the immense Presidential Villa.
So Effie was left alone; sitting on a wooden bench she looked at the void. It could only be a nightmare, it all had to be a nightmare. Why had it all started again? Why had the victors allowed it? Because... Haymitch. Peeta. Katniss. She stifled a sob, hiding her face in her hands. In four days Lyssa and Jendy would enter the Arena. One of them would be dead.
"Or both" said the cruel voice of her nightmares.
She felt the soldier move away to obey an order but did not lift her head.
A warm, tapering hand rested on her shoulder, tenderly. There was a person standing next to her. Effie imagined it was Peeta: the boy had tried to approach her when he'd escorted her through a crowd of grieving parents, but she'd sped up. She didn't feel ready to talk to one of her Winners.
"Peeta dear..." she began to say as she lifted her head but found herself staring into Cinna's dark eyes.
She jumped up, backing away.
"No, no, please, no more hallucinations" she pleaded to the air.
"Effie" said Cinna in a clear and direct voice. He took her hand and the woman felt it so warm and real... She jumped up and hugged her friend, immediately reciprocated with affection.
"I can't believe you're alive!" she said with her voice broken by emotion.
"That makes two of us" joked Cinna./
Effie parted, smiling, but suddenly became angry.
"I'm sorry" she murmured "I'm sorry I didn't protect Jendy.
"It's not your fault" the man reassured her "This is a battle we must face together.
Her friend's eyes flashed.
"You know" she said "You know they did it.
Cinna nodded.
"Well, we don't have to blame them" he did "Sooner or later the revenge of the Districts would have fallen anyway, maybe in a worse way.
Effie shook her head with shiny eyes.
"Hey" the man told her "Hey, we are united now. We can do it.
The other giggled softly.
"It's always been like that" she said "You, me and Portia, the three Capitols trying to keep up with our rebel Winners.
Cinna smiled. A cough made them turn: Haymitch was standing behind them, in the company of a woman in uniform.
"Plutarch sends me to tell you that you will attend the Hunger Games in a special room" said the former mentor, looking only at Effie. Cinna shrugged her shoulders and took the ex-escort's hand and together they followed the soldier.
"Hi Effie" mumbled Haymitch as the woman walked past him.
Effie didn't answer.